Chapter 5 - THE COUNSELOR CARYS HIRED
Carys had hired a child-development counselor six months before she died.
I never knew.
Not exactly therapy for Lowri.
Consultation for Carys.
Dr. Evelyn Shaw.
Her invoice appeared in an old medical-expense folder.
Naomi requested records.
Privacy issues.
Carys deceased.
I was estate representative.
Evelyn agreed to release limited professional notes relevant to the family dispute under legal authorization.
First meeting:
Carys concerned that paternal grandmother repeatedly tells child she must “prepare for Mommy to go away.”
Second:
Carys reports grandmother encourages Thomasin to perform maternal tasks despite parent objection.
Third:
Carys reports child returned from grandmother visit saying she must not mention Mommy when Thomasin is present because “it makes the new family sad.”
My hands shook.
Then one note:
Carys considering restricting unsupervised contact.
Another:
Carys concerned husband minimizes grandmother’s conduct.
There.
Me.
Then:
Recommended direct parental boundary-setting.
Did we?
Carys tried.
I softened.
Mother ignored.
Then most important:
Carys reported an incident.
Lowri, then three, had a fever.
Carys instructed Mother not to take her out.
Mother arrived anyway with Thomasin.
Carys refused entry.
Mother allegedly said:
“You won’t always be here to control everything.”
That was cruel.
Not physical danger.
Then:
Later that week child tells Carys, “Grandma says when you go away Thomasin can be Mommy.”
There.
Carys’s fear.
Still not enough for:
Don’t let her near Lowri.
Why total warning?
Then Evelyn’s note:
Client reports additional event involving unauthorized pickup from preschool. Recommends documenting and consulting attorney.
My stomach dropped.
Unauthorized pickup?
I did not remember.
Evelyn would not elaborate beyond notes without proper release? It was in note. Enough.
Date.
I called Lowri’s old preschool.
Records archived.
They found incident form.
Honora Mercer arrived for pickup.
Not on that day’s authorized list because Carys had removed her temporarily.
Staff refused initially.
Then called me.
My recorded authorization? Phone note:
Father Alwyn approved grandmother pickup due to meeting.
I had.
Again.
Carys had removed Mother.
I overrode without understanding.
Why did Carys remove her?
The incident form said:
Parent conflict over grandmother discussing maternal illness with child.
I had known pieces.
Never whole.
Then another note.
When Mother picked Lowri up, Thomasin was waiting in the car.
Carys later called school furious.
I told her:
“It was only two hours.”
God.
I wanted to hate myself.
Naomi said:
“Do not turn guilt into useless self-punishment.”
“Useful version?”
“Tell the truth. Change behavior. Protect Lowri now.”
Fine.
Then Evelyn’s final note.
Carys planned to write explicit caregiver restriction into estate and guardianship documents.
There.
A legal paper likely existed.
We had found emotional warning.
Now perhaps formal action.
Who was Carys’s estate attorney?
Jonathan Bell.
Retired but reachable.
We contacted him.
He remembered Carys immediately.
And when I mentioned Honora, he went quiet.
“Mr. Alwyn, I have a file you should have been shown after your wife died.”
My stomach dropped.
“Why wasn’t I?”
“I believed it had been delivered.”
“To who?”
“Your mother.”
Silence.
There it was.
May you like
Not the secret yet.
But the path.
