Chapter 15 - Sarah’s ResponsibilitySarah testified too.
Garrett’s attorney asked questions she hated.
“You knew your husband was disciplining Elias?”
“Yes.”
“You allowed him to act as a parent?”
“Yes.”
“You left Elias alone with him repeatedly?”
“Yes.”
“You knew Garrett was frustrated about ownership?”
“Yes.”
“You dismissed concerns from your mother?”
“Yes.”
“From Laura?”
“I didn’t know Laura’s full history.”
“But your sister Rebecca warned you.”
“Yes.”
Sarah’s hands shook.
The attorney asked:
“So you are asking this court to view Garrett as the sole problem after years in which you voluntarily gave him authority?”
Rachel had prepared her.
Do not become defensive.
Responsibility was not blame.
Sarah answered:
“No.”
The attorney paused.
Sarah continued.
“I gave him more control than I should have.”
Garrett looked at her.
“I wanted my second marriage to work.”
Her eyes filled.
“I wanted Elias to have a father in the house.”
She glanced toward the child advocate sitting near the judge.
“And every time something felt wrong, I told myself I needed to give the relationship time.”
She swallowed.
“That was my mistake.”
The attorney asked:
“Then you accept responsibility?”
“For ignoring warnings?”
“Yes.”
“For Garrett’s choices?”
“No.”
Silence.
Sarah continued.
“Those are different things.”
Rachel almost smiled.
That distinction became important later.
Sarah could not rewrite the past into a story where she had seen everything clearly.
She had failed Elias in specific ways.
She could own those without accepting blame for Garrett’s deception.
After court, Sarah told Elias:
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“I should have listened sooner.”
Elias looked confused.
“I didn’t tell you about the bottle.”
“You told me other things.”
“Oh.”
He thought.
“Okay.”
Sarah almost laughed.
Adults imagined apologies required dramatic forgiveness.
May you like
Children sometimes accepted them like weather.
Then moved on to dinner.
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