"No" is a difficult concept for manipulative people

Dan and Harriet,

Once again, we gave you another chance, the last chance in fact, to come through for Alaura. Instead, Harriet reiterated a previously made "offer", that being to "let" Alaura's therapist speak to you both on the phone to "change your minds" about letting Thom be present in Alaura's therapy session with you when she disclosed personal information that she doesn't trust you'll be receptive to or supportive of without either minimizing or over reacting to it. This, even though she'd already gave an emphatic "No" when previously asked to do so.

Further, in conversing with Thom, Harriet wanted to know if he always listened to 15 year olds. He told Harriet that he does not always follow Alaura's requests but in this case he agreed with her. Harriet's response to this was that Alaura's desire in regards to her own therapy session and how it should go were not Alaura's place to decide and basically that Alaura's opinion did not matter. It came across as an "I'm big, you're little", "I'm right, you're wrong" kind of sentiment where just because it directly affects Alaura is no reason she should have any say.

In regards to listening to Alaura, you're right, we should have intervined previously and stopped all contact between you both and Alaura. Instead we gave her the option to try to work through the nagging and pressure from you both, but especially from Harriet. We will not be making THAT mistake again, even though Alaura agrees for the most part.

Regarding Alaura's therapy and her having voice in who she wants present, It's HER therapy and she certainly DOES have say in what makes her comfortable. How DARE you say otherwise.

Then after being told by Thom that there will be no further contact between you both and Alaura, you have the gall to call Alaura from the road on the premise of wishing her a Happy Birthday and her having the opportunity to speak with other family members she still can have contact with. If that's not an attempt at manipulating the situation, I don't know what IS.

You are NOT permitted to speak to the child, especially after showing so great a disregard for her well-being that you claim to have "at heart". The only thing you've demonstrated having at heart is attempting to coerce her to live with you both. You've lied to her telling her that my depression and OCD are an act and call for attention, you've attempted to bribe her with the lure of material possessions when you told her that if she lives with you, you can buy her whatever she wants. That doesn't necessarily mean you will, but you've tried to tantalize her with the possibility. Shameless. Fortunately, Alaura cannot be bought.

You are both pathetic human-beings worthy only of pity. The 3 of us do pity you both for your inability to decipher right from wrong and truth from fantasy, demonstrated by your repeated attempts to sway Alaura with your fabricated "truths" and your own concept of what is right, regardless of what the average, reasonable person would hold to be right or wrong. We pity you both for your blatant disregard for Alaura's well-being while thinking that's what you're after even while you poison the relationship between you and she.

If you only listened to Alaura's voice when she had spoken to you, you would have heard the pain you caused her, you would have seen the anxiety and angst she underwent in dealing with you both. But in your selective blindness and deafness you failed to recognize her blight and failed to change what you asked of her and what you expected of her.

To sum it up, you're the most pitious people we've had the misfortune of contending with and "No contact" means just that. Your e-mail has been blocked from Alaura's acct, your calls are being screened and if they continue, our phone number will be changed and unlisted. If you decide to be so manipulative as to show up at our door, it will be for naught and a waste of your money that does not concern us. You will be rebuked at the door, you will be turned away. You're uninvited, you're not allowed, you're both an unfortunate slight. We will not tolerate you in Alaura's life any longer. You are highly toxic people.

Hopefully, this clarifies what "No" means.
This said, leave us alone.