I cross my arms and stare at Laurel, resting back in my chair.
“From what I can see, you both are hardworking, responsible young people who only want the best for your daughter. I think it is admirable that you are both so determined to finish your degrees while keeping Carolyn a top priority. It isn’t easy to do.”
She takes another sip of tea. “I also get the sense that you care about each other.”
I haven’t taken my eyes off Laurel. She glances at me nervously, then looks at the judge.
“Laurel, tell me about your living arrangements in Dresden. Your father said you have your own house?”
“It was my grandparents’. They owned a vineyard on a lake, and when they died, they left it to me.” Her voice is shaky, and I can tell she’s trying to hold back tears.
Let her cry.
“How big is it?” the judge asks.
“It’s small.”
“But is there room enough that if Daniel needed a place to stay, he could?”
She nods. “There are three bedrooms, so yes.”
“And if he stayed there from time to time, would you have a problem with it?”
“I guess not.”
“And your father has a house on Shelter Island, too?”
“Yes.”
“Is it winterized?”
She nods again.
“Does he have a problem with you staying there?
“No, but my father and his wife have a baby, too. It’s crowded when we’re all together.”
“But if they weren’t there?”
“Yes.”
“Are they there much outside of the summer months?”
“No.”
“And, Daniel, I understand that in addition to school, you work at a marina?”
“Yes, four or five days a week, but the schedule fluctuates based on the fishing charters. I also oversee the books. Once the winter is here, my hours drop off a lot.”
“I see that the program at LIU is a low-residency program. The classes are online?”
“Yes.”
“So you could still keep up with your classes even if you were Upstate?”
“Yes.”
“So would mid-week be a good time for you to drive to visit with Carolyn?”
“I could make it work.”
“And, Laurel, I see you need to be in class on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.”
“Yes, but that’s only for this semester.”
The judge holds up her hand. “I understand. College schedules fluctuate. You should have an idea about your spring schedule soon enough, though, right? I know my son is already registering for his spring classes at Stony Brook.”
Laurel crosses her arms, nodding again. “Registration begins in two weeks.”
The judge continues. “You don’t have class on Fridays or Mondays?”
“I don’t.”
“Okay. That is all I needed. You can rejoin your, um, attorneys, and I will be out with my ruling shortly.”
***
We wait in silence at our respective tables in the courtroom until the security guard says, “All rise.” This up-and-down thing is annoying.
The judge takes her time walking up to the pulpit and then announces, “You may be seated.”
She continues. “Given the distinct nature of this situation, I am forced to think out of the box on how to best approach a joint custodial agreement. Obviously, there is no ideal resolution given the geography, and both parties are going to have to compromise somewhat if this is going to work.
“This is going to be a custodial agreement in flux. For fall semester, effective immediately, Daniel will be granted visitation in Dresden every other week during the Tuesday through Thursday timeframe that he and Laurel will have to work out based on mutual convenience. He will be allowed to stay in the guest room at Laurel’s house so he doesn’t have to undertake any financial hardships to see his daughter.”
Laurel leans forward in her chair.
“Given that Laurel doesn’t attend classes on Mondays or Fridays, she will bring the infant to Long Island on alternating weekends. The infant will stay with Daniel Friday and Saturday nights, and Laurel can stay at her father’s house, returning to Dresden on Sundays.”
“Your Honor!” Her father stands in protest. “Laurel attends the equivalent of an Ivy League college. Although she might not have class, she has an extremely heavy workload. It is unfair to expect her to spend upwards of thirty hours in the car every month, especially driving with an infant!”
The judge raises her hand. “I understand it is not ideal, but as I said, both parties have to compromise.”
“This isn’t a compromise! It is weighted in Daniel’s favor.”
Laurel grabs her father’s arm. “Dad, it’s okay.”
Mr. Harris shakes his head. He eventually sits down.
The judge continues. “As far as holidays are concerned, I am also granting Thanksgiving to Daniel and Christmas to Laurel. When Laurel and Daniel have their class schedules for the spring semester, I want to see them and the custodial schedule will be adjusted. The same will continue like this going forward until both parties have obtained their degrees. And then we can come up with a more permanent resolution. If for any reason, at any time, this ruling results in any untold hardship for either party or they can’t fulfill their obligation, an appeal request may be sent in writing to the court.”
She picks up a gavel and slams it.
Chapter 14
As soon as we’ve signed the paperwork and I shake Steve’s hand, I pull my mother aside. “Did you know about a lien on the house?”
She purses her lips and shakes her head.
“You should have stayed in that house and kicked Dad out. It’s the only thing of any value between the two of you and he’s going to lose it!”
“I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s just celebrate this win for now.”
After a burger at a diner in Riverhead, where my mother deliberately avoids any talk of my father, and a kiss on the cheek in the parking lot when we’re through, I leave her standing by her car, driving off with the phone to my ear, eager to talk to my brother.
“Meet me at Dad’s house,” he tells me.
When I arrive, my brother’s car is in the driveway and the front door is open. I enter to find Joe and his wife, Jenny, going through papers.
When Joe sees me, he shakes his head. “These were hidden under his mattress.” He holds up the papers. “He owes over twenty-five thousand dollars to Foxwoods. He used the house as collateral to borrow money from the casino.”
“Unbelievable,” I mumble. It never ends.
“Why would he start gambling?” Jenny asks.
“Those disability payments only go so far when you spend half the money on booze,” Joe quips.
“The alcohol is free at the casinos,” I say, undoing my tie.
“Twenty-five thousand dollars’ worth of free,” Joe replies. He suddenly notices my suit, remembering the hearing. “How’d it go in court today?”
“Good. You’re going to get to meet your niece.”
Jenny claps her hands. “Oh, Dan, that is so great. What happened?”
I fill them in on everything and then we lock up the house, parting ways in the driveway.
When I pull up to my apartment, I notice Laurel’s car is parked out front and she’s sitting in the front, bouncing Carolyn on her lap.
I park in the driveway while she climbs out of the car. She’s changed now and is wearing jeans and a pink T-shirt. She’s lost some weight and her boobs don’t look quite as big as they did in June, but she’s just as smokin’.
“Hi,” she says shyly.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m not driving home until tomorrow. And I figured since this custody thing is effective immediately, I may as well get used to it.” She holds out Carolyn, who must be twice the size she was the last time I saw her. Her hair has grown in, forming ringlets around
her face.
I take her and embrace her in an overdue hug. Her neck is much stronger now and she’s able to hold it up without any support from me. She smells like baby powder. “She’s sturdy.”
“Solid as a rock!” Laurel smiles. “Do you want to go inside?”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry. Come in.”
We sit on my couch and I hold Carolyn on my lap, studying her while she bounces from one foot to the other on my thighs.
“I think she may be an early walker. She likes to be up on her feet,” Laurel says.
“How much does she weigh now?”
“Twenty pounds! She loves to eat.”
“Did you manage to get her to take a bottle from you?”
“Finally, yes.”
Our conversation feels awkward, like making small talk with a stranger on a bus.
I continue to bounce Carolyn, and her baby coos fill the void of words that don’t come easily for either of us.
Laurel turns to face me. “What you said today. It’s true.”
“Which part?”
“About you wanting to be a good father to her and me steamrolling you. You’re right. But I didn’t do it out of spite.” She pauses. “I did it because I was afraid.”
I study her face. Her mouth is stiff and her eyes melancholy.
“Of what?” I sigh. “We used to be good friends, Laurel. You know you can trust me.”
“I do trust you. And I want Carolyn to have a father in her life – especially one who wants to be there. I’ve lived half my life without one parent. It’s hard and I don’t want that for her.”
“That won’t be the case for her as long as I have anything to do with it.”
Laurel’s mouth relaxes. She squeezes my arm and stands. “Are you working this weekend?”
“I’m on the schedule. Why?”
“Well, I know this is supposed to start next week with you coming up to me, but I figure since I’m here, I can leave Carolyn with you if you want for tonight. I can get her tomorrow.”
“You don’t mind?”
She shakes her head. “It’s going to take some getting used to, but I know she’s in good hands.”
“I can probably take tomorrow off.”
She walks towards the door. “I have a portable crib and other stuff in the car.”
“Wait, let me get out of this suit and I’ll help you.” I hand her Carolyn and dash into my room.
Talk about a change of attitude.
Chapter 15
Laurel shows me how to set up the portable crib in my room and then we go into the kitchen and she walks me through how to make the baby formula, explains how often Carolyn takes a bottle, and then screws a baby seat to the side of my table.
“This is the fun part.” She puts Carolyn into the chair and latches her in, then produces a jar of baby food. “She started on solids.”
She hands the jar to me with a spoon and puts a bib around Carolyn’s neck.
“What do I do?”
“What do you think?” She laughs. “One spoonful at a time.”
“So I feed it to her?”
Laurel laughs again. “Um, yeah, Einstein.”
I slide into the chair next to Carolyn and unscrew the jar. “What is this?”
“Sweet potatoes. They’re her favorite.”
I fumble the spoon towards Carolyn’s mouth. She doesn’t need any coaxing to open it. As soon as the food touches her tongue, her eyes open with delight.
I can’t help but laugh.
“I told you she loves to eat.”
After she’s devoured the entire jar and her face is sufficiently covered in orange, Laurel says, “Now for the bath.”
“Bath?”
“She has a bath every night. Actually, sometimes now with the solids, she has more than one depending on how much of a mess we make.”
“Not sure how I feel about giving her a bath. Shouldn’t a woman do that?”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. It just seems strange for a guy to give a little girl a bath.”
Laurel retrieves Carolyn from the table. “First of all she’s not a little girl, she’s a baby. Second, you’re going to have to get over it if you’re going to take care of her. You can’t leave her like this.” She holds her up, her hands, hair and face all caked with sweet potato.
“Well, my bathroom only has a shower. So how?”
Laurel gestures towards the kitchen sink. “That’ll work just fine.”
After I’ve cleared out a couple dishes and rinsed it out, she hands me Carolyn and sets up her workstation, walking me through the steps. “I usually put a towel down so she doesn’t slip. Then I fill it halfway with warm water. Make sure it isn’t too hot. Babies are really sensitive to the water temperature. You’ll need baby wash and a washcloth, and make sure you have a towel ready to wrap her in. She gets cold fast.”
I nod, making a mental checklist and trying to hide the anxiety from my face.
When she’s all set up, she reaches for the baby. “Then you get her naked and get to work.”
When Carolyn is in the water, supported by Laurel’s arm, she immediately starts splashing and laughing.
“Here, take the washcloth while I hold her. You’ve got to get everything, including where the sun don’t shine.” She smiles.
Working in such close proximity to Laurel, I take in her scent. It’s always the same, a mixture of roses and vanilla. She glances up at me and we lock eyes, and for just a second I see something there that I haven’t seen since last year. Warmth.
Her face flushes and she glances back at Carolyn. “That’s, um, probably enough.”
“Right.” I reach for a towel and Laurel lifts her out of the water and hands her to me.
“You want to get her dressed?” She’s back to business.
“Sure.” As I carry Carolyn down the hall, I smile.
By the time I get Carolyn into a diaper and her pajamas, it is dark outside. Laurel reaches for Carolyn, and I go into the kitchen, pulling out two beers from the fridge.
“You want one?” I ask as she is positioning Carolyn on her lap.
“Yes, please.”
I open one for her and one for me and rejoin her on the couch. She takes hers and clinks my bottle. “To joint parenting.”
“Cheers.” I take a sip, then ask, “Is your father still here?”
“No, he took off after the hearing. He was pretty pissed at the way it went.” She takes another sip then sighs. “I’m so sorry that he delved into your personal life like that in front of the judge. The way he talked about your father’s gambling, it was wrong.”
“Well, it was the first I’d heard about it.”
“What do you mean?” Laurel places the baby in her bounce chair, then shifts to face me.
“My brother, my mother – none of us had any clue. We knew about his drinking issues but a gambling problem?”
“I’m sorry, Dan. I feel like this is my fault.”
“Your fault? Honestly, without your dad’s strong motivation to cast a black shadow over my family, this could have gone on for a lot longer with my dad getting in a lot deeper. Now at least we know about it and can try to do something about it.”
“That’s good. I guess.” Laurel sits back and puts her feet on my coffee table. “This might not be so bad.”
“What?”
“This. You. Having some help with Carolyn. I made a mistake shutting you out for so long.”
I sit back too. “Why the sudden change of attitude? I was expecting the cold shoulder to go on for months.”
“Maybe I’m ready now.”
“Hmmm,” I mock. “It only took fifteen months.”
Laurel grimaces. “Sorry.”
“I’m making a joke. Relax.”
After we’ve drained our beers, Laurel stands and reaches for her bag.
“Are you going?” I ask, not certain if I’m nervous about being left alone with Carolyn or disappointed Laurel is leaving.
“I’m not so sure.”
“You’re a natural. Besides, I have a boatload of studying to do.”
“What time does she go to bed?”
“Now that she’s bathed and eaten, she usually has an hour when you can play with her. It’s my favorite time of day. Then I give her one more bottle and she’s usually in bed between 7:30 and 8:30, give or take.”
“Okay.” The apprehension is obvious in my voice. “What if I have any problems?”
“You have my number. You can call me.” She opens the door.
I don’t want Laurel to leave and my gut knows it’s not because I’m afraid to be alone with Carolyn. “Wait, Laurel.” I move closer to the door and touch her arm. “Why don’t you stay until after Carolyn goes to sleep? I can order a pizza.”
She shakes her head. “You’ll be fine, Danny.” She looks up at me with the same warmth in her eyes from before. I have an urge to swoop in and kiss her, which is ironic considering how mad I’ve been at her these last few months. I look down at her, still touching her arm, and her face flushes.
She shifts from one foot to the other. “I’m sorry again about today, with my dad and the stuff he said,” she says softly.
“Stop apologizing.” I match her tone. “I was happy with the outcome.”
We keep our eyes pinned and I know it’s not only me aware of the chemistry between us. It’s palpable. But still, she retreats. “Call me if you have any questions.” Then she’s out the door and in her car. I watch until her taillights fade from view.
Chapter 16
My first night with Carolyn does not go well. Let’s face it, I am a perfect stranger to this child. She must’ve been terrified when her mother took off, leaving her alone with me to care for her throughout the night.
The birds are singing when she finally drifts into a sound sleep.
In spite of the challenges, I held off calling Laurel all night because, really, what could she do from Shelter Island? The ferry stops running at midnight. No point in both of us being awake all night.
Yours and Mine (Freshman Forty Book 2) Page 6
