"It is! Tell her it is!" Skylar orders, looking at me.
I put my hands in the air. "I think everyone needs to take a few deep breaths."
"Tell her," Skylar seethes through teeth.
"Blue knows it's a big deal. Don't you?" I demand, pinning my gaze on her.
Her jaw twitches like Adrian's. She doesn't blink.
"We've discussed this. Acknowledging you have a problem is the first step to fixing it," I remind her.
She releases a frustrated breath. "Fine. Yes, Mom. I understand it's not ideal to hurt myself."
"Good. That's good," I praise her.
Adrian barks, "How are you helping her?"
My chest tightens. I lift my spine straighter. "With replacement behaviors. Sensory grounding. Accountability."
Blue tosses an intimate smile at me.
Adrian notices. His gaze snaps to her. Then back to me. He accuses, "You're enjoying this."
She doesn't deny it, but crosses her arms.
I intervene. "Blue, your father isn't accusing you. He's trying to understand your internal experience."
She lifts one shoulder. "This is my internal experience."
I hold her gaze, harder, adding, "And part of that experience is testing limits."
Her pupils dilate.
Adrian stiffens. "Testing whose limits?"
I straighten in my chair, letting authority settle into my bones. "Everyone's. Yours. Mine. The system's."
"The system's?" he snarls.
"The entire structure holding Blue's care and authority."
Skylar looks between us. "Is that…normal?"
"Yes. For someone who feels controlled internally, testing external boundaries can create a sense of agency."
"Still not following," Adrian seethes.
I explain, "The system is everything and everyone that has responsibility for Blue's safety, decisions, limits, and protection. And it's the rules that decide who's allowed to do what."
Blue leans back, satisfied.
Adrian stands again.
This time, I don't ask him to sit.
"This doesn't sit right with me," he says, voice low. "She looks at you like?—"
"Like what?" I ask, my nerves rattling.
