“Your Honor, my client would like to say something about these claims.”
“Go ahead, Mr. Miller.”
“Thank you, Judge Jones.” Standing, I buttoned my suit coat as I pulled myself to my full height. “May I see the picture?” She consented, handing it to the bailiff who brought it over. Instantly, Brittni started furiously whispering to her lawyer. Looking at the picture, I grinned.
“First, Your Honor, last night I only saw Levi at his hockey game. It was full with about a hundred or so people. I wasn’t even alone with him. When I saw him after the game, I gave him a hug in the hallway. I was accompanied by my friend, and Brittni’s husband, Larry, was there. I’ve joked with Levi about being Captain America, but I’m not, in fact, him. I’m in no way strong enough to have put these bruises on him in the brief seconds we hugged. I would argue that they were even from the hockey game, but that isn’t the case either. This picture is at least 2 years old and from when he went dressed up as a Dalmatian for Halloween. Except, I didn’t read the instructions properly, and the dye bled onto his skin. If you were to see the full picture, you’d see his costume in his hand, a bag of candy, and him laughing at being what he called ’a human Dalmatian.’ I never have, nor will I ever, lay hands on my son.”
I paused, emotion coursing through me as I thought about how much I loved Levi, and the thought of hurting him was so obscene. Clearing my throat, I returned my eyes to the judge. She watched me with a critical eye, but it wasn’t hard; if anything, it was understanding.
“I’m a good father, and the reports from the supervised visits can attest to that. I followed all the rules, had all the inspections necessary despite believing the claims against me were false. I’ve done everything and would do it a million times over for Levi because I love him, and I would never want to not be with him.”
“Thank you, Mr. Miller. I find your statement both compelling and interesting.” She turned and addressed the other side, where Brittni still furiously tried to get her lawyer’s attention. His jaw was tight, but he ignored her. Smugly, I sat down, a smile on my face that it was almost over.
“Mr. Kimpton?”
“Yes, Your Honor?”
“Is Mr. Miller’s claim true about the extent of his interaction with the minor?”
“Yes, Ma’am. I was there the whole time. In the brief time I’ve been married to Brittni, I’ve never seen Monroe do anything I would consider neglectful or harmful. He’s a good father, as he states.”
“Thank you. I’m surprised you’re willing to go against your wife’s claims.”
“Yes, well. It seems my wife might be the one who needs to be under review and not Mr. Miller.”
“I see.” She looked shocked at his admittance before addressing Brittni. “Mrs. Kimpton, some strong accusations and reasons for doubt have been brought to my attention today. What do you have to say for yourself?”
“I’m just a concerned parent, Your Honor, and want the best for my son. I don’t believe Monroe is a good father. The people he’s kept company with and exposed Levi to are awful people, and how he flaunts his sexuality is just perverse. I don’t want Levi to be around it. I stand by my claims. I want full custody.”
“Hmm. I see.”
“Counselor, do you have any advice to give your client to drop her claims?”
“No, Your Honor. She is set on keeping them.”
“Very well.”
“Counselor,” she directed toward Brandon this time, “do you have anything else to add?”
“Yes, Judge, we do. We would like to petition to close this case against Mr. Miller and open a case against Mrs. Kimpton for full custody. We have documentation spanning the past four years which demonstrates that my client has been the custodial parent and the one involved in Levi’s life more than Mrs. Kimpton. We’ve filed papers with the Court this morning to bring a claim against Mrs. Kimpton for defamation of character. We’ve also passed documentation to the relevant federal agencies demonstrating that Mrs. Kimpton has committed multiple counts of fraud and tax evasion. I believe there are federal agents waiting outside the Courtroom to speak with her when we’re finished here.”
The courtroom was quiet for a minute before everything erupted. Brittni began screaming, to the point the judge had to yell “order” and have her taken away for contempt when she wouldn’t stop. Once she was gone, the judge looked at us, and I didn’t know if I imagined it, but she smiled briefly at how the tables had turned.
“Mr. Miller, I grant your request to dismiss this case. I will also be speaking with the District Attorney to recommend adding charges of obstruction of justice in the case and falsifying evidence. I will expedite your request for full custody. We need more fathers like you, Mr. Miller. Have a good day. Dismissed.”
The gavel slammed down, and I sat back, the bang sealing the confirmation I needed this time. The sound echoed around my head, validating the hope within. The Komodo simmered, smirking at having watched Brittni self-destruct like she did. He stepped back into the darkness, knowing I didn’t need that part of myself at the moment. It felt nice to know I could be strong without losing myself in his depths. It wasn’t a ’this or that’ situation. I could be both at once.
Brandon nudged me, the sound around me returning as I relaxed, smiling up at him in appreciation. “Thanks, man. I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect ending.”
“You’re welcome. But I feel like you did most of the work.” Shrugging, I didn’t care. Levi was coming home.
“Does that mean you won’t charge me by the hour then?” I joked.
“Funny.” He packed his stuff, patting me on the shoulder as he walked by. “Congrats on getting your son back.”
Nodding, I placed all the information I had back in the file and noticed Larry was waiting for me. “Hey, Larry. Thank you for what you said.”
He nodded, shaking my hand. “Thank you for the information you gave me. I could’ve lived with the affairs, but her trying to steal my money and put me at risk of losing everything, I couldn’t stand for that. Plus, I meant what I said to the judge. You’re a good father, and Levi’s a good kid. He should be with you, even if I am going to miss him. Let me know when you want to stop by and grab his stuff.”