Chapter 45 - The First Hearing Date
The Vermont court set an initial hearing about Leo's guardianship for the following month. The notice was procedural, not a decision in Vanessa's favor or Adrian's.
Adrian called me with the news and immediately began listing documents his attorneys wanted to file.
“Stop,” I said. “What does Leo understand?”
“He knows we're arguing.”
“That's not an answer.”
Adrian exhaled. “Dorothy told him adults are checking that his care arrangements are safe. He asked whether anyone was moving his bed.”
“And what did you tell him?”
“That no one had made that decision.”
I heard an effort in his voice that hadn't been there before. He wanted to promise certainty. He didn't have it.
May you like
Noah later confirmed that a child-focused assessment would inform the court. Neither parentage, wealth, nor the size of a trust automatically established who could provide daily care.
I stood beside my kitchen window after the calls, watching rain bead along the glass. This fight was becoming less cinematic and more honest. That made it slower, and perhaps safer.
