Chapter 22 - EMMA AND HER FATHER
Family court kept David’s contact with Emma suspended during the early years of incarceration.
Later:
Therapeutic letters.
Screened.
The first was rejected.
Daddy loves you and Mommy is keeping us apart.
No.
Second:
I’m sorry our family had a hard time.
No.
Third, after treatment:
I pushed your mother and hurt her. You saw it. You were not responsible for stopping me. I was responsible.
Approved.
Emma was nine.
She read it.
Then asked:
“Why did he chase me?”
“He wanted to stop the emergency call.”
“Would he hurt me?”
“I don’t know what he would have done.”
She nodded.
“Did four save you?”
There again.
I answered carefully.
“Four helped us get help.”
“Same thing.”
“No.”
She rolled her eyes.
I continued:
“If you had forgotten four, what Daddy did still would not be your fault.”
That reached her.
“Oh.”
“Yes.”
“What if I froze?”
“Still not your fault.”
“What if I hid?”
“Still.”
She nodded.
Good.
At thirteen, she requested a supervised video call with David.
Therapist present.
I did not attend.
She asked him:
“Why did you hurt Mom?”
He said:
“I wanted her to do what I wanted.”
Not money.
Not Margaret.
Not stress.
Control.
Good.
“Why tell her she fell?”
“Because I didn’t want consequences.”
“Why use me?”
He cried.
“Because I knew she loved you more than she feared me.”
Emma stared.
Then:
“That’s disgusting.”
The therapist allowed silence.
David said:
“Yes.”
The call lasted eighteen minutes.
Emma did not request another for a year.
May you like
Her choice.
No reconciliation quota.
