Dana raised a glass of sparkling water and toasted to finding the truth without losing our humanity.

I laughed at her seriousness, then blinked away tears when no one was looking.

Julian and I communicated through the parenting app.

Our messages were brief: pickup times, school events, medical appointments, homework that needed to travel between homes.

When he followed the plan, I acknowledged it.

When he crossed a boundary, I documented it and responded through the agreed process.

I no longer wrote paragraphs trying to make him understand why something hurt.