“I knew it,” Marcus said. “You’re drinking again, aren’t you? You don’t even know what’s going on with your own -”
“No, I’m not,” Laura cut him off. “I’ve been out of town for a couple of days on a case. I’m just getting in now. I haven’t heard anything about any judge.”
“Your custody hearing that you want so desperately,” Marcus said. There was more than a hint of animosity in his voice. He clear
ly resented being taken to court – not that he’d ever given her any choice. “It’s been scheduled for a couple of weeks from now.”
Laura’s mind raced through the possibilities. A custody hearing. She would be up for partial custody if she could prove to the judge that she was a fit mother. Maybe even joint custody, especially if there was any speck at all on Marcus’ reputation. She had never doubted his ability as a father, except in one area: the fact that he had stopped her from seeing her daughter.
“Um, so,” Laura said, trying to fight her way through the chaos in her mind and stay present. “When do you want me to come over?”
“You can come as soon as you like,” Marcus said. “Only for a couple of hours, Laura. I mean it. After what you did, you’re lucky I’m even giving you this much. If you don’t bring her back…”
“I know, I know,” Laura said, guilt boiling like poison in her stomach. “I really have changed, Marcus. I mean it. This is the right thing to do. I’m not going to let Lacey down this time.”
“We’ll see,” Marcus said. “Just get yourself over here. I’m getting Lacey ready to go out.”
He ended the call, and Laura leaned forward in her seat, her eyes analyzing the GPS. She saw where they were, how far from Marcus and Lacey. There wasn’t any time to lose, and she wasn’t going to waste it on going home and getting changed. She was suddenly more grateful than she might ever have expected for being able to sleep on the plane.
“Excuse me,” she called out. “There’s been a change of plans. I need you to take me to a different address – as quickly as you can.”
The driver glanced at her in the rearview mirror, and even in that quick glance she saw that he had been eavesdropping on her side of the conversation. That he understood, in some small way at least, what was at stake. “Yes, ma’am,” he said, changing lanes at her direction. “We’ll get you there as fast as possible.”
***
Laura blinked back the tears, trying to hold herself together as tightly as possible. She couldn’t let Lacey see how she felt to be saying goodbye after so short a time.
“Alright, darling,” she said, crouching down beside the car. “Will you give your mom a hug?”
Lacey sprang forward into her arms, burying her tiny head against Laura’s chest. Her arms barely managed to go around Laura’s sides. Laura wrapped her own arms around Lacey as tightly as she could, squeezing and kissing the top of her head.
“Can we have a tea party next time?” Lacey asked, her voice muffled.
“Yes, of course,” Laura told her. “But you liked the park, didn’t you? And the swings?”
“Yeah, Mom. I liked it when you pushed me.”
Laura squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted so badly to never let go. She could have picked Lacey back up and put her in the car. Right now, Marcus didn’t have full custody. They were technically still both her parents in all the rights of the law. That was why she’d had to call the hearing – because he wasn’t letting her see her daughter, and he disputed that she should be allowed to, and it was all such a mess.
But for right now, at least, Laura could hold her daughter tightly and try to remember this moment, to make it tide her over until the next time. She wouldn’t take her and run, even if no one could have legally stopped her. Marcus was watching them from the doorway, and as much as Laura felt a deep and physical pain to have to part from Lacey again, she wanted to do this right. She needed to prove to Marcus that she had changed. That she was a worthy co-parent. That she wasn’t going to let Lacey down, or do stupid, rash, reckless things because of the drink.
She had to show that she was willing to be the mature and sensible adult, until the court told her she had the right to see her daughter a certain number of times a week.
When they gave her that, they would be giving her everything.
“Alright,” Laura said. She kissed Lacey on top of the head one more time and stood up, turning her and pushing her small body towards her father, because she needed the end part to be over now. “I love you so much, Lacey.”
“Love you, Mom!” Lacey called over her shoulder as she raced up the short path to the front door, barreling inside past her waiting dad.
Marcus Amargo was still just as handsome as he had been the day he and Laura first met. His curly, dark hair was worn in a mess on top of his head, a little overdue for a cut, but his facial hair was as finely chiseled into designer stubble as ever. Eyes that seemed to shift blue to brown depending on the light contrasted against his tanned skin and the pale blue shirt he was wearing, open at the collar and with the sleeves rolled up, like he’d come from work and not bothered to change.
“You had a good time?” he said. Not to Lacey, but to Laura.
“Yes,” she said. “Marcus, thank you. I…”
“Don’t,” he said, roughly. He pushed himself off from leaning on the door frame, reaching to step inside and close it. “I’ll call you.”
He left Laura standing on the pavement alone, until all she could do was get back in her car and try to process the day. She was about to start the engine and drive off when her phone rang, and seeing Chief Rondelle’s name on the screen, she stopped to answer it.