The apartment was neat, with leather furniture, framed vintage truck posters, and a bookshelf full of military history and mechanics manuals. Lori and Rosie’s influence was starting to show in small ways: a couple of throw blankets in soft gray and baby blue, a potted plant on the windowsill, and actual curtains in the living room instead of the blinds RB had put up a couple of months ago.
“There they are!” Woody jumped up and pulled Solo and Janie into a hug.
“Be cool, Woody,” Shay said, unfolding herself from the couch.
She was wearing a fitted sweater and skinny jeans that looked high chic in a way that Shay managed effortlessly. The femme energy she exuded in a room full of butches always made her stand out.
Shay pulled Solo into a hug, then turned to Janie with a warm smile. “Hey, Janie. Glad you could make it.”
Rosie was right behind her, immediately wrapping Janie in agentle hug. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m...” Janie’s voice wobbled. “I’m okay.”
“You don’t have to be okay,” Rosie said softly. “Not with everything going on.”
Solo recognized the tone Rae used and was reminded again why Rosie had been such a good therapist before switching to marketing, though Shay had mentioned she was considering returning to therapy.
Gabe emerged from the kitchen with a stack of pizzas, and Lori trailed behind her with a tray of vegetables and dip.
Gabe pulled Solo into a bro hug, then embraced Janie in a more traditional way. “Glad you could make it. Beer? Wine?”
“Beer,” Solo said and looked at Janie. “And non-alcoholic wine for you?”
“Yes, please.” Janie tugged hard on Solo’s hand.
Janie’s fear and tension practically radiated from her, and Solo draped her arm over Janie’s shoulder. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “Everyone here loves you. Not like I do, obviously, but they love you.” She squeezed Janie’s shoulder lightly and winked.
They settled in the living room after everyone refreshed their drinks. Gabe sat in her armchair with Lori snuggled between her legs, Shay and Rosie settled back on their end of the couch with Woody on the other end, and RB dropped onto the floor. Solo and Janie squeezed together on the loveseat, and the easy nature of the gathering began to seep into her bones. She exhaled and melted into the soft upholstery. She hadn’t realized how much she’d needed to be surrounded by her people until right now.
“So,” Shay said, “let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Janie’s mom is being a nightmare, and we’re going to be testifying. Tell us what we need to know.”
“David’s going to prep you individually,” Solo said. “But basically, you’ll be asked about our fitness as parents. What you’ve seen when we’re with the girls, whether we seem stable and capable, that kind of thing.”
“Easy,” Woody said. “You’re both great parents. The girls are happy and healthy and clearly loved. What kind of monster tries to take kids away from parents like you?”
“The kind who wants control of a trust fund,” Janie said quietly.
“Can you walk us through what’s going to happen?” RB asked, leaning forward. “At the hearing?”
Janie took a breath, and Solo smiled as she shifted into lawyer mode, straightening her spine and raising her head high.
“Both sides will present their case. My mother’s lawyer will try to paint us as unfit. They’ll talk about me leaving the house, our demanding jobs…” Janie scanned the room and sighed. “And they’ll probably make veiled comments about our lifestyle. Our lawyer will counter with evidence of stability: our new nanny, Carmen, the couples’ therapy, the strong family support system, and our character witnesses. The judge will ask questions, review all the evidence, and make a ruling.”
“And this emergency motion?” Gabe asked.
Solo practically jumped from her seat and stood to attention at the sound of Gabe’s command voice, the one that had led them through combat zonesandsome other sticky situations. “We don’t know yet what new evidence she’s claiming,” she said, though she had a damn good idea. “David’s reviewing the filing, but he’s got other clients too. So we don’t know the details yet, but she’s asking for temporary custody while the case is pending, which would mean the girls would go to her immediately.”
“Absolutely not,” Shay said. “That’s not happening.”
“We’re doing everything we can to prevent it,” Janie said. “But my mother has resources. And she knows how to present herself as the concerned grandmother.”
“What about character witnesses for Janie specifically?” Lori asked. “Not just as a parent, but as a person?”
“That’s where Rae comes in,” Shay said. “And that guy Austin from Janie’s law firm, as well as your assistant, right? They can all speak to who you are.”
Janie gave a quick nod, but her entire body tensed againstSolo’s. She hadn’t really gotten close to anyone, and she didn’t have the chosen family and friends like Solo did. Only Maria had penetrated that fortress, and David had said it would seem desperate to bring in a character witness who’d only known Janie for a couple of weeks.
“Rae will talk about the postpartum depression.” Rosie looked toward Lori. “As Janie’s therapist, she’s seen Janie actively working to get better.”
