Chapter 21 - BLAKE’S APPEAL
Blake appealed the pattern-evidence ruling and portions of his sentence.
The appellate court reviewed whether the Lake Geneva recording unfairly influenced the jury.
Months passed.
The court upheld the conviction.
It found the recording sufficiently similar, limited in scope, and accompanied by clear jury instructions.
One probation condition was narrowed because it restricted lawful contact more broadly than necessary.
The central sentence remained.
Legal correction did not mean the court doubted Lily.
It meant every restriction required proper form.
Dad called the narrowed condition proof that the prosecution had overreached.
I did not respond.
Blake completed the custodial portion of his sentence and entered supervised release with mandatory treatment.
He requested therapeutic contact with Sophie.
The family court required evidence of sustained accountability.
His first evaluation showed partial progress.
He admitted striking Lily.
He continued saying he intended discipline, not harm.
The evaluator wrote:
Mr. Carter recognizes the physical act but continues externalizing responsibility for the emotional escalation.
Contact remained deferred.
Blake sent no letter to me.
He sent one to Lily through attorneys.
Rebecca refused delivery because it said:
I am sorry your mother and I could not agree about what happened.
That sentence made accountability a disagreement.
It entered the legal file.
Dr. Feld recommended Lily not read it.
Blake’s second letter, written a year later, was different.
I hit you because I was angry that you did not obey me immediately. You were two. There was no acceptable reason.
The therapist offered me a summary.
Lily was four now.
Too young to benefit from the letter.
We stored it.
Future truth did not require immediate contact.
Warren’s health began declining.
He requested a meeting through Diane.
I declined.
He sent a reviewed statement instead.
I believed money could keep mistakes temporary. I now understand the people I pressured carried those mistakes permanently.
It was more accurate than anything he had said before.
Then he added:
I still believe the family could have handled Lily’s incident without criminal court.
The old belief remained.
I chose no contact.
Partial insight did not obligate reunion.
Warren died from heart failure the following winter.
His will left most remaining assets to Blake and a smaller share to charities.
I received nothing.
Diane worried I would feel rejected.
I felt relief.
No inheritance could reopen the structure I had left.
At the funeral, I attended alone.
Not with Lily.
Blake stood across the chapel under supervision.
We did not speak.
Diane sat in the front row.
After the service, she asked whether I wanted Dad’s watch.
“No.”
The object belonged to a relationship that had ended without full repair.
Blake took it.
May you like
That was fine.
Grief did not need equal distribution.
