Chapter 25 - Margaret gets one ordinary afternoon
Dr. Reed recommended a supervised-by-parent community visit.
Not professional center.
Margaret and Emma.
Jason present nearby.
Library craft event.
One hour.
No me.
Emma wanted it.
I agreed.
Jason texted afterward:
Went fine. No issues.
I did not ask for a minute-by-minute report.
Progress.
Emma came home holding a paper bird.
“Grandma made the ugly wing.”
I laughed.
“Did you tell her?”
“Yes.”
“What did she say?”
“She said mine was worse.”
That sounded almost healthy.
Then:
“Did you have fun?”
“Yes.”
I stopped there.
No:
What else did Grandma say?
Did she ask about me?
Did she mention school?
Did she talk about court?
Systems existed.
Jason was present.
If something mattered, he would tell me.
Trust did not mean blindness.
It meant proportion.
Then Margaret requested another visit.
Two weeks later.
Approved.
Then one visit without Jason in the room but at same public location.
Approved.
No unsupervised home visit yet.
No rush.
Then the 529.
Margaret resumed small contributions.
$2,000 that year.
No announcement.
No condition.
Her financial adviser sent standard account confirmation to her only.
She told Jason:
“I’m keeping Emma beneficiary.”
Jason replied:
“That’s your decision.”
Exactly.
No gratitude required.
No naming rights returned.
Then Margaret asked me once:
“Do you think Nora would be a good middle name if Jason ever has another child?”
I stared.
She immediately laughed.
“Bad joke.”
I did not laugh.
She said:
May you like
“Right. Still learning.”
At least she knew.
