A Mother's Conviction (Secrets Series Book 3)

by Karen Lenfestey

  “Is that all I am to you? A client?”

  “Right now, yes.”

  He reached in his back pocket for his wallet. “Well, how much do I owe you then?”

  Her head shook and a brunette lock fell from its place. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “No, I insist. I pay my debts. I’m an upstanding citizen.” Plus he knew Melodie needed the money and he wanted to help her out.

  “I used to get $250 an hour.”

  He coughed. “Seriously? And you’ve been working all day for me all week. Wow.” Thank God for his small inheritance. “Will you take a check?”

  “Conner, don’t worry about it. You’ve done me a favor by letting me defend you. I think I want to work in family law. In fact, I practically got a job offer today from another attorney who’s going on maternity leave.” Her cheeks stretched into a smile which made her look even more lovely.

  “Congratulations!” His happiness for her soon became clouded by his own concerns. “I can’t believe I haven’t seen Skye for five days. I hope she’s doing okay. Can’t you call and check on her again?”

  “I already checked once. She’s fine. What I’m concerned about is how she’s dealing with the fact that Gola is alive. I’m worried what she’ll say to the judge tomorrow. Do you think she’d choose to live with you if given the choice?”

  “I think so. Gola was a terrible mother.”

  “Do you think Skye remembers?”

  He took a breath. “I know she kind of idolizes her mother, but that’s normal when a parent’s gone, don’t you think?” As a kid growing up on his grandparents’ farm, he’d often fantasized about his real mom and dad showing up and saying they wanted him back. Of course, it’d never happened, which was probably for the best. But he’d still missed them.

  “If the judge asks her straight out whom she’d rather live with, what do you think she’ll say?”

  The past two years with Skye had been the most meaningful days of his life. The last few weeks, here in his hometown, were even more amazing because he hadn’t been distracted by a job. He’d been able to cook her dinner every night and actually walk her to the bus stop every morning. He’d heard Skye and Zoe giggling as they played in the house. He’d had the time to play checkers with her on his grandfather’s old game board. Everything that came before had been a blur with him rushing off to work and worrying that he wasn’t spending enough time with his daughter. Would Skye feel that way, too? “I’ve been the best father I knew how these last few years, but I’m not sure if that’s good enough.”

  Tears shone in Melodie’s eyes. “That’s all any parent can do.”

  “But if Skye remembers only the good parts of being with Gola, there’s a chance the judge might award custody to her?”

  “There’s a chance. The judge can take into account which parent the child prefers if he feels she’s old enough to make a rational decision.”

  “Rational decision? Skye can be very emotional. What if she’s so excited to find out her mother’s alive that she chooses Gola? That’s not fair. I’m her father and I love her.”

  “Don’t you think Gola loves her, too?”

  He shook his head. Then he pictured Gola sitting on the stand and talking about how all she’d been thinking about while she was locked up was her daughters. She’d even had that stack of letters. “I don’t know. It sounds like she loves them, but that doesn’t mean she’s the better parent.”

  “True.” She rose. “Go home and try to get some sleep. Tomorrow you get to see your daughter.”

  “Hopefully I’ll get to bring her home with me.”

  “It all matters what Skye says tomorrow.”

  # # #

  The next morning Bethany arrived at the courthouse early. When Gola and her young attorney walked down the marble hallway, Beth stood. “Hi.”

  Gola pushed her ebony hair behind her ear. “I can’t believe you testified for Conner.”

  “I just told the truth. If it’s any consolation, he really does seem like a concerned father.”

  Rolling her eyes, Gola chewed on a piece of gum. “Well, I certainly wouldn’t know. Where was he when we were on food stamps?”

  Beth shrugged. “I wanted to talk to you about Willow. I think it would mean a lot to her if she could read those letters you wrote to her while you were in prison. Could I have them?”

  “Right now all I’m thinking about is getting Skye back. Can you understand that?”

  The woman sounded tense and Beth realized it hadn’t been the best time to bring up a favor. “Of course. Just send them to her when you get the chance.”

  Without speaking, Gola nodded and headed into the courtroom. Beth had meant to talk to her about moving to Tennessee and being a part of Willow’s life, but she couldn’t find the words. The truth was she didn’t want to tell Gola she could definitely have Willow. Part of her wanted to fight the way Conner was. Part of her hoped this judge would deny her Skye and that another judge would refuse to reinstate her parental rights. The selfish part of her. The part that loved Willow more than anyone else could. But Willow longed for her family—her mother and sister--to be together. Beth had to remember that.

  Beth followed them into the courtroom, but once inside, the judge announced that the session would be closed to the public today. She carried her coat out into the hallway and plopped down on a wooden bench. She didn’t know what to do. Whatever Skye said in there could greatly impact Beth’s decision about Willow. Maybe Skye remembered details about their upbringing that Willow didn’t. It made sense since Skye was older. Was Beth ever going to feel confident in her decision to give Willow back? Was she destined to feel terrible either way?

  She sat there for about twenty minutes, then went to her car to call Parker’s cell. “Hey, I’ve been banned from the courtroom.”

  “Were you bad?” he teased.

  “No. It’s just that Skye is so young and they’re going to ask her to say things about her parents that are probably going to be difficult. I mean, it’s normal for kids to hate their parents sometimes, but it would be horrible to have it all transcribed and saved in an official record. Don’t you think?”

  “Definitely. So, who do you think is going to get custody?”

  “Personally, I think Conner is looking better than Gola. Too bad he isn’t Willow’s father. That would make my life a lot easier.”

  “You’d give Willow back to him no problem?”

  “Well, I’m sure it would be hard. But he’s been sober for over two years. Of his own volition. I can’t help but worry about Gola now that she’s suddenly had her freedom returned. What would you do first if you’d been in prison for two years?”

  “Hmm. Probably have a glass of Dom Perignon.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Okay. If I couldn’t drink, I’d order a giant steak and then come see you.”

  “Oh, you’re so full of it.”

  “I’d miss you. And it would’ve been two years since I’d been with a woman. I’d probably skip the steak and knock on your door first.” He chuckled and she joined him.

  “Whatever.” The truth was she appreciated that she’d made his list. Sometimes she felt insecure when it came to their relationship. He was so handsome and kind that she wondered what he saw in her. In her head, she was still the fat girl that no guy wanted to date.

  “What would you do as soon as you were released?”

  “Considering I’d probably lost a lot of weight eating that yucky prison food, I’d treat myself to a deep-dish pizza and some candy from the South Bend Chocolate Company.”

  “Mmmm. Food seems to be a recurring theme. What about me? Would you come visit me?” he asked.

  “I’m sure you would’ve married some skinny model while I was gone. You wouldn’t even remember me.”

  “Not true. I’d wait for you.”

  She sighed. This was dumb. Nothing was keeping them apart right now except that he didn’t want to commit. Tired of playing this game,
she switched topics. “I don’t know what I’m going to do all day here waiting for the judge to rule.”

  “Do you have your computer? Maybe you can do some work or something.”

  “If I can concentrate.”

  He made a sound with his throat to acknowledge her dilemma. “Is there anything else you want me to do in Tennessee while I’m here?”

  “Did you find me an apartment?”

  “I have some brochures that you can look at. I also checked out Gola’s place and the salon where she’ll be working.”

  “How does it all look? Would you feel comfortable with Willow living there?”

  “It’s nothing fancy, but it’s livable.”

  She swallowed. Livable. Willow deserved more than that. But would Beth have been happier if she’d been adopted by rich people instead of being raised by her parents? No. But her parents had never neglected her, leaving her in a house without any food. “Do you believe Gola deserves a second chance to be a good mother?”

  “I can’t tell you that.”

  “Yes, you can. I need help. This is one of the biggest decisions of my life and I don’t want to mess it up.”

  “Beth, I support you in whatever you decide.”

  Yeah, he’d let her go to Tennessee and he’d forget all about her. “I’m gonna go now.”

  “Bye. Love you.”

  “Uh-huh.” She ended the call and then dialed her mother. No answer. Then she called her father. “Dad? Do you really believe people can change?”

  “That’s the basis of everything I’ve done for the last thirty-seven years as a minister.”

  “I’m afraid I don’t have your kind of faith. I don’t want to let Willow go. I mean, Gola seems like she’s serious about being a good mother, but I think I can do better.”

  “It’s not a contest.”

  She sighed. “I know. But I care about Willow so much, I can’t bear to think Gola might hurt her.”

  “Does she have a history of physical abuse?”

  “No. It’s just neglect because Gola was an alcoholic. Have you ever known an alcoholic to turn their lives around? I mean, how likely is it that they’d relapse?”

  “I’ve seen it both ways. It’s all a matter of the individual’s determination.”

  “I’m thinking that if this judge awards Gola custody of Skye, then I’ll take that as a sign that I shouldn’t fight her for Willow. That way the two girls can be together.”

  “I’m sure Willow would like to be with her sister.”

  She nodded even though she knew her father couldn’t see her. When she’d been growing up as an only child, she’d longed for a sister. A sister would’ve played Star Trek Voyager with her, letting Beth be Captain Janeway, of course. A sister would’ve listened to her secret crushes. A sister would’ve shared her frustrations with her strict parents. A sister would’ve been better than a best friend. Being an only could be so lonely. She didn’t want that for Willow.

  “Are you there, Beth?”

  “Yeah. I’m just stressed.”

  “Why don’t you pray about it? I always find comfort in placing my needs in His hands.”

  “Okay. I’m gonna go now. Bye.” Considering her dad's words, she closed her eyes. There wasn’t anything else left to do. “God, please help me know what’s the right thing to do for Willow. And if it means giving her to Gola, please watch over her every day and night. Amen.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  As the judge crossed in front of the Michigan state flag, he accidentally dropped his folder on the floor. “What a day.” Mumbling, he bent down and picked up Gola’s letters with the help of the bailiff.

  Conner sucked in his breath. The judge was in a bad mood. That couldn’t be good.

  With her arm in a cast, Skye walked in, followed by a middle-aged woman with short, salt-and-pepper hair. Her foster mother, he presumed. Skye lurched toward him, but the woman guided her to the stand.

  He could see that Skye wanted to hug him and he tried to communicate with his eyes how much he loved her. After she was sworn in, her gaze drifted from his face over to Gola’s. With her good arm Skye picked up a section of her dark hair and started twisting it nervously. Once it was wound all the way to her scalp, she put it in her mouth and sucked on the ends.

  He wanted to reach out and comfort her. He’d never seen her so stressed.

  Melodie rose and approached Skye. “Hi, Skye. Do you remember me?”

  “Yeah. You’re Zoe’s mom.”

  Melodie smiled. “I’m also your dad’s lawyer. My job is to ask you some questions. Is that okay?”

  Skye blinked her big blue eyes before nodding.

  “One of the rules of court is that you have to speak out loud. So, say yes if you’re ready for me to ask you some questions.”

  “Yes.” She continued twisting her hair.

  “Do you know why we’re in court today?”

  “Because my mom wants me to live with her.”

  “That’s right. The court is going to decide if you should live with your mom or your dad. What do you and your dad do together?”

  “Everything.”

  “Tell us about a typical school day.”

  “I don’t know. My dad checks the weather forecast, tells me if I should wear long-sleeves or short-sleeves and then I eat breakfast.”

  “What do you eat for breakfast?”

  “When my dad has to work, I just eat cold cereal, but lately, he’s been making me pancakes that look like Mickey Mouse.” The girl smiled. “He puts chocolate chips or raisins for the eyes and mouth. Sometimes he messes up and the ears look like they belong to an elephant.”

  Conner stifled a laugh as Melodie continued. “So your dad makes sure you have a healthy breakfast before you go to school. Then what?”

  “He walks me to the bus stop where I get to see my friend, Zoe.”

  Melodie nodded. “Does your dad make you go to school every day or does he sometimes let you stay home and play hooky?”

  “Play hooky? What’s that?”

  “That means you don’t go to school and do something fun instead. Do you and your dad ever do that?”

  “No. My dad always makes me go to school unless I’m sick.”

  “Okay. What about homework? Does your dad help you with your homework in the evening?”

  “I don’t have much homework, but I can usually do it by myself.” She looked at her dad as if she wondered if she was saying the right things.

  Melodie answered for him. “You’re doing fine, Skye. How do you like living with your father?”

  “I like it. Especially here. We live by a river and I have pet kittens in the barn. And my friend, Zoe, lives right next door.”

  “How did you like living with your father before you moved here?”

  Skye shrugged and dropped her hair. “It was good.”

  “Did your father take care of you? Make sure you had breakfast and dinner every night?”

  “Of course.”

  “Would you like to continue living with your father?”

  “Yeah.” She blinked nervously. “My foster mom’s all right, but I’d rather live with Daddy.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because he’s my daddy.”

  Melodie and Conner smiled. “Of course. Now, I’m going to ask you some tough questions. Do you remember living with your mother?”

  Skye’s eyes darted to Gola. “Uh-huh.”

  “Please answer yes or no.”

  “Yes.”

  Melodie rubbed her palms together. “I understand until recently, you thought your mother had died, is that correct?”

  “Yes. Daddy told me she died in a car accident.”

  “Do you remember the car accident?”

  “Yes. I was in the backseat with my sister. I hit my head pretty hard, but Willow got hurt worse. She didn’t have her seatbelt over her shoulder because she didn’t like it that way. I told her, but she wouldn’t listen to me.” Sadness washed over her y
oung features.

  Melodie nodded. “How was your mother acting the day of the accident? Do you remember?”

  “She was crying and swerving a lot.”

  “Did your mom often drive like that with you in the car?”

  “Not the crying, but the swerving. She did that a lot. Why were you so sad, Mommy?” Skye looked at Gola.

  Gola put her finger to her lips.

  Melodie walked closer to Skye. “Skye, you just need to answer my questions. What was a typical day like when you lived with your mother?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Did you go to school every day?”

  “Um, most of the time. Sometimes I would stay home to take care of Willow because she wasn’t old enough to go to school.”

  “Why would you need to take care of Willow?”

  Skye looked at her lap and fidgeted in her seat. “I liked going to school, but Willow would get scared if I left her home alone.”

  “Where would your mother be?”

  Skye shrugged.

  “Okay. So you’d go to school unless your sister would be left home alone. Is that correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “What did you have for breakfast when you lived with your mother?”

  “I don’t remember.”

  “Did you ever go to school without eating breakfast?”

  “Sometimes.”

  “Why didn’t you eat breakfast on those days?”

  Skye shrugged. Conner could tell she was stressed by the pallor of her skin. Even though his parents had been neglectful drunks who’d dumped him off to be raised by his grandparents, he would’ve punched anybody in the face who'd dissed them when he was a kid.

  Melodie paced in front of Skye. “I know this is hard, but you’re doing a great job, Skye. We’re almost done and then this other nice man is going to ask you some questions. When you lived with your mom, was it in an apartment or a house?”

  “Apartment.”

  “And where do you live with your dad?”

  “Grandpa’s house.”

  “Is the house clean?”

  “I guess so. It’s a little dusty. Dad doesn’t like to dust.”

  Melodie smiled. “What was your mother’s apartment like? Was it clean?”