Chapter 17 - THE PETITION SHE NEVER FILED
Aurelia’s lawyer had drafted an emergency petition.
Never filed.
That distinction mattered.
Proposed theory:
Temporary court-supervised caregiving authority because Stefano’s grief, work demands, and planned relocation allegedly threatened continuity.
Would it have succeeded?
Her own attorney said privately in correspondence:
Likelihood uncertain to low absent evidence of parental unfitness or consent.
Then:
The stronger path is voluntary agreement.
That was why Aurelia wanted my signature.
The child’s statements.
The household logs.
The mediator.
Pressure.
Not because she had a secret legal right.
Because she did not.
One draft affidavit said:
Elliot has repeatedly expressed fear of losing his aunt’s daily care.
Had he?
Dr. Flynn checked contemporaneous notes.
Elliot had said:
“I don’t want Aunt Aurelia to leave forever.”
Different.
Children can love someone and not want them governing.
Another line:
Clara has known Aurelia as a primary maternal figure since birth.
Clara was four months old.
Words were doing more work than evidence.
Aurelia’s lawyer had marked that line:
Revise. Overstated.
Good.
No corrupt attorney.
May you like
No legal mastermind.
Just a client pushing a theory further than her own counsel liked.
