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"Well, she did leave, so you do have a strong case when it comes to maintaining full custody. However, it may make things easier if you allow for visitation," Charles offers, and I blanch at the idea.
"Why? So she can make my son feel unwanted again?" I ask, the anger continuing to rise in me as I think about how she left.
Leaving me was one thing. But leaving Archer?
"I understand. We'll fight for you to keep full custody, but you may have to accept the fact that at the least, Jessica may get visitation. At worst, she could get joint custody. What I need from you right now, though, is not to do anything that could give the court a reason to do that. Do things as usual until this is all over. Got it?" His words do little to make me feel better.
"Got it," I grumble, ending the call.
Walking around to my desk, I slump into the chair and lean my head against the wood. This is my nightmare coming to life.
I don't want joint custody. Hell, I don't even want Jessica to have visitation rights. She said herself that she didn't want to be a mother, and I don't understand how that could have changed in the span of a couple of months.
Even if it did, what's stopping her from deciding that she doesn't want to be a parent again? Archer will be hurt twice.
All I can do now is take Charles's advice. No controversies, no mess-ups, and no dating. I need to focus on being the best dad I can be.
CHAPTER3
MONICA
We have four room keys here," my dad announces as he passes out keycards. The drive took us three hours. I rode in the back of my parents' car, sleeping the entire time.
"Come on, Dad," I hear Archer whine, tugging on Jared's hand and bursting with excitement. It kicks us all into gear as we head out of the lobby to find where we're staying. Our parents splurged this year on a private cabin. Being single and all grown up earned me a room all to myself.
Getting into the house, I'm struck by how nice it is. "Why doesn't everybody head to their rooms to settle in and then meet back here in an hour?" my mom suggests with a radiant smile on her face.
"Very nice, Dad," Tyler comments as he leads his family upstairs.
The walls are made from logs, and the high ceilings and the stone fireplace add to the rustic feel of the cabin. But the updated features, such as a kitchen filled with stainless steel appliances and a flat-screen TV on the mantle above the fireplace in the main room, make a modern and luxurious statement.
My room has a queen-sized bed with perfectly made white sheets, colorful decorative pillows, and a bouquet of yellow flowers on the dresser. Our parents really went all out for the thirty-fifth North/Mitchell family trip.
A door located by the dresser surprises me. I'm shocked when I find that it leads into a small sitting area, which I assume connects my room with another. I watch as the door on the opposite side of the room opens, the sight of the person walking in causing me to narrow my eyes.
"Archer, look…" Jared trails off as his eyes land on me.
I sneer as I look at Jared. "Great. Just what I needed."
"You should be happy; this is your lucky day. There are many women who would love to be in your position," he retorts with a smirk, sizing me up from head to toe.
I scoff at the thought. "There must be something wrong with them."
I quickly soften my expression as Archer walks in. "Come on, guys. We need to get ready," he asserts, grabbing onto his father's hand and tugging it.
"On it," I tell him happily, shooting one last glare at Jared as I turn around to walk back into my room. I figure I have a few minutes to lay down before I change into my new ski outfit.
After scrolling through my phone for about twenty minutes, I reluctantly get up to get dressed. I layer up with long underwear and thick socks before slipping into my snug ski pants.
Unsurprisingly, I am the last one to show up when I get downstairs. "Finally," I hear Jared mutter under his breath.
I don't bother engaging with him. It's going to be a long day.
We all head to the rental place, and it takes a lengthy amount of time for our party of eleven to get everything we need. However, we quickly get the gear on.
The snow covering the mountains of the Berkshires is crisp. Despite the number of people skiing and snowboarding, the slopes are pristine. As we step outside, we make a beeline for the ski lift. We choose a blue slope that is fun enough for the adults while not too challenging for the kids. While Jared is the best skier here, everyone else knows the routine, having gone enough times.
We board the ski lift two-by-two, starting with my parents, followed by Jared’s parents, then Tyler and Lyla, and then Maria and Caden. When the next chair arrives, I plan to hop on it by myself. However, the attendant looks at me expectantly as Jared and Archer wait, prompting me to move forward with them. As the chair arrives, it sweeps the three of us up, Jared and I on either side of Archer.
