“I understand your frustrations, but sometimes that is the way things go, and I want you to be prepared for that, Javier. Okay?”
I clenched my jaw, hating that cold, hard truth.
“Until the hearing, I want us to focus on building the best case possible. So far, I believe we have a solid argument. You’ve been a primary caregiver for Aleesa, and the court takes into consideration the emotional bonds, stability, and whether the environment the child is being raised in is a comfortable one. You’ve provided all of that for her plus more. We need to show that removing her from your care would be disruptive and harmful.”
“So what do I need to do to fully prepare?” I asked.
“Right now, all you can do is practice being calm and patient. Judges appreciate and respect parents who put their children’s needs above their own. That means no lashing out, no public bashing, anddefinitelystay away from the media. Something tells me news about this will come out. Rafael may tell others, and that word will spread.”
“Damn it,” I hissed. “I do not need Aleesa mixed up with the media.”
“That will be frustrating, but the best you can do is keep yourself and Aleesa out of the public eye. Honestly, the fact that he came to your home and confronted you with such a sensitive matter proves that he is not fit to be in Aleesa’s life. It was unexpected and reckless, and very clear that he was trying to provoke and anger you. Nothing about that screams ‘stability’ to me.”
“Right,” I said, combing my fingers through my hair. “Well, if you think we have a solid case, fine. I’ll try to keep calm and focus on Leesa. When will we know the date of the hearing?”
“We should know within a couple of weeks. I will keep you updated as much as possible.”
“Great.”
“Wonderful.” Christine stood, and Catalina and I followed suit. When she escorted us out of the office, she smiled and said, “I’ll be in touch.”
Cat and I walked out of the building and headed to my car. Once I was behind the wheel and she was buckling herself in, I gripped the steering wheel with both hands and pressed my forehead to the top of it.
“Hey.” Cat rubbed a hand across my back. “You got this, hermano. You’ve survived so much. I have no doubt you’ll survive this too.”
“Sí,” I murmured, picking my head up. “It is just thislife, Cat. It is so hard and so unfair. I know that many people have it much worse, but I do not understand why things can never be simple. First our piece-of-shit dad leaves us on our own, then I finally get some footing, find Eloise, but she ends up unhappy with me and thendyingbefore we could fully fix it. And now there is Aleesa. What if she grows up, resents that I am not her real father, and would rather be with him?”
“That will never happen.” Cat’s voice was firm. I looked at my sister, and tears lined the rims of her brown eyes. “She will see you have always been good for her. She will love you. And that love a girl has for her father never goes away. I mean, look at me.” She huffed a laugh. “I hate our dad for leaving, and yet a part of me still wishes he would come around and make up for lost time. No matter what, Aleesa will always love you. I have no doubt in my mind about that.”
“I hope so.”
“Iknowso. Now let’s go home. Má is making empanadas today, and I’m starving.”
Thirty-Seven
Octavia
Rossi’s was a sports bar in Atlanta with way too many screens and a long line of liquor on the wall behind the counter.
Davina and Deke were already in Atlanta together, and after speaking to her, I insisted that we all needed to hang out. I figured Javier needed the break, and I hadn’t seen my sister in weeks.
It’d been two weeks since Javier’s meeting with his lawyer. He said he was okay, but I could tell this situation was weighing heavily on him and disrupting his days.
Paola had returned to Argentina but had made plans to come back whenever the hearing happened. Catalina was still in town and was currently watching Aleesa so I could take a “break.” I told her I didn’t need a break and that taking care of Aleesa was no issue at all, but she insisted and said she wanted to spend some quality time with her niece.
“I think that’s some bullshit.” EJ McCoy slammed his glass of beer down on the table as he locked his eyes on Javier.
I’d only met EJ once, and that was after one of the Ravens games. He was the starting point guard for the team and the kind of guy who didn’t take life seriously. He was definitely a playboy, and it was men like him that I avoided like the plague.
He seemed nice enough, though. If Javier and Deke hung around him often, he had to be a good person beneath all that cockiness. Even more so since Deke had invited him to join us tonight.
“You’ve been her dad since the beginning, man,” EJ went on. “I swear the system is fucked up. No one should just come onto the scene trying to claim kids unless the current parent is trash or something.”
“Seriously,” Davina chimed in. “I don’t understand how he can waltz in and demand this. Does he not realize how hard this will be for you and Aleesa?”
“Oh, he realizes,” Deke muttered, head shaking. “He just doesn’t care. Dude sounds like a true piece of shit.”
“My lawyer believes he will not get custody, so that is good.” Javier sighed. “But she does think visitation may be a possibility.”
