“Can we have a minute?” Sutton grabs my hand. Everyone walks ahead of us into the courtroom, but I stay outside with her.
“I’m not gonna try and tell you that everything is going to be okay. I don’t know that. But I want you to know I’m by your side, and whatever happens, we’ll deal with it as it comes.
I respond by sinking my fingers into her hair and pulling her in for a kiss. I don’t care that we’re in public. That people are coming and going. Right now, I need this connection with Sutton more than anything. Because if not, I might break.
“C’mon. Let’s go face the music.” Linking my hand with hers, we walk inside.
“Think positive thoughts,” Mom tells me as I drop down onto the hard wooden seat next to her.
The courtroom is plain. Gray cloth lines the walls. The jury box is empty, and a few people are lingering in behind the gates that lead toward the judge’s bench.
With it being family court, a few other cases will be heard. Missy’s lawyer is sitting on the opposite side of the room from us. Again, no sign of Missy.
Where the hell is she? If this gets delayed because she can’t be bothered to show up, I’m going to lose it.
We all rise when the judge walks into court and he calls for his first case. Having to sit and hear the fate of others ratchetsup my own nerves. I listen as he extends the court date for one family due to parents not completing the requirements to get their children back. I listen as he tells someone else what they have to do to keep their children.
Jesus. Is this what it’s going to be like for me and Missy? Is the judge going to give her some list of arbitrary demands that she has to complete to get custody?
She’s been with him for maybe seven months of his entire life. What does she really know about her only son? She shouldn’t get anything.
“Next is Hollins and Goodman.”
Fuck. I think I’m going to be sick as the bile rises in my throat. Sutton gives my hand a tentative squeeze as I follow John to the front of the courtroom.
“Are all parties present?”
“Your Honor, before we get started,” Missy’s lawyer starts, “I have a petition from my client dropping her claim for custody of the child dependent in question.”
“What?” My gaze snaps to him. He’s pulling something out of a brown, leather briefcase, and I’m ready to snatch it out of his hand before he delivers it to the judge.
“My client has also signed a termination of parental rights, granting sole physical custody to Mr. Hollins.”
“Are you serious?”
The judge peers down at me over the reading glasses that sit on his nose.
“In light of this, the court will grant all rights of the dependent to his father.” He pounds the gavel down. “We will take a thirty-minute recess before court resumes.”
“Holy shit.”
Spinning around, Sutton is there, throwing herself into my arms. “Oh my God!”
“I can’t believe it.”
I’m stunned. Speechless. Every emotion that I’ve kept pentup the last few weeks comes streaming out of my eyes. I can’t help it.
I never even considered this. Missy gave up her rights to Troy and I retain full custody?
“It’s almost too good to be true,” I whisper to Sutton.
Sutton pulls back before cupping my cheeks. Her thumbs brush away the stray tears. “Troy is all yours, Derek. I will tell you as many times as you want until you believe it.”
A slow smile spreads across my face. “Say it again.”
Sutton returns my smile. “Troy is all yours.”
“Hell yeah, he is.”
