Then we’d present evidence about Keith’s background and testimony from Becca’s family members. Becca’s lawyer would try to discredit everything, but Jeffree was ready to counter. We walked into the courtroom together. Becca was already there with her lawyer. Keith sat in the gallery behind her. The judge entered and called the hearing to order.

Megan was sworn in and took the witness stand. Jeffree asked her to summarize her evaluation findings. She spoke clearly and professionally. She stated that I demonstrated appropriate parenting skills during her evaluation. She noted my genuine attachment to Lily and my commitment to her well-being. She observed that I had stable employment and housing.

She said my support system was strong with my mother’s involvement. Then she turned to her concerns about Becca’s situation. She noted Becca’s defensiveness during both evaluation sessions. She said Becca’s explanations for why she left were inconsistent and suggested possible coercion or outside influence. She raised concerns about Keith’s boundary issues and the inappropriate speed at which he’d assumed a parental role.

She stated that Keith’s behavior during his evaluation raised red flags about his motivations and his understanding of healthy family dynamics. Megan testified that in her professional opinion, Lily’s best interest would be served by increasing my custody time significantly. She recommended transitioning to unsupervised visitation immediately.

She suggested working toward shared custody with equal time. Most importantly, she stated that Keith should not be allowed to interfere with my parental relationship with Lily. She said his presence created an unhealthy dynamic that prioritized the adults relationship over the child’s need for both biological parents.

Becca’s lawyer stood to cross-examine. She tried to suggest that Megan’s evaluation was biased. She asked if Megan had considered that Keith was simply being protective of his new family. Megan responded calmly that protective behavior didn’t include dismissing a biological father’s role or attempting to replace him. She said Keith’s behavior showed poor boundaries and concerning patterns.

The lawyer asked if single mothers weren’t allowed to move on and find new partners. Megan said, “Of course they were, but new partners needed to respect existing parental relationships and not attempt to erase them.” The judge thanked Megan for her testimony. I could see the judge was taking her professional assessment seriously. Becca looked pale.

Her lawyer whispered urgently to her. Keith shifted in his seat, looking angry. Jeffree squeezed my arm under the table. This was going better than we’d hoped. The judge cleared her throat and shuffled papers on her bench. She looked directly at me. Mr. and Anderson, based on the evaluation findings and testimony presented today, I’m ordering unsupervised visitation effective immediately.

You’ll have your daughter every Saturday from 9:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the evening. No monitor, no restrictions. I felt my chest tighten with relief. 8 hours alone with Lily every week. The judge continued speaking. Well reconvene in 2 months to discuss permanent custody arrangements. Both parties should prepare for that hearing with updated documentation. Court is adjourned.

The gavl came down. Jeffrey grabbed my arm and squeezed hard. Becca stood abruptly, her chair scraping loud against the floor. Her face was red and twisted. She turned to her lawyer and started talking fast, her hands moving in angry gestures. Keith appeared from the gallery and followed them into the hallway.

I could hear his raised voice through the door. Jeffrey packed his briefcase slowly, giving me time to process. You did it. First major victory. Unsupervised visits mean the court trusts you. I nodded but couldn’t speak yet. My mother hugged me from behind. I’m so proud of you. When can we see her? This Saturday. I get her this Saturday.

I walked out of the courtroom and saw Keith arguing with Becca’s lawyer near the elevators. His face was purple with anger. Becca stood between them looking small and defeated. I turned away and headed for the stairs instead. Saturday morning arrived freezing cold with clear blue skies. I’d barely slept the night before, too nervous about my first unsupervised visit.

I pulled up to the exchange location at 8:50, 10 minutes early. Becca’s car was already there. She got out holding Lily bundled in a pink coat I’d never seen before. Lily saw me and smiled. Dada. My heart nearly exploded. I walked over and took her from Becca’s arms. She came willingly, grabbing my jacket collar. I have her back by 5.

Becca’s voice was flat and cold. I know. 5:00. Becca stared at me for a long moment. If anything happens to her, nothing will happen. She’s my daughter. Becca got in her car and drove away without looking back. I buckled Lily into the car seat I bought and installed yesterday. She kicked her feet and babbled.

We drove to the park near my apartment. The playground was mostly empty this early. I lifted Lily out and set her on the ground. She walked now, steady and confident. She headed straight for the swings. I followed and lifted her into the toddler swing. She laughed when I pushed her gently. Higher. No one was watching us. No monitor taking notes.

No one judging every interaction. Just me and my daughter at the park on a Saturday morning. I pushed her for 20 minutes until my arms got tired. She didn’t want to stop. More, dada, more. Okay, a few more minutes, then we’ll go play on the slide. I took out my phone and snapped photos. Lily smiling on the swing. Lily pointing at a bird.

Lily picking up leaves. I sent three pictures to my mother. She responded immediately with heart emojis and crying faces. After the playground, we walked around the park. Lily picked up sticks and rocks. She said new words constantly. Dog, tree, car, ball. I repeated everything back to her, encouraging her vocabulary.

We found a bench and shared the snacks I’d packed. Apple slices, crackers, juice box. She ate messily, getting crumbs everywhere. I didn’t care. At noon, we drove through for lunch. Lily ate chicken nuggets in her car seat while I drove us to a different park across town. She fell asleep on the drive.

I parked and let her nap, sitting in the driver’s seat and watching her breathe. Her face looked peaceful, relaxed. She woke after 40 minutes and we played at the second playground. She was braver here, climbing higher, going down bigger slides. I stayed close but let her explore. A few other parents arrived with their kids. They smiled at us.

Normal Saturday morning at the park, just a dad with his daughter. Nothing unusual. Nothing supervised. At 3:00, Lily started getting cranky. Time to head home. I drove back toward the exchange location, taking the long way. She fell asleep again in her seat. I pulled into the parking lot at 4:50. Becca’s car wasn’t there yet. I kept driving around the block, not wanting to wake Lily early.

At 4:58, I parked and gently unbuckled her. She stirred but didn’t wake fully. Becca pulled in at 5:00 on the dot. I got out holding Lily. Becca walked over and reached for her. How was she? Perfect. We had a great day. Any problems? No problems. She ate well, took two naps, played at the park. Becca took Lily from my arms.

Lily woke up and looked confused. Mama. Yeah, baby. We’re going home now. Lily looked back at me over Becca’s shoulder. Bye, Dada. Bye, sweetie. I love you. I watched them drive away. My arms felt empty. My chest achd, but I had another Saturday coming in 7 days. Wednesday afternoon, my phone rang while I was at work. Unknown number.

I stepped into the hallway to answer. Hello, Mr. Anderson. This is Sandra Michaels from Child Protective Services. My stomach dropped. We received a complaint regarding your daughter, Lily. What kind of complaint? The caller alleged you returned the child with injuries after your visitation last Saturday. We’re required to investigate.

What injuries? I didn’t hurt her. I understand this may be upsetting. I need to schedule a time to speak with you and inspect your home. When? As soon as possible. Tomorrow morning. I agreed and hung up. My hands shook. I called Jeffree immediately. Becca filed a CPS complaint. She’s claiming I hurt Lily. He sighed heavily. Of course, she did.

What’s the allegation? Some kind of injury? They wouldn’t give details. Don’t panic. CPS has to investigate every complaint. Just cooperate fully and tell the truth. They’ll see there’s nothing to it. I could barely focus the rest of my shift. That night, I cleaned my apartment top to bottom.

Even though it was already clean, I checked every corner for anything that might look concerning. The next morning, Sandra Michaels arrived at 9:00. She was a tired-l looking woman in her 40s carrying a thick folder. She asked to see where Lily would sleep. I showed her the small bedroom area I’d set up. She took notes. She asked about my work schedule, my child care plans, my support system.

I answered every question honestly. She inspected my kitchen, bathroom, living room. She opened my refrigerator and cabinets. More notes. Can you tell me what happened during your visit Saturday? We went to the park. She played on the swings and slides. We had lunch. She took naps in the car. We played at a second park. That’s it.

Did Lily fall or get hurt in any way? Not that I saw. She was fine the whole day. Sandra pulled out a photo from her folder. This bruise on her leg. When did this occur? I looked at the photo. Small purple bruise on Lily’s shin. I don’t know. She didn’t have that when she was with me. Are you certain? Positive.

She was wearing pants the whole day. I would have noticed if she got hurt. Sandra made more notes. I’ll need to verify some information. I’ll be in touch. She left after 30 minutes. I called Jeffree again. The bruise is on her shin. I swear she didn’t get it while she was with me. He was quiet for a moment.

Does Lily go to daycare? Yeah. Becca mentioned she’s in daycare 3 days a week. Get the name and address. I’ll have someone check if they have incident reports. 2 days later, Jeffree called back. The daycare has documentation. Lily fell on the playground Friday afternoon. They noted the bruise and had Becca sign an incident report.

The bruise happened the day before your visit. Relief flooded through me. So CPS will close the case. Jeffree sounded satisfied. Already did. Sandra called me this morning. She reviewed the daycare records and closed the investigation. No finding of abuse or neglect. But this shows Becca is getting desperate.

She’s willing to make false allegations to hurt your case. That works in our favor long term. I hung up and sat on my couch. My hands were still shaking from stress. Becca had tried to paint me as someone who hurt our daughter. She’d called CPS and lied. The woman I’d planned to marry was willing to destroy me to keep Lily away.

Reed called me the following Tuesday. I’ve got information on Keith you need to hear. What did you find? He got fired from the work from home job. When? 3 weeks ago. Performance issues according to my source at the company. He missed deadlines, didn’t respond to emails, basically stopped working.

So, he’s unemployed completely and he’s got no other income that I can find. He’s living off Becca now. I thanked Reed and called Jeffrey. This is huge. Becca’s lawyer has been arguing Keith provides stability and financial support. If he’s unemployed and dependent on her, that argument falls apart. Jeffree sounded energized. I’ll file a motion to present this at the follow-up hearing.

The judge needs to know the household situation has changed. We can also argue this creates financial stress that impacts Lily’s environment. The motion was filed that afternoon. Becca’s lawyer objected, calling it irrelevant to custody. The judge disagreed and allowed the evidence. Jeffree sent me a text later. Hearing is set for March 15th.

Get ready. My second unsupervised Saturday arrived. I picked up Lily at the exchange location. She ran to me when she saw me. Dada. I scooped her up and she wrapped her arms around my neck. I decided today was the day to bring her to my apartment. She needed to see where I lived. We drove to my building and I carried her upstairs.

She looked around with wide eyes. This is daddy’s home. You have a special room here. I sat her down and she immediately started exploring. She touched everything. The couch, the coffee table, the TV remote. I followed her around, making sure she stayed safe. She found the bedroom area I’d set up. Crib with pink sheets, toy box full of stuffed animals and blocks, small bookshelf with board books.

Her face lit up. Mine? Yes, baby. This is your room at daddy’s house. She climbed into the toy box and started pulling out toys. She played for an hour, completely absorbed. I sat on the floor with her, building block towers for her to knock down. She laughed every time they fell. Around noon, she started rubbing her eyes. Sleepy? She nodded.

I picked her up and put her in the crib. She didn’t protest. I gave her a stuffed bear and covered her with a blanket. She stuck her thumb in her mouth and closed her eyes. I stood there watching her sleep in the crib in my apartment. My daughter sleeping in my home. She napped for 90 minutes.

When she woke up, she seemed completely comfortable. No crying, no confusion, just happy to be there. We had lunch at my small kitchen table. Sandwiches and fruit. She ate well. After lunch, we played more. She wanted to read books. We sat on the couch and I read to her. She pointed at pictures and named things. Cat, moon, baby.

At 4:00, I packed up her things. Time to go back to mama. She pouted but didn’t cry. We drove to the exchange. Becca was waiting, arms crossed. How was it? Good. She came to my apartment for the first time. She did great. Becca’s expression tightened. You took her to your apartment? That’s allowed now. Unsupervised visits.

She explored and took a nap there. She was comfortable. Becca grabbed Lily without responding. They drove away. I felt good about today. Lily was adjusting to having two homes. She was bonding with me. Everything was moving in the right direction. Jeffree called me Wednesday evening. We got a witness. Becca’s childhood friend Haley reached out.

She wants to talk about what? Keith. Apparently, Becca’s been confiding in her about problems in the relationship. Haley’s worried about Lily’s safety. I met with Haley and Jeffree at his office Friday morning. She was a thin woman with nervous energy. She kept ringing her hands. I’ve known Becca since we were kids.

We’ve been best friends for 20 years. She paused. I’m worried about her and about Lily. What are you worried about? Haley looked down. Keith has a temper. Becca told me he gets really angry when Lily cries at night. He yells at Becca to make her stop. Has heard anyone? Not that I know of. But Becca said he punches walls when he’s mad.

She sent me pictures. There are holes in the walls of their house. Jeffree leaned forward. Would you be willing to testify about this? Haley nodded slowly. I don’t want to hurt Becca, but I’m scared for Lily. If Keith is that angry around a baby, what happens when she gets older and harder to manage? I think Jason should have custody.

At least until Becca gets away from Keith. Jeffree made notes. This is good. Very good. We’ll call you as a witness at the March hearing. Jeffree called me Tuesday morning with news about the home study. The social worker filed her report from the Arizona visit. I could hear papers rustling on his end. It’s not good for Becca. Not good at all.

What did she find? Holes in the walls. Multiple holes. Keith apparently punches walls when he gets angry. The neighbors complain to the social worker about loud arguments coming from the house at all hours. One neighbor said she almost called the police twice in the past month because of the yelling. My stomach tightened.

Was Lily there during these arguments? The report doesn’t specify, but the neighbor mentioned hearing a baby crying during at least one incident. Jeffree paused. There’s more. Keith refused to leave the room when the social worker tried to interview Becca privately. He stood there with his arms crossed and answered questions for her. The social worker noted Becca appeared anxious throughout the entire visit and kept looking at Keith before responding to anything. That’s concerning.

Very concerning. The judge is going to see this as a red flag about the home environment. I felt relief mixed with worry. Relief that the truth was coming out, but worry about what Lily had been witnessing in that house. When’s the next hearing? 3 weeks. We’ll present this evidence along with everything else we’ve gathered.

I think we’re in a strong position now. Saturday morning, I drove to pick up Lily for our third unsupervised visit. Becca handed her over without much conversation. Back by 5. I buckled Lily into her car seat and she smiled at me. Where are we going? I had something special planned today. We’re going to a museum.

A place with lots of things to see and play with. She clapped her hands. Play? Yes, baby. Lots of playing. The children’s museum was 40 minutes away. Lily babbled in the back seat the whole drive, pointing at things out the window. Truck, tree, bird. Her vocabulary was growing every week. We arrived and I carried her inside.

The museum had different areas for different ages. A waterplay section, a pretend grocery store, a room with building blocks, an art station. Lily’s eyes went wide when she saw everything. She grabbed my hand. Daddy, look. My heart stopped. Daddy. She said it clearly, not just once. Daddy, come. Daddy, see.

She pulled me toward the water play area and spent 20 minutes pouring water from different containers, laughing every time it splashed. I knelt beside her, helping her reach the higher tables, watching her explore. Other parents smiled at us. A dad at the next table nodded. How old? Almost one. She’s very verbal for her age. Thanks. She’s smart.

We moved to the pretend grocery store. Lily pushed a tiny shopping cart around, putting plastic food in it. She handed me a plastic banana. For you, Daddy. Thank you, sweetheart. She beamed. We played there for another 30 minutes. She was so engaged, so happy. Her personality was really showing now, confident, curious, silly.

She made faces at herself in a mirror and giggled. At the art station, I helped her make handprints with washable paint. She got more paint on herself than the paper, but she loved it. Daddy, messy. Yes, you’re very messy. Good thing we can wash it off. We ate lunch at the museum cafe. Lily sat in a high chair and ate chicken nuggets and apple slices. She fed me bites of her food.

Daddy, eat. I ate the soggy nugget she offered and made exaggerated happy noises. M delicious. She laughed. After lunch, we went back to the play areas. Lily ran from one thing to the next, calling for me to follow. Daddy, come. Daddy, watch. Every time she said it, I felt grateful and sad at the same time.

Grateful for this time with her. Sad about everything I’d missed. Her first words, her first steps, months of her growing and changing while I fought just to see her. She’d been 6 months old when Becca left. Now she was almost 1. I’d missed half her first year, but I was here now. That’s what mattered. We stayed until 3.

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