Meanwhile, don’t make promises to Sadie that a court hasn’t authorized.”

“Can I keep him away from her?”

“We can discuss emergency relief and how visitation could be managed safely while the situation is evaluated,” she said.

“But a judge must decide the orders.”

It was not the cinematic answer I wanted.

I wanted someone to say Curtis would never again be allowed to frighten my daughter.

Instead, we began the slower work of turning fear into evidence and decisions into something enforceable.

That afternoon I took off my wedding ring.