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The light turns green, and I turn right on Fourth Street. I’m almost home. I can see the apartment building from here, and my heart becomes filled with a warm kind of anticipation. Had it not been for Lucas and Ava, I doubt I would’ve bounced back from that divorce the way I did. I didn’t even have time to sulk and let the depression eat away at me. My instincts guided me so my children would never have to miss anything ever again.
Will my instincts pull me through again?
My phone rings. It’s mounted on the dashboard. Isaac’s number pops up. Almost instantly, my blood starts rushing, flooding my brain and limbs with uncomfortable heat. I can’t take his call. Not today. I don’t know when I’ll be able to do it. I ignore it and choose to focus on the road, instead.
Slowly but surely, I pull up outside my apartment building.
“What does he want?” I wonder aloud.
The silence should’ve clued him in by now, and he’s been quiet himself. The four of them have not tried to contact me for almost two weeks. Maybe they’re rekindling their efforts to reach out to me.
Do I want them to do that? Why is this peculiar excitement building up in my chest?
As soon as I look out the car window, however, a whole different wave of emotions crash into me. Cold and merciless, biting and sharp as ice picks stabbing me everywhere. Elijah stands outside my apartment building, safe under a large black umbrella. Beside him, a man in a black suit and carrying an umbrella of his own watches me carefully.
“Oh, no,” I whisper.
I know the blunt look on his face. I see the manila folder under his arm. This is it. The moment I had dreaded and hoped to avoid at least until I found a better lawyer. None of Theo’s connections have come through so far, and Elijah has finally found me. My guess is a court order. I couldn’t change my phone number without getting myself in deeper legal trouble than this. Horror smacks me hard as I get out of the car, forgetting about the rain altogether.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I hiss. I’m soaking wet by the time I reach him on the edge of the sidewalk. “I told you to leave us alone.”
“It’s not like you gave me a better choice,” Elijah replies with a casual shrug.
The man next to him shows me the manila folder, his expression never shifting into anything remotely human or compassionate. “I have a court order here, Ms. Snow. We’ve come to take the children away from what we believe is a neglectful environment.”
“You have got to be kidding me,” I gasp, staring at the folder.
“He’s not kidding,” Elijah says. I can see he’s having a hard time containing the pleasure he takes in causing me this much grief, and all I can think of are ways of gouging his eyes out. “You disappeared from the Elizabeth. You refused to let me see my children. You haven’t been answering any of my calls and messages. A legal course of action was the only way I could think of to make sure Lucas and Ava are safe.”
I give the lawyer a confused glance. “And you actually believe this bullshit? Or are you conspiring with him? I could have you disbarred for this.”
“How? Is anything untrue here? Twice, now, you’ve taken the children out of their father’s sight,” the man replies. “And while he may have had personal issues to deal with following your divorce, he could at least rest assured knowing where his children were at all times.”
“No, this can’t be happening,” I mutter and snatch the folder from the lawyer’s hands. I flip through the pages as he tilts the umbrella forward to shield the papers from the heavy rain while I read and struggle not to faint. “This can’t be real. No decent court would ever grant you these rights without at least calling me in for an interview first.”
“I’m afraid it was considered an emergency,” the lawyer says. “We expedited a custody hearing with the 8thdistrict and got this order granted in under twenty-four hours. I’m afraid you have no choice but to let the children go home with their father today.”
I give him a furious glower, my teeth gritting. “Over my dead body.”
“Stella, I tried to be civil,” Elijah says. “You pushed me away, and your boy-toy banned me from the bed and breakfast. Everything is on record. Read it until you get it. But Lucas and Ava are staying with me until the court decides whether you’re fit to be their parent or not.”
“I would rather chain myself to these doors and gnaw off my own foot before I let you anywhere near my children!” I shout, shaking like a leaf. My jaw clanks with each breath. “You abandoned us, Elijah. Is that written anywhere in this joke of a court order?” I add and throw the file back at his lawyer. “You didn’t pay child support for months. You didn’t even call to see if Lucas and Ava were okay. You didn’t give two shits about us until Amanda dumped your sorry ass.”
“Whatever your past issues, the truth remains immutable. The children need to be in a safe environment,” the lawyer cuts in.
“And how do you ascertain whether an environment is safe or not? Do you even know what our home looks like?” I shoot back. “I’m paying rent on a two-bedroom apartment. I’m working hard to cover the bills and the food. My children,” I say, briefly glancing at Elijah, “are safe and well taken care of. They have a reliable babysitter looking after them while I’m working, and there is always food in the fridge. They have toys and playtime activities. Clothes and diapers. EVERYTHING!”
“You call a nineteen-year-old kid a reliable babysitter? Are you off your rocker?” Elijah snaps. “We asked around. I’m pretty sure you were fucking half of that bed and breakfast’s management team to get one of their premium rooms.”
My hand shoots out with lightning speed, smacking him across the cheek. His face turns instant crimson red, but the lawyer raises his arm to stop him from retaliating. “Remember what we discussed,” he tells Elijah. “If Ms. Snow decides to resort to violence, it’s only a disservice to her and no one else.”
“You are not taking my children away from me!”
“It’s out of your hands for now,” the lawyer says. “The police are on their way to make sure the transfer of custody is handled appropriately.”
“You can bring the entire United States Army down here, mister, but you are not taking my children away from me!” I scream at the top of my lungs. “I’m the one who carried them, who brought them into this world. I’m the one who’s been raising them by myself while this prick was busy cheating on me. He’s lonely and suddenly remembered he had a family. That’s all this is! His way of getting back at me because I wouldn’t welcome him with arms wide open.”
“Tell that to the court, Ms. Snow. I’m afraid you can’t do anything about it today,” the lawyer replies.
