Chapter 39
Fifty-Four
Gavin
Andi's testimony went by faster than I would have thought possible.
I couldn't take my eyes off her as she returned to her seat, her family closing ranks around her immediately.
The urge to vault over the courtroom barrier and be by her side was overwhelming—to hold her, whisper how brilliantly she'd handled herself, apologize for dragging her into this mess.
Instead, I remained frozen in place, separated by a simple wooden rail that might as well have been the Atlantic.
Then I heard my name being called.
"The respondent calls Gavin Byrne to the stand."
My legs felt unsteady as I stood. I'd testified before. I’d been in depositions and in trial as an expert witness for my firm. Even during my divorce. But this felt different. This felt like I was standing up for my daughter's future and for my life with Andi. Everything that mattered.
I raised my right hand, took the oath, and sat. In the gallery, I saw mostly the kind and loving eyes of Andi's family, but I refused to look at Rebecca, knowing that even a glimpse of that lying witch would enrage me.
Victor approached with that same calm confidence he'd shown all day. "Mr. Byrne, thank you for being here. I know this has been difficult."
I nodded, swallowing against the dryness in my throat.
Victor guided me through the preliminaries.
He asked me about my position at the architecture firm, my education, and how long I'd known Andi before we started dating.
All the groundwork that had been laid during Andi's testimony.
Finally, Victor's questioning shifted toward the reason we were all packed into this stuffy courtroom.
"Mr. Byrne, Ms. Walsh testified that she was concerned about Ms. Doyle's presence in Charisse's life. Did you discuss your relationship with Ms. Doyle with Ms. Walsh?"
"Yes. She knew I was seeing Andi. We'd discussed it."
"Did she express concerns at that time?"
"General ones. She said she worried Charisse would get attached if things didn't work out. Nothing specific. She never said anything about the things she said today about Andi."
"Mr. Byrne, did Ms. Walsh ever suggest to you that you should reconcile?"
"Yes. At the lunch where we discussed the summer custody arrangement. She suggested that we spend time together as a family. That she could stay over at my house. That we could figure things out."
"And how did you respond?"
"I told her no. That I was in a serious relationship and that wasn't going to happen."
"Did she accept that?"
"No. She tried to kiss me. That's when Andi arrived."
"And it was after this lunch, after you made clear you weren't interested in reconciling, that the formal petition appeared?"
"Yes."
"Mr. Byrne, when Ms. Walsh was dating David Fletcher, did she discuss that relationship with you before involving Charisse?"
"No. I found out Charisse had met David after the fact."
"Did you object?"
"No. It was her decision to make during her parenting time. I trusted she wouldn't put Charisse in an unsafe situation."
"So you extended her that same courtesy regarding Ms. Doyle?"
"Yes. I did."
"Mr. Byrne, you mentioned Ms. Walsh introduced Charisse to David after six weeks of dating. Is that correct?"
"Yes."
"And you waited six months before introducing Ms. Doyle to Charisse as your girlfriend. Why?"
I cleared my throat. "Honestly, Andi and I were still figuring out what we were in the early months.
" I glanced toward where she sat with her family, their eyes on me.
"When it became clear we were serious, introducing her to Charisse felt like the right next step.
I wanted Charisse to meet her as someone important, not as a casual acquaintance. " My voice softened on the last words.
"And the introduction itself, how did you approach it?"
"Carefully. We did it in a public setting, and Andi brought her niece so Charisse would have another kid there. It was low pressure, and it went well."
"Did Charisse ever express fear around Ms. Doyle?"
"No. The opposite, actually. She's excited when she knows she'll see Andi. And her family too."
"Mr. Byrne, when did you first learn about the specific allegations Ms. Walsh made regarding Ms. Doyle?"
"When I received the custody petition. Out of nowhere, Rebecca was claiming Andi had been stalking her; meanwhile, I knew that she was the one who had confronted Andi." My voice hardened. "None of her claims were true."
Victor paused. "Mr. Byrne, did Ms. Walsh's relationship with David Fletcher end recently?"
"Yes. I believe her divorce went through recently. It was shortly before she filed the petition."
"Do you currently provide child support?"
"Yes. I do, per our agreement. Since the start of summer, Charisse has been with me full-time while Rebecca looked for a place with room for both of them. I continued paying support during that time."
"If Ms. Walsh were awarded primary custody, would that change the support arrangement?"
"Yes. Significantly. She'd be entitled to much more."
"Does Ms. Walsh typically follow the custody schedule as written?"
"Objection. Relevance," Mitchell said.
"Your Honor, this goes directly to whether Ms. Walsh genuinely wants more time with Charisse or whether this petition is financially motivated."
Judge Weston nodded. "Overruled. The witness may answer."
I took a breath. "No. She doesn't follow it.
She should have Charisse every other weekend during the school year and most of the summer.
But she frequently cancels weekends entirely, asks to pick Charisse up late or drop her off early, and shortens the summer schedule.
This has been happening for years. Then this summer, she not only asked to have Charisse stay with me, but since June she's only seen Charisse a handful of times. "
"Do you have documentation of these changes?"
"Yes. We communicate about custody through text messages. I have all of them."
Victor walked to his table and picked up a thick folder. "Your Honor, I'd like to enter into evidence text message records between Mr. Byrne and Ms. Walsh regarding custody modifications over the past five years, along with a summary worksheet documenting each change."
He handed copies to the bailiff, who delivered them to the judge. Mitchell stood and crossed to collect his copy, his jaw already tight as he scanned the first page.
"The court will accept these," Judge Weston said, flipping through the pages. Her eyebrows rose slightly.
Victor turned back to me. "Mr. Byrne, can you explain what this worksheet documents?"
"It tracks every time Rebecca requested to change or cancel her scheduled custody time over the past five years. Each entry includes the date she requested the change, what the change was, and the amount of time it reduced from her custody schedule."
"And how many times has Ms. Walsh requested such changes?"
"Aside from this past summer, fifty-four times."
A murmur rippled through the courtroom. I heard Andi's mother let out a quiet huff. Rebecca had gone pale. Mitchell was still reading, his face getting redder with each page.
"Fifty-four," Victor repeated, letting it land. "And what does that total in terms of actual time?"
"Almost seven months. If you add up all the cancelled weekends, the shortened summers, the late pickups and early drop-offs, it's approximately six and a half to seven months of custody time that Rebecca voluntarily gave up because it was inconvenient for her."
Judge Weston looked up from the documents, her expression unreadable but her attention laser-focused on me.
"Mr. Byrne, did you object to these changes?"
"Usually not. If Rebecca had plans or needed to adjust, I wanted to be flexible. Charisse's stability mattered more than enforcing a rigid schedule." I paused. "Plus, I love having my kid. Why would I object to getting more time with her?"
Victor nodded slowly. "Thank you, Mr. Byrne. No further questions."
Some of the tension left my shoulders. That wasn't so bad. Then Mitchell stood up.
"Mr. Byrne, you testified that you waited six months before introducing Ms. Doyle to Charisse as your girlfriend. But you were aware that introducing romantic partners could be difficult for children of divorce, weren't you?"
"I think every relationship is different. What matters is whether the person is good for Charisse."
"But you chose to wait longer than Ms. Walsh did with David."
"Yes. Because I wanted to be sure."
Mitchell picked up a document. "Mr. Byrne, you have Charisse during the week and Ms. Walsh has her on weekends during the school year. Is that correct?"
"Yes."
"And you work full-time?"
"Yes."
"So you're responsible for getting Charisse to school, homework, doctor's appointments. All while working?"
"Yes. I have a flexible schedule. I work from home when needed. If I have to be in the office, Charisse goes to after-school care or stays with a very close family friend, Mrs. Murphy. This has worked effectively the entire time she has been with me."
"And now Ms. Doyle sometimes cares for Charisse after school?"
"A couple of times. Yes."
"A woman Charisse has known for only a few months?"
"A woman Charisse likes and trusts. Just like any other trusted adult in her life."
Mitchell stared at his notes. I could see him searching for something, anything, that would stick. But there was nothing left.
Finally, he set the papers down. "No further questions."
Judge Weston looked at Victor. "Redirect?"
"No, Your Honor."
"Mr. Byrne, you may step down."
I stood on shaky legs and walked back to the counsel table. I sat down, and for the first time all day, I turned around and looked at Andi.
She was crying. Not sobbing, but tears were streaming down her face. She smiled at me through them, and I felt my chest crack open.
Judge Weston was reviewing her notes. The courtroom was silent. Finally, she looked up.
"Mr. Caldwell, were you planning to call any additional witnesses?"
Victor stood. "Your Honor, we had discussed the possibility of the court interviewing Charisse in camera."
The judge's expression shifted — something softer, almost sad. "How old is the child?"
"Ten, Your Honor."
Judge Weston was quiet for a moment. Then she shook her head. "I don't believe that will be necessary. This court has heard sufficient testimony to make a determination without subjecting a ten-year-old child to the trauma of choosing between her parents."
Relief flooded through me. Thank God. I didn't want Charisse anywhere near this. The judge set down her pen and looked directly at Rebecca.
"Ms. Walsh, I want to be very clear about something. This court takes allegations of stalking and threatening behavior extremely seriously. When a parent comes before me claiming fear for their child's safety, I listen. I investigate. I act."
Rebecca's face had gone pale.
"But what I've witnessed today is not a mother protecting her child. What I've witnessed is a calculated attempt to manipulate this court and weaponize your daughter in order to achieve a financial outcome."
Mitchell started to stand. "Your Honor —"
"Sit down, Mr. Brennan." The judge's voice was steel. "I watched the security footage. I heard Ms. Doyle's testimony. I reviewed the evidence showing she was at work when you claimed she was stalking you at a mall. And I sat here and watched you commit perjury in my courtroom."
Rebecca's hands were gripping the table so hard that her knuckles were white.
"You lied under oath, Ms. Walsh. You fabricated encounters.
You twisted a single incident where you confronted Ms. Doyle into a narrative where you were the victim.
And you did it to take custody away from a father who, by all accounts, has been the primary caregiver and made every decision with his daughter's best interests at heart. "
The courtroom was dead silent.
"I am deeply disappointed in your conduct.
Not just the lies, but the manipulation.
" She pinched the bridge of her nose, eyes closing briefly before fixing Rebecca with a renewed stare.
"The willingness to put your daughter through this, to make her a pawn in your game—" She shook her head slowly.
"It shows a fundamental lack of judgment that concerns me greatly. "
Judge Weston leaned forward. "Let me be clear about something else. All behavior has consequences. Good behavior, bad behavior—all of it. Sometimes those consequences are rewards. Sometimes they're punishments. Sometimes they're simply the natural result of choices made."
She paused, her gaze never leaving Rebecca's face.
"You made choices today, Ms. Walsh. And those choices will have consequences.
I'm going to take a brief recess to review the evidence and make my determination.
But I want you to understand—what you've done here today is not without weight.
It's not without impact. And it will factor into every decision I make regarding this case. "
She stood. "We'll reconvene in thirty minutes."
The bailiff called out, "All rise!"
Everyone stood as Judge Weston disappeared through the door behind the bench.
The moment she was gone, the courtroom exploded into quiet chaos. Rebecca was crying now, and they were real tears, not the performed ones from earlier. Mitchell was whispering urgently to her, his face grim.
I turned around, and I was finally able to cross the barrier to where Andi sat. She stood and fell into my arms.
"It's almost over," I whispered into her hair.
"I know," she said against my chest.
Her family surrounded us. Her dad placed his hand on my shoulder, solid and warm.
Her mom squeezed Andi's arm, then reached for my free hand.
Something shifted in my chest. The space where my own parents should have been felt less empty somehow.
My father, gone before I was even born. My mother passed when Charisse was a baby.
Yet here stood these people claiming me as their own without reservation.
Victor approached, his expression cautiously optimistic. "That went about as well as we could have hoped."
"She's going to rule in our favor, right?" I asked.
"I believe so. But let's not celebrate until we hear it from her."
Thirty minutes until we'd know if this nightmare was really ending. I held Andi closer and, for the first time since this started, I could finally believe that we were going to be okay.