Any child of divorced parents knows the drill. The week/files/storyimages/is over and it's time for Dad to say his goodbyes and s/files/storyimages/his progeny back to Mom's house. The parents meet up for the handoff at a restaurant, rest stop or any other large concrete structure with a parking lot, provided it's about halfway.
The handoff — awkward, quick and joyless — means moving luggage and a child from one car to another. The kid wants none of the stilted discussion, avoiding the sight of the two most important people in her life exchanging mirthless pleasantries just long enough for Dad to give his goodbye kiss and then pull away.
The marriage wasn't perfect, the breakup wasn't clean, and no one is happy with the result. Still, for many splintered families, the above handoff would be a dream. Some fathers and mothers are trapped in legal battles without end, fighting not for scheduled visitations, but for any visitations. Spending significant time away from their young children has left these non-custodial parents depressed, worried their own young children may begin to forget them. In some cases, the custodial parent realizes the power of wielding a child as an emotional, legal and financial weapon to injure a former spouse.
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