Chapter 5 - THE CUSTODY EVALUATION
The parenting evaluator’s name was Dr. Samuel Price.
He was not a psychiatrist.
He was a licensed psychologist appointed to assess parenting schedules, communication, and the children’s needs.
Delaney had pushed for the evaluation.
Her filing accused me of being emotionally unavailable because of work.
Some of it was fair.
I traveled.
Too much during one quarter.
I once missed Micah’s school play after a flight cancellation.
I joined bedtime calls from hotel rooms.
I sometimes answered work emails during exchanges.
I was not going to rewrite myself into the perfect father merely because Delaney had failed catastrophically.
Dr. Price interviewed me in November.
He asked whether I believed Delaney was a capable parent.
“Yes.”
At that time, I meant it.
“Any substance concerns?”
“No.”
That answer haunted me.
During discovery, we learned Delaney had been preparing to argue for primary physical custody.
Her stated reasons:
My travel.
The children’s stronger neighborhood ties near her house.
Micah’s anxiety when schedules changed.
My use of a nanny during work emergencies.
No mention of relocation.
No boyfriend.
No hidden financial motive yet.
The scheduled Monday home visit mattered because Dr. Price expected to see Delaney managing a normal morning with both children.
Detox made that impossible.
So she rescheduled the visit.
Sunday evening, she emailed:
Children developed stomach virus. Request next available date.
The children were not sick Sunday.
Elsie became ill later.
Dr. Price moved the visit two weeks.
Delaney believed she had created a three-day window to stabilize medically, return home, and proceed as though nothing happened.
The addiction did not frighten me as much as that plan.
Treatment was responsible.
Hiding treatment while leaving children unsupervised was not.
At our emergency custody hearing, Delaney appeared by video from Cedar Gate with counsel.
She looked exhausted.
No makeup.
Hair tied back.
She cried when the judge asked about Micah and Elsie.
“I thought my mother was coming.”
The judge asked:
“Did she confirm?”
“No.”
“Why did you leave?”
“I was afraid I would use again.”
“Why not contact the children’s father?”
“I was afraid he would take them.”
The judge looked at the hospital records.
“Your fear of losing custody resulted in the children being left without an adult for approximately seventy-two hours.”
Delaney covered her face.
“Yes.”
The temporary order placed both children with me.
Delaney received no unsupervised contact pending treatment and investigation.
Video contact could begin therapeutically once the children’s doctors approved.
Vivian received no contact until her role was assessed.
Then Delaney’s attorney raised another issue.
She had executed a childcare authorization naming Vivian.
A signed document.
Dated Sunday.
Vivian’s signature appeared beneath Delaney’s.
If genuine, it proved Vivian agreed to care for them.
Vivian’s attorney immediately said the signature was forged.
The family shifted.
Mother against daughter.
Each now needed the other to be more responsible.
A handwriting examination would take time.
Micah had already provided the simpler evidence.
“Mom said Grandma was coming.”
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Whether Vivian signed a page or not, she knew a six-year-old expected her.
The question became why she stayed away.
