Chapter 21 - Daniel leaves our house
I asked Daniel to move out for six weeks.
Not because he had hit Lily.
He had not.
Not because I wanted divorce immediately.
Because every time I looked at him, I heard:
Tell Naomi it was screen rules.
A small lie.
An enormous rupture.
He moved into a furnished apartment.
Lily cried.
That nearly broke me.
She loved her father.
I did too.
Safety work becomes complicated when the person who failed is also someone the child wants close.
Daniel continued seeing Lily.
Frequent.
Initially with me or my mother around only because child-protection review had not finished.
He complied.
No defensiveness in front of Lily.
No:
Mom is keeping me out.
In therapy, he said:
“I thought hiding small conflicts protected my marriage.”
The therapist asked:
“From what?”
“Naomi’s anger.”
“Was Naomi’s anger dangerous?”
“No.”
“Then what were you protecting?”
Daniel cried.
“Comfort.”
There.
May you like
He had traded truth for comfort.
Eventually everyone paid.
