“Do you think it’s going to be okay?” She asks, her voice soft, barely above a whisper.
I hesitate for a second, then shake my head, not because I don’t think it’s going to be okay—but because I know how much this means to her, to both of us.
“I hope so,” I say, my voice gruff. “But I’m not worried. We’ve got this.”
She presses her forehead to mine, her hands clutching at the fabric of my shirt. “But what if…what if they decide to give her back to Haley? Gabriel, I?—”
“Millie.” I pull back just enough to meet her eyes. Her anxiety is visible, but there’s something else there, too—an overwhelming love for my daughter, a fierce desire to protect her. “We are her parents. For the past nine months, we have been there for her. No judge is going to take that from us.”
I know she wants to believe that, but I also know how much the fear of losing Aura still lingers in her heart. Hell, it’s in mine too. But I also know we’ve built something unbreakable, something no courtroom can touch.
“Let’s get through today,” I continue, my voice softer now. “Then we’ll breathe, okay?”
She nods, her eyes welling with tears, but she doesn’t cry. She reaches up to kiss me—slowly, deeply, a reminder of everything we’ve fought for. I lose myself in this kiss, in the promise we’re making to each other, to our family.
When we pull away, she rests her head on my chest, and I can feel her heart beating in time with mine. I brush a kiss on her forehead, murmuring softly, “Whatever happens, we’re in this together.”
She nods again, and for the first time this morning, I see her breathing a littleeasier.
The courthouse is cold. I hadn’t expected it to be warm, but still, the sterile white walls, the echo of footsteps on polished floors, and it all feels…wrong. The only thing that feels right is Millie’s hand on me, her fingers gripping my arm as she holds our daughter in the other arm.
Her family is here. Her parents, her brothers, her sisters. They’re all sitting in the waiting room, just like us. But they’re not just family—they’re our support system, and I don’t know if we would’ve gotten through the past couple of months without them.
Reuben, her older brother, catches my eye as I walk in. His usual smile is replaced with something that resembles understanding, maybe even a little nervousness. He doesn’t say anything. He just gives me a nod. I return it, but I can’t help but feel the weight of his presence.
Millie’s sisters are gathered together, whispering quietly, and Lucie—her younger sister—gives me a thumbs up. It’s a small gesture, but in this moment, it feels like the world.
“Aura’s fine, Gab,” Kenna says, her voice low as she sits next to me. “She’s got us. No matter what happens in that courtroom today, she’s got us.”
I nod, though my stomach is in knots. She’s right, of course. Aura has us. She always has.
But Haley…she’s sitting on the other side of the room, out of my direct line of sight. But I know she’s there, and I know the sight of her will tear me apart.
The courtroom doors open, and we’re ushered inside. I try to steady my breath, but it’s like trying to control the tide. I take a deep breath, squeeze Millie’s hand once more, and follow her in.
I can feel the judge’s eyes on us the moment we walk in. She’s sitting at the front of the room, her expression unreadable. I can feel the weight of her gaze, the scrutiny. But I’ve been throughworse. A hundred different fights have led me to this point. The fight for Aura. For Millie. And today, it’s all going to count.
The moment I see Haley, I freeze. There’s a chill that runs through me. She’s sitting in the chair opposite us, her arms folded. I don’t know what it is, but her presence has always felt off. She was never there forAura, not the way Millie and I have been. And now, here she is—trying to step back into her life. I can’t help but wonder what she’s hoping to gain by this.
But I’m not going to let her take our daughter. Not today. Not ever.
I take a seat, and Millie does the same beside me. She’s holding herself together better than I am, but I can feel her tension, her quiet fear. We’ve been through everything together, but this moment is unlike anything we’ve faced before.
The hearing begins, and our lawyer stands first. He presents our case—our life with Aura. He talks about the stability we’ve given her, the love we’ve shown her, and the fact that she’s a thriving, happy child because of the home we’ve built for her.
I feel Millie’s hand squeeze mine as the words hit the air. Our hearts are both in this. And it’s’ not just about the legal stuff—it’s aboutus, about the love we’ve poured into this family.
“Your Honor,” our attorney begins. “We are not here to punish Ms. Marks for her past, nor to shame her for walking away from a life she wasn’t ready for. We are here because a little girl needs stability and the only stability she’s ever known is with Gabriel Sirolli and Millie Feely. Her biological mother left. Her father stayed.”
He pauses, then adds. “This court must not decide based on biology or regret but rather on love, consistency, and the child’s best interest.”
Haley rises with her lawyer. She walks to the stand slowly, her expression tightly wound. I feel Millie tense beside me.
Once she’s sworn in, Haley begins her statement.
“I was married to Gabriel when Aura was born. We were struggling. I was drowning. I didn’t have a support system, and Ididn’t feel like myself anymore. Motherhood broke something in me.”
Her voice wavers. “So I left. I know what that sounds like. But I left because I was scared I would ruin her life. I thought if I stepped away, she’d have a better shot. But now, I’m better. I’ve changed.”
