I had no answer.

We spent weeks discussing small moments I had minimized: the way Brandon criticized purchases in front of guests, the way he framed every disagreement as ingratitude, the way his mother repeated his opinions until they seemed like a family consensus.

I learned to notice how my body tightened when my phone rang.

One session ended with an assignment.

Write down three decisions I had made without seeking approval.

I wrote that I had chosen Hazel’s pediatrician, retained my own lawyer, and bought a high chair I could afford.