The judge did not erase Cole from the children’s lives.
That was never what I wanted.
But she protected them.
I received full physical custody. Cole was granted limited supervised visitation, with conditions. Parenting classes. Child support. No public use of the children’s images. No media appearances. No using them for business advantage.
When the decision was read, I exhaled a breath I felt I had been holding for over a year.
Outside the courthouse, Cole approached me.
He looked smaller somehow.
“Brooke,” he said, “I made mistakes.”
I studied his face, searching for the man I had once loved.
Maybe he meant it.
Maybe he didn’t.
But his regret was no longer the center of my life.
“Yes,” I said softly. “You did.”
He swallowed. “Can we start over?”
I looked toward Graham, who stood near the car holding Lily while Oliver and Noah slept in their stroller.
Then I looked back at Cole.
“You can start by becoming a better father. But you and I are finished.”
His eyes lowered.
For once, I did not feel satisfaction.
I only felt free.
