Chapter 14 - The guardianship evaluator
Dr. Marissa Lane interviewed me for four hours.
She asked questions I wanted to call irrelevant.
Dating life.
Work.
Debt.
Alcohol.
My relationship with my parents.
My guilt about Rachel.
Then:
“Why do you want guardianship?”
“Because Lizzy isn’t safe with my parents.”
“That is why you want her removed. Why do you want to raise her?”
I stopped.
Different question.
“Because she needs someone.”
“Anyone?”
“No.”
“Why you?”
I thought.
“Because I know Rachel’s family history. I love Lizzy. She trusts me enough to call me when she’s scared.”
Then:
“Is that enough?”
“No.”
Good.
I said:
“I can provide school stability. I changed my work schedule. I have support. I’m willing to be reviewed. And I know now that loving her is not the same as assuming I’m right.”
Dr. Lane wrote.
Then Gloria.
She came with Patricia.
Dr. Lane asked:
“Do you believe locking Lizzy in the storage room was appropriate?”
“No.”
Progress.
“Did you believe it then?”
“Yes.”
There.
“What changed?”
“The police.”
Not ideal.
Then:
“Do you believe your financial practices were appropriate?”
“Yes.”
Still.
“Even personal luxury charges?”
“Mistakes should be reimbursed.”
“Unapproved caregiver compensation?”
“We deserved compensation.”
“Deserved is not the same as authorized.”
Gloria became angry.
That anger mattered.
Then Walt.
He accepted:
No guardianship.
No financial role.
He wanted future relationship with Lizzy.
He admitted:
He failed to protect.
He also defended household reimbursements.
Not entirely unreasonable.
Dr. Lane did not need him to self-flagellate.
Then Lizzy.
Play-based interview.
No one asked:
Who do you choose?
Dr. Lane asked:
“Where do you feel safe sleeping?”
“Aunt Natalie.”
“Do you miss Grandma?”
“Yes.”
“What do you miss?”
“Pancakes.”
“Do you want to see her?”
Lizzy shook her head.
“Ever?”
“I don’t know.”
Good.
No permanent decision demanded from six-year-old.
“Grandpa?”
Lizzy said:
“Maybe if he opens doors.”
Dr. Lane later told us that line privately with permission because it informed contact planning.
Then her preliminary recommendation:
Natalie should remain temporary kinship guardian.
Gloria should not resume guardianship.
Walt should not hold financial authority.
No unsupervised grandparent contact.
Therapeutic contact may be considered later separately for Walt and Gloria based on Lizzy’s response.
Natalie should receive:
Parenting support.
Kinship counseling.
Financial-accounting education.
Why me?
Because DCF had identified risk of overcorrecting.
I had started photographing every meal Lizzy ate.
I told myself it was evidence.
Dr. Lane said:
“Stop.”
I felt exposed.
“What if Mom claims I don’t feed her?”
“You have medical records and ordinary receipts. Do not turn meals into surveillance.”
There.
May you like
I deleted eighty-three food photos that night after Claire confirmed none were legally needed.
Lizzy deserved breakfast without becoming evidence.
