I went over to the wet bar and poured myself a glass of whiskey. The conference call was going to be another shit-show. “Donald, your client chose to wait almost a decade before telling MY client that he even had a daughter.”
“That’s true,” Donald said, “but that still doesn’t mean he shouldn’t have to pay her. Raising a child costs a lot of money, Danielle.”
There was a moment of silence, which probably meant that Danielle was going through her paperwork, and I couldn’t keep quiet any longer.
“You want back child support, Heather? Fine. But there’s no way in hell that I’m footing the bill for your wedding. Why don’t you cash in that pearl necklace or vintage Chanel suit of yours?”
“Richard, remember what we discussed?”
I slammed the mute button and swallowed the rest of my whiskey, then ran my hands through my hair and closed my eyes. What I wouldn’t give to be saying all of this directly to Heather’s face, to watch as she clutched her precious pearls as I called out her bullshit.
“As I was saying, Danielle, my client feels she is entitled to more than just back child support. The additional money will further Addison’s education.”
“Why are you so cheap, Richard?”
My eyes bugged out as soon as I heard Heather’s voice, but I managed to stay calm.
“Heather,” her attorney said, “please let me speak.”
“Let’s move on, Donald. My client has some questions about the boarding school Heather wants Addison to attend. While he agrees that it’s a quality school and would give her a good education, he doesn’t feel it’s necessary at her age. A young child should have a home life, not one where she shares a room with a stranger and has a dormitory advisor.”
When neither Heather or Donald responded, I unmuted my phone. I hated wasting time.
“Why don’t you just admit that you’re a self-entitled, spoiled bitch Heather? Because that’s what it comes down to. You and I both know this large payment isn’t going for Addison’s boarding school, especially when she let it slip that horseback riding might get her a scholarship. Although you are a pretty shitty parent, seeing as how you’re making her take horseback riding lessons despite her being terrified of falling off.”
I waited for Danielle to chastise me again, but she didn’t. Instead, Heather spoke up.
“You want me to be honest, Richard? Fine. Our daughter is more trouble than she’s worth, and you wouldn’t know it, having spent a handful of sessions with her. She constantly wants attention, and it’s driving me crazy! Maybe if you spent more than an hour with her-“
“Well, maybe if you LET me spend more than an hour with her, ALONE, then I’d know more about her personality! And how dare you talk about our daughter this way. What kind of mother are you?”
“What kind of mother am I? What kind of father are YOU, bringing that slutty yoga instructor on the one session I allowed you to attend without me. Honestly, Richard, I can’t believe you’re questioning any of this right now.”
I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins as Heather spoke.
“First of all,” I retorted, “Annie is the sweetest woman I have ever met. She didn’t deserve to be treated that way on Saturday, and you should be ashamed of your behavior. Not only because it was obnoxious, but because Addison had to witness it. Although she’s probably already used to her mother being a psychotic bitch.”
“Alright,” both Danielle and Donald said into the phone.
“Richard, please calm down. This isn’t getting us anywhere.” I listened to Danielle and again slammed the mute button on my phone.
While she and Donald discussed a few things, and Heather and I waited in silence, I pulled out my phone. It was full of pictures from the previous Saturday at the lake. We had felt like such a family, Annie, Addison, and I.
I stared at the picture of Annie standing behind Addison, whose arms were stretched up, and she was smiling at her. Even though they didn’t look alike, anyone would assume they were mother and daughter. It only took a day for them to bond.
Then there was the picture of Annie helping Addison swim. She was a natural at it, too. Holding her waist as they moved toward the deeper part of the lake. Annie had even given Addison a Barbie, which was covered in dirt from Heather's tires as she sped away with Addison in the car.
My favorite picture, however, was my background photo. It was all three of us, standing in front of the lake, smiling for a picture. I had tried making something else my background since we broke up, but nothing made me nearly as happy. Every morning when I woke up, I looked at my phone and smiled.
I had never been that in love before, and it was killing me inside. There were so many times when I had wanted to text or call Annie. The time that I walked past a yoga studio and thought of her, or when I found a vintage clothing store that I knew she’d want to visit. I had even considered buying her a few things that I knew she’d like, but it was too soon. We’d see each other again eventually, but my attention needed to remain on Addison.
“Richard isn’t allowed to see Addison until my client receives her money, Danielle. I’ve made that clear.”
I poured myself another glass of whiskey and then walked over to the windows. There was no point in getting upset with Heather. She was putting her foot down, and I didn’t know how all of it would end. I was adamant that she not receive a lump sum in addition to child support payments, but on some level, I wondered if it’d be worth it just to see Addison.
“Then I guess we’re at a standstill, Donald. I’m sure you understand where we’re coming from, too. Having a child is hard and expensive, but not being told you have a child is selfish and cruel. This has caused my client a great deal of emotional stress that he may never recover from. Not to mention, that by your client's refusal to allow my client to see his daughter, she is defying a court-ordered mandate. Just letting you know. That will be discussed with the judge.”
Ain’t that the truth, I thought while looking out over New York City. I had missed out on some of the most critical years of Addison’s life, like the day she was born, her first steps, and even getting her first tooth. To make matters worse, Heather had been there for all of them and couldn’t care less.
