The judge wrote a few things down on paper, then let out a sigh before speaking. “Well, it makes sense why you haven’t paid child support since you weren’t even aware that you had a one.”
I looked over at Heather, who looked pissed off. “I hereby grant temporary visitation rights for the father to see his daughter. The mother will supervise the first few until the child feels comfortable around him. After the paternity test, if no agreement is made, we will reconvene.” He turned to Heather. “You are to set up the first meeting. Court is adjourned.”
“That wasn’t so bad,” Danielle said to me.
“Quick and painless, for the most part. At least I can see Addison.” I looked up at Heather, who was staring down at me.
“Richard, if you want to see your daughter, meet me at Martinelli’s Pizzeria in one hour.” She clutched her Chanel purse and walked away; her Christian Louboutin heels clicking a little too loudly as she left the courtroom.
“Is that legal?”
Danielle shrugged her shoulders. “You heard the judge, Richard. Heather sets up the first meeting. She’s not happy, but she wants to get it out of the way. That’s common in these types of cases.”
“Do you have any tips?” I was suddenly nervous about meeting my daughter for the first time. The only child I’d been around was Caley.
“Nope. You’re going to make a great father, Richard.” Danielle smiled, gathered her briefcase, and walked away.
I got to the restaurant a few minutes early and sat at a table that faced the doorway. My mind was racing a mile a minute, wondering how Addison would react to seeing me for the first time. All I had to go on were her pictures. Danielle couldn’t tell me anything else, and I sure as hell couldn’t count on Heather for any information.
My heart dropped to my stomach when they walked through the door. Addison was wearing a pink dress and black shoes, holding Heather’s hand and smiling as she walked toward me. Tears formed in my eyes, and that time, I refused to wipe them away. I stood up and smiled down at her.
“Daddy?” I nodded and reached down, embracing her as she wrapped her tiny arms around me.
The tears were flowing non-stop, saturating her curly blonde hair.
Heather sighed impatiently. “Can we sit down?”
I shot a nasty look at Heather, who couldn’t have been more annoyed.
We sat down and placed our order.
“I love pizza, Daddy! But Mommy doesn’t let me have it that much.”
I looked at Heather before turning my attention back to Addison. “Well, today is a special occasion.”
Her big, blue eyes were so bright that it melted my heart. I wanted so badly to have her sit on my lap, but it was still our first meeting.
“Mommy said that you work for Grandpa.”
“I work with your grandfather, sweetie. It’s a family business.” Heather rolled her eyes at me, sipping her water while surveying the restaurant. “So, tell me about school. What grade are you in?”
“I’m in second grade. We’re learning about scary dinosaurs. But that’s okay because they’re not around anymore.”
“That’s a good thing,” I replied with a chuckle. “Nobody would want to run into a Tyrannosaurus Rex.”
Addison put her hands in the air to mimic a dinosaur. While it made me laugh, all Heather could do was roll her eyes.
“I have a lot of friends, too. Molly is my best friend, more than Janice. Janice steals crayons.”
“Stealing is a bad thing, and I’m glad you’re not a stealer.”
She smiled and started swinging her legs back and forth against the red leather banquette. “I won’t see her after this school year, though.”
“Why is that, Addison?”
Heather sat up a little bit, folding her hands on the table as she waited for our daughter to speak. “Mommy is sending me away to school.”
Heather cleared her throat. “No, Addison. That’s not what I said. Michael is sending you to boarding school, and I agree that it’s a good decision.”
