Chapter 13 - The Appeal
Megan appealed sentence length, not guilt.
Her lawyer argued six years excessive given treatment and plea.
The appellate court affirmed.
No dramatic reversal.
She continued programs.
At three years, she became peer mentor in prison parenting mental health group? Could be, but avoid saint.
She participated.
No early release beyond normal credits.
Then Noah three.
Preschool.
Healthy.
A little sensitive to loud voices? Could be temperament.
No confirmed trauma memory from infancy.
Doctors cautioned not assign every behavior to early harm.
Good.
Daniel sometimes overprotected.
At playground, Noah climbed.
Daniel hovered.
I said:
“Let him.”
“He could fall.”
“Children fall.”
His face tightened.
Old fracture.
“Daniel.”
He stepped back.
Noah slid.
Laughed.
Then Daniel dated? Eventually.
At first no.
He said:
“I don’t trust judgment.”
Therapist:
“Being wrong once doesn’t mean never.”
Three years later, he met Sarah Collins, elementary school speech therapist.
He told her family history before serious.
She asked:
“Did you hurt Noah?”
“No.”
“Did you fail to notice?”
“Yes.”
“Did you learn?”
“I’m trying.”
Then he told me.
I said:
“Don’t make me investigate.”
He glared.
Joke? Maybe too soon.
I smiled.
He laughed eventually.
Sarah met Noah gradually.
No instant mom.
Then contact with Megan.
At four, court considered whether supervised video communication could begin from prison.
Guardian ad litem.
Therapist.
Megan’s treatment.
Daniel initially opposed.
Noah had no relationship.
But a carefully managed short video could allow identity without placing care.
They prepared.
Noah knew:
“This is Megan, the woman who gave birth to you and is your mom. She lives somewhere she has to stay because she hurt you when you were very little.”
He asked:
“Did she say sorry?”
“Yes.”
“Do I have to talk?”
“No.”
He chose yes.
First call.
Megan appeared.
Older.
She smiled and cried.
“Hi, Noah.”
He stared.
“Hi.”
“What’s that?”
He held dinosaur.
“T rex.”
“Wow.”
No apology dump.
Therapist had coached.
Ten minutes.
At end Megan said:
“Thank you for talking.”
Noah:
“Okay.”
Then he ran play.
Adults cried.
He did not.
Healthy.
Then calls every two months.
No promises.
No:
Mommy coming home.
Then Sarah and Daniel married? Maybe later after Noah 5.
Before, Sarah spoke to Megan? No need.
Daniel asked Noah how he felt.
“Can Sarah live here?”
Noah:
“She already eats all our cereal.”
Good.
They married small.
I attended.
Noah ring bearer.
Megan incarcerated.
She sent card through attorney:
I wish Daniel and Sarah peace. Please do not make Noah feel he has to protect me by rejecting her.
That was mature.
Sarah never asked Noah call mom.
He called Sarah.
Eventually maybe "Mama Sarah"? He decided.
No replacement.
Then Patricia completed probation.
She had not violated.
She requested letter contact with Noah.
Daniel agreed one letter screened.
Patricia wrote:
I am Grandma Patricia. I made unsafe choices when you were a baby and did not get you help when I should have. You do not have to answer.
Good.
No excuses.
No contact yet.
Then Noah asked:
“Why two grandmas?”
May you like
We laughed.
Families.
