I fight back
Three months later I was back in court, arguing that the conditions Pam had set -- forbidding the kids from bringing a cell phone and allowing Rob to take them anywhere he pleased, against my wishes -- were unconstitutional. I reminded the judge that she could no more force me to sign a contract with Pam than she could force me to sign one with a roofer to put new shingles on my roof. I was near tears when I pleaded with the judge to vacate the jail sentence. "For missing four hours of visits, I could go to jail for four months," I said. I couldn't tell where her sympathies lay, and felt humiliated by my loss of composure.
The judge scheduled another court appearance, after she'd heard the report from the guardian ad litem.
Our family decided to celebrate Shawn's 9th birthday by staying overnight at a hotel with a water park. It was an indulgence -- Jack and I had just borrowed several thousand dollars to pay the court-ordered bond and fees -- but worth every cent. The four of us took turns down the twisted tube of the water slide, with Claire going twice as often as the rest of us.
At the time, we were just having fun, enjoying ourselves like any other family. Now I realize the hotel pool helped us reclaim some joy from the man who has threatened to litigate it out of every aspect of our lives.
