“Daddy! You came!”
“Of course I did.”
“Are you coming next time too?”
“I’m going to keep showing up, sweetheart.”
For the first time since I’d returned, she didn’t look over her shoulder.
Several weeks later, we appeared before a family court judge. After considering the circumstances, the judge awarded me primary physical custody. Ellie would remain at her school, and Megan would have scheduled parenting time.
I didn’t feel victorious. Megan was still Ellie’s mother, and Ellie still loved her.
But our daughter would no longer be moved away without proper consideration.
That evening, Ellie marked her purple calendar, including the days she’d spend with her mother.
“Mommy says I can still see her.”
“Of course you can.”
“And I get to stay at my school?”
“Yes.”
She looked up at me.
“And you’re allowed to live here?”
I set down the dish towel.
