Chapter 22 - The divorce decree
The divorce became final eight months after Sadie’s birthday.
Not years.
Eight months.
Financial terms:
I kept the house after refinance.
Noah received $203,000 buyout.
I received $105,000 from marital HEG escrow.
Noah received $65,000 plus sole ownership of the remaining HEG note.
Retirement marital portions divided.
Our remaining joint brokerage divided after adjustments.
No long-term spousal support.
Child support based on incomes and parenting schedule.
Unreimbursed child medical/childcare costs proportionate.
No Judith debt assigned to me.
No claim on Noah’s separate HEG shares.
No claim by Noah on my employer stock grants outside ordinary marital valuation rules; relevant vested marital portions accounted.
No one got everything.
Then Judge McBride asked:
“Voluntary?”
“Yes.”
Noah:
“Yes.”
“Any undisclosed agreement?”
“No.”
Then final parenting plan incorporated.
No Judith contact.
No physical confrontation.
Co-parenting app.
Direct medical/school access for both.
Neither parent could use grandparents as messenger.
Then:
“Anything else?”
Rebecca:
“No.”
Martin:
“No.”
Gavel.
Done.
Outside, Noah stood beside the elevator.
“Alyssa.”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry.”
“I know.”
“For more than the party.”
“I know.”
He looked toward the courthouse doors.
“I kept thinking if I could prove you were the problem, I wouldn’t have to admit I’d already broken the marriage.”
There.
Then:
“I did love you.”
“I know.”
“Do you still—”
“No.”
I did not let him finish.
Not cruelly.
Clearly.
He nodded.
“Okay.”
Then:
“I want to be a good dad.”
“Then be one.”
No inspirational speech.
Job description.
Then he left.
I went home.
Sadie was with Brooke.
She ran toward me carrying a plastic dinosaur.
“Mommy!”
I picked her up.
“Divorce final?”
Brooke asked.
“Yes.”
“How do you feel?”
“Tired.”
Good enough.
Then the house refinance closed three days later.
Noah signed deed transfer documents as required.
I paid buyout.
Title updated.
Mortgage mine.
No dramatic key exchange because I already lived there.
Then HEG paid another $20,000 on Noah’s note.
His risk declining.
Not my asset anymore.
Financial thread closing.
Judith still had probation.
May you like
No contact.
The next chapters were about whether everyone could live inside the orders they had demanded.
