“That’s impossible!” He said standing up, his face red. “They faked it! Peterson’s been paying everyone off! The lab, the judge, probably even you?—”
“Mister Mitchell,” The judge’s voice was calm. “Sit down and calm yourself, or I will hold you in contempt.”
“But she… he—” Jack sputtered, but his lawyer was already pulling him back into his seat.
“Fabricating evidence is a serious crime, Mr. Mitchell,” the judge continued, her tone cold. “I suggest you speak with your attorney about the implications of presenting false documentation to this court.”
Jack slumped in his chair since his last play had failed and his desperate attempt to discredit Paige had backfired spectacularly.
What an ass.
The rest of the hearing proceeded smoothly as the judge outlined the terms with custody arrangement, alimony, and division of assets.
When it was finally over, when the judge’s gavel came down, I felt Paige sag against me with relief.
“It’s over,” she whispered. “It’s really over and Lily is…”
“Yes,” I whispered and cupped her face in my hands, kissing her softly. It was short and sweet.
It was finally done, and now I could tell her everything. Now there were no more obstacles, no more fake arrangements, no more waiting.
As we gathered our things, Jack’s lawyer approached Jennifer. He was a good-looking guy in his thirties, and I watched with amusement as he leaned in to kiss Jennifer’s cheek.
“That was impressive,” he said, his voice warm with genuine admiration. “You destroyed us in there.”
Jennifer smiled. “Just doing my job, Marcus.”
“For what it’s worth,” Marcus said, glancing at us. “Jack was a lost cause. He showed up this morning with that fake DNA test, and I couldn’t talk him out of using it.” He looked at Paige directly. “Congratulations on your divorce, Paige. You deserve better than him.”
Then he turned back to Jennifer with a grin. “Speaking of which, would you like to celebrate with dinner? Somewhere nice. My treat.”
I smirked at Jennifer as we walked away. I’ll send her favorite champagne to her office.
In the car, I couldn’t stop stealing glances at Paige. She looked exhausted but relieved, like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
“So,” I said, keeping my tone light. “Where do you want to go? What food are you craving? Mexican? Indian? Italian? We could also do fine dining if you want something fancy.”
She started to answer, but I saw how tired she seemed.
“Or,” I said. “We could spend the day with Lily and order takeout? Just relax at home?”
“That sounds perfect,” she said with a smile that finally reached her eyes. My shoulders relaxed when she reached out to hold my hand.
Lily greeted us with squeals of delight, toddling toward us with that unsteady gait that made my heart squeeze every time. She had been walking for days now, but I still wasn’t used to it. I held my breath every time she took those wobbly steps.
I settled on the couch with my iPad, scrolling through real estate listings while Paige played with Lily on the living room floor. Houses with yards, good school districts and neighborhoods where Lily could grow up safe and happy.
I wasn’t sure when I had started thinking of it as we instead of her. When Lily had become our daughter instead of Paige’s daughter in my mind. But it had happened, and now I couldn't imagine any other future.
The Indian food arrived, and I watched in amazement as Paige inhaled her chicken tikka masala like she had never tasted food before. She was barely able to keep anything down for days, and seeing her eat with enthusiasm made me glad.
“This is so good,” she mumbled around a mouthful of naan. “Why is this so good?”
“Eat as much as you want. I’ll order more if you finish it,” I said with a grin. I’ll have to ask Donna to teach me how to make Indian food.
After dinner, we bathed Lily together while she sang in broken words, making us giggle and I told Paige to rest as I read to her and tucked her in the crib. After closing the nursery’s door, I collapsed beside Paige on the couch.
Some romantic comedy was playing, but I wasn’t paying attention to the screen. I was too aware of her tucked against my side, her head on my shoulder and her hand resting on my chest.
