Chapter 20 - The first final order
Noah was ten weeks old when Judge Carla Mitchell entered a longer-term temporary parenting order.
Not permanent yet because divorce property closing and Ryan’s probation had only recently begun.
Primary residential care:
Me.
Ryan:
Three weekday periods and one longer weekend daytime block.
No overnights for another six weeks due infant feeding/routine and transition.
Then one overnight every other weekend if review showed compliance.
Joint legal decision-making for ordinary medical care?
The judge split carefully.
Routine pediatric care:
Joint information access.
I remained scheduling coordinator temporarily because I had handled all appointments.
Emergency care:
Either parent acts.
Major non-emergency disagreement:
Consult pediatrician, then mediator/court if unresolved.
Mental health records:
My personal records not parenting documents.
Ryan prohibited from using my therapy as general communication topic unless a specific safety issue arises.
Then Claire.
No required role.
No babysitting mandate.
She remained family support if I chose.
Then Ryan’s request for equal week-on/week-off with an infant:
Denied for now.
Future review.
Not because fathers cannot care for infants.
Because current caregiving history, domestic violence context, and gradual transition.
Then judge said:
“This order is not a reward to Emily or a punishment to Ryan.”
Risk management.
Familiar.
Then property settlement.
Ryan increased offer:
$302,000 equalization to me.
He keeps:
Summit Ridge.
House, if refinance within 120 days.
His retirement after equalization.
I receive:
$302,000 through refinance/cash.
My retirement.
More of brokerage.
Vehicles allocated.
No spousal support.
Attorney fees each own.
The numbers roughly matched neutral value while considering contribution credits and business risk.
I accepted subject refinance.
Then house.
Could Ryan refinance $371,000 plus enough cash out to pay me?
Maybe.
Lender capped.
He planned:
$180,000 from home refinance.
$62,000 business distribution after tax and lender approval.
$60,000 from brokerage allocation.
No violating business line covenants.
Process.
Then Marcus objected to $62,000 distribution because company cash tight.
They negotiated:
$35,000 now.
Rest through a personal securities loan?
Ryan chose to sell a separate investment account inherited from grandfather worth $48,000. Separate asset could fund settlement voluntarily.
No one forced.
Closing feasible.
Then one issue:
If refinance failed, house would be sold.
Clear.
No endless occupancy.
Then criminal probation.
Ryan complied.
No contact violations.
No new violence.
That mattered at next parenting review.
Then he made one mistake.
He sent Claire a message.
I’m sorry I involved you.
No parenting content.
Protection order didn't bar contact with Claire? She wasn't protected maybe. Still.
Claire did not answer.
She showed me.
I almost said:
Block him.
Then stopped.
May you like
Her boundary.
Not mine.
