“Explain that choice,” the judge instructed.
Garrett’s voice lowered. “When we separated, I was not stable, and I frightened both Rebecca and Avery.”
The admission carried a weight that legal terminology never could.
The prosecutor asked cautiously, “Are you admitting to acts of violence?”
Garrett shook his head. “I never struck them, but I was not safe to be around.”
He continued, “I relapsed once after the separation and checked myself back into treatment, and I have not missed a single test since that day.”
Judge Hodge reviewed the file before her.
“The paperwork for voluntary relinquishment is prepared,” Garrett added, his voice trembling. “I am ready to sign it today.”
Rebecca broke protocol and asked quietly, “Are you just giving up?”
Garrett looked at her and replied, “I am stepping aside.”
He turned slightly toward the back of the courtroom and said, “I asked them to come because I wanted witnesses that this decision is mine and not the result of pressure.”
Murmurs softened into attentive silence as the bailiff lowered his hand from his radio.
Judge Hodge spoke clearly. “Mr. Sloan, if you relinquish your parental rights today, the decision will be permanent unless this court orders otherwise. Do you understand?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Garrett answered, his voice cracking.
“And you wish to proceed?”
He looked at Avery, and she met his gaze with a mixture of confusion and dawning awareness.
“Yes,” he said.
The air grew heavier, not gentler, because the room understood that this was not a father fighting to win but a father choosing to let go.
Judge Hodge requested verification of Garrett’s treatment records, and the clerk provided a sealed packet. When Travis was called to testify, he removed his leather vest before approaching the stand, revealing a plain black shirt beneath.
“State your name,” the judge instructed.
“Travis Cole,” he answered.
“You are affiliated with the group present?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Why are you here?”
Travis replied evenly, “We have attended recovery meetings with Mr. Sloan for eleven months, and he asked us to witness that he is not being coerced.”
The prosecutor asked, “Are you attempting to influence the court’s decision?”
“No, sir,” Travis responded.
“Then why bring so many individuals?”
Travis answered, “Because he did not trust himself to stand strong alone.”
The explanation shifted the mood of the room.