Jessica testified separately about her company’s invoices. Some descriptions were vague, and supporting deliverables were missing. Camille requested the underlying records.
I sat through only the portions I needed to attend. My hands shook when I heard Michael speak as though our marriage had been a business inconvenience. But I did not interrupt.
Outside the building, I told Camille I wanted the process to end. She nodded. “Wanting peace doesn’t mean accepting terms that make you unsafe.”
We walked slowly to the car because my feet had begun to swell. I was learning that courage sometimes looked like sitting still.
CHAPTER 16: THE SECOND BEDROOM
My mother helped me clear the room next to the nursery. We painted one wall a pale yellow and assembled two cribs with instruction sheets spread across the floor. Every screw seemed to represent a future Michael had insisted was impossible.
At a prenatal class, another expectant parent asked whether my partner would be joining us. I said I was separated. The instructor simply handed me an extra chair for my mother. I had braced for pity and found practicality instead.
