Handle With Care (User Manual Not Included #3)

Chapter 1

Chapter one

“What happens if I take out my heart and put it in a robot?”

I wound an arm around my six-year-old daughter Adelaine’s shoulders and pulled her close. “It would still be a robot. And you’d be without a heart.”

She pursed her lips, mulling over what I’d said. I opened the car door for her, adjusting Elana, my four-year-old daughter, on my hip.

“Why are you not allowed to look directly into a light?”

Adelaine was now in her booster seat, wrangling with her seat belt. I closed her door, walking around to the other side before answering. “It’s bad for your eyes.”

She pushed the belt down with enthusiasm, then turned to where I was buckling Elana in. “Why?”

“It’s too bright. If you do, you’ll see black spots.”

I knew my answer lacked substance, but I’d never figured out why you weren’t supposed to look directly into a light. Something I vowed to look up tonight if I didn’t fall asleep before I had a chance to.

I’d thought I knew what exhaustion was when my daughters were babies and refused to sleep for more than an hour at a time.

But the bone-deep exhaustion I’d been feeling for the past few months trumped that by a long shot.

Guess that happened when your husband—henceforth known as Cockalorum—left you for someone fifteen years younger.

Technically, I was the one asking for a divorce, but so far, it had only been a formality.

I hadn’t actually had a chance to get the legal ball rolling yet.

After I made sure my girls were safely inside the car, I settled into my own seat.

“Why do I only have two legs?” Adelaine continued her questions.

I pulled out of the driveway of the house I’d lived in for the last six years. Since I couldn’t afford the mortgage payments on my own, I had to sell it. Something that had hurt more than Cockalorum moving out.

I’d signed a lease on a one-bedroom apartment in town, and we were moving next month.

Briefly glancing at my daughter in the rearview mirror, I pushed away the negative thoughts taking over my brain. “Because you’re a human. And we only have two legs.”

Adelaine mulled it over, then nodded. “I guess you’re right. But I wish I had four legs. Then I could run faster and would have won the race last week.”

I bit my lip to quell the all-too-familiar sense of failure working its way through my body. I’d never been able to protect her from my husband’s cutting words. There was no doubt in my mind that Cockalorum had told her she hadn’t been fast enough. “You’re a great runner. Even Ms. Pearson said so.”

“I still wasn’t the fastest.”

And that’s what it all came down to. Cockalorum didn’t care that she was six. If she wasn’t the fastest in her class, then she wasn’t good enough.

“You’re faster than me.”

She snorted. “That’s because you’re slow like a snail. Even Elana is faster than you.”

I squeaked in fake outrage. “Take that back.”

She giggled, shaking her head. “You always say to only tell the truth.”

Pulling up outside her school, I turned back to blow her a kiss. She was in first grade and loving every minute of it. “Have a great day. Don’t forget that Linny is picking you up today.”

She rolled her eyes at me—sometimes I wondered if she was a teenager already—then waved and walked into the building. She’d always been independent, and after the first two weeks of school, she’d wanted to go inside by herself.

I turned to Elana. “You ready to go to daycare, pumpkin pants?”

She giggled at me, then turned her attention back to her book that made animal sounds.

Her drop-off took a little longer, but after a few tears and reassurances that I’d pick her up later, I was finally on my way to work.

I parked, then went to the coffee shop a few doors down from the office. The owner, Mariola, waved at me from where she was crouching in front of the cake display case, scrubbing at the already-sparkling glass. “The usual?”

Stopping at the counter, I nodded. “Yes, please. And can you add a few pieces of cake?”

She stood up and joined her barista behind the counter. “Anything in particular?”

Anything I’d ever eaten from here had tasted great, so I shook my head. “As long as it includes chocolate, I’ll eat it.”

I paid for my order, then waited off to the side so they could serve the next customer. It was busy, but then again, I’d never been there when it wasn’t.

The only other café I’d go to was Sweet Dreams, but that was in Humptulips, which was the next town over. Unless I wanted to make the drive, I’d stick to our local one, The Cookie Jar.

“Mae Porter?”

I looked up at the unfamiliar voice, my ever-present smile on my face.

“Yes?”

The stranger held up a stark white envelope. “You’ve been served.”

Gritting my teeth to keep my smile firmly in place, I automatically accepted the envelope.

The guy left without another word, and I eyed what was now in my hand with distrust. Who would be suing me? I had no money, no assets.

“Mae, your order’s ready.”

Moving the envelope so it was tucked underneath my arm, I accepted the tray filled with drinks and a paper bag from the barista. “Thanks, Mariola.”

I walked back to the office, and as soon as I was through the doors, my friends and current bosses, Keely and Malena, rushed up to me.

“Coffee, thank God,” Keely exclaimed, divesting me of my paper tray and setting it down on the reception desk before taking her cup. “My coffee machine at home broke, and I was running late, so I didn’t have time to get one on the way here.”

Malena took a big sip from her own cup. “The only decaf worth drinking is from The Cookie Jar.”

Keely made a face at the mention of decaf. “Shouldn’t have gotten knocked up and you’d be able to drink the real thing.”

Malena stuck her tongue out, then turned to me. “I have to go to court next week. You okay here on your own if I take Riley with me?”

I was technically employed as their receptionist but did everything from preparing files and answering phones.

This job had been a lifesaver, and I loved working with my friends.

They’d also employed an assistant, Riley, who was from Malena’s old firm, and she usually went to court with them when needed.

Since they were so busy, someone had to be at the office all the time, which was lucky for me, since it meant they asked me if I could help out.

I might not have finished college, but I had no problem answering phones and filing documents. And since I’d always been a quick learner, we’d all found a great rhythm that meant things ran smoothly. I’d also started taking classes to become a paralegal.

Sitting down behind the reception desk, I dropped the envelope on it. “No problem at all. But I have to leave early on Wednesday.”

Single parenting meant I had nobody to lean on when the kids had appointments. My parents were gone, and I couldn’t keep asking my friends for help. Cockalorum barely saw his kids, so asking him to take over was out of the question. And the less I talked to him, the better.

A hand landed on my shoulder, giving me a comforting squeeze. “Hey, you doing okay? Is butt face giving you a hard time again?” Malena was standing next to me, concerned frown on her face. “Have you made an appointment with Rick yet?”

“As for you-know-who, I haven’t heard from him in weeks.” I eyed the envelope and decided to get it over with. “As for your friend, I called their office, and Rick is booked up, so I’m meeting with someone named Vance Moore in two weeks.”

“Vance? That’s even better. He and Rick own the law firm, and they’re both great lawyers. We all used to be friends in college.”

I slid open the envelope and read over the first page, my jaw dropping.

Malena let out an indignant squeak, having read what I had since she’d been looking over my shoulder.

“What the ever-loving fudgsicle? He wants full custody? After not speaking to his kids once since he moved out? The balls on this guy.”

She pulled out her cell phone and angrily stabbed the screen. Holding it to her ear a second later, she paced the expanse of the small reception area.

“Hi. Yes, I need to speak to Vance Moore. It’s Malena Cortez.” She listened to what the other person was saying, then stopped in her tracks. “No, this can’t wait. Put him on. Tell him it’s an emergency.”

She huffed under her breath, continuing her angry stomping.

“Vance. Hey, it’s Malena. Long time, no speak.

How have you been?” She paused to listen to whatever Vance was saying.

“I know, we really need to catch up. But listen, the reason I’m calling is because a friend of mine made an appointment with you.

It’s in two weeks, but she got served divorce papers this morning, so is there any chance you can fit her in earlier? ”

Keely had joined me behind the desk, and we were both watching our friend, our heads going back and forth as she paced.

She stopped again, this time with a relieved sigh. “Ten tomorrow is great. Thanks so much. And we’ll organize a catch-up soon.”

She hung up and I opened my mouth to protest, but she cut me off.

“You need to get ahead of this. Vance is willing to meet with you even though he’s in New York.

He normally doesn’t do Zoom, says he can’t read people properly or something like that, but he’s going to make an exception for us.

” She held out her hand. “Now, show me the documents. I want to read every word of what that microdick requested.”

Since I only understood about a quarter of what I’d read, I gladly handed it over.

Malena’s face grew redder and redder with every page she turned. By the time she got to the last sentence, she resembled Elana when she was about to throw herself on the ground.

“That disgusting spineless bazinga.”

My hands grew clammy at her rage because it couldn’t mean anything good.

“He wants them, doesn’t he?”

Malena rushed over, enveloping me in a hug. Keely joined in, rubbing my back.

“He can want them, but he’ll never get them. He doesn’t even know them.”

I flinched at Malena’s cutting—but honest—statement.

Keely kicked her, and she swatted her away. “Ouch. Sorry, chiquita, but we both know it’s the truth.”

Taking a deep breath, I untangled myself from the group hug. If I thought about this any longer, I would be a sobbing mess on the floor. This was a case of “ignorance is the only way forward.” “Okay. Let’s get back to work. And tomorrow I’ll meet with Vance to sort this out.”

Keely kissed my cheek. “You got this. And we got you. So don’t worry, this will all be okay.”

She disappeared to her office in the back, where she’d no doubt research divorce cases even though she wasn’t practicing family law and never had.

Malena squeezed my hand. “We’re here for you. Anything you need.”

Giving her a half-assed smile, I nodded. “I know.”

She went to her office, leaving me to sink into my chair.

I couldn’t understand why Cockalorum would want the kids. He had never spent any time with them. They barely knew him. Even when he was living with us, he was never around. He’d always wanted a son but got two daughters instead. Something he resented and had never hidden from his kids.

But I’d do whatever it took to stop him from taking my babies away from me. And the first step was to meet with the lawyer tomorrow. I only hoped he was as good as Malena promised.