It's starting to unravel...

In July 2009, things really started to unravel.I was increasingly concerned about leaving the girls in his care due to drinking.  "His" behavior was becoming worrisome.  He was shifting from announcing the marriage as "over" to writing long, bizarre and rambling emails begging for me to come back.  I was still couch surfing on the weekends and trying to stay distracted every second that I was away.  It was waves of different emotions for me-- a sense of freedom that I had not felt in a very, very long time and then the ache of being away from my babies for the first time ever.Our tenant who was living in the upstairs granny unit called me in a panic on a weekend morning.  She heard the girls crying downstairs and went to check on them (8am-ish) to find that they were completely alone.  They were so alone that my four-year old daughter was trying to change my two-year old daughter's diaper because they couldn't find their father.  My little girls had even wandered outside looking for him to no avail.I was 30 minutes away and beside myself.  A million thoughts ran through my head-- where in the hell was he?!  Why would he leave two little girls alone?  How long had he been gone?  What would have happened had our renter left the house for the weekend?I repeatedly called his phone and after three calls, he answered.What could the excuse possibly be?  I was waiting.  There was silence.  I was yelling. I could barely breathe.He answered: "I left around five am to work at the coffee shop and lost track of time".Tears started to flow.  For starters, there are no local coffee shops open at 5am.  That's another story...and another lie.How is this possible?  How could a 36 year old, well-educated man think that it was ok to leave two little girls home alone?!  He seemed calm.  He eluded that I was overreacting-- that it wasn't a big deal.  "CALM DOWN...it was a few hours"....that was his response in a very condescending tone.It was a few hours that my daughters were walking through the house and calling for him....walking outside alone and calling for him....their calls turned into tears because they were afraid and then my little girl had to change her baby sister's diaper.This was the day that I knew my daughters were no longer safe in "his" care.###One Mom's Battle: Our mission at One Mom’s Battle is to increase awareness of Cluster B personality disorders (Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Antisocial Personality Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder) and their impact upon shared parenting and the Family Court System which includes Judges, CPS workers, Guardian ad Litems (GAL), Parenting Coordinators (PC), Custody Evaluators, therapists and attorneys. Education on Cluster B disorders will allow these professionals to truly act in the best interest of the children.History of One Mom's Battle: In 2009, One Mom’s Battle began with one mother, (Tina Swithin), navigating the choppy waters of a high-conflict divorce in the Family Court System. Since then, it has turned into a grassroots movement reaching the far corners of the Earth. Tina's battle spanned from 2009 - 2014 during which time she acted as her own attorney. Ultimately, Tina was successful in protecting her daughters and her family has enjoyed complete peace since October 2014 when a Family Court commissioner called her ex-husband a "sociopath" and revoked his parenting time in a final custody order.Tina Swithin: Divorcing a narcissist? Tina Swithin's books are available online at Amazon (print, Kindle or audio format). Each year, Tina offers life-changing weekends of camaraderie and healing at the Lemonade Power Retreat.  Tina also offers one-on-one coaching services and a private, secure forum called, The Lemonade Club, for those enduring high-conflict custody battles. [wp_ad_camp_1]