Sam’s amateur shoulder massage and expert blowjob the night before helped for a while, but nothing would feel right until the whole court case was over. With a sigh, I headed to Evie’s room to get her up from her nap. Sam would be there soon, and we could have a nice, relaxing evening together.
He let himself in a while later with a garment bag over one arm and a deep kiss that erased some of my worries temporarily. “I hope you don’t mind,” he said as he hung the bag in my closet and dropped a backpack next to my bed.
“Mind? You staying over is the absolute best thing I could hope for, baby.”
After Evie went down in her crib later that evening, Sam took my hand and led me to my dark bedroom. “Nothing wild and crazy tonight, Gil. Just sleep.” He kissed me, undressed me with the utmost care, we took turns in the bathroom, and then settled under my blankets with his head on my chest and our arms around each other.
***
Giovanni met us right inside the courthouse doors with a smile and nod for me and a warm greeting for Sam. Roxy had Evie for the day. It would’ve been much harder if I had to bring her to court where Paige could see her, and I had to keep her calm.
“Okay, let’s get upstairs.” He lowered his voice as we headed toward the elevators. “Everything’s looking good. We got a fair judge.” He leaned closer, his dark eyebrows raised. “Not one who thinks mother automatically equals better.”
Sam took my free hand as we stepped into the echoing hallway of the family court section. A few people milled about or sat on the wooden benches along the wall. A bailiff stood, hands clasped, outside a double door with huge brass handles.
Halfway down the hall, Paige sat next to a man with graying hair and a dark blue suit. I assumed it was her attorney until he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. Instead of the loose-haired, sassy, colorfully dressed woman I’d spent years with, this Paige had her hair tied back in a neat bun and wore a simple black skirt, a tailored jacket, and heels.
Giovanni eased Sam and I toward a bench closest to the courtroom door, and we all sat. I fought the urge to stare at Paige and whoever that man was with her. A woman in a brown pantsuit with a briefcase tapped past us and stopped by them.
“That’s her attorney.” Giovanni leaned closer so no one would overhear. “I’ve argued cases against her before.” He offered no other information, which only increased my anxiety.
What did that mean? Did he win or lose? Was she tough or did he know all her legal moves and the best way to counter them. As much as Giovanni tried to prepare me for family court, he couldn’t temper the fear that I’d have to give up Evie.
The courtroom door eased open, and a stern-faced woman stepped out. “Harris Barron.” She scanned the hallway and nodded when our two small groups stood up and approached.
Paige’s eyes shot wide when she saw us for the first time, but her attention latched onto me before she narrowed her eyes at Sam. The man at her side murmured something and looped her arm over his as they followed their lawyer into the big room.
Sam squeezed my hand as we followed Giovanni. Like all the courtroom drama TV shows I’d ever watched, Paige and I sat next to our lawyers on opposite sides of the central aisle. Sam sat behind me, and the man settled behind Paige, his face stern and brows lowered.
I tried to slow my breathing and pounding heart as the judge and attorneys went through the preliminaries of why we were there and who the involved parties were.
“Miss Daniels, present arguments for your client.” The judge, an older woman with bright red glasses, leaned back and folded her hands over her black robe.
Paige’s attorney stood up and stepped around the table. “Your honor, my client, Paige Harris, is the biological mother of the child in question, Evelyn. She’s petitioning for full custody. You’ll clearly see that the other party engaged in a protracted and purposeful plan of parental alienation, lacks a stable income, has questionable accommodations, and engages in a lifestyle that could have considerable negative effects on a child. She’s currently engaged to Mr. Kenneth Smythe, a responsible and affluent member of the community, which would afford the child a much more stable and privileged life than the pitiful attempt Mr. Barron offers.”
My jaw clenched. Forget slowing my breaths. I struggled to breathe at all. At the other table, Paige quickly hid a growing smirk under a practiced look of calm. Giovanni shifted his hand to rest against my arm and shot me a comforting glance. He sucked in a deep and purposeful breath, and I was finally able to do the same.
For the next ten minutes, Paige’s attorney spun a tragic narrative of my tiny apartment, my struggling business, and hinted at a history of frequent lascivious hookups, never minding that Paige was the one who orchestrated all of that. She spent quite a bit of time hinting at how rich Mr. Smythe,presumably the man in the suit behind Paige, was and how he was ready to send Evelyn to the best private schools and buy her whatever she wanted.
Money didn’t make you a good parent, and the lawyer didn’t mention anything about love and care when expounding on Paige’s fiancé’s merits. Did they think they could buy Evie? Anger overlaid the current of fear that flowed through me, and I fought to keep my breathing steady and my expression calm.
The judge simply thanked her and turned toward us. “Mr. Amato.”
“Your honor, Gilbert Barron is undeniably Evelyn’s biological and legal father. You have a copy of her birth certificate and the paternity test results. He has likewise been her sole guardian and caregiver for her entire life. Not due to any parental alienation, but because Ms. Harris left the hospital against medical advice the day after giving birth. You likewise have those reports from the hospital.”
He walked around the edge of the table to stand next to me. “Despite frequent and ongoing attempts to contact Ms. Harris afterward – you also have the text and call records – she did not respond. This isn’t a trial about abandoning her child, however. It’s about who is the best custodial parent for Evie.
“We submitted all pertinent proof to the courts. Mr. Barron runs a successful business, as evidenced by his tax returns, lives in the same two-bedroom apartment in a highly rated, family friendly community, and has clearly demonstrated quality parenting and responsible care. There is no basis for any of Ms. Harris’s claims. Removing his parental or custodial rights would be a grave mistake that would have detrimental affects on Evie, as she has obviously bonded with her father and receives reliable and loving care from him.”
He shot a dark glance toward the other side of the courtroom. “As for Mr. Smythe, he has no bearing on theproceedings in the slightest degree. Frankly, the inclusion of his supposed financial standing and overt interest in… acquiring…” He said the word with obvious disdain, as if this strange man was indeed trying to buy my daughter. “…access to an infant girl is questionable. As we were unaware of his existence before today’s court appearance, we ask any decisions toward reintegration be considered only after a very thorough background check.”
The judge started to nod halfway through Giovanni’s speech, and a tiny bit of the terror receded. I glanced over my shoulder to catch Sam’s supportive smile. On the other side of the courtroom, the man leaned forward to whisper something into Paige’s ear. Her placid expression twisted into a frown before she turned away.
The judge rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Miss Daniels, what is your client asking for?”
“Full custody and removal of Mr. Barron’s parental rights.”
“She’s not getting that. What else?”
