Page 93 of Unexpectedly You
“Yeah?”
“She’s ready and it’s nearly time to go.”
I take Arianna, and then pull Jay towards my chest. I kiss Arianna’s cheek, making her giggle with my beard, and then I kiss Jay’s lips, once and then again, feeling more like a goodbye than I’ll see you later.
At the door, Arianna is crying, and Jay and I have our eyes full of tears. The others in the room are not important, only us, our small circle, is the focus of our attention.
I give Arianna to Kai, and pull Jay into my arms. We hug, a hug that doesn’t leave any space between us, and I shiver when he kisses my neck.
“I love you, babe.” It’s a whisper in my ear, but it makes my body and my soul sing.
“Come back to me, Angel,” I whisper in his, and then pull away just slightly. The kiss I give him t conveys the extent of my love, my passion, and the need I have for him.
Once we separate, I take his face in between my palms, and when our eyes lock, I say to him, “I’ll see you later.” A promise, a wish, and a plea.
What he says to me has the power to make me put one foot in front of the other, and walk away to do what needs to be done. “Being saved by you was the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I love you with all my heart. I’ll be yours forever, no matter what happens today.”
A clerk appears, my gut telling me it’s our turn. “Case of Taylor versus Taylor.”
I was right. Once again I wish I’d changed my surname. I stand on unsteady legs, my pulse hammering in my ears.
The judge inside seems so stern, and my fears grow exponentially, because even if I’m wearing a suit, I’m sure my tattoos are not going unnoticed.
We shuffle in and take a seat at the small table.
The judge glances up from the paperwork in front of him. “Let’s begin. I’ve reviewed the CAFCASS letter.”
My parents’ solicitor rises first, as expected. “We’re still very concerned about Mr Taylor’s lifestyle, Your Honor.” And he points at me to make sure they know who he’s referring to. “We believe the child would be better if placed with her grandparents.”
“What’s concerning you?”
“He works long hours, and he has male friends we don’t approve of. His job is as a tattooist, so he comes into contact with a lot of shady people. His house is also his workplace, and it’s not the environment, in our opinion, a child should be raised in.”
My blood is evaporating, that’s how much I’m fuming right now. They’ve been there… how many times? Twice, in over twenty years. They really don’t have any shame.
My lawyer’s hand comes to rest on my arm, and that reminds me I don’t have the luxury to lose my shit in here.
I turn to him and nod, and then take a deep breath to make my lungs work again.
“Are you saying there’s been harm to the baby? Neglect? Any risk to the child?
My mum gets there before her lawyer can. “He’s gay.” Her face and voice is as disgusted as it can be. “Of course there’s harm for my niece to stay with that man.”
Her lawyer’s eyes are as big as oranges, and the judge’s are not far off, but he regains composure quicker.
“We talked about this,” the lawyer says in a hushed tone to my mum, who’s still oblivious to the fact that she just came out as homophobic.
No pun intended.
The judge looks at the lawyer, still waiting for the lawyer to answer. “No,” she says quietly. “But we don’t think—”
“Thank you.” The judge interrupts her, gently but firmly.
Now it’s our turn, and my lawyer stands, composed. “Your Honour, the CAFCASS has found no concerns. The GP has confirmed the baby is healthy. My client has done everything necessary to provide daily care and a safe home environment. The applicants have shown no evidence of risk, only doubtful personal preferences.”
I want to jump up and kiss my lawyer, but I’m still pretending to be a calm and collected person, even if the suit and tie my lawyer insisted I wear are suffocating me.
“Duty of the court is the welfare of the child, not the personal preference of the grandparents.”