Chapter 44 Grant
Grant
The law office takes up the entire top floor of a downtown high-rise, and I have to school my features to keep from grimacing at the stuffy pretentiousness of it all.
But I only want to deal with the best of the best, and I’ve been assured that this is the team of lawyers I want on my side.
Three of them are sitting across from me and Heather in the conference room—two men and a woman, all with crisp suits and ramrod posture. The lead attorney, Richard, has a stack of folders in front of him that’s at least three inches thick.
Heather sits next to me, her hands folded tightly in her lap. She’s clearly made an effort to look put together, but the tension still shows in her shoulders and in the tightness around her eyes. Her knee bounces once beneath the table before she stills it, drawing in a slow breath.
“Mr. Parker, Ms. Lucas, thank you for meeting with us on such short notice,” he says, opening the top folder. “We’ve had a chance to review everything you sent over—the school incident report, the phone records, your statement about the history with your ex.”
“And?” I lean forward, then settle back into my chair again, trying and failing to hide my impatience. “What’s our position?”
He doesn’t hesitate. “Strong. Very strong, in fact. Steven Walsh hasn’t had any contact with the child in over nine years. He’s not on any school records, medical records, or emergency contact lists. He has no established relationship with April whatsoever.”
“But he’s on the birth certificate,” Heather says, her voice quiet but steady, repeating the words that I know have been eating at her since Steven’s phone call. “He said that gives him rights.”
“Being on a birth certificate establishes paternity, yes. But it doesn’t automatically grant him custody or even visitation rights, especially given the circumstances.
” The woman—Jennifer Stahl, according to the nameplate in front of her—pulls out another document.
“Colorado law prioritizes the best interests of the child. A judge is going to look at April’s current situation, her stability, her relationship with her mother, and weigh that against what Mr. Walsh is offering. ”
“Which is nothing,” the third lawyer adds. His name is Mario Wise, and he’s been taking notes this entire time. “He hasn’t ever paid child support. Hasn’t even attempted contact until now. He has no relationship with the child. This is textbook.”
“Textbook what?” I look from face to face, waiting for one of them to spell it out.
“A nuisance case,” Richard says. “Mr. Walsh is using the legal system to harass and intimidate Ms. Lucas. It’s unfortunately pretty common in situations involving domestic abuse or controlling behavior.”
The word ‘abuse’ makes my jaw clench. I glance at Heather and see her flinch, her fingers tightening together in her lap.
I’ve been trying not to think too hard about what Heather’s life must have been like with Steven.
But it’s way too easy to imagine all the ways he made her feel small and scared and trapped.
And I’ll never forget that he put that bruise on her arm.
“So we can get this thrown out?” I ask.
“Eventually, yes. But we have to go through the process first.” Richard flips through more pages.
“He’ll file his petition for custody or visitation rights.
We’ll file our response, including a request for a restraining order based on the school incident and the threatening phone calls.
There will be a hearing, possibly mediation—”
“How long will it all take?” she asks, her gaze lifting to meet his for the first time.
“Weeks. Maybe months, depending on the court’s schedule.”
Months.
Months of Heather living in fear that Steven might somehow succeed. Months of April not understanding why her mom is stressed all the time. Months of this hanging over all of us.
I reach over and take Heather’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. She squeezes back, like she needs the reminder that she’s not alone.
“What will his strategy be?” Heather asks, her voice barely above a whisper. “What possible argument can his lawyers make?”
Jennifer exchanges a glance with Richard before answering. “Based on what you’ve told us, he’ll likely argue that your living situation is unstable. Moving frequently, currently staying with someone you’ve only recently become involved with, and no permanent address.”
Every word feels like an indictment. Heather’s shoulders tense beside me.
“But that’s bullshit,” she says, her voice tight. “I had housing lined up before I even considered moving to Denver. It’s not my fault it fell through at the last minute. I did everything right.”
“We know that. And we’ll make sure the court knows it too.
” Richard’s voice is calm and measured. Probably a good thing, since I’m about five seconds from blowing my fucking top.
“We’ll demonstrate that Ms. Lucas has been proactive in securing stable housing, that she’s employed, that April is thriving in school and has a strong support system. ”
“He also mentioned Grant specifically,” Heather adds, glancing at me. “He said Grant was a bad influence and that April needs a ‘real father figure.’”
“He’ll try to paint you as someone who isn’t invested in April’s well-being.
Someone who is just a boyfriend, not a stable presence.
” Mario looks up from his notes. “But we can easily counter that. You’ve provided housing, security, and stability.
You’ve been present in April’s life. We can get character witnesses—your teammates, coaches, and people who’ve seen you interact with April. ”
The thought of dragging Noah and the rest of the team into this makes me uncomfortable, but I won’t hesitate to do it if that’s what it takes to win.
“What about loopholes?” Heather asks, her fingers tightening around mine. “What could he try to exploit?”
Richard leans back in his chair. “The only real leverage he has is the birth certificate and the fact that there’s no custody agreement in place.
Ms. Lucas has been operating under the assumption that she has sole custody because Mr. Walsh never made an attempt to assert his parental rights.
But without a formal agreement or a termination of those rights, he can argue that he’s entitled to seek custody or visitation. ”
Heather’s throat works as she swallows. “So what do we do?”
“You’ll file for sole legal and physical custody. We document everything—the past abuse, the lack of support, the threatening behavior. We make it clear to the court that Mr. Walsh’s sudden interest in April is not about the child’s welfare, but about controlling and punishing you.”
“We’ll also pursue a restraining order with teeth,” Jennifer adds. “No contact with Ms. Lucas or April, no presence within a certain distance of their home or school. If he violates it, he’ll face criminal charges.”
I nod, trying to take it all in. It sounds solid and logical, like we have a real plan.
But it doesn’t make me feel much better.
Heather’s hand shifts against mine, her palm a bit clammy.
The look on our faces must give our feelings away, because Richard glances between us. “You seem concerned,” he says, his attention settling briefly on Heather before returning to me.
“I am concerned. This is—” I stop and try to find the right words.
“This is tearing Heather apart. Every day that goes by, she gets more worn down and more terrified. I can see it in her eyes, in the way she jumps every time her phone rings. And knowing that this is going to drag on for weeks or months is maddening. She’s going to have a nervous breakdown by then. We all might, at this rate.”
“We understand,” Jennifer says gently, turning fully toward Heather. “Unfortunately, the legal system moves slowly. But we’re going to do everything in our power to expedite this and minimize the impact on you and April.”
“We’ll be aggressive,” Richard promises. “If Mr. Walsh wants to play games with the courts, we’ll bury him in motions and documentation until he realizes this isn’t worth his time or money.”
I want to believe them. I’m paying these expensive lawyers in their expensive office to make this go away, and I want to trust that they’ll do just that.
But I can’t shake the image of Heather’s face when Steven threatened to take April. She looked at me like her whole world was ending, and I never want to see her go through something like that again.
“Is there anything else we should know?” Richard asks. “Anything else about Mr. Walsh’s behavior or history that might be relevant?”
Heather is quiet, her eyes fixed on the table. I can feel her pulling inward, like she’s said all she can say today.
I think about the bruise on Heather’s arm. The way she flinched when she talked about him. The fact that she ran away in the middle of the night nine years ago with a baby.
“He’s dangerous,” I say. “Maybe not in a way that’s easy to prove in court, but he’s dangerous. He knows how to hurt her without leaving marks, and how to make her doubt herself. He’s doing all of this—the custody threat, the phone calls—because he wants to control her again.”
All three lawyers are quiet for a moment.
“We’ll make sure the judge understands that,” Richard finally says. “From his pattern of behavior to the psychological abuse, to using the legal system as a weapon. We’ll build a case that shows exactly what kind of person Mr. Walsh is.”
“Good.” I stand and help Heather to her feet, signaling the meeting is over. “Please keep me updated. Daily, if possible. I want to know every move he makes, every filing, every attempt to contact Heather or April.”
“Of course.”
We shake their hands and head for the elevator, my mind already racing ahead to what I need to do next, and how I can protect Heather and April while this plays out.