Chapter 22: Ninety-One Days

The divorce became final on the ninety-first day, on a gray morning in late March.

The courtroom was the same one where a judge had watched a video of a man looking at an inhaler.

It was nearly empty now.

The judge sat at the bench with a thin file.

My family lawyer sat beside me in her gray suit, with a pen in her hand and nothing to fight about.

Colin sat across the aisle with his own lawyer.

He had lost weight, and his hair was too long, and his suit hung loose at the shoulders.

He had been working for six weeks at a hardware distributor's warehouse in Torrington.

He had told the court so himself, in the sworn statement, because he thought it was something they should know.

The judge looked at both of us over her glasses.

"Mr. Thayer," she said. "You've read the settlement."

"Yes, Your Honor."

"It gives Ms. Talcott primary custody of your daughter."

"It gives you supervised visits on Saturdays, to be reviewed at six months."

"Your mother may see the child only through Ms. Talcott, and only if Ms. Talcott agrees."

"Do you understand every term?"

"I do."

"Do you agree to them?"

Colin looked at the table.

"I agree," he said. "I'd like to say something, if that's allowed."

Keep reading free with an account. Start They Threw Us in the Snow. I Owned Everything. from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.