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Mason runs back inside and a few moments later, I can hear his feet slapping against the hardwood and he returns with his favorite stuffed bunny.
“Here Daddy, Samuel always makes me feel better if I’m sad. You can have him until you feel better.” Mason places his stuffed bunny under my chin and then hugs me. I move my arms and keep one wrapped around Summer and wrap my other around Mason.
I take in a deep breath through my nose, close my eyes tight and then let out a shuddering breath.
No one is going to hurt my family.
The court orderis Marie asking for full custody and child support.
Currently, our agreement doesn’t have child support, as I pointed out the last time she mentioned it, that she would likely have to pay me, because annually she makes more money than I do, by barely anything. I pay my half of everything with Mason, so it’s not like I let her pay for everything. The whole co-parenting part of our relationship is almost non-existent unless Marie is pissed off at me. She likes to blame me for things that go wrong on her time and refers to me as the ‘fun parent’ when I’m anything, but that.
But now, she wants to take everything away from me, and that bullshit is just not going to fly. She has zero grounds for asking for full custody from me. I stay out of trouble, I have a steady job, and own my own home. There is not one black mark on my record which would suggest otherwise.
This whole recent development is simply because she doesn’t like that I’m dating someone.
That I’m with Summer.
That I am happy.
Fuck this. Fuck her. She will not take my son away from me.
I spenta week finding the perfect lawyer. My previous lawyer moved out of state, and was no longer practicing law here in California, so I asked around and finally landed on someone that was reputable with past clients.
I went back and forth in my emotions and did my best to reflect that I wasn’t internally going insane. Summer often asked how I was and I would smile and nod.
Mediation was next week and I was doing what I could to make sure that my plans for custody was well thought out. I had everything going for me, and she had no grounds to stand on. A mediator would see her claims as bullshit. I was planning to counter her paperwork with a change in my time with Mason, not out of spite, but I figure that I should have equal time with my son. That the relationship ending between us shouldn’t fully take me away from my son.
So, at the guidance of my lawyer, I mocked up two plans that I’m hoping will work. Marie won’t like this, and I’m not sure if we will be able to work it out in mediation, but I don’t see why not?
The morning comes, and I’m pacing the lobby of the courthouse. Summer is sitting on the bench by the water fountain watching me.
“You should sit down,” she says softly.
“I need to get the energy out while I can, I don’t want to go in there with all this pent up energy, it could be a dangerous situation.” I explain.
“I don’t think it will make a difference, you’re cocked and loaded. Walking back and forth won’t change that, take a seat, hold my hand and let me give you enough of my strength to help you.”
“You are a true hippy, you know that, right?” I smirk.
“Well, you already knew that getting involved with me,” she returns my smirk with one of her own, her dimple peeping out as she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.
I take a seat beside her, offer her my hand and let her give me whatever good vibes she thinks will transfer to me through our touch.
“You know, this is just a bump in the road, right?” she says bumping her shoulder into mine.
“I do. I’m just pissed that she can be so deceitful and petty.”
“You said that she thought you cheated, right?”
“Yeah, she thought that as soon as we got together, albeit years after she and I were together that you and I were secretly seeing one another. I think that’s where all this is stemming from. Despite anything that is said to her, she has this crazy idea just from what she saw recently.”
Marie and Connor, her boyfriend enter into the lobby, see us, and take a seat on the opposite side of the room. It’s almost go time and my nerves are stacked high. My knee is bouncing and I feel a sweat breaking out along my neckline.
The door opens to the mediation room and the mediation lawyer with the firm I hired motions me forward. I approach and shake her hand.
“Mr. Renner, just discuss as what we rehearsed, do not use your anger to fuel conversations and hopefully you will be the winner in the end.”
“And if not?” I ask quietly.
“If she doesn’t agree with your terms, then you will be working with my colleague on the trial end to fight for your case.”
“Right. And so, what you’re saying, just so I’m perfectly clear, I know for the millionth time, if we cannot come to an agreement, then court is the next step?”
“You are correct,” she states nodding.
“Thank you for your help with this,” I hold my hand out to shake hers again. She takes it, nods and goes to sit beside Summer.
