Filed to story: Submitting to My Bestie’s Daddy Read Online >>???
“Yes,” I replied.
“Her testimony would also be riddled with holes for being biased,” Ms. Loveless said sadly.
“What about school friends?” I asked, looking at Becca. “And I could call on some business associates…”
“I don’t have school friends. All my friends were Tally’s friends, and it seems they’re the ones bearing witness against me,” Becca said softly.
“And your business associates would be a terrible idea. First, they don’t know anything about you as a parent, just as a businessman. Second, you’ve been tied to several unsavory types in your business dealings and that would taint anything they have to say…” Ms. Loveless argued.
I scrubbed my hand over my face. “There must be something in our favor.”
“Well, we have the legal documents. Tally making it her wish, legally, for Becca to take custody of Alessandro should anything happen to her. And Chad did give up his rights. It’s on paper.”
“But now they’re saying I coerced his signature out of him,” I grumbled.
Ms. Loveless raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you?”
“They didn’t want him! They wanted Tally to abort him! They thought Alessandro was trash!” I shouted. “Chad WANTED to sign that document. I may have tuned him up a bit for what he did to my daughter, but it was his true wish to sign away any parental rights.”
“Yeah… that’s not going to fly in court, unless we had a witness to that fact,” Ms. Loveless said. “And your friend Tony doesn’t count.”
Frustration bubbled up in me. I wanted to hit something. Throw something.
Ms. Loveless handed me a squeeze ball. “Calm down. If you can’t stand to hear the hard truths in this office, you’re going to be terrible on the stand.”
“Becca is an excellent mother. And the Cartwrights are old-money assholes,” I seethed, squeezing the stress ball so hard I could touch my palm with my fingers through the latex.
“Be that as it may, we are in a very bad spot here,” Ms. Loveless said. “We need a miracle right now, and that’s the truth.”
“Would it hurt for my father and Layla to testify on my behalf? Maybe even my stepmother?” Becca asked. “I mean, could we at least try?”
Ms. Loveless shrugged. “It’s not a terrible idea, but I doubt it will help. Send for them anyway, if they’re not already here. Also… I would consider making out a will right now.”
“A will?” I echoed.
“Yes. Becca will need to state who she wants Dahlia to go with if you two are declared unfit parents. Your wishes will still be honored if you hand her over to good people,” Ms. Loveless said.
Becca looked up at me. I looked down at her.
“How about… jointly… your father and Layla?” I asked.
Becca’s eyes filled with tears that began rolling down her cheeks. “I can’t believe I’m having to do something like this…”
“You, too, Mr. Valentino. You will need to say who you want to take Dahlia in the event that you are declared an unfit parent,” Ms. Loveless explained.
“This isn’t happening,” Becca said, covering her face and beginning to hyperventilate. “This isn’t happening…”
I rubbed Becca’s back. “Shh. Shh. It’s just a worst case scenario situation. We should have laid our wishes down before anyway. This is as good a time as any.”
Becca began to sob. “I can’t believe we’re in this situation. I can’t believe there is so much stacked against us. We’re good parents, James. We’re good people…”
“I know.” My heart hurt for her, for Alessandro, and for Dahlia. I looked at Ms. Loveless. “I suppose you have the necessary papers drawn up and we just need to fill in the blanks?”
Ms. Loveless nodded. “I didn’t want to just spring it on you, but…”
“There wouldn’t have been any good time or way to say it, Ms. Loveless,” I said. “Like you said, we need to face reality.”
Ms. Loveless slid the necessary paperwork across the desk to us, and I read it aloud, slowly, to Becca while she wept.
In our own separate documents, we put down who we wanted Dahlia, and Alessandro for that matter, to be given to in the event we were no longer able to take care of them.
Becca’s hand shook the whole time.
I got her to lean her head on my shoulder. “There may be a witness,” I said cautiously.
Both women perked up. “A witness?” Ms. Loveless asked.
“It’s touch and go at the moment, but my PI found someone who might testify on our behalf,” I responded.
Questions were fired at me rapidly, but I held up my hands. “I don’t know any more than that.”
“So, you mean to tell me, some nebulous witness who may or may not help us…” Ms. Loveless sighed in consternation. “Never mind. Get the witness to talk. Then we’ll see.”
I swallowed. Getting the witness to talk was, apparently, the problem.
Becca.
Life at home was strangely, and blessedly, normal. While James took frustrating call after frustrating call, Alessandro and Dahlia were completely oblivious to the danger around them. They played with Layla, James, and me, ate, slept, and had not a care in the world.
Antoinette even came over from time to time for coffee, and we’d talk openly about what was going on in our lives. It was refreshing to have someone “normal” to talk to about such things.
Two days from the trial, James was looking increasingly harried, but the kids were still happy as could be. Alessandro was sucking down an applesauce pouch and Dahlia was making a mess of some puréed peaches.
When the doorbell rang, I assumed it was Antoinette. I put Alessandro on my hip and went to the door.
I stumbled back when I saw who it was. “Allegra!”
Allegra looked worn down. She had a pack over one shoulder and a sad loneliness in her eyes. “Is she here?” Allegra asked.
I blinked several times, then called back into the house loudly. “Layla! Allegra’s here!”
There was a pause, then Layla came scurrying to the foyer with Dahlia in her arms.
They weren’t the only ones, however. James marched down the grand staircase like an oncoming storm.
“What the F*CK are you doing here?!” James bellowed.
“James!” I hissed. “Language!”
“F*ck,” Alessandro said proudly.
His first complete words continued to be swear words..
I groaned. “Oh, that’s going to be great at the trial.”
