“Please,” Hugo gestures toward a seating area by the window, “make yourselves comfortable.”
Paul sits back with the ease of someone who’s never been intimidated in his life. I settle beside Savannah’s carrier, feeling small against the scale of the room.
Hugo takes the seat opposite us, elbows resting on his knees. “First things first—this consultation is free and so is this case. But I’m going to ask that it’s not broadcast. I don't want people to think that makes me weak. I am far from it. It’s my one charitable act of the year.”
I raise a brow. “Are you sure?”
He gives a faint shrug. “Every day I go to court and watch parents use their children as bargaining chips, pawns. Custody becomes punishment. Love becomes leverage. It’s exhausting, but it is what I do.”
Paul makes a quiet sound of agreement, but Hugo keeps his eyes on me.
“So once a year,” he continues, “I take on one case that reminds me why I became a lawyer. Something that settles the conscience.” He leans back slightly. “Your case fits that bill.”
I blink, not sure I heard him right. “You’re taking it on?”
“Yes.” His mouth curves in something that isn’t quite a smile. “I read through your file, Ms. Holloway. You’ve been calm. You’ve been fair. Meanwhile, everything he’s done reads like a cautionary tale for narcissism. It might be good for him to learn what losing feels like.”
Paul chuckles under his breath. “I like this guy.”
I exhale slowly, tension loosening just enough to let air back into my lungs. “So, what happens next?”
“Next,” Hugo says, folding his hands, “You sign a paper accepting me as counsel, and then I will send his LA lawyers a letter telling them that he is no longer able to contact you; everything should be done through me. They will either piss themselves because they know they're up against me, or it will be a game to see if they can take me down in court. Either way,they'll show their hand. And after that,” amusement dances in his eyes, and a smirk almost plays on his lips, but not quite. “I will either receive a letter saying that you're not settled here, so it should not be a problem for you to move to LA. In this case, I will waste no time in replying that you earned a doctorate degree and have gainful employment in your field of study, and you have a lease,” he looks at Paul. “How long are the terms?”
“You can answer that kid; my lawyer can change it to whatever you need,” Paul answers.
Hugo Vale looks back at me. “If you have any text messages or proof at the exchange from the day you told him you were pregnant and he told you he wanted nothing to do with the child, that would be great. If there are no text messages, we can look at the call logs to see when you contacted him, the length of the call, and the time between then and when he contacted you again. I’d also ask that you write out that conversation word for word or to the best of your recollection.”
He looks down at Savannah. “Is she breastfed?”
“Jesus,” Paul grumbles, and scrubs his hand up and down his face.
I answer, “Yes.”
“Perfect. Courts frown upon taking a child away from their mother for any length of time for visitations while the child is breastfeeding. Since he lives across the country and his career is not very flexible, that goes in your favor, because there’s no option for shorter, more frequent visits, especially not while he’s in season. So not only for health reasons, but for visitation, you may want to consider breastfeeding as long as you can.”
“I do. There's even a place at work where Savannah will be going to daycare that has a designated space for mothers to nurse their child privately.”
“Perfect.” He looks at Paul. “Should I call downstairs and see if your lawyer, Liza, could print that up, and we can get that lease signed now?”
“Now I wouldn't want to trouble her, she’s a busy gal.”
Hugo’s lips twitch up when he leans back in his chair, elbows on the arms, fingers steepled, “I'm sure she wouldn't mind. The two of you could go up now. I'll tell her you're on your way. That way, if they respond with ego, I’ll already have everything I need to send them proof that Miss Holloway is settled in New York City. That immediate response will further prove to them that we're not fucking around with this.”
“Fine,” Paul pushes up from his chair, “let's get this out of the way.”
Hugo looks at his watch, “I'm leaving here at six, I'll let her know you’re on your way.”
As we walk out, I hear Hugo snap, “Give me Liza.” A brief pause. “It’s Hugo.”
Before leaving Hugo's office, I signed papers that officially made Hugo Vale my attorney.
“Perfect,” Hugo's secretary says. “I'm not sure if he got to it, but at some point, you may want to consider who you would want to raise Savannah if something happened to you, and include temporary guardianship in the event you had to have surgery or were in an accident. When you are ready to make that decision, we have those papers right here ready for you.”
I don't know why I feel such a sense of urgency at this moment, but I do, because God forbid, I walk out of here today and am hit by a cab. I do not ever want my daughter to be in the system. Not for a moment.
I turn and look at Paul, “I don't want you to feel like you have to say yes to this, but right now, there are very few people I would trust to take care of her, and you are one of them. I do not ever want her to be in the system, even for one night. Nalani,Sofie, Noelle, I trust them too, but they're not here. You haven't met Lydia or Maya, but they are the ones who have promised me they'll make sure she's taken care of and loved, but they're halfway across the country.”
Paul's eyes sparkle with the warmth in a little bit of mist, “I'd be honored.”
