‘We can ask for clear channels and sensible arrangements.’

I had been afraid that asking for child support would sound like asking Grant to rescue me.

Nia asked me to imagine Owen was somebody else’s child, a boy whose father had resources and an obligation to contribute.

Would I insist the child go without food so his mother could prove a point?

I shook my head.

That afternoon I began separating my own pride from my son’s rights.

We documented my income, medical expenses, childcare costs, and the payments I had made during pregnancy.