After I drop her off at school, I go back home to start my cleaning. Mondays are cleaning days. I hate cleaning. With a passion. So I allocate one day a week where I get it all done. The rest of the time I do as little as possible.
It takes me a good few hours to get through the vacuuming, washing, cleaning the bathroom, and cleaning Tilly’s room. By the time I'm done, I'm finally beginning to wake up properly. Hey, and it's only taken five hours.
Exhausted, I collapse on the couch with a coffee and relax. I decided I’ve earned a break, and I can’t think of a better way to use it than watching crappy daytime TV. I’m halfway through a rerun of Jerry Springer when there’s a knock on the door. Getting to my feet, I race to answer it, annoyed at whoever has interrupted my viewing. What if I miss finding out who Latisha’s father is?
An official-looking man wearing a shirt and tie stands on the porch. He smiles tightly when I open the door. My stomach lurches. I know he's not a cop, but his presence reminds me of the night of Aiden’s accident.
“Can I help you?” I ask, my knuckles white from holding onto the doorframe so tightly.
“Are you Kiara Drummond?” he asks curtly.
I nod.
He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a yellow envelope, handing to me.
I take it, trying to figure out what it is.
“You've been served,” he adds.
What?
He walks away briskly before I can ask any questions. My heart races as I tear into the envelope, pulling out a thick, legally worded document. My blood freezes as I read through the cover page.
No. There is no way she can do this. This isn't fucking fair. But there it is, written in black and white, impossible for me to deny.
Heather is suing me for the shared custody of Tilly.
Somehow I make it back to the sofa, the room spinning as I sit down. I scan through the pages. I have no idea what half of this shit means. From what I can gather, she’s claiming that I'm stopping Aiden from being part of Tilly’s life, and that as his guardian and power of attorney, it's in her and her husband’s best interest to make sure their son’s legal entitlements are met.
Of course she goes on to mention that Aiden will be moving back home. I laugh when she states his prognosis is good. On what planet is his prognosis good? She also states that she's spoken to me on several occasions about Tilly seeing Aiden on a more regular basis, and that each time I’ve denied her request. Which is true, but for good fucking reason.
“This is fucking insane. It has to be a joke,” I mutter, tossing the papers down on the coffee table. I reach for my phone and call Ellie, the only person I can think of who will understand.
“What's up?” she asks, her voice bright.
“I've just been served. By Heather.”
“Served what?” she says, confused.
“She is suing me, Ellie. For shared custody of Tilly. She's fucking suing me.” I laugh, because it’s all I can do to not completely lose it. How the hell could this happen? I'm so angry. I feel goddamn violated. Can she really do this? “How can she put Tilly through this?”
“Shit, Kiara, you’ve got to be kidding me. I don't know what to say. Just sit tight—I'm coming over.”
She hangs up. I drop the phone in my lap and lie back on the sofa. I don't even know what to think. How can this be happening? What am I supposed to do now? How do I fight this? I don't know the first thing to do, or what Heather and Jim’s rights are as Aiden’s parents. Do they actually stand a chance at winning this? Surely they don't. I mean, what judge in their right mind would put an innocent, terrified child in a situation that is only going to cause her more grief?
Less than ten minutes later, Ellie barges through the front door, her face clouded with anger. She throws her arms around me, cursing Heather and comforting me at the same time.
“Are you okay?” she asks, kissing my cheek. “You don't have to go through this alone. You've got me and Grant, and Mom and Dad. Fuck, I'm so angry,” she mutters, flopping down next to me the couch. “Who do they think they are?”
“I don't know. I have no idea what to do now. I guess I need a lawyer?” I say. I laugh at how little I know. “No doubt they're dipping into Aiden's insurance payout to get the best legal advice they can,” I say. My tone is bitter.
“I know this isn't the time, but Kee, you should’ve fought them for power of attorney over Aiden years ago.”
“I know,” I groan. “I didn't want to put Till through any of this, though.”
“It's okay. We’ll sort this out, all right?” She reaches over and squeezes my knee, a concerned expression on her face.
I nod, wishing I were as confident as she is.
Chapter Fifteen
Max
I rub my neck. I'm tired, and I feel like all we’re doing is going in circles. We've been sitting in the conference room for two hours going over the applicants when I know Kiara would fit into this role perfectly. Not that I’m biased or anything. Even if you put our friendship aside, I’d be leaning toward her.
I would have been able to talk Rob and Thomas into it quite easily if it weren’t for Kelly, who for whatever reason apparently has some vendetta against Kiara. She'd even brought her parenting skills into question, for God’s sake, citing Tilly’s physical altercation from earlier this month.
“We need to make a decision.” I sigh. “And I think it's down to these two.” I push forward applications from a young lady named Anica, and Kiara.
“I vote for Anica,” Kelly says immediately.
I bet you do. Is she that against Kiara, or is it more her wanting to rebel against me?
“She's obviously more qualified, and I think someone a little older might show some more maturity.”
“She's only two years older than Kiara,” I say with a laugh. “And she has no experience teaching art. The way I see it, it's Kiara, just based on her experience and love of art. I mean, doesn’t it make sense to choose someone who is going to love what they’re teaching? Isn’t that the kind of thing we want to carry through to the kids we teach?”
“I agree, Max.” Rob nods. He looks as tired as I feel, and I’m sure he just wants to get out of here. “So, unless Thomas has an issue with Kiara, I think we can call the job hers?”
Thomas shakes his head, relief filling his eyes. “I'm fine with that.”
“Great,” I say, relieved that we’ve finally sorted this out. “I'll let her know and get her in to fill out the necessary forms. She’s just within the timeframe for not needing to refresh her registration, too, which is good. Thank you, everyone, for your time.” I close my folder and smile.
Kelly glances my way, her eyes shooting daggers at me.
“Is there a problem, Kelly?” I ask, not bothering to keep the annoyance out of my voice.
She shrugs. “Nope. Everything's fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She turns and stalks out of the room, Rob and Thomas close behind her. Walking over to the door, I close it then lean against it. I still feel as if I’m fighting an uphill battle when it comes to Kelly. God knows how long this attitude is going to last, but for the sake of my sanity, I hope she gets over it soon.
Fishing my phone out of my pocket, I dial Kiara, excited to tell her the news about her new job. She answers right away, and I immediately pick up that she sounds distant. No, it’s more than that. She’s upset about something.
“Hey,” she mumbles.
“Hey yourself. Are you okay?” I ask, concerned.
“I'm fine—just tired,” she says, her voice wavering. “Now is not really a good time to talk. Can I call you back later?”
“Sure, but I have some news that might cheer you up,” I say with a grin.
“Oh?” she replies.
“You got the job” I lean back in my chair and wait for her to answer.
“I did? That's great,” she says, but her tone doesn’t reflect her words. She’s deflated and upset—you’d think I’d just told her that
I’d killed her dog.
“No offense, but you don't sound okay. What's going on?” I press. I know that it's none of my business, but I'm concerned and I want to make sure she's all right.
“It's complicated.” She sighs. “I just got some bad news. Well, disturbing news really.”
“Is Aiden okay?” That something must’ve happened to him is my first thought, and for a brief second I entertain the idea of how much easier things would be if he were no longer here. Guilt stabs my chest. How can I even think that?
“It's . . .” Her voice trails off and she sighs. “It’s a long story. Heather, Aiden’s mother, just served me with papers informing me that she is suing for shared custody of Tilly.”
“What?” I laugh. Is that even possible?
“Exactly,” she says, her tone flat. “I’m stressed and worried, and I have no idea where to begin.” Her voice shakes, and I feel so bad for her. I can only imagine how overwhelming this whole thing must be.
“Let me help you,” I say. As a friend at the very least, I want to do something. I close my eyes and push the next few words out. “My brother is a family law attorney. He'll be able to give you some advice on what to do next.”
“Your brother?” she says, sounding surprised. I know she’s thinking about Tommy.
“I had two. You know about Tommy. My other brother is Will,” I say, rubbing my forehead. Why do I find it so hard to talk about my family? “He lives in California with his wife and two kids. He's a good guy.”
“Wow, really? Thanks for this, Max. I’m sitting here surrounded by fucking paperwork and I have no idea what I’m doing,” she mutters.
“He’ll know someone here you can speak to,” I assure her. I pause for a moment, not sure how she’s going to react to my next question. “Do you mind if I come over after I speak to Will? It’ll be easier than relaying what he tells me over the phone.”
“Sure, go for it,” she sighs. “Ellie’s looking after Till so I can sort this mess out.”
“Great,” I say. “Then I’ll see you soon.”
After ending the call, I search my contacts, looking for Will’s number. It’s been months since we’ve spoken, and awkward doesn’t begin to cover how I feel reaching out to him for help. He answers, sounding surprised to hear from me.
“Max. How’s things?” he asks, sounding happy to see me.
“Good. I’m good. Sorry it’s been a while since I’ve called,” I say, embarrassed.
“Yeah, me too.” He chuckles. “Life gets in the way and before you know it, months have passed, right?”
“Exactly,” I say, relieved he understands.
Will is my older brother by three years. I’ve always felt compared to him by my parents, and in turn that has affected our relationship immensely, especially since Tommy died. Even my becoming a teacher wasn’t good enough for my barrister father. Will’s always stayed out of the drama, but being so far away, our relationship has suffered.
Things got worse when I came here to go to college.
“How’ve you been? I’m guessing this isn’t a social call?” he adds. He knows me too well.
Usually it feels strange calling him, so I don’t. Instead, I put it off until we run into each other at my parents’ place and pretend everything is fine. Sometimes I wish I’d made more of an effort, but it feels too late to fix things now. We get along, but I see how close Kiara is with Ellie and it makes me sad that I don’t have that.
“You’re right,” I admit. “I have a friend who is in some trouble. She has a fiancé who has been in a coma for three years and is not expected to recover. His parents have just served her with papers on their son’s behalf, suing for shared custody of her five-year-old daughter.” I pause and shake my head, the reality of it hitting me. “Is that even legal? Surely that wouldn’t even get into court, right?”
“You’d be surprised. People can sue for anything these days. It doesn’t mean they’ll be successful, but it’ll probably earn a hearing at the least.” He pauses for a moment, and I’m pretty sure I know what’s coming. “So, who is this girl? She must be pretty special for you to call me.”
“You make me sound like some kind of monster.” I chuckle. My stomach twists, because there’s a whole lot of truth to what he’s saying.
“Well, I don’t want to guilt you into contacting your older brother more, but it would be nice to hear from you once in a while,” he says.
“The phone works both ways, you know,” I shoot back. I sigh and rub my neck. “I know we should make more of an effort. It’s not that I avoid calling you, it’s just . . .”
“Seriously, Max, you don’t need to explain. We’re both guilty, you know? But we both need to try harder. Mom and Dad won’t be around forever, and I want the girls to know their uncle. I want to hear what’s happening in your life from you, and not the highlights you choose to tell Mom and Dad.”
“I tell Mom and Dad what they want to hear,” I say, my voice dry. I clear my throat. “Maybe I’ll come down and see you guys over the holidays.”
“We’d love that,” he says, his voice earnest. “You’re always welcome here. And you can bring your girlfriend too, if you like.”
“She’s just a friend,” I say, not wanting to go into all the details.
“A special friend?” he asks, a hint of amusement in his voice.
“Just a friend,” I repeat, shaking my head.
“Yeah, yeah. Well, pass on my details to her and get her to give me a call. Maybe I can get more information on your relationship status out of her, huh?” For a brief second, a wave of panic rushes through me, until I realize he’s joking.
“Don't you dare,” I growl as he laughs. “Thanks for this, Will.”
Hanging up the phone, I run my hand through my short wavy hair and over my rough jawline, reminding me that I need to shave. Scribbling Will’s details on a piece of paper, I shove it into my pocket. Before I leave, I find the new employer forms I need her to fill out and put them in my briefcase. Grabbing my keys and my phone I walk out, locking the office door behind me.
I park out front of Kiara’s house and run up to her front door. She opens it at the same time as I reach it. She looks gorgeous in a black jacket and a pair of jeans. The tank she wears underneath hugs her petite figure, highlighting her curves. Her hair is swept back into a loose ponytail, and as I edge closer to her, I can almost smell the sweet fragrance of her shampoo. My heart races as she wets her lips, spreading them into a smile.
“Thanks for coming,” she says. She moves to the side, letting me past, and then closes the door behind her. “Did you call your brother?” she asks.
“I did, and he's more than happy to speak to you.”
She sits down on the sofa, her expression relieved as she rubs her forehead and sighs. “God, I'm so worried, Max. I'm so scared of losing her.”
I sit down next to her and reach for her hand. “You're not going to lose her, I promise.”
She offers me a small smile and glances at my hand over hers. I don't pull away and neither does she. It’s a small gesture that tells me so much.
“You can call Will now if you like. It'll make you feel better getting some actual legal advice from someone who knows about this shit.” I hand her the piece of paper with his details on it.
“Thanks.” She smiles.
I nod and pat her thigh. “I'll make coffee.”
I navigate my way around her kitchen and eventually come up with two mugs of coffee, impressed at my ability to remember how she takes her coffee. I walk back into the living room and see that she's on the phone. Quietly, I place a mug in front of her on the coffee table and take one of the armchairs beside the sofa.
They continue to talk for another ten minutes or so, and then she thanks him and hangs up. She picks up the cup and takes a sip, her shoulders relaxing.
“What did he say?” I ask. Leaning forward, I rest my elbows on my knees.
“That they don't have much of a case, and that
realistically I don't have much to worry about. He’s also emailing me the names of some people here who might be to help me.”
“That's great. Feel better?” I ask
“Much.” She grins. She reaches forward, taking her cup and bringing it to her lips. “Sorry to drag you all the way over here. You could’ve just texted his number to me.”
I shrug, a smile twitching on my lips. “True, but I wanted to make sure you were okay. I can go, if you like,” I say, unsure if that’s what she’s hinting at.
“No,” she says, answering the question a little too quickly. Her face reddens and her gaze drops. “Stay. I was going to order some Chinese, if you want some? I mean, it is your favorite.” She gives me a smile and I laugh, impressed that she remembered that from our first date.
“Sounds good.” I grin, finding her embarrassment cute. Though I don’t want to admit it, I love that she wants me around. “Do you have a place in mind?”
“Jimmy Chow’s does some pretty nice takeout. And they deliver.”
“Okay,” I say, pulling out my phone. I navigate to the website, and between the two of us we order online.
“You’re so high tech,” she teases. “I usually just call up.”
“I’m a guy.” I chuckle. “I avoid the phone wherever possible. So how are you feeling?” I ask, eyeing her intently. “I mean really.”
She shrugs, but manages a smile. Lifting her legs under her on the sofa, she pushes the hair away from her eyes. I resist the urge to reach out and comfort her.
“I’m nervous about this whole thing. Every time I think about it my stomach twists into knots.”
“I’m not going to tell you not to think about it, because that’s just not going to happen.” I pause for a second. “But what I will tell you is try to focus on the reasons why they’ll never go for it. Putting together a motion to sue someone means nothing these days. People sue for anything, and I’m telling you, the huge majority of those cases are rejected because they have no grounds.”
“I know that, but even if there’s a tiny chance Heather could win, I’m going to focus on that. It’s who I am.” She lets out a laugh.
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