Chapter 21 - The Visitation Order
The profound peace of the garden was a sanctuary, but I knew the legal system was a machine that operated without sentiment. When my daughter, Maya, turned six months old, the heavy, embossed envelope arrived in my mailbox. It was the official court mandate from the family court judge, outlining the strict parameters of Derek’s supervised visitation. He was legally granted one hour, every two weeks, within the highly secure confines of the Cedar Ridge Family Services Center.
I sat at my kitchen island, staring at the thick legal parchment. My hands trembled slightly, a phantom reflex from the freezing highway that occasionally haunted my nervous system. Naomi Chen, my attorney, sat across from me, sipping a cup of black coffee. She looked as sharp and unyielding as a freshly forged blade.
"You do not have to be in the same room as him, Lena," Naomi reassured me, tapping a manicured fingernail against the document. "The facility is designed for high-conflict cases. There are separate entrances, staggered arrival times, and a court-appointed psychologist present in the room at all times. Elias has already vetted the security protocols."
I looked over at Elias, who was standing by the glass patio doors, his arms crossed over his broad chest. "The building is a fortress," Elias rumbled, his deep voice offering a steadying anchor. "I will drive you. I will walk you to the observation room. He will never be within fifty feet of you without an armed guard stepping between you."
May you like
I took a deep breath, looking down at the baby monitor screen where Maya was napping. The thought of Derek’s hands—the same hands that had shoved me out into a blizzard—holding my precious daughter made me feel physically ill. But I also knew that running from the court order would only give him ammunition to claim I was alienating him.
"I won't run," I said, my voice hardening into resolve. "We follow the law to the letter. If he wants to dig his own grave during these visits, I will happily hand him the shovel."
