“If you ever call him that again,” he said quietly, “you won’t come near him.”
The line went dead.
He set the phone down.
For the first time since I’d known him, Ethan looked not powerful, not composed, not furious.
Just tired.
“What will she do?” I asked.
“What she always does. Push.” He looked at Leo. “So we stop giving her room.”
That afternoon he texted Catherine himself.
By the next day, we had a formal legal meeting scheduled.
I made a list before the meeting.
Not because I thought Ethan would fight every point.
Because I knew that when you sit across from people like him, what they respect most is preparation.
I headed the page with three words:
MEDICAL
RESIDENCY
DIGNITY
The video meeting opened at two sharp.
Catherine appeared from her office. Ethan from his. City skyline behind him, sleeves crisp, expression unreadable.
Catherine began. “The purpose of this session is to establish a parenting framework centered exclusively on the child’s best interests.”
Ethan said, “Agreed.”
“Then let’s hear Hannah’s non-negotiables.”
I read from my list.