Keep forgetting to add the latest in Berb's soap drama life,
BerbEnders Yesterday was my the final court date, in a long line of 2 and half yars of court dates. (not quite last, there is a review in six months but that's a minor).
Anyway the judge awarded me a non molestation order, and a prohibited steps order to prevent him obtaining passports or taking them out of the country or my care, and a residence order for sole custody.
All these things my ex refused but the judge gave to me because a promise from a liar (as the judge put it) would not be sufficient.
I gave him access to the children to progress in incremental stages, 3 months of day off site with no supervison for 5 hours once a fortnight, then 3 months of one over night stay per fortnight, finally to progress to whole weekends after the review in 6 months.
The only issue that remains unsolved is the courts say in 6 months it will be my responsibilty to facilitate hand over for those full weekend sessions by way of meeting the father in a public place, I have refused and said that if forced into that situation I would be happy to be dragged back to court when I stop access again over it.
This is how I feel now though, maybe in 6 months I will be ready to face a public handover like that, I certainly feel stronger within myself, but I;m not totally there so for now I stand by what I have said.
I am very pleased to reach the end of this madness, not that future madness won't rear it's ugly head when my ex inevitably fucks up in some way, but right here, right now it feels over for awhile.
I genuinelly hope from the bottom of my heart that my ex does not screw up this opportunity because it would break the childrens hearts if they were let down by him, but even the judge is weary that this is just a long rope that he can hang himself with.
I just feel like I am in a really good place in my life right now, I am socialising, I am living more than I have been for the past 4 yrs, and things seem so possible.
Let's hope it is all onwards and upwards from here.