I talked longer than I meant to.

Miriam didn’t interrupt.

When I finished, she said, “You have a relationship with her that may be tremendously important.

But our job isn’t to use that relationship to win an argument with her father.

It’s to protect her.”

Miriam advised me to document what Emma had spontaneously said in my own words without questioning her further.

Trained professionals, she explained, could handle any necessary interview in a setting designed for children.

We discussed emergency protection options in case credible evidence showed immediate danger, as well as the need for a safe, lawful plan before any custody change.