Some of the details were painful, and I learned to separate my need for information from Piper’s need for ordinary days.

The family court later reviewed custody in light of the evidence, the parents’ circumstances, and Piper’s welfare.

I continued as her primary residential parent, while Whitney had a structured parenting schedule that gradually became more flexible as trust and safety were demonstrated.

We both retained responsibilities toward our daughter.

There was no single paper that made everything right.

There was only a collection of decisions that made it possible for Piper to breathe a little more easily.

Whitney moved farther away from her mother’s influence.