Seventeen-Year-Old Girl Finds Her Little Brother Cowering Under a Belt—Then One Phone Call Brings Back the Man Their Mother Swore Was Gone
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Chapter 11 / 28
Chapter 11 - CHILDREN SERVICESEthan stayed with my aunt Melissa for the first week.
I stayed too.
Dad was not immediately handed custody because he appeared at the door like a returning hero.
Family court did not work that way.
He still had an existing limited parenting order.
Children services evaluated:
Mom.
Gary.
Dad.
Our aunt.
Me.
School records.
Medical records.
Home safety.
Gary was ordered to have no contact with Ethan while the investigation proceeded.
Mom’s contact was supervised initially because she had known of concerning discipline and failed to stop it adequately.
That devastated her.
“I’m his mother.”
The caseworker, Denise Alvarez, said:
“Yes. That is why the court expects you to protect him.”
Mom cried.
I almost defended her.
May you like
Old habit.
Then I stopped.
Related Stories
Chapter 12 - GARY’S COUNTERATTACKGary blamed Dad.
Chapter 13 - MY MESSAGE TO GARYThree days after the incident, Gary texted me from a new number.
Chapter 14 - MOM AND DAD’S OLD WAROnce Gary was temporarily out of the house, Mom and Dad finally had to speak honestly in mediation.
Chapter 15 - THE HIDDEN BIRTHDAY CARDSDad’s birthday gifts had not disappeared in shipping.
Chapter 16 - ETHAN’S STORYEthan’s formal interview was not dramatic.
Chapter 17 - DAD WASN’T THE HERO EITHERDad wanted us to move in with him immediately.
