{"id":1553,"date":"2026-10-05T14:53:02","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T14:53:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/?p=1553"},"modified":"2026-10-05T14:53:02","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T14:53:02","slug":"part-17-the-second-settlement-meeting-should-have-been-easier-until-ryan-asked-for-something-i-was-not-prepared-to-give-him","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/?p=1553","title":{"rendered":"PART 17 \u2013 The Second Settlement Meeting Should Have Been Easier, Until Ryan Asked for Something I Was Not Prepared to Give Him"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The second settlement meeting began with less hostility and more exhaustion.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan arrived carrying a folder instead of the nervous energy he had brought the first time. He wore a navy sweater, no tie, and looked as though he had slept badly for several nights in a row. His attorney, Mr. Kaplan, greeted Natalie, then me, with careful politeness.<\/p>\n<p>I sat down across from Ryan.<\/p>\n<p>For a moment, neither of us looked at the documents.<\/p>\n<p>The room felt different now.<\/p>\n<p>The house proposal had changed the tone.<\/p>\n<p>So had the diversion agreement.<\/p>\n<p>There was no longer much point in pretending this was a battle where one of us might somehow leave untouched.<\/p>\n<p>We were both going to lose things.<\/p>\n<p>The question was whether we could stop making Emma pay for losses that belonged to us.<\/p>\n<p>Natalie began with the house.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan\u2019s proposal had been revised.<\/p>\n<p>He would waive enough equity to allow me to refinance once the disputed line of credit was resolved. Part of the remaining consumer debt would be assigned to him. The affair-related expenses would not be treated as shared marital spending.<\/p>\n<p>I listened carefully.<\/p>\n<p>Numbers still frightened me.<\/p>\n<p>But they no longer controlled the entire room.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow much debt would remain attached to me?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<p>Natalie answered before anyone else could.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnder this version, substantially less than half.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cExact number?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She turned the page toward me.<\/p>\n<p>I read it.<\/p>\n<p>The amount still made my stomach tighten.<\/p>\n<p>But it was survivable.<\/p>\n<p>For the first time, the financial future did not look like a cliff.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan kept his eyes on the table.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Kaplan said, \u201cMr. Miller is also willing to assume responsibility for the personal loan in full.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked at Ryan.<\/p>\n<p>He glanced up.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s what I want.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His attorney shifted slightly.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan ignored him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause I created it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The answer was simple.<\/p>\n<p>No explanation.<\/p>\n<p>No apology.<\/p>\n<p>That was almost more convincing than either would have been.<\/p>\n<p>Natalie continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRetirement division is still unresolved.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ryan\u2019s mouth tightened.<\/p>\n<p>That was where he still had something large to lose.<\/p>\n<p>We spent forty minutes discussing percentages.<\/p>\n<p>Not arguing exactly.<\/p>\n<p>Negotiating.<\/p>\n<p>There was a difference.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan\u2019s retirement account had grown steadily during our marriage.<\/p>\n<p>So had mine, though less.<\/p>\n<p>By law, portions of both were marital assets.<\/p>\n<p>The old version of me would have felt guilty touching money he earned at work.<\/p>\n<p>That feeling still flickered.<\/p>\n<p>Then I remembered unpaid labor did not appear in retirement statements.<\/p>\n<p>Night feedings did not compound interest.<\/p>\n<p>Career compromises did not arrive as deposits.<\/p>\n<p>Marriage had always been financial partnership, even when the accounts disguised it.<\/p>\n<p>Natalie leaned toward me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re allowed to advocate for a fair division.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I realized I had been staring at the spreadsheet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ryan looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>For one second, I saw recognition in his face.<\/p>\n<p>He knew exactly what Natalie was reminding me not to do.<\/p>\n<p>Shrink.<\/p>\n<p>Make myself easier.<\/p>\n<p>Protect everyone else from discomfort.<\/p>\n<p>I sat straighter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI want the percentage Natalie proposed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Kaplan immediately began explaining why it was aggressive.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan interrupted him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His attorney stopped.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat she proposed is fair.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Kaplan frowned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe should discuss that privately.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe already did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou indicated\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI changed my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The room became quiet.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI hid debt. I created risk she didn\u2019t agree to. I\u2019m not going to fight over every dollar because I\u2019m scared.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Something in my chest shifted.<\/p>\n<p>Not forgiveness.<\/p>\n<p>Not trust.<\/p>\n<p>Respect, perhaps.<\/p>\n<p>A small amount.<\/p>\n<p>Unwanted.<\/p>\n<p>Still real.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Kaplan took off his glasses.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRyan, my obligation is to advise you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd I\u2019m advising you not to make decisions from emotion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ryan looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I almost believed him.<\/p>\n<p>The retirement percentage was noted provisionally.<\/p>\n<p>Then came parenting time.<\/p>\n<p>That was where the meeting changed.<\/p>\n<p>The gradual schedule had been working.<\/p>\n<p>Two afternoons.<\/p>\n<p>One full weekend day.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan had handled meals, naps, tantrums, diaper changes, and one spectacular vomiting incident without calling me to rescue him.<\/p>\n<p>I knew about the vomiting only because Emma returned in different clothes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happened?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan had winced.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeas lost.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That was all.<\/p>\n<p>He did not use competence as evidence that he deserved me back.<\/p>\n<p>He simply became more competent.<\/p>\n<p>That mattered.<\/p>\n<p>Natalie slid the parenting proposal toward me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRyan is requesting one overnight every other Saturday beginning next month.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My pulse changed.<\/p>\n<p>I looked across the table.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan held my gaze.<\/p>\n<p>I knew this moment was coming.<\/p>\n<p>Eventually.<\/p>\n<p>I had agreed in principle.<\/p>\n<p>But eventually had been comforting because it was vague.<\/p>\n<p>Next month was a date.<\/p>\n<p>A real night.<\/p>\n<p>A toothbrush packed into a small bag.<\/p>\n<p>Emma asleep somewhere I was not.<\/p>\n<p>I looked down at the proposed schedule.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ryan answered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI found an apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked up.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou did?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSigned the lease yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou didn\u2019t tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t think I should before it was final.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The old secrecy reflex raised immediate alarm.<\/p>\n<p>He noticed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat came out wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI meant I didn\u2019t want to say I had a place and then have the application fall through.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I relaxed slightly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere is it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTen minutes away.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom here?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMark\u2019s area?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwo streets over.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That helped.<\/p>\n<p>Not enough.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDoes she have a room?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The answer came quickly.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan opened his phone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have pictures if you want.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I almost said no.<\/p>\n<p>Then I held out my hand.<\/p>\n<p>He placed the phone in it.<\/p>\n<p>The apartment was smaller than our house.<\/p>\n<p>Two bedrooms.<\/p>\n<p>Plain walls.<\/p>\n<p>Basic furniture.<\/p>\n<p>Emma\u2019s room had a crib, changing table, blackout curtains, and the same night-light we used at home.<\/p>\n<p>There were books on a low shelf.<\/p>\n<p>Her stuffed rabbit sat on the crib.<\/p>\n<p>I looked at Ryan.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou bought another rabbit?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe likes that one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe likes that specific one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo now she has twins.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A faint smile crossed his face.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBackup rabbit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I returned the phone.<\/p>\n<p>Natalie watched me.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Kaplan waited.<\/p>\n<p>Everyone knew the decision mattered more emotionally than legally.<\/p>\n<p>I hated that.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat if she wakes up?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ryan answered calmly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI handle it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat if she won\u2019t settle?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI keep trying.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat if she gets sick?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI call you if it\u2019s serious. Otherwise I parent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The phrase was deliberate.<\/p>\n<p>I noticed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat if she asks for me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His expression changed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s the part I\u2019m scared of.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My throat tightened.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI won\u2019t lie to her. I\u2019ll tell her you\u2019re at home and she\u2019ll see you tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My eyes burned.<\/p>\n<p>I looked down.<\/p>\n<p>No one spoke for several seconds.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, I said, \u201cOne overnight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ryan nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery other Saturday.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf she struggles, we reevaluate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAgreed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My chest hurt.<\/p>\n<p>Natalie made a note.<\/p>\n<p>The legal process moved on as though something enormous had not just happened.<\/p>\n<p>Insurance.<\/p>\n<p>Tax dependency.<\/p>\n<p>Daycare reimbursement.<\/p>\n<p>Holiday schedules.<\/p>\n<p>Christmas divided into hours.<\/p>\n<p>Thanksgiving alternated by year.<\/p>\n<p>Birthdays shared if possible.<\/p>\n<p>All the rituals I had once imagined happening under one roof became bullet points.<\/p>\n<p>By the time we reached summer vacation, my head hurt.<\/p>\n<p>Then Mr. Kaplan cleared his throat.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is one additional request.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Natalie looked up.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He glanced at Ryan.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan spoke instead.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI want family counseling.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I stared at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor Emma?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor us as coparents.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My immediate instinct was refusal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ryan nodded as though he expected it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not asking for marriage counseling.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know what you said.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt would be about communication.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe communicate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBarely.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat seems appropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His mouth tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClaire.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I leaned back.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have a therapist.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have my own support.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy do we need another room where someone helps you explain yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ryan flinched.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s not why.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is why?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He looked toward the parenting plan.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause we have eighteen years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The sentence landed quietly.<\/p>\n<p>Eighteen years.<\/p>\n<p>Emma was still barely old enough to form sentences.<\/p>\n<p>Kindergarten seemed distant.<\/p>\n<p>Middle school impossible.<\/p>\n<p>Graduation belonged to another universe.<\/p>\n<p>But Ryan was right.<\/p>\n<p>Divorce ended a marriage.<\/p>\n<p>Not parenthood.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are going to disagree,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAbout school. Doctors. Activities. Rules.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t want every disagreement to become an echo of what I did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My jaw tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat sounds convenient.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He did not defend himself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut if I\u2019m wrong about something involving Emma, I want you to be able to say it without wondering whether I\u2019ll manipulate you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd if I disagree because I\u2019m angry with you, I need somebody to tell me that too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The admission surprised me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou think I\u2019ll use Emma against you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ryan shook his head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think hurt distorts people. Mine did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He swallowed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t want either of us pretending we\u2019re immune.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The room became very still.<\/p>\n<p>Natalie asked, \u201cAre you requesting formal coparenting counseling as part of the agreement?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ryan nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked at her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She chose her words carefully.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think structured communication can be useful in high-conflict transitions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAre we high conflict?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPotentially.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I almost laughed.<\/p>\n<p>Fair.<\/p>\n<p>I looked back at Ryan.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne condition.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe counselor is not someone you choose.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd not someone your therapist chooses.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe choose together from a neutral list.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAgreed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another note.<\/p>\n<p>Another unexpected compromise.<\/p>\n<p>The meeting ended after nearly four hours.<\/p>\n<p>Everyone looked drained.<\/p>\n<p>In the hallway, Ryan walked beside me toward the elevator.<\/p>\n<p>I expected silence.<\/p>\n<p>Instead he said, \u201cThank you for the overnight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My body stiffened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not doing you a favor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m agreeing because she needs a father who can care for her independently.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot because you earned points.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He stopped near the elevator doors.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Something in his face made me soften slightly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re nervous.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He laughed once.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTerrified.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His eyebrows rose.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI mean take it seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The elevator arrived.<\/p>\n<p>We stepped inside.<\/p>\n<p>For several floors, we stared at the numbers above the door.<\/p>\n<p>Then Ryan said, \u201cThere\u2019s one more thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My stomach tightened automatically.<\/p>\n<p>He saw it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot a secret.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen just say it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI applied for another position.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt your company?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I turned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He looked uncomfortable.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause people know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAbout Melissa?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd the investigation?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I felt no satisfaction.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wasn\u2019t fired.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not going anywhere there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPromotion-wise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProbably not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The consequences again.<\/p>\n<p>Slow.<\/p>\n<p>Unglamorous.<\/p>\n<p>Real.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat job?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA smaller firm.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLess money?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My mind immediately jumped to support.<\/p>\n<p>Mortgage.<\/p>\n<p>Emma.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan read my face.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s still enough.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wasn\u2019t going to say anything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou didn\u2019t have to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The elevator opened.<\/p>\n<p>We stepped into the lobby.<\/p>\n<p>Outside, rain streaked the windows.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan paused.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf I get it, I\u2019ll tell Natalie immediately so support can be recalculated if necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not trying to hide income.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t say you were.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He looked almost embarrassed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOld habits.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDefending myself before anyone accuses me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That sounded accurate.<\/p>\n<p>I pulled on my coat.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWork on that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>We walked outside.<\/p>\n<p>At the curb, Ryan stopped again.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClaire.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I turned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you ever wish I had become this person before?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The question was unfair.<\/p>\n<p>Not manipulative.<\/p>\n<p>Just unfair.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His face fell slightly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s the hardest part.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked at the rain.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t get credit for becoming accountable after accountability is forced on you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut that doesn\u2019t mean the change is fake.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ryan stared at me.<\/p>\n<p>I regretted the sentence immediately.<\/p>\n<p>Not because it was false.<\/p>\n<p>Because I knew he might hold onto it.<\/p>\n<p>So I added, \u201cIt also doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019m coming back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI understand.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This time, I believed he did.<\/p>\n<p>That evening, I told Julia about the overnight.<\/p>\n<p>She stared at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re okay with that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat wasn\u2019t the question.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I sighed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Julia nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s different.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt feels awful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRight decisions often have terrible marketing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I laughed.<\/p>\n<p>Emma toddled toward us holding a wooden spoon.<\/p>\n<p>Julia took it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs Daddy ready?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think so.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlso fair.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I watched Emma wander toward the couch.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat if she cries for me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe might.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat if I spend the entire night staring at the monitor that isn\u2019t there?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou probably will.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI hate you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The first overnight was scheduled for three weeks later.<\/p>\n<p>I wrote it on the calendar.<\/p>\n<p>Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan.<\/p>\n<p>The word looked impossibly small.<\/p>\n<p>That night, after Emma slept, I stood in her doorway longer than usual.<\/p>\n<p>Soon another room would hold her sleep.<\/p>\n<p>Another house would contain her bedtime.<\/p>\n<p>I had thought the hardest part of divorce would be losing my husband.<\/p>\n<p>I had been wrong.<\/p>\n<p>The hardest part was accepting that loving my daughter meant allowing her to belong in a life I could not entirely supervise.<\/p>\n<p>And for the first time since leaving Ryan, the next necessary step required something that felt dangerously close to trust.<\/p>\n<p>Not trust in him as my husband.<\/p>\n<p>That was gone.<\/p>\n<p>Trust in him as her father.<\/p>\n<p>That was still being built.<\/p>\n<p>And I had just agreed to let him prove whether it could survive one whole night.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/?p=1554\">Click here to continue reading: PART 18: Emma\u2019s First Night Away Left Me Alone With a Silence I Had Wanted, Until One Phone Call Nearly Sent Me Running Back<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The second settlement meeting began with less hostility and more exhaustion. Ryan arrived carrying a folder instead of the nervous energy he had brought the first time. He wore a &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1536,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama-sory"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1553","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1553"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1553\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1588,"href":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1553\/revisions\/1588"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1536"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1553"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}