“Do you know a good lawyer?” I ask softly.
She nods. “We have connections with a couple who have a really good understanding of issues like this. I can give you their names and numbers. Or I can book you an appointment after Christmas, if you’d like me to. It’s up to you.”
“Would you do it for me?”
“Of course.” She smiles. “I’ll call Gavin Fairfax. He’s patient and kind, but he’s also extremely good at his job.” She tips her head to the side. “Have you decided what you’re going to do after the second of Jan?”
“Not yet. I have Max to think about, and he’s just started school. Chopping and changing schools, moving home, and leaving behind his grandparents is going to be disruptive, and I don’t know if I can do that to him.” I pause. “And… I suppose I need to think about Rob. He is still Max’s father. When he hit Max, I just picked Max up and walked out. I don’t know about the legal implications of whether he will legally be able to claim access. Max loves his dad, but of course he’s now frightened of him. It’s really hard to know what to do for the best.”
I stop, my throat tightening with emotion. When people hear about a woman who’s suffered from domestic violence, their first reaction is always ‘why didn’t you leave?’ And other women say ‘Well,Iwouldn’t have stayed.’ But they don’t understand that it’s so complicated—emotionally, financially… there are so many factors involved.
“Well,” Nix says softly, “that’s why you need to speak to a lawyer. I do know that a parent is justified in using force if the child is in danger. So, for example, if your husband was trying to stop Max from touching a hot stove or running into the road, that’s classed as justified. Is that what happened?”
I shake my head slowly. “He was drunk, and Max was playing with his dinosaurs and bumped into him, so he lashed out and hit him across the face. He left a bruise. Max didn’t do anything to warrant it.”
“Then that is classed as abuse.”
“Couldn’t his lawyer make a case that it was the first time he’s done it, to Max, anyway, and that I’m overreacting by taking Max away and refusing to let him see him?”
“It doesn’t matter if it was the first time or the hundredth time. A parent can’t use force for the purpose of correction. It’s against the law. I can tell you now that the lawyer will say you have a duty to protect Max from injury.”
That hits me like a frying pan around my head. It’s such a simple thing, and yet it’s like a revelation to me.
“By law, you are supposed to report anyone who commits child abuse,” Nix is saying. “I expect the lawyer will encourage you to file a police report against your husband and possibly take out a restraining order. But you can talk to him about that.”
I nod.
“You okay?” she asks. “I’m sorry, have I shocked you?”
“No… well, yes. I’ve realized that it’s not a question of feeling guilty for giving up on my marriage. I have a duty to protect Max. Ican’tgo back to Rob.”
She reaches out a hand and rubs my upper arm. “How do you feel about that?”
“I feel…” I blow out a long shaky breath and press my fingers to my lips. “I feel like the sun has come out,” I whisper, my voice little more than a squeak. “I kept feeling as if I was weak for giving up on my marriage. I mean, before this, Rob wasn’t a bad father. He had a good job. Lots of women are in a worse situation than me.”
“Isla, none of that matters. The fact is that you deserve better. You deserve to have a man who loves you and who treats you like a queen. We all do. Forget about Max for a moment. What doyouwant?”
I give a short laugh. “I don’t know. I haven’t even thought about it.”
“Do you want to stay in Auckland? It makes sense if you’d rather be near your parents for support.”
I frown. “I love my folks, and of course since Jack died it’s been nice to be there for them. But they only want what’s best for me and Max.”
“So what would you like to do?”
I don’t have to think long to answer. “I’d love to live in Sunrise Bay permanently. It wouldn’t be a bad thing, would it, for Max to live somewhere quieter, in an area we both like? And to go to a village school with smaller classes?”
“Of course not. I’m sure he’d love it.”
“It’s not as if he had hundreds of friends where we were anyway, and he loves it at the Ark. I’d have to get a job, of course, and I don’t know if the Ark would be able to employ me full time, but I’d work anywhere, I wouldn’t care, and I have some savings.”
“Obviously I can’t speak for Leon or Noah, but I do know you’ve made a great impression here already. Even if there wasn’t a full-time job available, I’m sure they’d love to have you on the books for part-time.” She gives me a mischievous look. “Might there be another reason you would want to stay? A reason that has a gruff voice, messy hair, and a German Shepherd?”
I blush. “Is it that obvious?”
“Leon said it was clear that Cullen likes you.”
“Oh!” My head spins. “I… I can’t let him influence whether I stay. I don’t even know if he’s going to be in the area next year.” I don’t add that we’ve only had one kiss, and it’s hardly enough to build a relationship on.
