It did not by itself appoint him, override other rights, or make me responsible for a child without any process.

We agreed to obtain a clear explanation from counsel before describing the plan as complete.

Any future proceeding would need to consider the applicable law, Timothy’s interests, the rights of anyone legally entitled to participate, and the actual circumstances at that time.

I did not need to invent an absent parent’s fate to make the discussion simple.

The records and qualified advice would address what they needed to address.

For now, Timothy lived with his mother.