Aunt K undergoes surgery days before the hearing. Steve's attorneys request remote appearance at a visitation conference. At the last minute — the afternoon before — the court denies the request. Steve books the next available flight, 6:20 the next morning. When he arrives, Judge Horowitz has already entered a default — granting permanent custody and a two-year order of protection at what was scheduled as a status conference. Fourteen months later, his motion to vacate is still pending when the third judge recuses.
Steve seeks recognition in New York of the protection he won against Tara after a San Francisco hearing. Humphrey warns Steve about nonappearance, but gives him no ruling after Tara misses two hearings. Humphrey then recuses. Aunt K investigates the court's evaluator.
The case passes to a fourth judge. At a twenty-three-minute video appearance Schauer vacates the Horowitz default on consent and issues mirroring stay-away orders — one against each party — rather than address the California restraining order against Tara. The poisoner and the poisoned are treated as symmetrical threats, and neither petition is heard. Steve tells the court a permanent temporary order does not give him a chance to face his accuser. The court tells him he is muddying the record.
Jennifer Jackman resigns as Attorney for the Child without explanation. Her replacement files a motion to suppress all blog content. A visitation conference is converted into a gag order hearing. Steve is declared in default. Judge Schauer orders the blog removed — every post, every photograph, every grandmother's letter. The words are precise. Erase. Deactivate. Delete.
His attorney was in the courtroom. He was not. The phone rang after. The voice on the other end sounded beaten. 'Well, that didn't go well.' The orders were final.