The Better Man (Chicago Sisters)
Page 20
Max picked up the smoothie and pulled the straw out. He downed the entire thing in a matter of seconds. It tasted as terrible as it looked, and he prayed it would stay down because he did not want to taste it twice. The glass made a loud thud as Max slammed it down on the counter. He went back to his notes.
“Don’t you wonder if all of this was some divine intervention? Maybe you were meant to meet your brother’s family. Maybe this is your chance to get to know him. I mean, even you have to admit, what are the chances?”
Max gathered his papers into a pile and rubbed his eyes. “I don’t want to talk about this.”
“Not talking about it doesn’t make it go away. Your father is here. He’s the grandfather of a little boy who ran away from home just to see you. Your paths are going to cross again. You can’t avoid him forever.”
The door buzzer rang and offered an escape from this discussion. Max hit the talk button. “Hello?”
He pressed the listen button, hoping it wasn’t the man he wasn’t talking about with his mother. “Mr. Jordan, this is Jin. My father and I are here to speak with you. May we come in?”
Max buzzed them in, more than a little surprised by their visit. In a mad rush, he attempted to make the place presentable. He picked up some pillows off the floor and tossed them back on the couch, his temporary bed while his mom was here. He grabbed some garbage off the coffee table and shoved the pile of mail into one of his kitchen drawers.
“Who’s Jin?” his mom asked. “And why did he bring his dad?”
“Jin’s dad is my boss.” Is. Was. He wasn’t sure, but he was about to find out.
He ran a hand through his hair and caught a whiff of his unshowered self. Deodorant and a clean shirt were a must. His face needed a shave, but there was no time for that. The knock on the door came as soon as he finished checking his teeth in the mirror for green bits of kale.
Jin slunk in after his father, looking awfully abashed when Max welcomed them in. That had to be a good sign. He ushered them into the living room and offered them a seat on his couch. Snatching up the television remote before Mr. Sato sat down, Max introduced them to his mother. Thankfully, she excused herself to the other room.
Mr. Sato got right to business. His stern expression and deep voice always made Max feel like a child. “My son has something to tell you.”
This appeared to be the last place on earth Jin wanted to be. He reminded Max of a kid standing on his neighbor’s front porch, forced to admit he was the one who threw the baseball that broke a window. He bowed his head when he spoke. “Mr. Jordan, I am here to apologize. I was wrong to tell you you were not welcome back at Sato’s. It was a grave error and I hope you will accept my sincerest apology.”
Sincerest? Max doubted it. Coerced was more like it. “Of course.”
Mr. Sato may have been pleased but his face didn’t show it. “Wait for me downstairs, Jin. I want to speak to Mr. Jordan alone.”
Jin did as he was told, scurrying out the door without so much as a goodbye. Mr. Sato’s head slowly shook side to side. “My son very much wants to prove himself to me.”
“Your son wants my job, sir. I need to know what that means for me in the long run.”
“Sato’s is yours to manage. My hope is you will mentor Jin so he can run his own restaurant someday. He thinks I’m the only one who can teach him something, but this is not wise. Life offers us many people. We can learn from them all.”
Max was surprised by Mr. Sato’s perspective. He seemed to be a man who liked being the authority on all things.
Mr. Sato stood, ready to leave. “I will explain to Jin that he is the student, and you are the teacher. If you and I work together, we can send him off on his own sooner than later. I expect you back to work Monday morning.”
Monday. “I have a conflict on Monday. My ex-wife and I are ironing out a few details regarding the custody of our son. I need to be in court that morning, but I can come in later.”
“No problem. A good father puts his child’s needs first,” Mr. Sato said, making his way to the door. “We must be careful not to put the child’s wants or even our own desires above what is needed. But that’s not always easy.”
“No, sir. It’s not.” So not easy it made Max’s stomach hurt. He’d been spending a lot of time focusing on what he wanted and not what Aidan needed.
Mr. Sato left and Max sat back down at the breakfast bar. Joanna rejoined him and gently rubbed his back. He stared at his notes for Wayne. If he threatened Katie with all this, it would only make her hate him more than she already did. The more she hated him, the harder she’d fight to keep him out of Aidan’s life. The more she pushed, the more Max would push back. Aidan would grow up caught in the middle of a war. How was that what his son needed?
Max turned his whole body in his mother’s direction. “Why don’t you hate him?”
He didn’t need to say his name for her to know who he was talking about. “Because what good does it do to hate him?”
“He left you. He left us. He took no responsibility for me and you had to do everything on your own. How is that fair?”
Joanna laughed lightly. “Oh, honey. When is anything fair?”
“I know, but still, there had to be times when you hated him.”
“Were there times I was angry? Sure. Were there days I didn’t want to face the world and wished I could curl in a ball and cry all day? Absolutely. I had dark days just like everyone else does. But I can’t carry that all around with me forever. It wouldn’t have done me any good and it certainly wouldn’t have been what was best for you.”
“If he had come for me, when I was little, would you have let him have me?”
“Have you all to himself? No way. I would have shared you, though. Just like I’ll share you now, if you want to get to know him.”
That was not happening. There was too much on Max’s plate right now. Sorting out his daddy issues was at the very bottom of the list.
“This isn’t really about him. It’s about Aidan.”
Joanna’s eyebrows disappeared into her bangs. “I see. So, why do you think Katie hates you?”
“Because I wasn’t present. I was barely around when he was born and not at all when they left.”
“So why would she hate you now that you want to be around?”
Max rested his elbows on the counter and held his head in his hands. That was the real question. Was it her or was it him? Why was she so mad at him for wanting to be here?
Joanna grabbed the stack of papers off the counter. She flipped through them with her thumb. “Something tells me all the things you’ve written down here aren’t going to make her hate you less.”
“Definitely not.”
“Is that what you want? Or maybe I should ask, is that what Aidan needs?”
Max scrubbed his face. Since when was his mother so insightful? “Probably not.”
“I’m not going to tell you what to do,” she said, giving his back another rub. “You’ve always made your own decisions, and you’re a very smart guy. I’m here to support you, whatever you decide. Be someone you’d want me to support.”
He turned his head and narrowed his eyes at her. “When did you get so wise, exactly?”
She shrugged and smiled. “Kale is a magical vegetable. I’m telling you.”
She certainly had.
* * *
WAYNE WAITED OUTSIDE the courtroom on Monday. Dressed to kill and looking more like a million-dollar attorney than someone Max could actually afford, Wayne was ready to go. Appearances were important, he’d said, and he meant it.
Katie and her lawyer, a woman from the same firm as Jason, were sitting on a nearby bench. Max snuck a glance in their direction. Katie seemed tired. She was a beautiful woman, but he could tell she spent less time on herself now than sh
e did when they were together. Ever since Jason had told him her mother was sick, Max wondered how often Katie was not only taking care of Aidan, but her mother as well.
“You ready?” Wayne asked.
“As ready as I can be.”
“I got everything you faxed over to me yesterday. I think things are going to go exactly the way you want them to.” His confidence was encouraging.
Wayne went to check how much longer it would be until they were up. Katie’s lawyer got a phone call and stepped away to take it down the hall. Katie was glued to her own phone, staring at the screen and sending off text after text. Max walked over.
“Can I sit down for a second?”
She sighed and refused to look up from her phone. “It’s a free country where you’re free to do all sorts of things. You know that better than anyone.”
He sat on the bench beside her. “I don’t want to fight with you, Katie.”
“And yet that’s all you ever do, Max.” Her phone beeped and whatever the text said made her somehow look more unhappy.
“How’s your mom doing?”
Her head snapped up and her eyes narrowed. “How do you know about my mom?”
“Jason might have mentioned that was why he was the one dropping off Aidan the other day.”
“You talked to Jason?”
Max was surprised she didn’t know. “He’s a nice guy,” he admitted.
She went back to her phone, running her finger over the picture of Jason and Aidan that acted as the wallpaper. “He’s an amazing guy. And an even more amazing father.”
Max nodded, glancing back at his mom. He understood where Katie’s digs came from and somehow that made them easier to take. “He’s really good with Aidan. I see that.”
Katie studied him with wary eyes. She had pushed and he didn’t push back. She didn’t seem to know what to do next.
“So, how’s your mom?” Max asked again.
Katie stared at her phone. “She’s having some tests done today.”
Her lawyer was headed back their way. Max put his hand on Katie’s knee and gave it a squeeze. “I’m sorry. I hope she doesn’t get more bad news. You guys have probably had enough of that.”
He stood up and her eyes followed him. Her eyebrows were pinched together. “Yeah...thanks.”
Max walked back over to his mom as Katie’s lawyer sat back down, giving him an equally confused look. Joanna smiled at him and gave his cheek a soft pat. Over her shoulder, Max watched as Kendall appeared in the hallway. He almost asked his mom to smack him harder. What was she doing here?
She was almost too pretty to look at. Her hair was down, cascading over her shoulders in long, brown waves. She carried her coat in her arms and wore a green dress the color of clover. He wondered if she could be his lucky charm.
She approached them cautiously. “Hi.”
“Hey,” he replied dumbly. Those warm brown eyes and soft pink lips turned him into a fool.
“You made it,” his mom said.
That got his attention. “You knew she was coming?”
Joanna shrugged, and Kendall’s smile was apologetic. “Word to the wise, your mom answers your cell phone when you’re in the shower.”
Nice. He’d be taking his phone with him everywhere from now on. “What are you—” Before he could finish asking her what she was doing there, Wayne reappeared to announce it was time to start.
“You are?” Wayne asked Kendall.
“Kendall Montgomery. Friend of Max. I’m here for moral support or to testify to Max’s character. Whatever he needs,” Kendall explained.
“Thanks,” Max said with all the sincerity he felt in that moment. Showing up here meant maybe there was a chance she was willing to give him a shot. At the very least, she’d let him be in Simon’s life.
“I don’t think we’ll need to call any character witnesses,” Wayne said. “But it’s good for him to have some people on his side.” He held the courtroom door open and let the ladies go first.
Everyone took their seats. Laura from the counseling center was there. She gave Max a polite smile when they made eye contact. Judge Keller shuffled through some papers, then he got started. He announced they were there due to Katie’s petition for sole custody without visitation. He was disappointed in them for not being able to work things out in arbitration.
Katie’s lawyer spoke first. She did a great job of spinning one missed visit into the perfect example of Max’s past behavior. Luckily for him, Laura testified that the visits Max had shown up for had gone well. Her recommendation was that visits should continue and could be unsupervised.
“I see that a motion for joint physical and legal custody was filed by Mr. Jordan, but my understanding is that has been withdrawn? Is that correct?” Judge Keller asked Wayne.
Katie leaned forward so she could see around her lawyer. Her disbelief was clear in her eyes. He knew she’d assume he had come to do war.
“Correct, your honor,” Wayne replied. “My client agrees with Mrs. Michaels that it’s best for Aidan to reside with his mother and stepfather. He also agrees that it’s best for her to continue to make the decisions regarding his educational and medical needs. We’re simply here to ask that Mr. Jordan’s visitation continue. We would be willing to go back to arbitration to settle the terms.”
“That’s quite a change of heart,” the judge noted. “Mr. Jordan, care to explain?”
Max cleared his throat and rubbed his sweaty palms on his thighs. “I’ve been absent from my son’s life. Distance played a part, but I could have put forth more of an effort to be there for him.”
“Your honesty is appreciated. So you withdrew the motion because you knew you wouldn’t win,” Judge Keller assumed.
“No, I withdrew because what my son needs, what my son deserves, is parents who care more about him than their hurt feelings. I’ve made too many decisions based on my anger and frustration.”
“This is a trick,” Katie said from her side of the room. Her lawyer quickly shushed her.
Max leaned forward to speak to Katie instead of the judge. “You have every right to be mad at me and I completely understand why you don’t trust me. I’m not trying to trick you, though. I just want a chance to prove it to you.”
“You’re three years too late, Max.”
“Since when is there a time limit on being someone’s father? I messed up. You helped me see that. Please give me a chance.”
Katie eyes welled with tears. She looked emotionally spent, but he hoped she would listen to reason. Max readdressed the judge. “Katie and Jason provide Aidan with a good home. I can’t deny that. I certainly don’t want to take any of that away from Aidan. That’s why I asked the motion to be withdrawn. All I want is a chance to spend some time with him. I think he needs that, too.”
“Mrs. Michaels, it’s very hard to argue with that, but I’m going to let you try,” Judge Keller said.
Katie and her lawyer whispered back and forth. Max took deep breaths to keep the anxiety at bay. She had to agree. He was done fighting with her. It wasn’t healthy for any of them, Aidan most of all. It was time they started working together. Time to fight for Aidan rather than over him.
“My client agrees to arbitration.”
Max felt all the tension leave his body.
Judge Keller handed some papers to the clerk. “All right. Mrs. Michaels maintains custodial rights as well as all medical and educational rights, and the terms of Mr. Jordan’s unsupervised visitation will be determined in arbitration.”
The gavel struck the sounding block. The weight on Max’s shoulders lifted and disappeared. Doing the right thing had paid off. He was tired of being angry and was ready to start fresh with Katie. If he made good on his promises, they might be able to pull this coparenting thing off.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
MAX’S MOM WAS INTERESTING, to say the very least. From the sound of it, she and Lucy would be instant friends. No one had ever been interested in how often Kendall consumed kale before.
“I think it was that smoothie I made you the other day that helped you see things more clearly,” she said to Max as they walked out of the courthouse.
“I agree I have you to thank for changing my mind, but the kale had nothing to do with it.” Max stuck out his tongue and scrunched up his nose, making Kendall laugh.
Wayne gave Max a pat on the back. “I won’t try to guess what it was, but I think you did the right thing. We could have dragged this thing out forever and Aidan would have been the one who lost in the end.”
“I think so, too.”
“Well, I have another client to meet back at the office,” Wayne said. “Max, I’ll see you at arbitration. Joanna and Kendall, it was nice to meet you.”
Max pulled out a key ring and handed it to his mom. “I need to head over to Sato’s for a few hours, clean up the mess Jin made.”
She dropped the keys into her purse. “Time for some retail therapy.”
“State Street is just a couple of blocks east of here. There’s lots of shopping,” Kendall suggested.
“Excellent,” his mom said. She kissed her son on the cheek and gave Kendall a hug. “Hopefully we’ll see each other again.”
“I hope so.” Max and Kendall stood outside the Daley Center, both unsure of what to say now that they were alone. His cheeks pinked up a little and he scratched the back of his head. “Do you want to share a cab with me?”