by Lauren Wood
I went to bed with more questions, than answers. It seemed to be a theme of my life as of late and I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to feel about it. All I knew for certain was, I needed to get to California and talk to Candy. It seemed we had a lot more than a divorce to talk about.
Chapter 28
Candy
As much as I wanted to get the divorce done and over with, there was a part of me that was happy that Colt was going to be at the court date too. I had worried that it would happen, and I would never see him again. I wasn't really showing yet, and I made sure that I wore something flowing so that no one could tell, but I was still nervous. I was excited as well, so the mix of emotions was hard for me to contend with.
I was about to leave for the courthouse when my mom came to pick me up. I wasn't planning on going with her, but it didn't seem like I had much of a choice when she told me to get in. I did, and I looked over at her, wondering what her angle is going to be this time. I knew that she wasn't here to just give me a ride to be nice. My mom wasn't that way. There had to be a reason, something that she was going to get out of this action, or she wouldn’t do it. The bottom line was the only thing that mattered to her.
“I didn't think you would want to go by yourself Candy. I know this is going to be tough on you. A divorce is like a death, they say.”
Who said that?
“Not really, I mean it's not like we were really married. I didn't even know the guy, so it won’t be too bad. You don’t have to come if you don’t want to. I am sure you have better things to do.”
That answers seemed to settle her nerves and I wasn't sure why. It was lie, all of it, but at the end of the day I knew that I was going to have to keep the truth inside. She didn’t need to know how I really felt about Colt and she wouldn’t have cared anyways, so it would just be a waste of breath.
“Well that is good then. Have you talked to Jax about the baby?”
“Why would I talk to Jax about it? Why would I do that? We aren’t together anymore mom, remember?”
“Isn't he in the running?”
“Yeah mom, he is. but I don't really like to say it like that. You can understand that can't you? This isn’t a race. It’s my life and my child’s life on the line with all of this.”
Cynthia wrote off my comment to hormones. She just would never see that her constant badgering was making me react this way. How else was I supposed to react when I was constantly defending myself?
“It must be the hormones because you have been a lot more sensitive lately. I am just looking out for you Candy. Why can't you see that?”
I wanted to see it that way, but I wasn't that naive. I had been her daughter for a very long time and I knew how she was. I knew exactly how she was, and this ride was more than that. She had something up her sleeve and I wanted to know what it was before I walked in on it.
“I can't believe that you don't trust me Candy. Everything is going to be fine. Everything I do, is for you. One day you will thank me for it.”
Once again, she was being ambiguous, and it just made me nervous. I wanted to know what it was that she was talking about doing for me, but she wouldn't come off of it. I felt like I was walking into a trap and I didn't want to feel that way. I was told by my lawyer that I had to go though, so I knew that I didn't really have a choice. If I wanted to get rid of this chapter of my life, I was going to have to close it myself.
...
We got to the courthouse and found a parking spot, the whole time I wished that this was just all done and over with. I don't see why we had to go to court about it. I thought that it was just going to be a simple filing and then it will be done. I didn't realize that it was going to turn into this whole thing.
“Don't be nervous Candy, everything is going to be okay.”
I just smiled at her and tried to pretend like it was. I wasn't nervous because of anything that I could control. I was carrying a child that I did not know who the father was, and I was about to meet one of them that made me feel a certain sort of way. There was nothing I could do about any of it.
When we got into the courtroom, the defense side was already there, and it was the first time that I had seen Colt in a few months. Life had been happening so quickly, I was able to push it all out of my mind most of the time, but the nights always got me. It was his smiling eyes that I saw when I closed my own every night.
Colt’s sea-green days was already hitting me, and I could feel the power of it. This man had something over me and I wasn't sure how we were ever going to move forward. How was I going to tell him that I may or may not be pregnant with his child? I don't think it's going to go over too well. Colt didn’t want to have a baby with me. I was the old wife that left and never came back. Would he do the same to me now? I felt like if he did, I would deserve in some way, karma paying off my own deeds.
I wanted to go over to Colt, thinking that we could do this done without everyone else around. It seemed so impersonal now and I didn't want it to be this way. I had gone all the way to Las Vegas, so that it wouldn't be this way and it didn't seem right to let it fall into that trap.
“Sit down Candy. Where are you going?”
“I just want to talk to Colt for a minute. This is just too much, and we can end this really quick if I could just have a few words with him. I don’t want to do this like it’s going. This is a mess.”
“No Candy, that wouldn’t be good. you are not supposed to talk to him. That is what the courtroom is for. It will all be finished soon enough. The hard part was getting to this day. After today, everything will be written in stone and enforced.”
I didn't understand why that was a thing or a rule. It seemed like if we could make it happen quicker and without the courts help, why wouldn’t that be a good thing?
“Why not?”
It's just the way that legal proceedings are. It is better to say things in court, where it is all documented, instead of in the hallway somewhere where nothing is recorded. It is for your protection Candy, I just want you to know that.”
I didn't agree with her because I didn't think she was right. I never thought my mom was right. But before I knew it, the judge was coming into the room and everybody was standing until he sat down. It seemed like a strange action to me, but it was a custom that I knew watching TV. I just never thought that I would be the one in the courtroom to be one to ‘all rise’ like the shows portrayed. It was surreal.
There was a lot of legal jargon in the beginning, much of it I didn't even understand, but when they were doing the overview, and something was mentioned about alimony and child support, I looked over at my mother.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing Candy, this isn't the time.”
She couldn't even look me in the eye and I was horrified. Whatever her in the lawyers had done, made it look like I was asking for all kinds of money and that just wasn't true. I didn't want any of his money, never had. I couldn't believe that she would do this to me, but at the same time, I could. All I knew was that something was going to have to give because I wasn’t going to let this stand. There was no way.
I stood up and asked the judge if I could have a moment with Colt. He looked at me much like my mom had and wanted to know why. He was sort of nice about it and it made me relax a little, though I didn’t know how to say it.
“I don't know what is going on here, your honor. I thought I was here to finalize a divorce. That's it. Some of this is more than I originally thought it was going to be and I would just like to confer with my husband for a moment please.”
The judge didn't quite understand what I was talking about, but he said that it was highly unusual for me to even be up and standing up, talking to begin with.
“Now I know that you are not a lawyer Ma’am, but you need to speak to your lawyer. He is the one that is going to talk for you in these proceedings. That is what you are paying him for.”
I looked over at the lawyer that my parents hired, and several other
family members employed. He had been around, a fixture in our home since I was a child and at the moment in time of now, the last thing I wanted to do was talk to my lawyer. My lawyer had done something that I didn't ask him to do, and I knew who the driving force in all of this was.
While I was upset, and certainly confused at what was going on, I knew that I couldn't bring my problems of the lawyers’ actions into the courtroom. Not only was it not going to help my case, but it was going to make everything more difficult. I just wanted to get this over with, no matter how complicated it turned out to be. I just had a feeling that as long as my mom was involved, this was never going to go smoothly.
“Can we ask for a recess? I really need to confer with my lawyer, your honor.”
“We just got into the courtroom Miss, if there was something that you had to say to your lawyer, you should have said it sooner. It is too late Miss.”
I sat back down because I didn’t want to get in trouble. I wasn’t walking into a trap, just a minefield and I had a feeling that I was going to get blown up. What a mess. I shouldn’t have expected any less.
Chapter 29
Colt
I didn't want to be attracted to her. It was just that simple. I didn't want to see how beautiful she was, and I didn't want to have this haunting feeling in my chest, but it was unavoidable. I didn't know what was going on with her lawyer and Candy, but they were talking seriously with the microphone covered. The judge finally stepped in and said that they had to continue.
It was hard for me to sit back and let the proceedings happened. I was stunned that she looks so upset. Is she really that upset that she couldn’t get my money that easily?
I also found myself studying her figure a little too much. There was I request and child support to be set, even though she didn't even look pregnant yet. If she was pregnant, then she was hiding it behind the rather large shirt that she was wearing. It reminded me of when I first met her again, so many months ago in the Vegas airport and she had been dressed down purposely. It felt like she was doing it again.
I didn't know what was going on, but for the second time, her lawyer asked for recess. We were just getting started and I was starting to be annoyed like the judge was. I didn't understand what was going on and I wanted to know.
“Your honor, if there is a reason for recess, I would like to know what it is.”
He agreed with me and said the same thing.
“I would like to know as well, Miss Canton, why are you so insistent on having recess to talk to your lawyer, even though we've only been here five minutes? You do realize how this works, don't you?”
He was being rather stern, and I could tell that it was only going to get worse if she didn't spill it. I wanted to know just as much, so I found myself at the edge of my chair waiting. It was the first time that I’d heard her speak in a couple of months and I wanted to know what was going on in her head. I was still shocked about this whole thing, so I wanted to know why she was so quick to leave now.
“Your honor, I would rather not discuss this in open court.”
“Well Miss, if you want a few minutes to talk to your lawyer, you are going to have to give me reason.”
She smiled at the judge, but I could see it was forced. Candy was never too good at hiding her true emotions. Something was bothering her and even now, as mad as I was about it all, I hated to see her so upset. I still had one hell of a soft spot for Candy.
“It would seem that whatever was filed on my behalf, included things that I did not agree to. The papers that I was under the impression were going to be filed, had nothing to do with many of the circumstances mentioned here. I'm just a little confused what happened, and I would like my lawyer to tell me what changed and why he did so.”
She was measuring her words and I wished that she would be plainer. It was a little too ambiguous, and it made me hope that she had nothing to do with any of it. It was of course what I wanted to believe, but I had learned a long time ago that believing and actuality were two very different things.
“What circumstances or measure in the filing did you not agree to?”
“Pretty much all of it, except the divorce.”
The judge was a little shocked and I was as well. Candy was making it like she didn't even know that the papers were asking for all of my money, or at least most of it.
“So, you're trying to tell me that you are not asking for alimony, property, money, and child support payments, as well as insurance for your unborn child?”
She was about to say something when her mother tugged on her sleeve and bent over to talk to her in her ear. I don't know what it was that she was saying to her, but whatever it was, Candy wasn't too happy about it.
Candy pulled away and held herself rigid in front of the judge.
“Yes Sir, that is what I'm trying to tell you. I just wanted to divorce him.”
“Are you pregnant Miss?”
That was a question that I wanted answered and I think there were a few people in the room that were very interested in her answer as well. She looked over at me for a moment and then put her head down. I didn’t take that as a good sign. Finally, she nodded her head.
“I'm sorry Miss Canton, but you’re going to have to say it audibly so that the transcriptions can hear you.”
“Yes Sir, I am pregnant.”
The judge sat back in his chair and I could tell that he was at his curious as he was confused. I had to think that there were very few women that would argue against trying to get so much money. I had always known that Candy was different than all the rest, and I was mad at myself for the fact that I’d ever thought differently. I didn't have to look behind me to see that Ralph with smiling, telling me with his eyes that he had told me so. I had to give it to him, he was right.
“So, you are pregnant with his child and you don't want any of his money?”
“I also had a fiancé at the time Sir, so I can't really say if it is his or not. It is a 50/50 chance.”
The judge said that the proceedings were going to have to stop. Candy was the one that was surprised now, and she wanted to know why.
“Well Miss Canton, there is no way that I can let the two of you divorce, when you are pregnant with a child that will possibly be his. I can see now why you want to take this outside and not have this on public record, but I have to tell you that we are going to have to push this date back a little longer. How far along are you?”
“I don't even know yet. I just took a test the other day, three days ago I think, and I haven't been able to get in to see the doctor. I've been really busy.”
“Will you be able to tell who it is when you get a date?”
Candy said that she wasn't sure, and I didn't like the idea that me and Jax were so close together, but it was better to know now where I stood.
“Either way Miss Canton, we're not going to be able to proceed with the divorce until you have had the child and DNA test has been done. It is just the way it is done here Miss and I hope that you understand. I would also suggest that you get better representation.”
The judge was actually being really nice to her and I was thankful for that. I had come in here, wanting to hate Candy, but at the end of the day it was impossible. There was nothing in this world that I wanted to do or say that would hurt her. The idea that she was pregnant with my child, just made that feeling a whole lot stronger. I didn't want anything to ever happen to her. I wanted to protect her.
Judge Callaway looked over at me and apologized for the push back.
“I am fine with a little bit more time with my wife. I never wanted this divorce to begin with.”
Candy had only looked at me the once when she was talking earlier, but after I told the judge that, she looked over at me again, a little confused. She hadn’t seen that one coming.
The judge seemed happy with the turn of events and told us that hopefully he wouldn't see us again.
“I have seen a lot of couples come in and out of this ro
om, but I have never seen a couple that was as civil to each other. Maybe there is hope for you yet, I have seen stranger things in this courtroom, and I wish you the best of luck.”
I smiled and nodded, not saying much of anything. The last ten minutes had pushed my brain to the limit and I was still trying to process it all. It seemed like every time I thought I knew what the hell was going on, a rug was pulled out from underneath me and I was left bewildered. This time, this run in with Candy was no different. She left me broken in her wake.
Chapter 30
Candy
I couldn't believe what he had just told the judge. I couldn't believe what my mother had done. It was one hell of a day, and it was only ten o'clock. I left the courtroom, not sure what to do and certainly not sure what to say. I apparently had six months or so to figure out what was going on.
My mom tried to stop me in the hallway and I shook the grip that she had on my arm.
“I am really not in the mood to talk. I can't believe you did this. Do you know how embarrassed I am? This was low, even for you mom.”
“I was only doing this to help you Candy. You have to know that's true.”
I told her that I didn't know if it was true at all. She was only out for herself, and now that she couldn't pull a man in to make enough money or get a lover that would pay her off like a mistress, so she was trying to get me to do it for her. I wasn't going to be the one anymore.
“I don't care about money mom, I never have. It is always been you. You didn't do this for me, you do this for you and I don’t want to play this game anymore.”
She tried to stop me again out on the steps and tell me that I was wrong, but I was done talking to her. I was done listening and at the moment, I was done with her being my mom all together. I never been so humiliated in my life and I wasn't sure where to go from here.
