He said, “Real friends trusted your judgment and supported your choices, even when they didn’t understand all the details. That conversation helped more than he probably knew because I was starting to feel like maybe I was the problem. Losing those friendships hurt in a way I didn’t expect. These were people I’d shared meals with and confided in and celebrated holidays alongside.
Now they were treating me like I’d done something wrong by protecting my daughter. I kept thinking about all the times I’d supported them through their own problems without questioning their decisions. The double standard made me angry, but it also made me sad because it showed me how little they actually knew me.
Lily came into my room one night about a week after the restraining order was filed. It was late, almost 11:00, and I was lying in bed staring at my phone trying to decide whether to respond to another concerned message from someone who clearly thought I was making a mistake. She knocked softly and asked if she could come in.