I paced back and forth in my office, on the phone with my lawyer as he tried to explain the ins and outs of New York state child custody laws.

"If you don't file a petition at all, you'll have joint custody, so she'll live with you both 50% of the time.  That time would be worked out between the two of you," he explained.

"And if I file for full custody?" I asked, which was what I was interested in.

"Laura would get visitation rights.  You would have to prove she's a danger to the child to cut off all visitation rights."

"No, I wouldn't want to do that," I scrubbed a hand over my face.  "I'd rather she be with me almost all the time and go for weekend visits with her mother."

"Right, so we would need to show that's in the best interest of the child.  There are several factors that determine that.  Some of those are mental and physical health of the parents, need for a continuation of a stable home environment, evidence of drug or alcohol abuse, and also the age of the child.  Since Nora is 13, the court will likely ask her opinion."

I honestly wasn't sure what Nora would say.  She seemed to be adjusting well to living with Vanessa and me, but I knew she loved her mother dearly.  They'd been each other's rocks for thirteen years.  If Nora knew I was trying to get full custody, it might backfire.  She'd think I was wanting to keep her from her mother.  Which, I kind of was.

"Well, she's been arrested on drug charges, and I think I can provide evidence we have a more stable home environment," I said, putting my hand in my pocket.

"I think we've got a shot, Lin," he told me. "So if you'd like to, we can make an appointment to start working on our petition."

I made an appointment for tomorrow.  If Laura found an apartment soon, Nora would be back with her as soon as next week.  I didn't have much time to spare.  I let out a deep breath and tossed my phone onto the couch.  I hated having to do this, but I didn't want Nora slipping backwards.  She'd come so far.

I was expecting Nora home soon, but I got a text from her that she was going to look at apartments with her mom.  I couldn't really protest that, so I just texted back that it was fine and would she be home for dinner.  Nora replied that she and her mom would get dinner together.  I hoped she'd be home at a decent time so I could spend time with her before bed.  Her mother had been out for one day and already she was monopolizing her time.

It was almost 9:00, and Laura still hadn't brought Nora home.  I texted my daughter again to say it was about time to come back.  She responded that she was going to stay the night with her mom's friend.  I sighed out, disappointed.  I told Nora this needed to be one night only.  I'm sure she wouldn't get a good night sleep wherever she was and she'd had an extra long subway ride to school in the morning.

The next morning, I was more alarmed when I got a call from Nora's school saying she was absent.  I thanked the secretary and immediately dialed Laura's number.  When she answered, it was obvious she had just woken up.

"Yeah?" She said groggily.

"Hi, it's Lin," I began.  "Why isn't Nora at school?"

"How do you know she's not at school?"

"Her school calls me when she has an unreported absence," I explained.  "She's still with you, I assume?"

"Yeah, she's still asleep.  I didn't want to make her take such a long subway ride across town."

"Laura, this is her education," I said, my voice terse.  "She can ride an extra 20 minutes to school.  She's thirteen."

"Don't tell me what to do with my child," she snapped.  "I just spent two months behind bars separated from her so excuse me if I want to spend a couple days alone with her."

"A couple days?" I asked.  "You're not keeping her home tomorrow too, are you?"

"I don't know!  Maybe," she said, and I had to fight to keep my temper.  I didn't understand how she could be so blase about her daughter's well-being.

"Laura, she needs to go to school," I pressed.  "If it's a transportation issue, a money issue, I can handle it.  I can come pick her up right now."

"Lin, she's asleep," she reminded me.  "Let us have today together and I'll send her tomorrow."

"Send her home this afternoon, please," I told her.  "She needs to sleep in her own bed."

"I'll see what she wants to do," she replied.

"It's not what she wants to do, it's what she needs to do," I tried to explain.  "If you give her the choice between staying home and eating junk food and having to go to school, you know what every 13 year old is going to choose."

"Don't lecture me, Lin," she told me firmly.

"Then start being responsible, Laura," I told her, and hung up.  I felt my heart racing.  If this was how co-parenting was going to work, I wasn't sure how long I would last.  Laura was completely unreasonable and irresponsible.  It was a miracle that Nora was as well-adjusted as she was.

I decided I needed some air, so I put on my shoes and grabbed my headphones.  I took a brisk walk through Central Park, trying to let out some of my frustration.  The hard reality was that I had a child as a co-parent.  The woman could barely take care of herself.  I knew Nora may not like me for it, but I knew I had to fight for full custody.  Nora deserved to be in a loving, stable home.

Later that afternoon, Nora trudged through the front door, obviously in a bad mood.  She did not look she had slept well and was in the same clothes as she was in yesterday.

"Hi, Nora," I greeted her.  "How was your night?"

"Fine," she said, walking like she was about to fall asleep.  "I'm gonna go take a shower."

She disappeared to her room and I heard the shower going a few minutes later.  When she emerged, she looked a bit fresher, but obviously needed a good night sleep.  She went to the pantry and found some graham crackers.

"Don't eat too much," I told her.  "I'm starting dinner soon."

She crunched away at her cracker and turned on the TV.  "Mom's picking me up from school again tomorrow," she informed me as she reached for her second cracker.

I took the box away so she wouldn't spoil her dinner and she grumbled.  "And what are you planning on doing with your mother after school?"

"Probably look for more apartments," she said.

"And you'll be coming home at a decent time, right?" I asked her as I put the box back in the pantry.  "You do have homework and you need a good night sleep."

"I don't know," she said.  "I might stay the night."

I sighed and sat down next to her.  "Nora, I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Well, I imagine you're sleeping on the floor or on the couch.  You won't get a good night sleep.  Plus, your mother didn't wake you up for school today.  I don't want you missing more days."

"I was thinking about transferring back to Altman," she said.  "It'll be closer to Mom's."

"You're not transferring back to Altman," I told her.  "You're staying at Hunter."

She eyed me like she wondered who I thought I was.  "What if I don't want to?"

"Hunter is obviously a much better school," I told her.  "You'll get a much better education there.  Plus, you're going to be with me at least 50% of the time."

"At least?"

I nodded and decided to be up front with her.  "Nora, I think it would be best if you stayed here full time and visited your mom on the weekends."

She was silent for a moment as she processed the information, then I could sense her anger boiling.

"So it's true?" She raised her voice.  "You're trying to take me away from my mom?"

"No, Nora," I began.  "It's just that your mom needs to get her own life together right now.  The responsibility of caring for a child is a bit much for her at the moment."

"We did just fine for thirteen years," she spat back.

"No you didn't," I told her honestly, and she immediately looked offended.  "Your grades were crap, you were underweight, and you had terrible habits."

"Oh and what, you're the savior coming in and saving my life?" She looked at me, angry.  "Screw you."

"Nora!" I yelled at her as she stormed off to her room.  A few moments later, the door slammed and the photo frames in the hallway shook.