Nia instructed me to keep records of all contact with Grant and avoid negotiating privately through angry text messages.

I forwarded the supermarket incident report, the photograph of my apartment window, and his threats through a secure channel.

Then I put the phone down and spent an entire evening doing the simple work of being Owen’s mother.

When Grant finally wrote to me without a lawyer, the message was almost polite.

He asked how Owen was sleeping and said he would like a photograph.

I read it three times before responding through Nia.