After the officers left, Rebecca stood beside the kitchen counter for a long time. I knew she needed to decide what the evening had meant for her, and I didn't want to push her toward reassurance she didn't feel. I asked whether she wanted to go home. She considered it, then said she wanted to stay long enough to make sure I was all right, but that she needed us to talk about how we would manage the situation if it continued.
"I don't want a relationship where the most important person is somebody who isn't in it," she said. Her voice was gentle, but the sentence landed exactly where it needed to. "I like you, Patrick. I want to keep getting to know you. But I need to know you're taking this seriously, not just waiting for her to lose interest."
I told her about the lawyer, the documentation, and my plan to ask whether a protective order was appropriate. Then I admitted something I had barely said aloud: part of me was still ashamed that Minerva could affect me so easily. The sound of her knocking had returned me to a version of myself that waited for the next fight, even after months of work. Rebecca listened, then asked whether I thought shame was useful.
"Not especially," I admitted.
"Then maybe we can use practical decisions instead."
We made tea. I gave her the spare bedroom rather than assuming she wanted to stay in mine after the disturbance, and we both slept badly. In the morning she left early for a patient appointment and kissed me at the door. I watched her drive away and felt a steady gratitude that she could care about me without pretending the evening hadn't been frightening.
Clara met me at the courthouse the following week to discuss a civil protection petition. She had reviewed the recordings and messages, and she explained that the available remedy would depend on the relevant legal standards and what a judge found credible. We did not describe the original breakup as proof of a crime. We focused on the repeated unwanted visits, explicit demands for no contact, attempts to enter the property, and statements that raised concerns for my safety and Rebecca's. Clara helped me submit a timeline that included dates, incident numbers, witness information, and copies of the recordings.
The court granted temporary no-contact protections pending a fuller hearing, with conditions addressing Minerva's contact with me and her presence at my home. The papers had to be properly served, and Minerva had the right to respond. I left the courthouse feeling relieved but not secure enough to celebrate. A piece of paper was useful because it established clear legal boundaries and consequences. It didn't eliminate the human capacity to ignore them.