Chapter 16 - The Court File
At fifty-eight, I requested destruction schedule from my attorney for old family-court copies.
Rachel retired.
Her successor explained:
Official court records retained under court policy.
Personal copies can be securely destroyed after no legal need.
We kept:
Parents’ will.
Guardianship order historic.
Noah’s birth/legal docs.
Trust termination accounting.
Linda conviction? Not needed personal.
Protective orders expired.
I asked Noah.
“Want anything?”
“No.”
“What about videos?”
“Absolutely not.”
Official criminal evidence had been retained then eventually subject agency policy; we had no personal copies.
Good.
Then audio of Linda voice memo?
No personal.
No trauma museum.
Shred:
Care log copies.
Draft guardianship petition.
Financial draft.
Photos of pressure marks?
Medical record retains.
We didn't keep personal.
Then one paper stopped me.
The attorney warning to Linda:
Please do not manufacture or exaggerate evidence.
I wanted keep as proof she was warned.
Noah said:
“What would proof do now?”
Nothing.
Shred.
Then parents’ letter:
Noah is not a prize.
Keep.
Not because Linda.
Because parents.
Then blue cast photos from soccer before abuse:
Noah grinning, classmates signed.
He wanted one.
“That's good cast memory.”
Yes.
Not all period poisoned.
Then Noah said:
“I remember Aunt Linda making me stand less than I remember everyone signing cast at school.”
That surprised.
Memory weighted differently.
Then:
“Do you remember numb toes?”
“Yeah.”
“Does it scare?”
“No.”
Then:
“I remember you kicking screen door?”
“I did not kick it.”
Seed says Claire kicks open screen door. In story Chapter1 she pushed? Actually we wrote pushed through gate, not kicked door. Need consistent with user prompt? We need perhaps say she forced screen door. We can say memory exaggerated. Better:
“I shoved it hard.”
He laughed:
“You basically kicked.”
Fine.
Then:
“You looked crazy.”
“I was.”
Then:
“Good.”
May you like
Again, loud on behalf.
Then we closed file box.
