My eyes bug out. “Oh… because all the years before didn’t matter? And you keep forgetting that there isn’t just Lori but also her brother. How did you know she would be here?”
She shrugs. “A little digging.”
I glance over her shoulder to ensure nobody is in earshot. “Cut to the chase, Michelle.”
Her eyes dip down, and she seems to be taking a breath for courage. “I saw a photo online of you and your new… girlfriend.” She slowly claps her hands together. “Bravo for scoring a younger woman,” she seethes, but then her own tone seems to surprise her.
“Don’t even get me started. If that’s the reason you returned, then that is a shitty reason,” I grit out through my anger for this moment.
Michelle holds her palm up. “No.” She sighs. “I’m not trying to… What I mean is that I really came for Lori.”
I shake my head, still in disbelief that I’m even stuck in this moment. “Suddenly?” My eyes don’t blink as I remain suspicious.
“Yes,” she shoots back. “She is a beauty on the ice.” I’ll give her the credit where it’s due, and there is a tiny ounce of admiration in her sentence.
Standing taller, a new wave of protectiveness comes over me. “Michelle, you signed that I get full custody and that you wanted zero visitation, even when I offered for the sake of Lori and Harry,” I remind her.
“Look, I made a mistake, and I want to rectify it.” She sounds sincere to any stranger, but I know her too well, and behind all these words is a flawed logic swirling in her head. “I want to see my kids.”
“Not if it’s only to abandon them again.”
“I won’t.” She will, I can see it in her eyes.
My entire body tenses. “I need you to leave. They cannot see you until we talk about this further, otherwise you are completely disrupting their lives. If you are serious about everything you just said, then you would know that there is a better way to approach this. But here you are out of nowhere, not being responsible or practical.” Her eyes grow anxious. “Now tell me, why the fuck are you here?” I force out.
That ridiculous over-the-top astute leer returns. “Fine. It’s simple…” She steps closer, appearing as if she has the upper hand. “Why do you get to have a happy ever after with a woman and my kids? People change, and I also deserve a life fulfilled. And after the shit you pulled?—”
I nearly fall back from her twisted perception of history. “You mean, whenyousigned a legal document afteryouabandoned your kids and demanded a shit load of money. It’s not just Lori you left but also the son that you never seem to mention.” My fists form at my sides, doing my damnedest to keep my rage inside.
“I’m not okay with a woman being in your life since you’ve held off on that for so long. I have a right to see my kids, and it seems that I need to look into legal options to bring us back to court.”
An inferno enlarges my eyes, and I snicker a sound. “Oh boy, blackmail. Should have seen this coming.”
Michelle’s smile is faintly fake. “I’m concerned for my children, and I’m sure a judge would like to evaluate that.”
“What in the world would you even do if you got visitation? Actually try to be a mother? Unsettle their lives?”
“This is me being a good mother.” She honestly believes that.
I rub my forehead. “Still delusional, great.” I look up to the ceiling to gather an idea of what to do. “Just out to ruin our happiness or is there something else on your agenda?”
“Even though you probably owe me for emotional damage, I’m here because it’s time to reconnect with them. Seeing you and your new family just gave me the push to do what has been on my mind for a while now. I have the courage now to do what I’ve been debating.”
“You mean to blackmail me into seeing the kids, or is it money that you want?”
She doesn’t answer.
My finger comes up to the air. “Ah, there it is. Money too. You think that I’m just going to fall to your requests?”
She brings her finger to her chin. “Probably. I’m definitely staying to congratulate my daughter.”
I’m quick to reply. “No. Do not do that. You will play with her emotions.”
“All the more reason she needs me, don’t ya think? She’s at a sensitive age. The judge will see it that way too. Lori is now old enough to make her opinion known, and the judge will want to hear that.”
A groan escapes me. “Leave now and I will meet you tomorrow to discuss this. Can you at least do that?”
Michelle ponders for a second. “Fine. But we better speak tomorrow.”
