“You don’t have to be so blunt.”
“Am I wrong?”
“No, you’re not,” I reluctantly grumbled.
“A’ight then.”
He and Elijah had a good laugh at my expense.
For the past couple of weeks, Julia and I had been spending a lot of time together, so I gave her a drawer in my dresser and space in my closet. It made sense since she was always at the condo. A couple of nights a week, she came over after work and had dinner with me and Noah, usually something I picked up on the way home. She spent the weekends with us too, and each Sunday cooked us a delicious home-cooked meal.
My own cooking skills were slowly improving. Pop-Tarts were no longer on the breakfast menu since fixing a meal was a lot easier than I initially thought. If you could read a recipe, you could probably cook. My spaghetti and meatballs were a hit with Noah, but I was concentrating on breakfast meals. I created my own version of the sausage, egg, and cheese sandwiches I liked to buy on the weekends and had mastered making breakfast burritos, which Noah especially loved. Yesterday, I made a frittata for the first time—another win. Noah and I ate the rest of it for breakfast this morning with fruit on the side.
“So Noah’s therapy is going well?” Elijah peered around Jashaun to ask the question.
“Yeah, which is why I think leaving him might be easier in another month or so. Maybe less. That’s the feedback the therapist is giving me concerning his abandonment issues. They’ve spent a lot of time discussing his fears in therapy.”
“What are you going to do about his aunt?” Elijah asked.
I inwardly groaned. With Julia’s help, I had filled out the guardianship paperwork, and she had closed the case on Noah, but the attorney received notice that Zenobia was contesting the legality of my guardianship over Noah.
“She’s become a pain,” I said, rubbing my hand over my face, exhaustion settling in when I thought about what she had done. “She filed a petition to challenge my guardianship, claiming that as his biological aunt, she has more right to him than I do. Noah should be with ‘blood family.’ Real family.”
“Brandon and Stacey named you as his guardian. That has to mean something,” Jashaun said, sounding appalled.
“I know, and their wishes are documented in the guardianship papers and their will, all filed years ago.” My gaze settled on Noah splashing through the fountain with the other kids, their laughter traveling across the park. “The attorney says I have a strong case, but her attorney is arguing that blood relation should take precedence, and Zenobia and her husband can provide a ‘traditional family environment.’“
“Bullshit,” Elijah said forcefully. “What the hell does a traditional family environment have to do with anything if the kid is happy and healthy with you?”
I sighed. “Not a damn thing, but I know why she’s really fighting for custody.”
“The money,” Elijah said.
“What money?” Jashaun asked.
I had mentioned the insurance money to Elijah but hadn’tyet told Jashaun. I proceeded to explain about the million-dollar policy payout. “Zenobia even mentioned that I’m not capable of properly managing his inheritance.”
“But she is?”
“Yeah.” My shoulders slumped.
“How confident are you in your attorney’s ability to help you keep Noah?” Jashaun asked.
I shrugged. “He’s an estate attorney, so handling the paperwork was easy. Now that the guardianship is being contested, I’m cautiously hopeful but... worried.”
I couldn’t lose Noah. He was an integral part of my life. He wasmykid—legally and in my heart.
“When is your court date?” Jashaun asked.
“In three weeks.”
“Hang on a sec.” He stood and turned to the men at the grill. “Hey, Eric! Come here for a minute.” He returned his attention to me. “Eric is one of the state’s top litigators and specializes in contested custody and guardianship cases. When this goes to trial, you need someone like him who lives in family court.”
A tall brother in his early forties walked over wearing an apron. His close-cropped hair was graying at the temples, giving him the confident bearing of someone who spent a lot of time in courtrooms.
Jashaun introduced us, and I stood to shake his hand. Then I gave him the condensed version of my problems with Zenobia and my desire to keep Noah. “As far as the life insurance payout is concerned,” I said, finishing up, “I’ve already started the paperwork to set up a trust for Noah’s future. I have a successful career and my own money. I don’t need it.”
Eric had been listening intently, and when I finished, he said, “Sounds like a pretty solid case to me. The biological relationship does give the aunt standing to petition, but it doesn’tautomatically overrideyourrights. The court will look at a number of points: The parents’ clearly expressed wishes to have you as the child’s guardian, Noah’s current well-being and stability in your care, whether moving him to Tennessee is too disruptive, the aunt’s motivation and historical relationship with the child, and your plans for the insurance money. The fact that you’ve started setting up a trust shows you’re thinking about Noah’s long-term interests.”
