Chapter Thirty-Three
MATT
The doorbell ringsas I’m making my way down the hall after changing. I settled on casual dressy: chinos and a button down. I took a moment to breathe deep and recalibrate, reset my mind.
Jordan’s already opening the door with a smile. “Hi, I’m Jordan.” She extends her hand as I sneak in beside her. “And this is my husband, Matt.”
He takes her hand first and shakes it, firm. Then moves to mine. “Hi, I’m Dave, the guardian ad litem assigned to Cole’s case. Thanks for having me.”
“Hi, Dave. Nice to meet you. Come on in,” I say.
Jordan waves him in, leading him through the entryway into the main area of my condo. His gaze wanders over the kitchen, then the living room, quietly assessing.
“Nice place you have here,” he says.
“Thanks,” I reply as Jordan slips her hand in mine, steadying me. And thank God, because it keeps me grounded, present and focused on her, on our life together, and what that means for Cole.Could mean for Cole.
Maybe the marriage is temporary, but it doesn’t change anything. Not really. Jordan and I have always been here for him.
“Let’s get started, shall we? The sooner we’re done here, the sooner you can relax,” he says with a laugh, easing some of the tension. “My role is to assess which placement is in Cole’s best interest. I’ve met with Cece already. Cole too. Last week at her place. Today is about understanding your household, you as a couple, and the role you play in Cole’s life. Your routines. And your intentions moving forward.”
“Simple enough,” Jordan says lightly. “Is the dining table a good place to chat?”
“That’s perfect,” Dave says.
Jordan excuses herself and comes back with three bottled waters, passing one to each of us. She takes a seat next to me and across from Dave.
“So…” Dave starts. “Tell me a little about the two of you—how you met, how long you’ve been married.”
“How much time do you have?” I joke.
Dave smiles politely. “How about the short version?”
“Well…” I look at Jordan, who’s already smiling, eyes on me. “We met in kindergarten.”
He raises a brow. “Really?”
“Yep,” I say with a grin. “On the swings. I talked my friend into giving his up so she could have the one next to me. Been best friends ever since.”
Jordan grins, eyes shining. That smile’s worth a million bucks. “Well, it wasn’t that easy. I made him work for it.”
No shit.
Dave chuckles again. “But look at you now. So I’m guessing you’ve been married a while?”
Jordan hesitates. “No. We’ve actually had quite the journey getting here, believe it or not.” She side-eyes me, and I jump in.
“We actually got married last month,” I say. “We were planning a bigger wedding next year, but with everything happening with Cole, we decided not to wait.”
Dave nods, then writes something down. “Why was marriage important to you right now?”
I hesitate, then answer honestly. “We want him to feel like he hasa stable home. Parents who are committed. Not just to him, but to each other.”
Jordan’s fingers curl tighter around mine.
“And growing up?” Dave asks. “What did family look like for you both?”
Fuck.I exhale slowly. “Complicated. For both of us.”
