Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 98524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
“I was. I drove Eloise to the hospital and everything.”
“Okay, that’s good. That shows consistency.”
Cat cut in. “I’m sorry, but I have to ask. How can this guy just come in and try to take her away? She’s four years old now, and not once had he shown up before.”
“Well, Rafael claims that Javier’s wife may have purposely withheld that he could be the father, which means he never had a fair shot at raising Aleesa. Given the timing of it all, it makes sense that he would search for the truth—especially if he cared about Eloise. And now that the paternity results have proved he is Aleesa’s biological father, it gives him legitimation, which means he can request visitation and even custody rights.”
“That’s bullshit,” Cat muttered.
Christine was quiet a beat. “It is very much bullshit, but that’s the United States for you. The good thing is that we have been assigned a decent judge—one that looks at the best interest of the child and not so much biology. You have taken good care of Aleesa since she was born. You have the proof and four years of being a father under your belt. Aleesa, I’m sure, has been happy with you, and all she knows right now is that you are her dad. Introducing Rafael could potentially confuse her and lead to behavioral issues down the line, and that is the last thing the court wants for a child.
“Judge Dalton has a weak spot for children. She will only want the best for Aleesa, and anyone looking at this from the outside will know that Rafael getting any kind of long-term custody is harmful to Aleesa because he is a stranger to her. Custody, in my opinion, is out of the question. But visitation is a different beast, because if Rafael proves he is worthy enough for Aleesa to get to know on a personal level, the judge may insist that Rafael get the opportunity to visit her on a consistent basis.”
“I don’t want him to have anything with her,” I grumbled. “I could not look at that man every single time he came and be okay. He slept with my wife. He ruined my life once, and now he is trying to do it again.”
“I understand your frustrations, but sometimes that is the way things go, and I want you to be prepared for that, Javier. Okay?”
I clenched my jaw, hating that cold, hard truth.
“Until the hearing, I want us to focus on building the best case possible. So far, I believe we have a solid argument. You’ve been a primary caregiver for Aleesa, and the court takes into consideration the emotional bonds, stability, and whether the environment the child is being raised in is a comfortable one. You’ve provided all of that for her plus more. We need to show that removing her from your care would be disruptive and harmful.”
“So what do I need to do to fully prepare?” I asked.
“Right now, all you can do is practice being calm and patient. Judges appreciate and respect parents who put their children’s needs above their own. That means no lashing out, no public bashing, and definitely stay away from the media. Something tells me news about this will come out. Rafael may tell others, and that word will spread.”
“Damn it,” I hissed. “I do not need Aleesa mixed up with the media.”
“That will be frustrating, but the best you can do is keep yourself and Aleesa out of the public eye. Honestly, the fact that he came to your home and confronted you with such a sensitive matter proves that he is not fit to be in Aleesa’s life. It was unexpected and reckless, and very clear that he was trying to provoke and anger you. Nothing about that screams ‘stability’ to me.”
“Right,” I said, combing my fingers through my hair. “Well, if you think we have a solid case, fine. I’ll try to keep calm and focus on Leesa. When will we know the date of the hearing?”
“We should know within a couple of weeks. I will keep you updated as much as possible.”
“Great.”
“Wonderful.” Christine stood, and Catalina and I followed suit. When she escorted us out of the office, she smiled and said, “I’ll be in touch.”
Cat and I walked out of the building and headed to my car. Once I was behind the wheel and she was buckling herself in, I gripped the steering wheel with both hands and pressed my forehead to the top of it.
“Hey.” Cat rubbed a hand across my back. “You got this, hermano. You’ve survived so much. I have no doubt you’ll survive this too.”
“Sí,” I murmured, picking my head up. “It is just this life, Cat. It is so hard and so unfair. I know that many people have it much worse, but I do not understand why things can never be simple. First our piece-of-shit dad leaves us on our own, then I finally get some footing, find Eloise, but she ends up unhappy with me and then dying before we could fully fix it. And now there is Aleesa. What if she grows up, resents that I am not her real father, and would rather be with him?”