Chapter 16 - THE CABIN DOOR
Spring came.
Snow disappeared.
Bodie stopped asking whether doors were locked.
Mostly.
At night he sometimes checked.
Dr. Pike gave us a rule:
One check.
Then bedtime.
Not seventeen.
One.
The cabin stayed empty.
Then Bodie asked:
“Moose house?”
“What?”
“Where Moose snow.”
My stomach tightened.
“The cabin?”
He nodded.
“Can go when no snow?”
“Yes.”
“You come?”
“Yes.”
“Daddy?”
I waited.
“Do you want Daddy?”
He thought.
“No.”
Fine.
We went in May.
No snow.
Green grass.
Mud.
Sun.
Bodie wore sneakers.
Not pajamas.
He held Moose.
We parked.
He stared at porch.
“Door.”
“Yes.”
“Lock?”
“I have key.”
“Me?”
I handed him a copy on bright yellow keychain.
He opened.
No one inside.
He stepped one foot over threshold.
Then back.
Again.
Then all the way.
The house smelled stale.
I had removed most Norwood family décor into storage with Leland’s permission.
Not erased.
Just uncluttered.
Bodie walked to dining room.
“Bread.”
“There’s none.”
“Can have?”
“We brought sandwiches.”
He looked at me.
“Before dinner?”
“It is lunch.”
He smiled.
We ate on floor.
Then he walked to fireplace.
“Grandma chair.”
“Yes.”
“Gone.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“She doesn’t live here.”
“House yours?”
I paused.
“Yes.”
“Mine?”
“Not exactly.”
“Can I be here?”
“Yes.”
“Can I leave?”
“Anytime.”
He smiled.
That was the right ownership question.
Then he went outside voluntarily.
Five minutes.
Came back.
Door opened.
No one made a speech.
Progress.
Then Stellan’s parenting expanded.
Dr. Pike recommended unsupervised daytime visits after six months consistent behavior.
Family court approved.
First:
Zoo.
Second:
Movie.
Third:
His apartment.
Bodie returned with dinner eaten.
No food issues.
Then an incident.
Stellan asked Bodie to finish chicken before dessert.
Normal.
Bodie panicked.
“Grandma food!”
Stellan immediately backed off too far.
“Eat anything you want.”
Dr. Pike later corrected both.
Trauma should not erase parenting.
Rule can exist:
Dessert after dinner.
But no hunger as punishment.
No locked food.
No shame.
Stellan learned.
He began using:
“You don’t have to clean plate. Eat until body feels done.”
Good.
Then Leland got first unsupervised short visit? Not yet. He had been less directly culpable but still. After therapy and supervision, Bodie asked to visit Grandpa’s apartment for one hour.
Leland stocked too much food.
Predictable.
Bodie laughed.
“Grandpa, stop snacks.”
Good problem.
Then Gretchen appealed.
One conviction challenged because jury instruction on “reckless exposure” might overlap endangerment.
Appellate court took review.
No immediate release? She served months already.
She completed custody during appeal.
Probation continued.
No contact.
She moved into a small apartment.
No cabin.
Then her attorney filed civil claim.
Against me?
Occupancy interest? She argued equitable interest in cabin because marital funds from Leland had maintained it for decades before sale.
But sale occurred while Leland sole inherited owner? State marital rights can create spousal elective rights. Yet deed sale would've required spousal homestead waiver if primary residence; it was vacation property. She could still claim indirect marital interest in sale proceeds against Leland, not me. Her claim should be against Leland's sale proceeds, time-barred maybe. We can keep it simple.
She threatened claim that sale was procured without full disclosure of property value.
Independent appraisal defeated.
Leland received fair net equity.
She had known about sale closing? She had signed occupancy license, actually yes. She signed acknowledging no title interest? That would make her belief weird. But she could have signed without understanding title? Let's establish she signed occupancy license but thought transaction was refinancing. That sounds questionable. Better not litigate.
Attorney reviewed documents and withdrew property claim.
No basis.
The cabin remained mine.
Then Bodie asked:
“Can Daddy cabin?”
I thought.
“Do you want him there?”
“Yes.”
So our next visit included Stellan.
That would be the hardest one yet.
May you like
Because the last time all three of us were there, he stood inside while our son froze outside.
This time Bodie held the key.
