“How does somebody give up custody of their kids? Is that even legal?” Jace asked.
“Yep. When we settled our custody agreement, David was out of the country and planned to remain so for the next year. So, the judge agreed with both my and David’s attorney to award me with both legal and physical custody of the kids. David still has to pay child support and technically has some visitation rights, but it’s a whopping two weeks out of every year. He’s legally required to give me and my attorney two weeks’ notice and has yet to get in contact to set up a visit with the kids. I doubt he ever will.”
“May I ask another question?”
I gave a small nod. Jace was adorable when he asked permission like that. I don’t know what that said about me, but it possibly explained why I liked books with a dominatrix tendency.
“Why aren’t you sitting on a yacht sized pile of money? You both worked full-time, you have full custody—and you mentioned he still has to pay for child support. Why are you living here, in your father’s house, instead of your own private island?”
I sighed, turning in the lounger, laying my head against the backrest. It was the million-dollar question. Literally.
“He used custody as a bargaining chip to get two-thirds of the proceeds from the sale of our house. Which was really the only asset we shared. Otherwise, I would’ve had to co-parent with his mother when David was on his yachting trips, which was all the time. David was smart enough to know I’d rather die than have my kids be around her in any capacity. She was a critical parent, just like my father.”
A look of surprise and something a little bit darker than anger clouded Jace’s face.
“David also claimed that he supported me financially while I was in medical school and residency. His weasel of a divorce attorney basically made it seem like David’s business was in the red, even though I know they turned a profit. But I couldn’t prove that. So, they cut a deal where I only had to pay five years of spousal support instead of the full twelve, as long as I didn’t go after David’s business.”
“Wait. You mean to tell me you’re paying him spousal support, he got two thirds of the sale from your house, has no physical or legal custody of your kids, and all he has to do is pay you child support?”
I winced. “Yes.”
“How much is the spousal support?”
“About a third of my salary.”
Jace gave a low whistle. “I don’t see how this could happen. Can’t you hire someone to find his money? My sister’s a lawyer, she’d be losing her mind. What lawyer let him get away with that?”
His words were a soothing balm after a year of feeling repeatedly burned. “Honestly, I just wanted it to be done. At this point, I’m happy it’s over. David was never going to be a good father. I want to help my kids move on rather than drag them through a painful legal battle for years.”
Jace continued frowning. “I’m serious, Polly. My sister is in family law and practices in Chicago. All you have to do is ask, and I’ll make the call.”
My heart gave a little thump, or maybe it was my hormones trying to knock my scruples loose. Either way, I ignored them. “No. But thank you, truly.”
Jace sighed and ran a hand from the back of his neck through his hair. “I never thought to ask this, but what’s the kids’ last name?”
I smirked. “They’ve always had my last name. My father strongly encouraged it as a condition of our marriage: that I’d keep my last name and so would our kids. David hated his last name, so he easily agreed.”
Jace raised his eyebrows in silent question.
“His last name is Pensis.”
A ghost of a smile passed over Jace’s features before asking in a strangled voice, “Is that spelled . . .”
“Phonetically? Yes. It honestly looks a lot worse than it sounds.”
Jace’s shoulders shook as I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing.
“So, you were almost . . .” Jace’s voice was breaking.
“Don’t say it!” I whispered.
“Dr. Pensis?”
I barked out a laugh as Jace threw his head back, his hair bouncing as his shoulders shook. My eyes watered and my stomach cramped. Our laughter eventually quieted, but then one of us would look at the other and we’d start laughing all over again. After several minutes of this, I eventually closed my eyes, settling back into the lounge chair with a smile on my face, feeling relaxed and happy.
It was peacefully quiet for a minute before I turned to ask Jace a question.
“What about your name? If your parents are boomers, how’d you get the name Jace?”
