Daniel did not call.
Not directly.
That was part of the agreement.
Before any contact with the children, he was required to complete therapy sessions, provide full documentation to the investigation, establish financial support through proper channels, and write individual letters to each child—letters reviewed by a child psychologist before delivery.
His first drafts were terrible.
Dear Noah, I am sorry circumstances prevented me from being part of your life.
Rejected.
Dear Sophia, adult relationships can be complicated.
Rejected.
Dear Ethan, I was misinformed.
Rejected.
Dear Olivia, I hope one day you understand.
Rejected so hard the psychologist wrote, Do not ask the child to carry emotional interpretation for the adult.
I read them in my office after midnight, laughing once without humor.
Lena Brooks stood across from my desk with two coffees.
“He writes like a press release in a uniform.”
“He writes like a man still negotiating with guilt.”
