Filed to story: Submitting to My Bestie’s Daddy Read Online >>???
“Hmph,” Tony replied, but whatever else he was thinking, he kept to himself.
James and I practically ran to the jet, our bags having been sent ahead of us. I felt bad for leaving before the funeral reception, but Sofia had assured us she and the family would take care of it.
Layla stood on the tarmac, holding Alessandro, looking bereft. “I want to keep him inside the compound and not let him out. I am so afraid he won’t be coming back.”
“We’re not coming back until he comes back with us,” James vowed. He gently took Alessandro from Layla’s arms. “Take care of Dahlia. Tell her Mommy and Daddy love her very much.”
Layla sniffled and nodded. “I will.”
“We’ll still do video calls,” I said. I felt my heart breaking, being away from my little girl for this travesty, but it was safer for her if we left her here. I kept reminding myself of that.
I hugged Layla, then James and I walked up the stairs into the jet.
As the door closed, my heart sank.
James bounced a clueless Alessandro in his lap and took my hand. “We’ll be back before you know it.”
“Yes. Yes, of course,” I replied. I wondered if Chad, even as a quadriplegic, would still feel it if I kicked him in the nuts.
During the flight, James and I encouraged Alessandro as he crawled around the floor and pulled himself up to a standing position on all the different chairs. He would be walking soon, I knew, and my heart broke because I wondered what milestones I might miss with Dahlia.
“Mmma.” Alessandro crawled over and raised his arms to me. “Mmma.”
“Oh my God, he said Ma!” I said on a sob, scooping Alessandro up in my arms.
He flexed his chubby fists at James. “Da.”
James smiled and got Alessandro a fruit-and-vegetable pouch for him to suck on.
Alessandro settled happily in my lap and sucked on the pouch.
“Well, now that he’s decided we’re his ma and da, there’s no way they could possibly take him away,” I sniffled, rocking Alessandro gently.
“They have no case,” James assured me. “No case at all.”
****
James.
“They have a case,” Janet Loveless, Attorney at Law said as we sat in her office.
Becca was holding Alessandro, and her grip suddenly tightened on him. I rubbed her knee, trying to relax her.
But I could hardly blame her. I’d tensed up myself the moment the sentence had come out of Ms. Loveless’s mouth.
“They’ve also hired Kensington, Kensington, and Pierce,” Ms. Loveless continued. “They are most well-known for corporate law, but their criminal and family law teams are nothing to be sneezed at. Aside from them, I can tell you without being prideful that I am the best. We’ve got a good defense. Tally’s final wishes were known, set down, witnessed, and notarized. Chad Cartwright signing away his parental rights is, however, a bit of a sticky situation.”
“He was going to sign them away anyway,” I grunted, knowing where this was going.
Ms. Loveless steepled her fingers under her chin. “Then you should have let him sign them away. There are a few witnesses suggesting you may have ‘roughed him up.’ This does not help our case.”
I raked my hand over my hair. “Okay, so that was a bad move. But he’s a real jackass. He beat up my daughter.”
“Who, as you say, refused to go to the hospital just in case it might have gotten Chad in trouble,” Ms. Loveless pointed out. “That leaves just the two of you as witnesses. We can bring it up in court—and likely I will—but it’s not a strong point we can make.”
“Are there any other girlfriends who can attest to his being violent?” Becca asked, and I nodded at her question.
“Besides you?” Ms. Loveless said. “My team hasn’t had any luck. Chad’s friends have circled the wagons. It’s been impossible to find anyone among his peers who will testify against his character.”
“Shit,” I muttered. “Shit, shit.”
“Shit,” Alessandro echoed.
I looked down at him, shocked. Then I dropped my face into my hands and groaned. “Oh, that’s just great.”
“Please don’t teach him any more cuss words,” Ms. Loveless sighed. “We don’t want him bursting out with something like that in court. They’ll poke holes in your fitness to be parents.”
“Just because he learned one bad word?” Becca asked.
“They’re out for blood,” Ms. Loveless said. “We have to be the same. Trust me, my team is beating the bushes for people who will take our side—reputable people. But it’s been a slog. They sprang this on you when they already had all their ducks in a row. Our side hasn’t had that kind of time to prepare.”
Alessandro grumped and slid out of Becca’s lap, going to crawl around on the floor.
“We can point that out to the judge, right? I mean, I’d like to get this over with as quickly as possible, but if we need more time, and the judge will grant it…” I suggested.
“I’m going to try to get an extension, but there are no guarantees. We’re going to have to be as prepared as we can be,” Ms. Loveless said. She looked over her desk and smiled softly. “He’s a beautiful child. And clearly, he loves you both. I don’t want to see you separated.”
“Thank you.” I held out my arms to Alessandro when he pulled himself up on my chair. He gripped my finger and tugged, clearly wanting me to walk him around the room. “I’m sorry, buddy. Daddy’s in a meeting.”
Alessandro’s face screwed up as though he was going to cry.
“Another problem,” Ms. Loveless said as I sighed and got up, walking Alessandro around the room. “Is your affiliation with the mafia. Your KNOWN affiliation with the mafia.”
I winced. “There’s not a lot I can do about that.”
“I know. I’m just telling you it will be a problem,” Ms. Loveless responded.
“How bad is it?” Becca finally asked the same question that was percolating in the back of my mind.
Ms. Loveless pursed her lips. “Bad.”
Becca’s breath came out in a sharp hiss.
I scooped Alessandro up in my arms, even though he squirmed in protest. “I… don’t suppose you can recommend we go back to Italy and forget this whole thing…”
“You couldn’t even if you wanted to,” Ms. Loveless said. “The judge has ordered that you surrender your passports. He’ll collect them at the hearing, but if you tried to use them now, you’d not only be in contempt of court, but also be facing serious jail time for trying to flee the country.”
“I should have listened to Tony,” I muttered while Alessandro let out an unholy shriek.
“Well, you’re here now, and we’re going to fight. You still have Tally’s will. If she wanted Becca to have Alessandro, that’s going to carry a lot of weight,” Ms. Loveless assured us.
I did not feel reassured. “I won’t let them take my grandson. These people… they’re terrible people. It’s not what my Tally wanted.”
“Like I said, we’re going to fight,” Ms. Loveless repeated firmly. “Now, I suggest you go home and rest. It’s been a very long two days for you, what with the funeral and coming here right off the plane.”