But Hannah was sitting right beside her.
“I work long hours at the office,” Janie said instead, “and I went back to work sooner than most. Hannah works five days at the garage, but she only started there about six weeks ago. The triplets are eighteen months old. It’s a lot, even for two people.”
David looked between them, his expression searching. “But you’ve hired help?”
“My dad moved up from Florida early last week,” Hannah said. “He’s staying with me and helping with the girls. And we’reinterviewing for a new nanny tomorrow. The last one left just before my wife did.”
Janie heard the slight resentment in Hannah’s tone, but she couldn’t blame her. Janie had packed her bags and hadn’t looked back, but she had damn good reason to leave…didn’t she?
“Excellent.” He smiled widely. “That demonstrates you’re taking responsible steps to ensure proper care.” He made more notes, his pen nib scratching on the paper. “Anything else? Any incidents or complaints from your pediatrician? Anything at all that could be used against you?”
The silence stretched. Janie could sense Hannah looking at her. Had she begun to question Janie’s abrupt abandonment?Tell him.Tell him now while I can control the narrative.But the words wouldn’t come. “No,” she said and shrugged. “Nothing like that.”
David nodded, apparently satisfied. “Good. Here’s what you need to understand: grandparents’ rights vary significantly by state, and Illinois is actually pretty restrictive. Your mother would need to prove thatbothof you are unfit parents and that custody with her is in the children’s best interest. That’s a very high bar.”
Hannah sighed deeply, but Janie wasn’t convinced it would be so easy. David didn’t know her mother like she did, and when she discovered what had happened… “But it’s possible?”
“Possible? Yes. Likely? No.” David set down his pen and steepled his fingers. “Look, judges don’t like removing children from their parents without serious cause. Your mother would need to show neglect, abuse, or endangerment. She’d need something substantive and documented. The fact that you’re separated isn’t enough. Both of you working full-time isn’t enough. Even being a same-sex couple isn’t enough, though I’m sure your mother would love to make that an issue.”
“She’s never been totally at peace with my sexuality,’“ Janie said. “And she doesn’t like that I used Grandma Susan’s money to finance the garage start-up. I don’t think she believes running a garage is a suitable career choice for a parent.”
David scoffed. “Which is ridiculous and borderline discriminatory. We’d shut that down immediately. The real question is: does your mother have anything concrete? Hospital visits, police calls, CPS reports, anything like that?”
Janie’s lips itched with the lie hiding behind them. “I...I don’t know what she might have found. Or made up. I’m sure you’re aware of my mother’s reputation.”
David studied her for a moment, and Janie had the uncomfortable feeling he could see right through her. They hadn’t known each other that long, and they hadn’t worked closely together. Howcouldhe know she was holding something back?
“Janie,” he said, “if there’s something that could come up, something your mother’s investigators might find, I need to know about it now and not when we’re standing in front of a judge.”
“There’s nothing,” Janie said quickly. Too quickly. “Really. Hannah is a wonderful parent.” She couldn’t include herself in that statement, but she never doubted Hannah’s dedication to their children. “We love our daughters. There’s no reason for my mother to win this.”
Hannah took Janie’s hand. It was only the second time they’d touched in weeks, and the contact sent an electric shock through her system.
“We’ll fight this together,” Hannah said. “Whatever it takes.”
“Perfect. Togetherness. That’s what the court needs to see.” David waved his pen at them both. “Okay. Here’s what we do. When it comes in, we respond to the petition with a motion to dismiss based on lack of standing. We document your co-parenting arrangement, the help you’ve secured, your employment, and your financial stability. We’ll line up character witnesses. We need your family, friends, and colleagues to attest to your fitness as parents. And we prepare for the possibility that this goes to a hearing.”
Hannah leaned forward. “How likely is that?”
“Given that Janie’s mother has money and one of thebest lawyers in the state, I’d say fifty-fifty. She might push for emergency relief, claim the children are in immediate danger, and try to get temporary custody while the case is pending.” David pressed his lips together. “That’s the real risk here. Not that she’ll win ultimately, but that she could cause enough chaos in the meantime to hurt you and the kids.”
The thought of her mother getting even temporary custody, of the triplets being confused and scared turned her stomach. Could Hannah really lose access to her own children because Janie had been too ashamed to admit her mistake?
“We won’t let that happen,” David said, clearly reading her fears. “But I need you both to be completely honest with me about anything, and I meananything, that could be used against you. Because if there’s a surprise, if something comes out in court that I don’t know about, it’ll make us look dishonest and undermine our entire case.”
Janie nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
They spent another thirty minutes going over strategy, who to contact for character witnesses, what documentation to gather, and how to present a united front. Hannah asked most of the questions, mainly because she had no understanding of the law. Her hand never left Janie’s, and Janie was content to enjoy the intimacy while she had the chance. She’d missed Hannah’s touch so much over the past months, and the feel of Hannah’s strong fingers covering hers comforted her deeply.
When they’d finally finished, David walked them to the elevator. “You two should talk,” he said as they waited for the car to arrive. “Really talk. Not about legal strategy but about what you want for your marriage and your family. Because the judge is going to ask questions about your relationship, and ‘we’re separated but co-parenting’ isn’t the strongest position.”
The elevator pinged, and the doors opened. Janie stepped in first, and Hannah followed. They rode down in silence, thirty-two floors of numbers ticking backward. Hannah’s hand had slipped from Janie’s when she’d motioned for Janie to enter the elevator,and the loss of contact was like a chasm re-opening between them.
“Do you want to grab lunch?” Hannah asked as they reached the lobby.
Janie knew she should say yes, should take the opening and spend time with her wife. But her mother’s voice echoed in her head, as did David’s warning about being dishonest. And then there was the terrible knowledge that she was lying to everyone, including herself. “I can’t,” she said. “I have a meeting.” It wasn’t entirely a lie. Maria had texted earlier, asking if Janie wanted to stop by the café. But it wasn’t exactly the meeting she made it sound like. Hannah nodded, and Janie couldn’t read her expression. Was it disappointment or resignation?
“Okay. Text me later?”
