Chapter 15 - THE VERDICTS
The jury deliberated eleven hours over two days.
Not instant.
Not one dramatic note.
Questions:
Definition of endangerment.
Material false statement.
Whether court petition constituted attempted fraud if emergency relief denied.
Whether one coached video count overlapped another.
The judge answered legally.
Then verdict.
Child endangerment related to party inhaler withholding:
Guilty.
Interference with prescribed medical care:
Guilty.
Child endangerment related to urgent-care replacement inhaler:
Guilty.
One count involving lake rental:
Not guilty.
Evidence insufficient to prove she intentionally hid medication that time.
Good.
Attempted fraud on family court through materially misleading declaration:
Guilty.
False report to child services:
One count guilty, one anonymous-report count not proven and dismissed earlier.
Coaching-related obstruction count:
Guilty on one supported recording.
Acquitted on broader witness-tampering theory requiring stronger intent.
No perfect prosecution.
No everything guilty.
Tabitha stood.
No collapse.
She cried quietly.
I felt empty.
Orson sat behind me.
Willa beside him.
Juniper was at school.
Exactly where she belonged.
Sentencing weeks later.
Defense presented mitigation.
Tabitha had no prior record.
Stable career in luxury event management.
Years of caregiving after Mara’s death.
Therapy records she voluntarily disclosed showed complicated grief and enmeshment.
No psychosis.
No inability to know wrong.
No insanity.
She understood her actions.
She had convinced herself they were necessary.
Prosecution emphasized:
Repeated conduct over months.
Child’s vulnerability.
Use of medical danger.
Institutional deception.
Planning.
The judge imposed a significant custodial sentence, but not decades.
Several years with portions concurrent.
Supervised release/probation afterward.
No contact with Juniper absent later court modification.
No medical caregiving role involving minors during supervision.
Restitution for certain medical and legal expenses where authorized.
No life sentence.
No spectacle.
At sentencing Tabitha asked to speak.
“I loved Juniper.”
Judge said nothing.
Tabitha continued.
“I thought Corbin was disappearing the way he did after Mara died.”
My jaw tightened.
Then:
“I thought if I scared him enough, he would stay.”
There.
Not excuse.
Truth.
“I started with the inhaler because I thought I was proving something.”
She looked at me.
“Then I needed the next incident to make the last one mean something.”
That sentence mattered.
Escalation.
Sunk cost.
Then:
“I stopped seeing Juniper’s breathing as her body. I saw it as evidence.”
My eyes burned.
No forgiveness.
But accurate.
She did not ask me.
Good.
Outside court reporters asked:
“Do you think she got enough time?”
“I think the court sentenced based on proven conduct.”
“Will Juniper ever see her again?”
“That will not be decided today.”
“Are you moving?”
“Not this school year.”
“Did Tabitha stop you?”
“No.”
“Then why stay?”
“Because my daughter needs stability now.”
No revenge decision.
Then my diversion case ended.
I completed counseling and service.
Charge dismissed under agreement.
No violence incident.
The slap remained part of history.
Not conviction.
I told Juniper age appropriately:
“Daddy got in trouble for hitting Aunt Tab.”
She asked:
“But Aunt Tab bad.”
“I still had another choice.”
“Give inhaler.”
“Yes.”
“Call police.”
“Yes.”
She nodded.
Then:
“Daddy not hit.”
“I’m working on that.”
Good.
Then Orson’s first supervised visit.
Neutral park.
Dr. Ford nearby at start, then private family supervisor.
Juniper saw him.
Stopped.
Orson did not approach.
“Hi, Junie.”
She looked at me.
“Your choice.”
She walked halfway.
“Grandpa.”
His face broke.
“I’m sorry.”
She held up her inhaler pouch.
“You don’t take.”
“No.”
“Ever.”
“Never.”
She sat beside him.
Not hug.
Not yet.
They fed ducks.
Twenty minutes.
A relationship began again from almost zero.
Then, as we left, Juniper looked back.
“Grandpa?”
“Yes?”
“You come birthday next year?”
Orson cried.
“Only if you want.”
She nodded.
That was all.
Rebuilding had begun.
The next crisis would test whether it was real.
May you like
Because three months later, Juniper had her first severe asthma attack since the trial—
and Orson was the only adult with her.
