Chapter 6 - Evelyn Had Been Asking To Come Home To Orson
The next revelation hurt because it was not hidden.
It had been sitting in my email.
Evelyn’s attorney sent a timeline during custody mediation.
Request after request.
Can Evelyn take Orson Friday through Sunday?
My reply through counsel:
Not appropriate before schedule stabilization.
Can she attend school conference?
I said video participation was sufficient.
Can she have unscheduled evening calls when traveling?
I insisted calls remain at fixed times.
Can she spend Thanksgiving morning with Orson?
I had already planned the day.
Reading those messages months later was like meeting a colder version of myself.
Evelyn had made mistakes.
Real ones.
She had prioritized work too often during the marriage.
Missed important moments.
Assumed I would always cover the gaps.
Then left the house before creating enough stability for Orson.
She owned that.
But after leaving, she tried to restructure.
Reduced international travel.
Rented a house thirty minutes away.
Requested more consistent time.
I kept telling myself she had forfeited the right to demand flexibility.
During mediation she finally said:
“You aren’t protecting Orson from inconsistency. You’re punishing me for leaving you.”
I denied it.
Then the mediator asked:
“If Evelyn had stayed married to you but traveled the exact same amount, would you be trying to reduce her parenting time?”
I had no answer.
That question followed me home.
It still lived in my head the day I slapped Maeve.
Because deep down, I already knew.
May you like
My son was crying for his mother.
And I had helped keep her farther away.
