12. Chapter Eleven
Chapter Eleven
Five Weeks Later
***
W here is he?
Sky glanced at her watch again. Rafael was now thirty-seven minutes late. She caught the eye of the attorney waiting with her. Embarrassed, she apologized for the third time since arriving. “I’m so sorry. He’s always very punctual.”
But not today. Not when she needed him to be here on time.
Small resentments from the last few weeks bubbled to the surface. The muscles in her neck and shoulders tightened, and her anxiety ratcheted up so high her ears grew hot.
He was trying. He really was, and she recognized that.
But it wasn’t enough.
Rafael hadn’t mentioned another word about stepping back from work since that day in his office at the family’s Mexico estate. Instead, he had been flying back and forth between San Antonio and Guadalajara and wherever else his business took him. He came in late at night or left early in the morning, often only staying in San Antonio for three or four days before jetting off to wind up a deal or negotiate a new one or whatever it was that he did all day.
When he was home, Rafael turned off his phone and concentrated solely on Jasper. She would give him that. He really was trying to be involved as a paternal figure. He took Jasper on his runs and played with him in the neighborhood park. He handled baths and bedtime. He did middle-of-the-night wake-ups if he heard them, but he was often so exhausted he didn’t. She felt guilty waking him for help, especially considering how hard he worked, so she didn’t bother asking.
For now, Sky had accepted that her needs were the lowest priority. Jasper came first and then Rafael because the family business depended on him. What she needed and wanted had to come last. It wasn’t right, and it wasn’t fair.
But she accepted it and tried not to keep score with him.
What he didn’t seem to understand was that losing Jaime and Maddie meant that instead of playing a supporting role to his parents, she was now playing both roles by herself. All of the mental and emotional and physical load that had been shared by her sister and brother-in-law had been dropped on her shoulders.
And I’m not strong enough to carry it alone.
Showering. Eating. Shopping. Exercising. Cooking. Sleeping. Everything was on her. Jasper had been having sleep problems and was so clingy she could barely put him down for a minute before he started wailing. She didn’t blame him. He couldn’t help it. His whole world had been rocked, and he desperately wanted his mother and father.
His pediatrician had warned her the next few months would be difficult. Jasper would adjust, but it would be on his own time. She did whatever she could to make him feel loved and safe, even if that meant skipping self-care of even the most basic kind.
She hadn’t planned to take that Greek vacation, not after losing Maddie and Jaime, but it would have been nice if Rafael had at least asked her about it. She had canceled and lost all the money she’d spent. She didn’t care about the money, of course, but it was the principle. She always made a point to ask Rafael about work, about his family, if he needed her to do anything for him.
Did he reciprocate? Not really. Once or twice, he had made a point to send her away for a shower and a nap, but she suspected it was because he caught a whiff of her stinky pits or noticed her greasy, limp hair. He hadn’t even mentioned her books or what he was reading at all. Everything was work or Jasper.
Four days ago, she had brought up the idea of hiring some help. He had grown immediately defensive, insisting they could handle it.
“Beverly is dragging us to court. If we have to hire a nanny, she’s going to use that as ammunition against us,” Rafa had worried.
Instead, he had asked if Stacy, Maddie’s longtime housekeeper who came twice a week, could pitch in to help. When she had explained that childcare was way outside Stacy’s job description, he had been irritated. The conversation had ended there because, of course, his phone had started ringing and the call couldn’t be ignored.
“Sky.” Katherine Torre, the lead attorney on their custody battle, entered the office where they were waiting. “I’m sorry, but we really need to start the mediation.”
“Right. Um. Okay. Rafael will have to join us when he gets here.”
If he gets here...
Her legs trembled as she followed Katherine across the lobby to the elevator. She felt so out of place and uncomfortable in a law firm. Nothing in her closet looked even passably appropriate for a legal proceeding. Lola had finally convinced her to go into Maddie’s closet. She’d spent almost an hour crying among her sister’s wardrobe while flicking through the hangers and sending photos to Lola.
Eventually, they had settled on wide leg trousers, a blouse, belt and heels. The clothes fit well enough, but she felt like a little girl playing dress-up. She had hoped to feel closer to Maddie, to feel like she was there with her in spirit, but she felt like a fraud.
What if I mess this up?
What if I say something stupid?
What if I give Beverly the opening she needs to pounce and rip out my throat?
What if I lose Jasper?
Rafael had been to all the pre-mediation sessions with her. He had been the one who did most of the talking. He was comfortable in legal settings. He understood the system better than she did. He was calm and collected.
I need him.
And he abandoned me.
Just like everyone always does.
When they reached the correct floor, Sky followed Katherine to the mediation room. As soon as she entered, she caught the cloying scent of Beverly’s perfume saturating the air. She stood by a window, her hair expertly coiffed, her pantsuit perfectly tailored. Diamonds and gold glinted in the sunlight.
Sky’s breath caught in her throat when Beverly turned to face her. The older woman looked ready to kill.
Me.
She wants to kill me.
“Mrs. Farias, I am Mike Ramirez.” The older gentleman who would be mediating their case introduced himself. “I expected your husband to join us, but I understand he’s running late?”
“Yes. He was on a flight that seems to have been delayed.”
“Are there any mountain ranges between here and there?” Beverly cruelly asked her attorney. “Maybe foggy weather?”
“Beverly!” her attorney hissed.
“Ma’am,” Mike, the mediator, forcefully said. “We discussed this before we started. I was clear about the rules.”
“To hell with the rules! Where is my grandson?” Beverly demanded shrilly.
Before Sky could answer, Katherine smoothly interjected, “He’s with his nanny.”
“A nanny?” Beverly scoffed. “My daughter isn’t even cold in her grave, and you’ve pawned her son off on a nanny!”
“Beverly,” her attorney pleaded. “That’s not helpful.”
“I don’t care what’s helpful or not helpful. I care about my grandson that she stole from me!”
“Mrs. Farias did not steal your grandson,” Katherine calmly replied before gesturing toward an empty seat beside her. “She is the guardian chosen by Jaime and Maddie to raise their son in the event of their deaths.”
“Allegedly,” the opposing attorney cut in with a nervous glance in Beverly’s direction.
“Allegedly?” Mike repeated. “Are you accusing Mrs. Farias and her husband of forging documents?”
“Well, who knows what goes on down there!” Beverly shook off her attorney’s hand as he desperately tried to get her to sit down and stop talking. “They’re drug dealers.” She turned her wild eyes to the mediator. “Did you know that? Her sister-in-law? Dina. She was married to a drug cartel boss. That’s how her father and grandfather died. They were murdered by rivals. Do you really think my grandson is safe with those people?”
Sky’s stomach dropped as Beverly laid out all the lurid details of the Farias family and their unfortunate connections to narcos. It wasn’t exactly a family secret, but it wasn’t discussed. From what Sky had heard from Maddie, the family had nearly fractured after the deaths of their patriarchs. It had taken years for them to build back, and Dina had never forgiven herself for the mistake she had made in falling in love with a monster.
“I think that your grandson is safe with the guardian his parents chose for him,” Mike carefully stated. “And I think we should all take a deep breath and try to lower the temperature in this room. Let’s sit and discuss this like adults.”
“Like adults? She’s a child.” Beverly pointed at Sky in the most patronizing way. “Look at her! Wearing my daughter’s clothes. Pretending to be a mother. She barely graduated high school. She ran off and disappeared and panicked Maddie so badly that she hired a private investigator! Does that sound like a safe, responsible adult?”
“Beverly, please,” her lawyer begged. “This isn’t how mediations work.”
She shook off her lawyer’s hand. “I came here to get my grandson back. I didn’t come here to play happy families with this trashy little bitch.”
“Do not call my wife names!” Rafael’s booming voice startled the room. Collectively, they turned toward the door and saw him standing there, looking furious. “How dare you, Beverly!”
“How dare I?” Beverly shot right back. “You have a lot of nerve standing there, telling me how to behave!”
Sky’s heart leaped into her throat. She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t swallow. Her eyes were wide as fear took hold. Was this it? Was this when Beverly revealed all she knew? About that night in the garden? About whatever she had recorded on her phone?
“Someone needs to,” Rafael remarked disdainfully.
“Please,” Mike, the mediator, respectfully interrupted. “Can we not get into a back-and-forth? It’s not conducive to the process. We’re here to discuss what’s best for Jasper.”
“What’s best for my grandson is for him to be with me,” Beverly insisted. “I’m his grandmother. He’s my blood. I am the only one who wants what’s best for him.”
“I don’t think that’s true, Beverly,” Mike argued carefully. “Sky has been with him since the day he was born. She was asked to live with the family, to help raise him. She was chosen by Jaime and Maddie as a guardian. She was trusted by them. Rafael clearly cares very much for his nephew and for Sky. They’re providing him with a stable home and two loving—.”
“A stable home? You think she knows anything about a stable home life?” Beverly laughed derisively. “Ask her about her mother. Is that in your little stack of papers?” She gestured to the files on the table. “Her mother was a stripper and a cocktail waitress at a casino. She wrecked my home, stole my husband, and broke my daughter’s heart. She was a junkie who drowned herself in a swimming pool—.”
“We’re done,” Rafael loudly interjected. “Sky.” He held out his hand. “Let’s go.”
“Mr. Farias!” Mike tried to salvage the meeting. “We can get this back on track.”
“No, we can’t. I’m not going to allow this woman to insult my wife. I’m not going to force Sky to sit here and listen to the worst memories of her childhood being used against her.”
Torn between shame and fury, Sky silently rose from her chair. Her legs still trembled, and she was certain she would fall if she tried to walk too quickly. Rafael must have known because he walked over and slid his arm around her waist, supporting her.
“I’m sorry we wasted everyone’s time,” Rafael said, using his body to shield her from Beverly’s ire. “We’ll see you in court, Mrs. Van Cleef.”
“Go ahead! Take me to court!” Beverly shouted. “We’ll see who wins once we get in front of a proper judge. No one is going to take my grandson away from me!”
“Ignore her,” Rafael muttered. “Keep walking. Head high. Don’t look back.”
Sky did exactly as he instructed as he escorted her to the elevator. When the stainless-steel doors closed, he gently turned her and searched her face. “Are you okay, mi amor ?”
“Am I okay?” she fumed. “Am I okay, Rafael? Where were you?”
He winced. “I tried to get here. There were problems taking off, and then there was weather. It was a mess. I got here as quickly as I could.”
“Well, it wasn’t fast enough.” She stormed by him as the elevator doors opened. She crossed the lobby to the office where she had left her purse and other belongings. She snatched up both and stomped by Rafael right back to the elevator bank.
“Sky. Please.” In hushed tones, he sought her forgiveness. “I’m sorry.”
She ignored him and stepped right into the first empty elevator. When he tried to follow, she stabbed the button to close the doors. He scowled and shoved his hand in between them, forcing the doors to open so he could enter. She moved as far away from him as she could, letting the anger that radiated off her in waves act as a buffer.
But he wasn’t easily intimidated. As soon as the doors closed, he boxed her into the corner of the elevator. It wasn’t a move meant to scare or cow her. He wanted her to focus solely on him.
She tried not to look at his handsome face. She tried to keep her gaze glued to his button-down shirt, but the pull to stare into his eyes was too strong. She relented, letting herself take all of him in—the strong jaw, his mouth, that aquiline nose. She noticed a cut on his neck, probably from shaving. When she finally met his intense stare, she swallowed nervously.
Unable to contain her fears a moment longer, she blurted out, “Beverly’s right. I don’t know the first thing about a stable home or being a mother. My mother was an addict, and she hated me for ruining her life. My father never really liked me. I was a problem he solved by throwing money at it, but he always blamed me for ending his marriage. I’m nothing but—.”
“Stop,” Rafael commanded. “Not another word.”
She blinked up at him in confusion. Was he disgusted with her now that he knew the truth about the woman he had married?
“You are a selfless, kind, caring and compassionate woman.” He cupped her face and spoke each word carefully. “You are a wonderful, loving aunt, and Jasper is so lucky that you were chosen by his parents to raise him. And I still can’t believe you agreed to let me be your husband and your partner.”
He lowered his head as if he meant to kiss her. Her anger dissipated, and desperate need took hold. Kiss me. Please.
But the elevator dinged, and the doors opened, throwing them back into the public eye.