Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
TRUST ISSUES
Four Months Later…
“Iunderstand that we are gathered here today regarding the matter of visitation for Shalice Sipes and her niece, one minor infant child, Iara Hale Blackmoor,” Judge Barker announced, peering out at everyone over his thin framed glasses.
Seated beside their attorney, Coast glanced in Shalice’s smug direction with venom in her eyes.
She didn’t know this bitch, but she knew she didn’t like her.
She’d been doing her best to keep it cool during these proceedings.
It had been four long months of getting a continuance until she finally faced the inevitable.
Shalice wasn’t going to let up on her or Mozzi.
“Yes, your honor.” Shalice’s attorney, Martin Buford, stood beside her.
She opted not to represent herself since she wasn’t a family lawyer.
“My client is seeking visitation with her niece since her brother is no longer here to be a part of her life. She has also made claims that Mrs. Blackmoor is unfit to raise the infant.”
“On what grounds?” The judge queried, flipping through the paperwork in front of him.
“I have reviewed the case thoroughly. We cannot base these accusations on the fact that Ms. Sipes simply does not care for the defendant. The child has been in her mother and father’s care since the day she was born. I don’t see any complaints—”
“With all due respect, your honor, my brother is that baby’s father. Not Moses Blackmoor. He’s a criminal. I don’t want my niece growing up around that element.”
“Well, Ms. Sipes, Mrs. Blackmoor has submitted evidence of her own pertaining to your brother’s criminal record. One would say that maybe he wasn’t a civilized citizen himself, no?” Judge Barker suggested, silencing her.
Shalice shot daggers toward Coast, who had the support of her husband behind her in the seats.
Mozzi wasn’t worried about shit as he scrolled through his phone.
Shalice wasn’t getting what she wanted. She had him all the way fucked up.
Supervised visitation was as far as he was willing to take this, and that was a stretch.
“My brother is dead! And I’m pretty sure her husband is the reason why!”
“Do you have any evidence that can back up this claim?” the judge queried.
“No, but—”
“Then it is unfounded,” he declared. “I understand being upset and wanting a relationship with your family. So, I am suggesting a visitation schedule. Twice a month, with supervision, and a mediator will be assigned to the case to assist with setting up the schedule between the two of you. For the sake of the child, I hope that the adults in her life can come to some kind of amicable agreement.”
“Supervised?” Shalice repeated, an incredulous frown crowding her face.
“For now. We can revisit other options at a later date, say one year from today.”
“A year!” Shalice spat. “How is that fair?”
“Ms. Sipes, the child is an infant. Her well-being and care are tied up in her mother right now. There is no reason to believe that Mr. and Mrs. Blackmoor are a threat in any way. Therefore, you need to respect their position and figure out if holding a grudge is more important than having a relationship with the child. As I said, we can reconvene in one year. If anything changes, you may petition the court for another hearing. Are we clear?” Judge Barker looked between the two parties and their attorneys.
Shalice looked like she wanted to spit fire.
Although Coast hated having to allow her child around the woman, she was glad that it would all be supervised, and she only had to deal with her a few times a month.
Satisfied with the results, Mozzi peered over at Iara sleeping soundly in her car seat beside him.
She’d slept through the entire thing with her purple binky dangling from her mouth.
Judge Barker banged his gavel and dismissed them. Sighing, Coast stood, swiping the pleated pants leg of her two-piece ivory suit and sighed.
“So, that’s it?” she asked, looking to their attorney, Lincoln Byers, expectantly.
“As of now, yes.” Lincoln nodded.
He was older, maybe early fifties, very debonair in his Tom Ford suit and Rolex on his wrist. Coast got street vibes from him, but Lincoln concealed it well with his Ivy League education.
“This is a win, Coast. A compromise. You think you can manage that?” he asked, hiking a brow as Mozzi stood with the handle to Iara’s car seat in his hand.
“I guess. I just don’t trust her.”
“This is the reason for the supervised visits. I understand your concerns. When I get the information for your mediator, I will reach out to you so you can prepare to set up a schedule for Shalice to see Iara. It can be neutral ground. You don’t have to invite her into your home or anything like that. ”
“She wasn’t welcome anyway,” Coast muttered. “Thanks for everything.”
“I’ll be in touch.” Lincoln nodded to both her and Mozzi and excused himself.
“You ready?” Mozzi looked at his wife.
She peered down at her beautiful sleeping baby girl in her pink and white two-piece Dior set and forced a smile over her lips.
Sleep deprived and nursing, Coast was more than ready to take off the heels, makeup, and everything else so she could throw on some sweats and relax.
She felt like she’d been walking in a fog over the last few months.
The doctor warned her about possible postpartum depression, but she chopped that up to some bullshit.
She told herself every day that she was fine, but sometimes she looked at Iara, and aside from breastfeeding, didn’t feel much of a connection to her.
She adored Mozzi, though. He could get her to stop crying instantly and make her smile.
Coast felt like she was always doing something wrong.
“What’s wrong?” Mozzi steered them along toward home and glanced at his wife staring out the window like she had a lot on her mind.
She’d been very withdrawn lately. He knew the custody shit was fucking with her.
Dr. Thorne had warned them about postpartum symptoms, but he didn’t give it much thought because Coast seemed to be fine other than sleeping a lot.
She wasn’t in much of a mood to go out lately.
Even today, she had to mentally prepare herself for this court appearance.
Now he was wondering if it was more than the stress from having to deal with Shalice.
“Nothing. I’m just tired,” she mumbled, keeping her eyes focused on what was going on outside her window.
“Trouble, a nigga know you better than you think. Talk to your man.”
“I said I’m fine, Moses,” she huffed.
“Why you can’t look at me then?”
“What you want me to say?” Coast whipped her head in his direction, eyes ready to fill with tears. “This woman that I don’t even know, and who clearly thinks very little of me, is trying to demand access to my fucking child! How you think I feel?”
“That’s why I’m asking. You bottling all that shit up ain’t good for you.”
“What else am I supposed to do?”
“Tell me how you feel, so we can figure this shit out together,” Mozzi countered. “You should already know how I’m coming behind you and our daughter.”
Coast softened. Every time he called Iara theirs it warmed her heart, but she couldn’t help the fear it put in her when she thought about Shalice trying to turn her baby against her.
She knew that Iara was only four months old, so that was pretty much impossible right now, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t attempt to do so in the future.
Sipes was poison, and she got bad vibes from his sister too.
Enough to know that she couldn’t trust her around her child.
She trusted her husband to do exactly what he said, because he’d never let her down.
It was herself she couldn’t quite get a grip on.
She’d been overly anxious and stressed for weeks now, and it only seemed to grow worse.
Since the day they got that subpoena, she’d been dreading this day in court.
Now that it was gone, she had something new to worry about.
“I know.” She finally forced a smile on her face as Mozzi pulled up to their home and parked.
“Me and Kong heading up to Premier to get Moose today. You gon’ be good, or you need me to stay?” he asked, leaning against the middle console and studying her pretty but perplexed face.
“I’m good. Go get your brother. I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you. Besides, Inari was supposed to be coming by to chill for a bit. “
With Ayla gone, Inari hadn’t been the same.
After the funeral, and still not being able to locate that bitch, Mira, she had to try and distract herself with something.
She adored Iara and spending time with her, which Coast was grateful for.
When Mozzi wasn’t around, she couldn’t lie and say she didn’t sometimes feel overwhelmed with their baby girl, like she had no clue what to do with her.
“Aight. You want me to bring dinner back?”
“I would love a lobster, some of those garlic mashed potatoes, and asparagus from Ocean Prime,” Coast requested.
“I got you.” Mozzi sloped forward to kiss her soft lips.
Moaning against his mouth, Coast eased her tongue inside so the two could properly say goodbye to one another.
With his hand on the back of her neck, he brought her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her.
Coast straddled him, middle growing wet as his dick sprouted to the occasion beneath her.
He knew how to get her in the mood with little effort by being his usual supportive self.
“You take really good care of us.” Coast pulled back and searched his electrifying eyes, which were always filled with so much admiration for her, no matter how she looked.
“Just doing my job. You and that little girl back there own my entire heart.” With one last soft peck, the two parted ways and got out of the car.