Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Leighton
“Ask him whether he’s a boxers or briefs guy for me.” Callie laughs.
I click over to the other call. “Hi, this is Leighton.”
“Hey, Leighton, Mark Notting here. I’ll get right to it. You know I track my hours, so I don’t want to waste minutes and have your bestie come to my office to tell me off.”
“Aren’t we wasting them now?”
He chuckles, and I’m glad he got my humor. “Fair point. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but someone has come forward and contested you being the guardian.”
All the comfort I felt in getting to connect with my best friend splats against the ground, gasping for air.
My mind spins. I know who it is before he has to tell me.
If it were Aunt Iris, my mom, or Patrick’s dad, they would’ve had the decency to tell me themselves. It has to be Art and the she-devil.
“It’s Art and his wife, Julianna.” Mr. Notting confirms my worst fear. “So now the process changes. We go to court, and the judge will appoint temporary custody while an investigation is done.”
My stomach lurches and I swallow back bile. “An investigation?”
Does that mean visits from social workers, people looking into my finances? Shit, I have six loads of laundry to do, and I hope the store I bought my vibrator from online has a discreet company name on my credit card statement.
“What does that entail?” I should get specifics before my head travels too far away from my body.
“It means you’d better get your ducks in a row because you’re going to have to prove that you’re the fittest guardian for the dependents.”
All my concerns from the past month flood back like a tsunami of doubt.
Every mistake I’ve made with the kids, every moment I got wrong or thought I could’ve done better.
The slammed doors from Lake, Monroe throwing fits on the floor, Lincoln and that damn ball…
all of my horrible parenting moments rush back.
Hell, maybe they don’t even want me to raise them?
Of course the judge will find me unfit. I’m barely functioning.
Julianna can quit her job if she needs to.
And if she doesn’t, they’re a two-income family.
How can I compete with that? Sky will haunt me if I lose the kids and allow them to be raised by Julianna.
She never had anything nice to say about her.
“Okay, listen,” Mr. Notting says, “I can tell your head’s racing.
There are a lot of factors to be considered.
It’s not just about being married versus single.
The parents’ wishes will hold a lot of sway over the judge.
Skylar and Patrick left the kids to you—so don’t panic.
Nothing about them says they’re better than you. ”
I actually find comfort in his little pep talk, and I’m not sure I thought he had it in him, in truth.
“I know you love them, Leighton,” he says, “and we’re going to do everything we can to make sure they remain with you. Court will likely be next week. Be prepared to make it clear that you want the kids.”
“I do,” I say. “I told you I do.”
“I know. Just make sure the judge knows too. Relax and sit tight. I’ll call my colleague, and we’ll get things in motion. I’ll keep you updated.”
“Okay. Thanks for calling.”
“Of course. I’ll be in touch. You’ll need to put down a retainer for your new counsel. If you don’t like my colleague, you can interview whomever you like.”
“Okay. Whatever I have to do.”
“Sit tight. I’ll call soon.”
“Okay. Bye. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
I hang up with Mr. Notting and switch back to my call with Callie. She’s mid-conversation with someone in the room with her.
“Hey,” I say, my tone a stark difference from before.
“Hey! Sorry—bestie bitch time. See you later,” she says to whoever’s with her, then returns to our conversation. “What’s up? Did you find out what he’s wearing under those expensive suit pants?”
“No.”
She must hear it in my voice because she drops the teasing. “What did he say?” I don’t even have to tell her. She knows. “They contested. They want them.” She makes a noise that sounds a lot like a growl. “Art and Julianna?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. That’s fine. They can want them. Doesn’t mean they’ll get them. You’re going to get them because you’re the best person for the job. That’s it. End of story.”
Callie sounds so sure. I wish I had her confidence in my abilities. If she’d been here this past month, she might think differently.
“When’s the court date? I can rearrange my schedule.”
“No, Callie. Stop. You’re not rearranging your schedule. This tour has been planned for months. You’re staying, you’re rocking it. By the way, I’ve been following along—you’re amazing. I know I haven’t been the best cheerleader lately, but I’m so proud of you. You stay put.”
“My parents are coming back from Ireland soon.”
“Stop it, Callie. I can handle this. Please stop recruiting your family.”
“But you shouldn’t have to do this alone. It’s my guilt.”
I know I’d be the same. If her life blew up and she had as many balls in the air as I do, I’d want to ditch all of my shit to be there next to her, but her podcast going on tour is way too big an opportunity for her to give up. She’s worked for too many years to make this dream happen.
“I can handle it,” I say again.
“Leighton, I know you can, but you shouldn’t have to.”
“I’ll be okay.” I think for a moment. Another ambulance’s siren blares as it gets closer to the hospital. Someone is having a much worse day than me. “Whatever you do, do not tell your brother, okay? I can handle this. I’m used to doing everything myself.”
“Isn’t that the problem though?” Callie asks.
I ignore her comment. I’m not in the mood to self-diagnose. “All right, Callie, let’s talk about something else. Tell me about the podcast.”
She’s quiet for a moment. She doesn’t want to tell me how good her life is while mine’s falling apart. But I want her to. I need to live through her if I’m ever going to survive this.
“Please,” I say softly.
She’s only silent for a few more seconds before she dives in, telling me everything, but with a little less gusto than I would’ve thought. Her life sounds so magical, so bright. I wish I could have a Freaky Friday with her, just for one day.
But I’m also so proud of her. She’s worked hard. She deserves all of the success she’s getting. I have to believe that one day I’ll be right alongside her—both of us living happy, fulfilled lives.
In this moment, it’s tough to picture though.