Chapter 15 - Emily Finds The Pool Video
At fifteen, Emily found Mrs. Harris’s backyard video online.
Someone had leaked trial exhibit? Court records perhaps media. A clipped version circulated.
She watched without telling.
Then came to me.
“Dad.”
I knew.
“What?”
“You kicked him.”
I had shoved/kicked? Prompt had kick. In prose maybe I shoved. We can include that Mrs Harris video showed I kicked him during second lunge. I had forgotten. Let's say yes, at backyard Jason lunged again and I kicked his chest away. No serious injury.
“I did.”
“You told me you pushed.”
“I did both.”
“Why didn’t tell?”
“I remembered it as part fight. I should have been precise.”
She stared.
“Were you trying hurt?”
“I was trying stop him reaching you.”
“Could you have killed?”
“No, but any fight can go wrong.”
Then:
“Mom hid because she knew you’d do that.”
“Yes.”
Silence.
“I’m not mad.”
“Maybe you should be a little.”
“Why?”
“Because adults should control.”
“He attacked.”
“Yes.”
Then:
“Did police charge you?”
“No. Video and witnesses showed defensive context.”
“Could they?”
“Potentially if force unreasonable. They didn’t.”
She absorbed.
Then:
“Jason wanted video.”
“Yes.”
“Did he get what he wanted?”
“Some. Defense used it.”
“But jury still.”
“Yes.”
Then:
“So Mom was right and wrong.”
“How?”
“You did get physical. But that didn’t make fake messages true.”
Exactly.
Nuance.
Then she asked:
“Why did you and Mom divorce first time?”
We had given child version.
Now fifteen.
“We hurt each other with words. I got loud. She withdrew. We fought about money and time. We stopped being good married couple.”
“Did you cheat?”
“No.”
“Mom?”
“No.”
“Hit?”
“No.”
“Then just bad.”
“Yes.”
She laughed.
Then:
“Jason used real bad to make fake worse.”
That was entire scheme.
He did not invent my temper from nothing.
He weaponized.
Then I did anger management? Not court ordered. Therapy.
I had started after Sarah’s letter.
I wanted not be predictable.
Not for Jason.
For Emily.
Then one day a subcontractor yelled at me.
Old Michael would match.
I said:
“We’ll talk when volume down.”
My partner Alan stared.
“Who are you?”
Progress.
Then Emily said:
“Mom told me.”
“What?”
“That you don’t yell much.”
“Should I be offended she tracks?”
“No.”
We laughed.
Then Sarah.
She dated eventually.
Not until Emily seventeen.
A man named Thomas Reed, a school counselor? Too close therapy. Let's say civil engineer. Calm.
She told me before introducing.
Not permission.
Courtesy.
I appreciated.
Emily disliked first.
Then liked.
No pressure.
Sarah remarried years later.
Jason did not define her romantic life forever.
I attended? No, maybe not. Emily did. Fine.
Then I dated too.
May you like
Long later.
No need yet.
