Chapter 17 - WHAT THEY PLANNED TO DO WITH OWEN
Owen’s therapist asked Lena not to tell him all the financial details.
He did not need to know he had been used as leverage over $312,000.
But he did need truthful answers.
“Was I going to live with Grandma?”
“Dad thought you might stay mostly at the old house for a while.”
“With her?”
“Sometimes.”
Owen’s face tightened.
“I don’t want to.”
“You don’t have to right now.”
“Can a judge make me?”
Lena answered carefully.
“A judge can make decisions about where children live. But judges also care about safety and what actually happened.”
“Do they know Grandma put the money in my bag?”
“Yes.”
“And Dad?”
“Yes.”
Owen nodded slowly.
That seemed to help.
Facts restored order.
Later, Adam asked Lena privately:
“Does he hate me?”
“I don’t know.”
“He barely talks to me.”
“He’s scared.”
“I would never hurt him.”
Lena looked at him.
“You already did.”
Adam closed his eyes.
“I mean physically.”
“There.”
“What?”
“You still want a category where what you did doesn’t count because there was no bruise.”
His face tightened.
Lena continued.
“He learned his father was willing to create a lie about who he was.”
Adam cried.
“What do I do?”
“You stop asking me to make that feeling smaller.”
He nodded.
Then:
“I’m taking a parenting course.”
“Good.”
“I’m continuing therapy.”
“Good.”
“I’ll do supervised visits as long as needed.”
“Good.”
He looked at her.
“Is there anything that helps?”
Lena thought.
“Yes.”
“What?”
“Stop describing these things to me like evidence that you deserve faster access.”
He flinched.
She softened slightly.
“Do them because they’re the work.”
Adam nodded.
“I understand.”
Maybe he did.
Or maybe he was beginning.
May you like
That was enough for the day.
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