Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
CORA
Thomas wasn’t thrilled he’d had to leave his multitude of personal safety equipment locked in the SUV—namely the two guns, and the knife he typically had hidden in his clothing. I’d been tempted to ask where, but decided against it.
“Guardianship hearings are in Courtroom B,” the security guard said, pointing down a hallway lined with faded photographs of former judges.
My stomach churned with each step. In ten minutes, I’d be standing in front of Judge Martinez, fighting for the right to raise my nephew. The baby I’d held for only a few hours but already loved more than life itself.
“You’ve got this,” Jason murmured, his hand warm on my lower back as we approached the heavy wooden doors marked Courtroom B.
I took a deep breath and pushed through the doors.
The courtroom was smaller than I’d expected, with maybe fifty seats divided by a center aisle.
Dark wood paneling covered the walls, and an American flag hung behind the judge’s bench.
A few people were scattered in the gallery, mostly what looked like other cases waiting their turn.
A wooden railing separated the gallery from the front of the courtroom, where two empty tables faced the judge’s bench.
Jason, Thomas, and I took seats in the front row. A few rows behind us, I spotted Colter in what was probably the only suit he owned. His hair was slicked back, and he’d even trimmed his beard. He looked… respectable. Nothing like the abuser I knew him to be.
And sitting beside him was Beau Stanton, shuffling through legal papers with the confidence of someone who owned this courtroom.
I figured Colter would either use legal aid or something. Never in my wildest imagination did I expect him to show up with a lawyer like Beau Stanton. I didn’t have to know his fee to know he was expensive.
A low growl came from Jason beside me. He leaned in. “Why am I not surprised…”
Yep, lipstick meet pig. At least the snake was out of the hole, so to speak.
Before I could fully process what I was seeing, a side door opened and a stern-looking woman in black robes entered. She had silver hair pulled back in a neat bun and sharp eyes that seemed to take in everything at once.
“All rise,” the bailiff announced. “The Honorable Judge Sofia Martinez presiding over the 394th District Court.”
The few people scattered throughout the courtroom stood. Jason’s presence next to me kept my unsteady legs grounded.
Judge Martinez took her seat behind the bench and gestured for everyone else to sit. “Court is now in session.” She shuffled through some papers before looking up. “Case number 2025-CV-1847, in the matter of guardianship of Elias Williams, minor child of deceased Maya Williams.”
My stomach dropped as she continued. “Counsel and parties to this case, please approach your respective tables.”
This was it. I had to walk up there alone.
I stood on shaking legs and made my way through the gate in the railing.
My heels echoed in the suddenly quiet courtroom as I took my seat to the right.
Behind me, I heard Beau and Colter, and glanced at them as they took their seats to the left.
The distance between me and Jason felt like a chasm now, even though he was only a few feet away behind the railing.
Judge Martinez picked up a file from her desk and opened it. She looked up over her reading glasses. “Counsel, please state your appearances for the record.”
Beau’s folksy demeanor was gone. “Beauregard Stanton appearing on behalf of petitioner Colter Briggs, Your Honor.” The way he said it made Colter sound like an upstanding citizen. It was sickening.
Judge Martinez’s gaze shifted to me, sitting alone at my table. “And for Ms. Williams?”
I stood on shaking legs. “Cora Williams appearing… uh… for myself, Your Honor.”
The judge’s eyebrows rose slightly. “Ms. Williams, I see you’re proceeding pro se. That means representing yourself. Are you aware of your right to have an attorney represent you in these proceedings?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“Are you also aware that this is a legal proceeding that could result in permanent custody of a minor child being awarded? The stakes here are quite serious.”
My throat felt dry. “Yes, Your Honor.”
Judge Martinez leaned forward slightly. “Ms. Williams, I’m going to ask you directly. Do you wish to postpone these proceedings to obtain legal representation? I can grant a continuance of up to two weeks.”
Before I could answer, Beau was on his feet. “Your Honor, if I may, Mr. Briggs has already been separated from his son for several days now. He’s anxious to be reunited with the child, and any further delay would not serve the minor’s best interests.”
“Mr. Stanton, I wasn’t addressing you,” Judge Martinez said coolly. “Ms. Williams, the decision is yours.”
Every fiber of my being wanted to say yes, to buy myself time to find a lawyer who would actually fight for me. But I thought about Elias with the foster family, about Maya’s wishes, about Colter probably celebrating that he’d outmaneuvered me.
Judge Martinez studied me for a long moment. “Very well. However, I want to make something clear to you, Ms. Williams—”
“Your Honor,” Jason’s voice carried from behind me. “If I may, Ms. Williams does have counsel. Her attorney should be arriving any moment.”
The judge’s gaze shifted to the gallery. “And you are?”
Jason stood. “Jason Georgiou, Your Honor. Ms. Williams’s attorney’s flight has just landed at the airport. He will be here as quickly as he can.”
I turned to stare at Jason. He’d hired a lawyer? He’d rescued me again.
“Mr. Stanton,” Judge Martinez said, “are you aware of opposing counsel?”
Beau stood with what looked like genuine surprise. “I wasn’t informed that Ms. Williams had retained representation, Your Honor.”
Judge Martinez checked her watch. “It’s now 9:05. I don’t like to start proceedings late, but I also don’t want anyone to be prejudiced by lack of counsel.” She looked at me. “Ms. Williams, how long do you expect your attorney to be?”
I honestly had no idea. I looked back at Jason helplessly.
“Your Honor,” Jason said. “I received a text that he’s in town now.”
“Very well. We’ll take a fifteen-minute recess. If counsel hasn’t arrived by 9:20, we’ll proceed with Ms. Williams representing herself.” Judge Martinez’s gavel came down sharply. “Court is in recess.”
As the judge disappeared through the side door, I turned in my chair to face Jason in the gallery behind me. “You hired me a lawyer? When? Why didn’t you tell me?”
He leaned in, his voice low. “Because I had a feeling you’d need one. I didn’t want to make you worry in case my gut feeling was wrong.”
“But he’s from Dallas. I can’t afford him, his travel, and—”
“It’s taken care of.”
I gave a soft groan. “Jason.”
“If you represent yourself, you will lose.” His tone was firm. “Rex Hatfield is one of the best family law attorneys in Texas. If nothing else, maybe he can convince the judge to give you temporary custody over the holiday.”
Thomas appeared at Jason’s shoulder. “He just texted. He’s in the parking lot.”
I glanced at Beau and Colter, and the creep smirked. He thought he’d won this.
Because he probably thought he had. Beau knew the judges. The court system. Jason was right. If I tried to do this on my own, I’d be handing Elias to him. Knowing that, I just couldn’t bring myself to care about the money right now. Elias was worth everything.
The courtroom doors swung open, and a tall man in an expensive charcoal suit strode in, carrying a leather briefcase that probably cost more than my rent. He had salt-and-pepper hair, sharp blue eyes, and the kind of confident bearing that made everyone in the room take notice.
“Ms. Williams?” He extended his hand as he approached. “Rex Hatfield. I apologize for running late. Construction on I-35 was a nightmare and I was late getting to the airport.”
“Thank you for coming,” I managed, still processing that this polished attorney was here for me.
Rex’s gaze swept the courtroom, taking in Beau at the opposing table, before settling back on me. “Mr. Georgiou briefed me on the situation. We have about ten minutes before court reconvenes. Let’s talk.”
He guided me to a corner of the courtroom, his voice dropping to a confidential tone. “First, tell me about your relationship with your sister and why she named you guardian.”
I quickly explained about Maya, our estrangement, and the will. Rex nodded, making notes on a legal pad.
“And Colter Briggs?” he asked.
“Abusive. Controlling. Maya was afraid of him.”
“Any documentation? Police reports, medical records?”
My heart sank. “No. She never reported it.”
“That’s not uncommon in domestic violence cases,” Rex said matter-of-factly. “What about witnesses? Anyone who saw the abuse or heard her talk about it?”
I thought about Kane, about his refusal to testify. “Maybe, but they’re too scared to come forward.”
Rex made another note. “The CPS worker, Ms. Chen, she observed you, correct? How did your visit with the child go?”
“Really well. She said she’d give a positive report.”
“Good. That’s crucial.” Rex glanced at his watch. “One more thing. Has Mr. Briggs made any statements about his motivations for seeking custody? Anything that might suggest this isn’t about the child’s welfare?”
I thought about the night at the bar. “He asked me what it would take to make him go away. Like he was willing to sell custody.”
Rex’s eyebrows rose. “Did anyone else hear this?”
“Jason did.”
“Perfect.”
The bailiff was moving toward the front of the courtroom.
The lawyer leaned in a little. “Ms. Williams, I know this is overwhelming, but I need you to trust me. Let me do the talking unless I specifically ask you to respond. Can you do that?”
I nodded just as the bailiff called out, “All rise!”
Judge Martinez returned to the bench, her expression slightly less irritated than before. “I see counsel has arrived. Please state your appearance for the record.”
Rex stood with the kind of confidence that filled the room. “Rex Hatfield of Hatfield & Associates, Dallas, appearing on behalf of respondent Cora Williams, Your Honor.”
I caught the flash of concern that crossed Beau’s face. Apparently, he recognized the name.
“Thank you for joining us, Mr. Hatfield,” Judge Martinez said dryly. “Are you prepared to proceed?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“Very well. Mr. Stanton, you may begin with your opening statement.”
Beau rose, his earlier confidence slightly shaken but still present. “Thank you, Your Honor. Ladies and gentlemen, this case is about a man who lost the love of his life and is now fighting to keep the only connection he has left to her—her son.”
I felt sick listening to him paint Colter as a grieving widower.
“Colter Briggs is the biological father of little Elias. He married Maya Williams after their son was born, making their little family complete. He provided for them, protected them, and loved them. When Maya tragically died in a car accident, Mr. Briggs assumed he would continue caring for the child he’d fathered and helped raise.
Instead, he learned that custody was being claimed by a woman who hadn’t seen this baby since the day he was born. ”
The words stung because they weren’t entirely untrue.
“Ms. Williams lives alone in a small apartment in Chicago. She has no experience with children, no support system, and frankly, no relationship with this child. Mr. Briggs, on the other hand, has been there from day one. He knows Elias’s routines, his preferences, his needs.
This isn’t about legal documents or distant relatives, Your Honor.
This is about what’s best for this child, and what’s best is staying with the only father figure he’s ever known. ”
Beau sat down, and I felt sick. Every word had been carefully chosen to make me sound like a stranger trying to steal a child from his loving father.
Judge Martinez turned to Rex. “Mr. Hatfield?”
Rex stood slowly, and when he spoke, his voice carried the weight of absolute certainty.
“Your Honor, this case is indeed about what’s best for Elias Williams. But to understand what’s best for this child, we need to understand who Maya Williams really was and why she made the decision she did.”
A flutter of hope grew in my chest.
“Yes, Maya and Cora were estranged, but only because Cora disagreed with Maya’s relationship with Mr. Briggs.
Maya understood her sister’s concerns well enough that when she wrote her will, she chose the one person she knew would protect her son.
Ms. Williams isn’t here to steal a child, Your Honor.
She’s here to honor a dying mother’s wish to keep her son safe. ”
The rest of the hearing passed in a blur of testimony and legal arguments. When Judge Martinez finally returned from her brief recess, my heart was pounding.
“Based on the evidence presented, I’m granting temporary custody to Ms. Williams pending Mr. Briggs’s right to appeal. However, given that it’s Thursday afternoon and the appeals process could take several days, Ms. Williams will retain physical custody over the weekend.”
Relief flooded through me, but Judge Martinez wasn’t finished.
“I’m also ordering supervised visitation for Mr. Briggs.
Two hours on Saturday at the CPS office.
Ms. Chen will coordinate the details and discuss additional visitation times.
” She paused, looking directly at me. “Additionally, Ms. Williams, the minor child is not to be removed from Maverick County pending resolution of any appeals Mr. Briggs may file.”
I barely heard the rest of the judge’s instructions. All I could think about was getting to Elias, holding him, and finally bringing him home.
“Ms. Williams.” Rex’s voice cut through my daze. “We need to talk for a minute before I head back to Dallas.”
He guided Jason and me to a quiet corner of the courthouse lobby. “Congratulations on the temporary custody, but this is far from over. Beau will file an appeal by Monday, maybe even tomorrow.”
“What do we need to do?” Jason asked.
“Stay in the county, document everything—every interaction with Briggs, any threats, any suspicious behavior. I’ll research his funding sources and see what I can find about his background.
” Rex handed me his card. “Call me immediately if anything feels off. Don’t talk to Beau or anyone from his office without me present. ”
“How long could this take?” I asked.
“Couple weeks minimum, possibly longer. But you’ve got the child, and that’s what matters.” He shook our hands. “I need to get back to Dallas, but I’ll be in touch.”
As we walked to the car after Rex left, Jason shook his head. “I don’t get it. How’s a biker gang leader affording Beau Stanton? That guy charges five hundred an hour minimum.”