There was one question Andrew still couldn't answer: why had Vivian been so determined to keep Laura away specifically until after the ceremony? The legal case had established that Vivian wanted to prevent an interruption. It did not fully explain the urgency. Robert Ellis discovered the answer in an ordinary form filed with the hotel wedding coordinator. The next morning, Andrew had scheduled an appointment with a private school enrollment office. Vivian intended to enroll Sophie under a new household contact arrangement, designating herself as the primary emergency contact and removing Laura's address from the routine pickup list. It would not change legal custody, but it would place another gatekeeper between mother and child.
The school later explained that it would have required the legal guardians' authorization and would not override a court order. Nonetheless, its existence showed how Vivian expected marriage to strengthen her claim to manage Sophie's everyday life. She was trying to become the only adult through whom information passed. That motive was more mundane than an inheritance plot, and for Andrew it was more chilling. She had not needed to steal a fortune. She only needed other people to accept her version of a family's history until it became the version everyone used.
Robert also found draft emails Vivian intended to send after the wedding. They described Laura as a woman who had “unexpectedly reappeared” and proposed limiting communication while professionals assessed the situation. The language was polished and reassuring. Andrew recognized phrases Vivian used when persuading him to avoid conflict. He imagined what would have happened if Sophie had obeyed her instruction to stay away from the door. Laura might have remained confined until the guests left; Vivian could have introduced another story about an unstable visitor; the school records could have been updated before Andrew asked a serious question. It was not a guaranteed outcome, but it was close enough to frighten him.
Andrew gave the drafts to his attorney and asked the court to review safeguards around Sophie's records. He also wrote the school himself, clarifying both parents' legal rights and supplying their correct contact information. Laura checked the forms and signed the sections she was responsible for. Their names appeared side by side on the final page, not as a married couple, but as two parents entitled to accurate information about their child.
One afternoon Sophie asked why adults used so many papers. Andrew considered the question. “Papers can help us remember agreements,” he said. “But they aren't a substitute for treating people fairly.” Sophie nodded thoughtfully. “Like the door?” “Exactly like the door,” he replied. “A key belongs to whoever is allowed to open it, not whoever thinks they're in charge.”