by L. J. Taylor
“What?” Karen asked.
“I made a complete fool of myself last night.”
“What did you do?”
“We went out to play pool and I got drunk. He brought me back here and I threw myself at him. How embarrassing.”
“But that doesn’t explain why he’s not there with you this morning. What happened? Did you pass out? Did you forget who he was in the middle of the night and start screaming so loudly that he ran out of your apartment to avoid being arrested?”
Ivy laughed. “And I thought my sister, the writer, was the one with the wild imagination. No. Your brother was a perfect gentlemen. He kissed me goodnight and went home. He said that when we make love, he wants to be sure I remember it.” She smiled. “It was actually quite sweet. I’m still mortified though.”
“Why be mortified? You two are grownups. You know what they say about alcohol being a poor man’s Bible. You lost some of your inhibitions and let him know how you really felt. If you ask me, it’s about time. You two have been attracted to each other for a while now,” Karen said.
“It’s all well and good to say I have nothing to be ashamed of,” Ivy said, “but you weren’t here when I practically shoved my tongue down his throat.”
“What? Did he fight you off? Did he seem to mind?” Karen asked.
“No. He kissed me back. And let me tell you there were fireworks. He seemed pretty reluctant to leave too,” Ivy said.
“Wow. Who would have known that my brother wouldn’t take advantage of a drunken date? I mean, I’d have jumped you. He must really like you,” Karen said.
“I hope so,” Ivy said, “because I really like him too.”
***
A few days later, Ivy sat at her desk typing up a privilege log for her boss to review. She looked at the stack of boxes full of privileged documents she had yet to add to the log and sighed. She then shrugged her shoulders. There were definitely worse ways in which to make a living. She could be back at the Marriott cleaning out hotel rooms.
The telephone rang. She picked it up. It was Cara, the receptionist.
“Ivy. There’s a process server out here looking for you.”
“Looking for me? Why?”
“I don’t know. He won’t tell me.”
“I’ll be right out.” Ivy walked out to the reception area. A balding middle-aged man in dress slacks and a rumpled shirt stood in front of the reception desk. Ivy walked up to him. “I’m Ivy Brooks. How can I help you?”
He handed her a manila envelope. “You’ve been served.” He walked away toward the elevators.
Ivy opened the envelope. There was some sort of petition inside. She read the contents and felt her chest constrict. Her hand flew to her mouth.
“What’s wrong?” Cara asked.
“Oh my God. He’s suing for full custody.”
“What? Who’s suing for full custody?”
Ivy turned and walked back to her cubicle without answering. She sat down and read the rest of the legal documents. Tears streamed down her cheeks, blurring her vision. She slowly lowered the papers to her desk. She couldn’t even imagine being without Omari again. Her breath caught on a sob. She tried to think then picked up the telephone and called her attorney’s office. “I need to see him as soon as possible,” she said to his assistant.
“His schedule is pretty booked up for the rest of the week. How about next week?”
“It’s an emergency. My son’s father just served me with a petition seeking full custody of my son.”
“Okay. I understand,” the assistant said. “I’ll just squeeze you in between two appointments he has tomorrow. He won’t be thrilled, but under the circumstances, we do what we can.”
“Thank you.” Ivy hung up. She sat there thinking for a moment then she picked up the telephone and called Kathy.
“Hello?”
“Kathy, you won’t believe what’s happened.”
“What sweetie?” Kathy asked. “What’s wrong?”
“He’s suing me for full custody of Omari. What am I going to do? My baby!” Ivy broke down into tears.
“What? Who sued you? Where are you?”
“I’m at work,” Ivy said.
“I’m coming to get you so we can talk. Go into the bathroom, wash your face, and pull yourself together. I’m coming to take you out to lunch so we can talk. Okay?”
Ivy sniffled and wiped her eyes. “Okay.”
***
Kathy took Ivy to a nearby restaurant for lunch. Ivy told her about the child support petition and the summons.
“Let me see that.” Kathy read the documents, then looked up at Ivy. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about the State filing the child support petition on your behalf.” She shook her head and held up a hand when Ivy opened her mouth to speak. “Never mind that for now. You say you have a family law attorney? Is he any good?”
Ivy nodded. “I think so. His name is Edward Tate.”
Kathy nodded. “I’ve heard of him. He has a good rep. Okay. Do you think Zeke’s really interested in raising Omari?”
“No,” Ivy said. “He never wanted kids.”
“I see. So, he’s probably just doing this for leverage. I bet this custody suit will disappear once you drop the child support claim. The problem is that the Court may not let you do that since the State filed it on your behalf. What did your lawyer say about whether they could do that?”
“He said they shouldn’t have done that. We’re getting ready to file a motion to dismiss the case. But what if the Court doesn’t agree with us? Can he really get full custody of my son?” Ivy asked. Tears welled up in her eyes. “I’d just die if Zeke took Omari from me.”
“Don’t worry,” Kathy said. “These neglect allegations are bogus. If this was the standard for getting full custody, working mothers would lose custody of their children all the time. If he was paying child support, you wouldn’t have to work full time while you attended school. The most the Court will do is grant him joint custody. Then he’d have visitation rights and the right to have the child during weekends, summer vacation, some holidays, etc.”
“You mean even if he doesn’t win full custody, he’d have the right to take Omari for weeks at a time during the summer and every other weekend or something?” Ivy asked.
“Yeah. Is that a problem? I mean, he is Omari’s father, right?”
“Kathy, you have to promise me that, if I tell you this, you won’t fly off the deep end.”
“What? He’s not the father?”
“You have to promise me,” Ivy repeated.
Kathy frowned. “How can you make me promise something like that in advance? What you have to tell me is obviously something big and upsetting and with these hormones flying I can’t promise not to get excited. It’s not fair.”
Ivy rolled her eyes. “Okay, here goes. I never told you this before, but Zeke was the one who committed the robbery.”
Kathy slapped her hand down onto the table. “What? I knew it! I never did like that man. I had a feeling it was him when you refused to give up the ringleader to get a deal. That no good--!” She stopped talking, grabbed her stomach, hunched over, and began taking deep breaths.
Ivy leapt out of her chair and flew to her side. “Kathy! Oh my God! Are you all right? Are you in pain? Do we need to get you to the hospital?”
“No. I’m all right. That happens sometimes when I get excited or upset. I’ll be okay. I just need to sit here for a moment. Sit down.” She waved her hand in the direction of Ivy’s empty seat.
Ivy backed away slowly and sat down. “I knew I shouldn’t have told you about this. If anything happens to the baby because I’ve upset you--”
“Don’t be silly. Of course you have to tell me. We’re family. You tell your family these things. You should have told me this a long time ago.” Kathy sat back in her seat, looked up at the ceiling and thought for a moment, then she leaned forward and covered Ivy’s hand with her own. “Look, I can see why you don’t
want Zeke to play a part in Omari’s life. He’s a criminal who’s never been caught and he’s been running the streets all this time. He hasn’t turned his life around like you have and having him in Omari’s life would only serve to put Omari in danger. I get that.
But the only way you’re going to be able to make sure he doesn’t get custody or visitation rights to Omari anytime soon is to give him up to the authorities for the burglary. They’d put him away for a long time considering how much he stole. They only got you for possession of some of the stolen goods. He’d go down for the diamonds, the bearer bonds and the money.”
“But if I give him up, he’ll kill me and then you’d have to raise Omari. Why do you think I didn’t give him up before?”
“I thought it was because you loved him.”
“Yeah, but our relationship was already on the rocks. I would have given him up back then, but I was so scared for my baby.”
Kathy rubbed her belly. “I understand.”
“What do you think I should do?”
“I think you should go see your attorney and have him attempt to negotiate a deal with Zeke’s counsel,” Kathy said. “If that doesn’t work, you’ll have to go to plan B and turn Zeke in.”
“If I have to go that route, I hope to stay alive long enough to raise my son,” Ivy said.
“Don’t worry, Baby Sis,” Kathy said. “Charles, Mariah and I aren’t going to let anything happen to you.”
Chapter IX
Ivy sat across from her attorney and fiddled with the empty manila envelope she held in her lap. Mr. Tate reviewed the custody petition with a furrowed brow. When he finished scanning the papers, he looked up. “Is it true that you’re working full time and going to school?”
“Yes,” Ivy said. “Is that a problem?”
“Not necessarily. Who watches your son while you’re doing those things?” he asked.
“Omari attends a nursery school during the day. I pick him up after work. If I have to work late or if I have class, then my sister and her husband keep Omari. They love to have him and he loves being with them. If they’re not available for some reason, then Luke watches him,” she said.
“That’s good. If your sister, brother-in-law, and Luke, who’s a professional and a college professor, are there to look after Omari when you aren’t there, the father will have a hard time proving neglect. Don’t take on any additional classes between now and the custody hearing. If the Court believes that you’re not spending enough time with your son, would you be willing to give up the classes and/or work less hours per week?”
“I’d do anything necessary to keep my son,” she said, “but if I have to work less hours, I might not be able to keep this job and then I won’t be able to pay my bills with my restitution obligations. They’re taking twenty-five percent of my gross income.”
“Twenty-five percent? That sounds high. We’ll see if we can get that reduced. That may be a hard sell since you’re not willing to go after the father for child support. Theoretically, you’re supposed to go after all sources of income available to you.”
No longer able to stay still, Ivy got out of her chair and began to pace. “I told you the price of getting that child support would be too high. You see what he’s trying to do now.” She stopped, turned to Mr. Tate. “I don’t understand. He never wanted children. Why is he suing for full custody? Just to be spiteful?”
“No. Your sister was right. If he gets full custody of your son, then he won’t have to pay you child support. You’d have to pay him child support in that event,” he said.
“But that’s crazy because Omari would be living with him and kids cost a lot of money to feed and clothe and educate.”
“You don’t have to tell me.” Mr. Tate chuckled. “I’ve raised four children. They’re adults now and they’re still costing me tons of money. It never ends.”
“Thanks for the warning.” Ivy smiled, wanly. “Do you think he really has a shot with this neglect angle though? I’d rather die than neglect or lose my son. I already feel guilty enough about spending so little time with him, but we need the money to survive.” She sat and put her head into her hands. “I just don’t know what to do.”
Mr. Tate looked at her sympathetically. “Listen, I’ll try to negotiate some sort of deal with his attorney and see what we can do. It’s not very likely the Court will award him primary residential custody and take Omari away from the only parent he’s ever known--especially since you’re willing to give up some of your activities and Omari is a well-adjusted healthy and happy little boy. So don’t worry.”
“I can’t help it,” she said. “There is one more thing.”
“What’s that?” Mr. Tate asked.
“If it looks like I’m going to lose this custody battle then I will have no choice but to pull out the big guns. You know that I was arrested for possession of stolen property and conspiracy to commit robbery, right?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I never gave up the person who actually committed the robbery and who had possession of the stolen property not found at my place. It was Zeke.”
The attorney nodded. “I see.”
“You don’t look too surprised.”
“Unfortunately, Ms. Brooks, in my business there are very few surprises. There are a lot of young women in your situation. Many lives have been wasted as a result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You wouldn’t be the first who refused to give up the actual perpetrator of a crime. Some refuse out of love, others out of fear, and others out of a misguided sense of loyalty. Since it was your first offense, you probably would have gotten a very good deal if you had given him up. Why did you choose to remain silent?”
“He’s a very dangerous man. It was part of my attraction to him in the first place. I knew that if I gave him up, he’d kill me, but what he’s doing now – threatening to take Omari away from me – is unforgivable. He’s leaving me with no other choice.”
“So, in the event that we are left with no other cards to play, do you authorize me to offer this information to the government in exchange for a deal on the restitution?”
Ivy took a deep breath and nodded her head. “Yes.”
“You realize that, even if he is arrested, it would be a temporary fix to the problem. He may beat the charge. Even if he’s convicted, he will eventually get out of jail. Also, if he’s as dangerous as you say, he may have connections he can utilize to move against you even while he’s in jail.”
“Yes. I know. We need to negotiate some sort of deal where I can get off probation and leave the jurisdiction. Or maybe the government can arrange to put me and Omari into some sort of witness protection plan. I don’t know about that though because then I would have to leave my friends and family, and I don’t want to do that. I guess we’ll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it.”
***
Ivy knocked on the door of Luke’s apartment, a million things running through her head.
“Luke, the door.”
Ivy smiled as she recognized Omari’s little voice and pictured him pointing at the door.
“I know, little man. It’s probably your mama,” Luke said.
Ivy heard his footsteps approach the door then saw a shadow fall over the peephole. The door opened and Omari ran through Luke’s legs and out the door. “Mommy!”
Ivy bent down to pick him up and give him a kiss. “Hey Sweetie.” Her voice choked a little and she squeezed him tightly to her. She’d just die if Zeke took him away from her.
Omari wriggled in her grip. She set him back down on the ground, plastered a smile on her face and looked up at Luke. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself.” He stepped back to let her in and turned to Omari. “Go get your toys together, little man.
“Okay.” Omari ran through the dining room toward the guest bedroom.
“I see he’s still awake,” Ivy said.
Luke grimaced. “Yeah, sorry about that. I couldn’t get him to sleep tonight f
or some reason. He was just starting to nod off when you knocked on the door.”
It was Ivy’s turn to grimace. “I’m sorry. I know how hard it can be to put him down sometimes.”
“No problem. I’m just sorry you’re going to have to do it now. So, how was class?” Luke asked.
“The same as usual. Mrs. Robinson droning on about food safety and me trying to stay awake. How about you? How was your day?”
He shrugged. “You know how it is. Another day, another dollar. I finally finished that project I was working on and my boss was happy with it. Let’s hope the client feels the same way.” He paused for a moment. “Listen, do you and Omari have plans for this Saturday?”
She stared at him. Where was this leading? “No.”
He smiled. “Good. I’d like to take you and little man to the fair then.”
Ivy smiled and gave him a suspicious look out of the corner of her eye. “Are you asking me out on a date, Mister?”
“Yes, is that a problem?”
She thought about it for a split second. It was really sweet that the first date he asked her on would include Omari. This was a good man. If she had chosen a better man to be Omari’s father, she wouldn’t be in danger of losing him. She looked at Luke, her eyes filling. “No. It’s not a problem at all. In fact, it’s about time.”
His grin disappeared and he gently took her by the arms. “Ivy, what’s the matter?”
“Oh, Luke. What am I going to do?” She put her hands over her face, bowed her head and began to cry.
“Come here.” He pulled her close and patted her on the back. “Shh. It’s going to be okay.” He pulled back and led her to the couch. “Come sit down and tell me what’s going on.”
“Zeke sued me for full custody of Omari. I know he doesn’t really want him. If he gets him, what kind of life will he have? I can’t lose him Luke. I’d just die.” Her voice caught on a sob.
“Shh,” Luke said again, glancing toward the dining room.
Ivy wiped her eyes, struggling to pull herself together. She didn’t want to scare Omari.
“Listen,” Luke said. “I don’t know much about the law, but I can’t imagine a court taking a kid as young as Omari away from his mother. And you’re such a good mother too. Did you tell Mr. Tate about this? I’m sure he’ll be able to help you.”
