By the time he sits down, I feel the nerves kick in.
Then it’s our turn.
My lawyer gives an opening statement before turning to me. “Your Honor, we’d like to call Ms. Kate Prescott to the stand.”
The wooden chair creaks when I sit down, steadying myself for the questions. My hands are shaky, but my voice holds.
I answer questions about my home, my job, my routines with Evie. We talk about school enrollment. I tell them how she knows every page of Goodnight Moon, how she feeds Mrs. Dalton’s cat, how she dances around the kitchen when we bake banana muffins. We bring up T-ball and enrollment in pre-k.
Then Daniel’s attorney stands.
He picks at timelines. At my marriage. At the “convenience” of having a courthouse wedding right before a custody hearing. He mentions rumors about the authenticity of my relationship with Cam.
Mr. Graham objects; the judge sustains. Still, the suggestion lingers like a stain.
By the time I’m excused, my legs tremble. Cam squeezes my hand the second I sit down.
Then Daniel takes the stand. He wears sincerity like a well-tailored suit. He talks about regret, about wanting to step up, about family values and offering Evie “every stability a child deserves.”
My stomach twists. When he’s excused, I feel small. Stripped thin.
But then my lawyer stands again.
“Your Honor, the plaintiff would like to call Mrs. Brynn Dalton to the stand.”
Brynn gives me a big smile as she rises and walks toward the stand. She settles into the witness chair with calm certainty.
“Mrs. Dalton,” Mr. Graham begins, “how long have you known Ms. Prescott?”
“Since the first grade, we were in the same class together.”
Mr. Graham nods. “And how would you describe her parenting?”
Brynn’s eyes warm. “Kate is amazing. She’s gentle and gives Evie the space to be her own person. She shows up for Evie in every way you could imagine. She’s patient, involved, kind…and she never puts her daughter second. Ever.”
“Anything else, Mrs. Dalton?” Mr. Graham prompts.
“Yes.” She glances at Cam, then back to me. “Watching Cam with Evie has been great. Kate has slowly integrated him into her life and the way he cares for that little girl is genuine. Kate has given Evie everything and now with Cam in their lives, it’s been wonderful to witness.”
“No further questions.”
Daniel’slawyer rises. “Mrs. Dalton, do you think Ms. Prescott can be…emotional? Impulsive?”
Brynn doesn’t blink. “She’s a parent. Parents feel things deeply. That’s not impulsive—that’s love. And she channels that love into structure, not rash choices.”
Daniel’s lawyer takes a step toward the stand. “Would you say that marrying a boyfriend of just a few months and moving them into your home with your four-year-old daughter is a sound ‘structure’ choice?”
Mr. Graham shoots out of his chair. “Objection, Your Honor, calls for a conclusion.”
“Sustained. The witness is not qualified to make that determination. Counsel, rephrase.”
Daniel’s lawyer turns to walk back to his chair, glancing at me as he says, “No further questions, Your Honor.”
When Brynn steps down, she gives me a small, victorious nod that settles something trembling inside me.
“Your Honor,” my lawyer continues, “we call Mrs. Margaret Prescott.”
My mother stands slowly. She hates public speaking—I can tell by the way she adjusts her blouse twice before walking to the stand—but she loves me and Evie more than she fears anything.
