Chapter 17
Sammy
Nancy’s office smelled like coffee and expensive furniture polish. The waiting area had comfortable chairs and tasteful art on the walls, designed to put people at ease before difficult conversations.
I wasn’t at ease.
My knee bounced until Gavrel’s tail curved around my ankle, reminding me I wasn’t facing this alone. He sat beside me in a chair that was too small for his frame, his wings pressed against the back.
“You’ve got this,” he said quietly.
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
Nancy’s office door opened, and she stepped out, dressed in a charcoal suit.
“Come on back,” she said. “We have about ten minutes before they arrive.”
Gavrel followed me in. Nancy’s office was larger than the waiting area, with a conference table that seated eight. She gestured to chairs on one side.
“Sammy, you sit here. Gavrel, next to her.” Nancy settled across from us, spreading files on the table. “Let’s review everything one more time.”
She went through the strategy again. Don’t engage directly if they try to make me snap. Let her handle the legal arguments. Stay calm no matter what Virginia and her lawyer say.
Gavrel’s wings stayed folded against the chair back. His claws had retracted completely, but tension was clear in his shoulders. He looked ready to spring if needed, but holding perfectly still.
“Remember,” Nancy said, “you have the law on your side. You’re Corey’s mother. That matters more than anything Virginia can throw at us.”
My belly churned. “What if it’s not enough?”
Gavrel’s hand settled on my shoulder. His tail remained around my ankle, a reminder he was here.
“It’s enough,” Nancy said. “Trust me.” Nancy’s phone beeped and she answered, hanging up before meeting my gaze. “Ms. Blaine and her attorney have arrived.”
My heart thudded against my ribs.
Gavrel’s tail gave my ankle a gentle squeeze, then released.
“Ready?” Nancy asked.
No. Not even a little bit.
“Yes,” I said.
She rose and opened the door. “Please, come on in.”
Virginia entered first, wearing a navy suit. Her hair had been perfectly styled, and her makeup was flawless. Everything about her screamed money and power.
Her lawyer followed, a man in his fifties with silver hair, carrying a leather briefcase. He projected the kind of smooth confidence that came from winning all of his cases.
“Ms. Blaine,” Nancy said. “Mr. Carter. Please, sit.”
They took seats across from us. Virginia’s gaze flicked to me, then to Gavrel. Something flickered in her expression when she saw him, but it disappeared too quickly to read.
Gavrel’s wing extended a bit, not enough to be obvious, but enough that I could feel it curving toward my back. A low rumble vibrated through his chest, too quiet for the others to hear.
I kept my spine straight, my hands folded on the table.
Mr. Carter opened his briefcase. “Let’s get down to business, shall we? My client has been denied access to her only grandchild for eight years. That ends today.”
“Your client,” Nancy said, her voice calm, “had no knowledge of said grandchild until recently. And Samantha has not denied access. We’re here to establish appropriate terms.”
“Appropriate terms would be unsupervised weekly visitation,” Carter said. He slid a document across the table. “These are our demands. We’ll start with alternating weekends, plus a month in the summer. Ms. Blaine lives two states away, so we’re proposing Samantha bring Corey to her for visits.”
I picked up the document, scanning it. My hands wanted to shake, but I forced them still.
“No,” I said.
Carter’s eyebrows rose. “I beg your pardon?”
“No.” I set the paper down. “I’m not traveling two states away every other weekend. And Corey’s not going anywhere unsupervised with someone he just met.”
“Ms. Blaine is his grandmother—”
“Who he’s met once,” I said. “For about two minutes before she threatened me with lawyers.”
Virginia’s hands twitched on the table.
Nancy cleared her throat. “My client is willing to discuss supervised visitation at locations within her home. Duration and frequency to be determined based on Corey’s comfort level.”
“That’s unacceptable,” Carter said. “Ms. Blaine has rights.”
“Limited rights,” Nancy said. “Which the court will weigh against the custodial parent’s judgment and the child’s best interests. Would you like me to cite precedent?”
Carter’s jaw tightened. He glanced at Virginia, who gave him a nod.
“Ms. Blaine has unlimited resources to pursue this matter,” he said. “She’s prepared to file for formal visitation rights if necessary. The court will examine the child’s living situation, the parent’s financial stability, and the adequacy of the home environment.”
“Are you threatening me?” I asked.
The words came out steadier than I felt. Gavrel went very still beside me.
“I’m stating facts,” Carter said. “The court will want to ensure Corey is in the best possible situation. A single mother working multiple jobs, living in someone else’s home—”
“Sammy works one stable job,” Nancy cut in. “She has secure housing as part of her employment package. Corey attends an excellent school, has friends, and is thriving by every measurable standard. Would you like to explain to a judge why disrupting that serves the child’s best interests?”
Carter opened his mouth, but Virginia spoke first.
“I don’t want to disrupt anything.” Her voice came out quieter than before. “I just want to know my grandson.”
She looked at me, and I saw something I hadn’t before. Grief, raw and real beneath the polished exterior.
“I lost eight years,” Virginia said. “Eight years of birthdays and holidays and watching him grow. Dennis robbed me of that when he didn’t tell me Corey existed.”
My throat closed off.
“I can’t get those years back,” she said. “But I’m here now. I want to be part of his life going forward, if you’ll let me.”
The vulnerability in her voice caught me off guard. This wasn’t the commanding woman who’d shown up at the manor. This was a grandmother who’d missed out on knowing her grandchild.
Mr. Carter leaned forward. “If you’ll let me—”
Virginia held up her hand. “Dennis handled things poorly. He should never have sent you that money. Should never have told you to—” She stopped, swallowing hard. “What he did was wrong.”
Carter shifted in his seat.
I studied Virginia’s face. She had Corey’s eyes. His chin. The genetic connection was undeniable.
“I’m not trying to take him from you,” Virginia said. “I know you’re his mother. I know you’ve done everything for him. I just want the chance to be his grandmother.”
“What does that look like to you?” I asked quietly.
“Well.” Mr. Carter fiddled with his papers. “We’d like—”
“Visits,” Virginia said. “Getting to know him. Being part of his life in whatever way you’re comfortable with.”
“Supervised,” I said.
She glanced toward her attorney, who just sighed, before turning back to me. “For now, yes.”
“At places I choose.”
Virginia hesitated, then nodded. “Alright.”
“And if Corey doesn’t want to see you, we stop. No forcing it.”
Her shoulders slumped. “Agreed.”
Carter started to protest, but Virginia held up her hand again.
“It’s fair,” she told him before looking back at me. “I’ll work within whatever boundaries you set. I only want a chance.”
Nancy pulled out a legal pad. “Let’s put some parameters in writing. Sammy, what feels reasonable to you?”
I thought about Corey’s question last night. What do I call her? The uncertainty in his voice.
“Two hours,” I said. “Once a week initially. Somewhere public and familiar to Corey. The botanical gardens or the park in town.”
Virginia nodded. “I can do that.”
“I’ll be there the whole time,” I said. “And Gavrel if Corey wants him there as well.”
Gavrel nodded.
“I propose a one-month trial period,” I said. “Then we can reassess based on how Corey’s doing.”
“That’s acceptable,” Virginia said.
“One more thing.” I looked directly at her. “Corey doesn’t meet Dennis unless he asks to. Not because you think it’s a good idea, not because Dennis changes his mind. Only if Corey wants it and only after it’s cleared by me.”
Virginia’s expression tightened, pain flashing across her face. “Dennis made his choice eight years ago. If Corey never wants to meet him, that’s Dennis’s loss.”
Carter looked like he wanted to argue, but Virginia shook her head.
Nancy wrote quickly, her pen scratching across the legal pad. “I’ll have formal documentation drawn up within forty-eight hours. Ms. Blaine, will you cover the legal fees as a gesture of good faith?”
“Of course,” Virginia said.
“Then I believe we have an agreement.” Nancy looked between us. “Sammy?”
I nodded, my throat pinching tight.
“Ms. Blaine?”
“Yes,” Virginia said. Her gaze met mine. “Thank you for giving me this chance.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I just nodded again.
Mr. Carter gathered his papers and stuffed them into his briefcase. Virginia stood, smoothing her skirt.
“When can we schedule the first visit?” she asked.
“I need to talk to Corey first and prepare him,” I said. “I’ll have Nancy contact you with a date.”
“Of course.” Virginia paused at the door. “I really am sorry for how Dennis handled everything. And for showing up the way I did. I was just so desperate to meet him.”
“I understand,” I said.
After they left, I slumped in my chair. The adrenaline that had been holding me upright drained away, leaving me shaky.
Gavrel’s wing curved around me, lending support.
“You were amazing,” Nancy said. “Firm but fair. You didn’t let them bully you, but you also recognized when Virginia was being genuine.”
“I was terrified the entire time,” I said.
“Couldn’t tell.” Nancy grinned, flashing her tusks. “You handled yourself like a pro. The agreement is solid. You maintained all the power while giving Virginia what she genuinely wanted. That’s good negotiating.”
I’d done it. Stood up for my family without backing down, while also recognizing that Virginia wasn’t the enemy. Just a grandmother who wanted to know her grandson. If I was in her position, I’d feel the same.
Nancy walked with us to the door.
Outside, the afternoon sun felt too bright after the dim office. I blinked, my legs going unsteady.
Gavrel’s hand found mine, his fingers curling around my smaller ones. His tail wrapped around my waist, holding me in place.
“I’m proud of you,” he said.
The words settled something in my chest that had been twisted tight since Virginia first showed up at the manor.
I’d handled it. Not perfectly, but well enough. I hadn’t done it alone, but I’d stood on my own feet while Gavrel and Nancy supported me.
The difference mattered.
We took the stairs to the roof access. Gavrel tugged me against his chest, his arms wrapping around me.
He launched upward, his wings catching the thermal currents. The town spread below us.
“Corey’s going to have questions,” I said.
“And now you have answers.”
I wasn’t alone anymore.
But I was also strong enough to handle things on my own if I needed to.