Every word feels like an indictment. Heather’s shoulders tense beside me.
“But that’s bullshit,” she says, her voice tight. “I had housing lined up before I even considered moving to Denver. It’s not my fault it fell through at the last minute. I did everything right.”
“We know that. And we’ll make sure the court knows it too.” Richard’s voice is calm and measured. Probably a good thing, since I’m about five seconds from blowing my fucking top. “We’lldemonstrate that Ms. Lucas has been proactive in securing stable housing, that she’s employed, that April is thriving in school and has a strong support system.”
“He also mentioned Grant specifically,” Heather adds, glancing at me. “He said Grant was a bad influence and that April needs a ‘real father figure.’”
“He’ll try to paint you as someone who isn’t invested in April’s well-being. Someone who is just a boyfriend, not a stable presence.” Mario looks up from his notes. “But we can easily counter that. You’ve provided housing, security, and stability. You’ve been present in April’s life. We can get character witnesses—your teammates, coaches, and people who’ve seen you interact with April.”
The thought of dragging Noah and the rest of the team into this makes me uncomfortable, but I won’t hesitate to do it if that’s what it takes to win.
“What about loopholes?” Heather asks, her fingers tightening around mine. “What could he try to exploit?”
Richard leans back in his chair. “The only real leverage he has is the birth certificate and the fact that there’s no custody agreement in place. Ms. Lucas has been operating under the assumption that she has sole custody because Mr. Walsh never made an attempt to assert his parental rights. But without a formal agreement or a termination of those rights, he can argue that he’s entitled to seek custody or visitation.”
Heather’s throat works as she swallows. “So what do we do?”
“You’ll file for sole legal and physical custody. We document everything—the past abuse, the lack of support, the threatening behavior. We make it clear to the court that Mr. Walsh’s sudden interest in April is not about the child’s welfare, but about controlling and punishing you.”
“We’ll also pursue a restraining order with teeth,” Jennifer adds. “No contact with Ms. Lucas or April, no presence withina certain distance of their home or school. If he violates it, he’ll face criminal charges.”
I nod, trying to take it all in. It sounds solid and logical, like we have a real plan.
But it doesn’t make me feel much better.
Heather’s hand shifts against mine, her palm a bit clammy.
The look on our faces must give our feelings away, because Richard glances between us. “You seem concerned,” he says, his attention settling briefly on Heather before returning to me.
“I am concerned. This is—” I stop and try to find the right words. “This is tearing Heather apart. Every day that goes by, she gets more worn down and more terrified. I can see it in her eyes, in the way she jumps every time her phone rings. And knowing that this is going to drag on for weeks or months is maddening. She’s going to have a nervous breakdown by then. We all might, at this rate.”
“We understand,” Jennifer says gently, turning fully toward Heather. “Unfortunately, the legal system moves slowly. But we’re going to do everything in our power to expedite this and minimize the impact on you and April.”
“We’ll be aggressive,” Richard promises. “If Mr. Walsh wants to play games with the courts, we’ll bury him in motions and documentation until he realizes this isn’t worth his time or money.”
I want to believe them. I’m paying these expensive lawyers in their expensive office to make this go away, and I want to trust that they’ll do just that.
But I can’t shake the image of Heather’s face when Steven threatened to take April. She looked at me like her whole world was ending, and I never want to see her go through something like that again.
“Is there anything else we should know?” Richard asks. “Anything else about Mr. Walsh’s behavior or history that might be relevant?”
Heather is quiet, her eyes fixed on the table. I can feel her pulling inward, like she’s said all she can say today.
I think about the bruise on Heather’s arm. The way she flinched when she talked about him. The fact that she ran away in the middle of the night nine years ago with a baby.
“He’s dangerous,” I say. “Maybe not in a way that’s easy to prove in court, but he’s dangerous. He knows how to hurt her without leaving marks, and how to make her doubt herself. He’s doing all of this—the custody threat, the phone calls—because he wants to control her again.”
All three lawyers are quiet for a moment.
“We’ll make sure the judge understands that,” Richard finally says. “From his pattern of behavior to the psychological abuse, to using the legal system as a weapon. We’ll build a case that shows exactly what kind of person Mr. Walsh is.”
“Good.” I stand and help Heather to her feet, signaling the meeting is over. “Please keep me updated. Daily, if possible. I want to know every move he makes, every filing, every attempt to contact Heather or April.”
“Of course.”
We shake their hands and head for the elevator, my mind already racing ahead to what I need to do next, and how I can protect Heather and April while this plays out.
The rage that’s been simmering inside me since Steven’s phone call hasn’t gone away. If anything, it’s gotten worse. Every time I see Heather trying to smile for April’s sake, every time I catch her staring at nothing with that haunted look in her eyes, I want to find Steven and make him understand what happens when you threaten the people I care about.
