Fighting my way out of the dark - Part 8

[Holding]

I had mediation yesterday. We came to an agreement.

We have 50/50 custody, with alternating weeks. I got a very satisfying (and fair) share of her retirement accounts, which were much larger than mine. I'm keeping the house! I could've gotten child support from her, but she was refusing to pay me and was threatening to walk. But she is carrying the kids on her medical insurance and covering medical costs. My L tells me I can always come back later for child support.

It was a stressful experience, but not as bad as some of the horror stories I've heard from others about mediation. My L and I spent several house preparing on the prior day, so I think I had mentally walked myself through everything. When it was over and the paperwork was signed, my L told me the D could be final in a matter of days!

Money will be SUPER tight for a while for me. By the end of the year, I should be free of all my credit card debt and hopefully also have my car paid off. If I do this right I can get real control of my finances and live debt free, something I haven't been able to do since I met STBXW (odd coincidence, that).

Right now I feel a sense of relief, and some hope for the future. I've also regained something I lost last April at BD: the ability to see my own future.