Chapter 25 - DEREK COMES HOME
Derek was released under supervision later.
Not free of consequence.
Home.
Work restrictions.
Probation conditions.
Therapy.
Employment at a warehouse logistics company through a friend? Need not be nepotism. He found ordinary operations job unrelated to content.
No camera business.
No Hard Lessons.
No direct contact with Sadie.
Owen’s visitation expanded slowly after evaluation.
Day visits.
Then longer.
No overnight initially.
Derek followed rules.
For once.
Months later Owen asked me:
“Can Dad come to my baseball game if Sadie isn’t there?”
“That’s for your mom and court rules.”
Not my decision.
He looked annoyed.
Good boundary.
Natalie approved through proper channels.
Derek attended.
Sat far from children.
No filming.
Afterward Owen said:
“He didn’t even take picture.”
“That okay?”
“Yeah.”
Then:
“Kind of weird.”
Ordinary parenting felt strange after content parenting.
That said everything.
Derek sent me one final letter through counsel.
Not mysterious.
Not sequel bait.
An apology.
He acknowledged:
Sadie.
Owen.
The videos.
The Navy jokes.
He wrote:
I used to think your rules meant you were afraid of life. I see now I mocked rules because they interfered with the version of myself I wanted everyone to accept.
I did not reply.
I did not need to.
Closure is not correspondence.
Sadie knew he was out.
“Will he come here?”
“No.”
“Can he?”
“Not without permission and legal changes.”
“Good.”
Then she went back to homework.
May you like
Fear had become a question with an answer.
That was progress.
