Chapter 5 - The Seven-Year Silence
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I looked toward the monitor, watching the jagged green line of my baby's heartbeat.
"You said not to expect you to fund my mistake," I reminded him, the memory of that last argument still stinging, even now.
"I did," Elias admitted, guilt washing over his features. "I believed the consequences of living with Marcus would bring you home quickly. I thought cutting you off financially would force you to see him clearly."
"Instead, I stayed," I murmured, "because I couldn't bear to hear you say 'I told you so.'"
"I spent seven years believing your silence meant you were happy enough to remain away," my father said, his voice thick with regret. "That was convenient for me. It allowed me to call my pride respect for your choice."
"I could have called."
"Yes."
He didn't let me off the hook entirely, nor did he claim absolute victimhood. It was that honesty, the refusal to paint either of us as perfect, that allowed the conversation to continue.
"I didn't want you to know how bad it became," I confessed, looking at my hands. "When he took my bank cards, when he started screening my calls... I thought if I admitted I was trapped, I was admitting I was stupid."
"Because you feared my judgment?"
"Because I judged myself."
Elias leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. He looked every bit a father, not a judge.
"I cannot serve as your lawyer, Nora," he explained carefully. "I cannot use my position on the bench to influence Judge Cole or the proceedings. I will formally disclose our relationship to the judicial ethics office tomorrow morning."
I felt a sudden spike of panic. "Does that mean you can't help me?"
"No," Elias said, finally reaching out and gently resting his hand over mine. "It means I can't be your judge. But I can help you find independent counsel. I can secure safe housing. And I can remain present, if you permit me."
"You won't take over?" I asked, the old fear of his control surfacing briefly.
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"I have spent enough years confusing protection with control," Elias promised. "I am just here as your father."
I began to cry, the tears flowing freely now, washing away seven years of accumulated terror and isolation. I gripped his hand tightly, and he didn't let go.
