I simply handed the phone to my attorney, Rachel Vance, and let her explain to him, in the calm flat language of the law, exactly how the rest of it was going to go.

Chapter 15 — The Best Rocket on the Ground

I filed for divorce, and I secured full custody of Leo and full possession of our family home.

I took my background in corporate logistics and turned it into a full-time position with an aviation firm, and I built — deliberately, brick by brick — a stable, independent, honest life for my son and myself.

Six months later, on a warm Saturday afternoon, Leo and I sat on the porch of our house, assembling an enormous model rocket kit, the pieces spread across the boards between us.