Page 59 of Forfeits

I texted Aiden.

Hi, can I call you?

Chapter Ten

Keeping Secrets

In a second my phone was ringing. I hit Answer.

“What’s up? Is this a booty call?”

If only.

“I’m so sorry to bother you. I just… I need to talk to someone.” I made a noise halfway between a laugh and a sob.

“Fletcher, are you okay?”

“No. I’m not. Can you come over?”

“Sure. Tell me what’s going on. You’re not hurt, are you?”

“Not physically.”

“Fletcher…”

“Daniel’s parents… They want to take Lucy away from me.”

There was a pause. “What?”

I took a deep breath to keep from screaming. “They want custody of our daughter.”

“Oh my God. Is that what they wanted to tell you at lunch?”

“Yes. I’m just back. I didn’t eat. I left right after they told me.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can. When does Lucy get home?”

I checked the time. “In about two hours.”

“All right. See you soon.”

“Bye.”

In retrospect, as I sat there on the living room sofa with the dogs around me, I wondered why my first instinct had been to call Aiden. I had friends that I’d known longer than I’d known him. But…I didn’t want to tell them something so personal. Aiden knew me by now, mostly, and he knew Lucy. I guess I trusted him and respected him enough to value his opinion and input.

Aiden made me feel safe. And that was what I needed most right now, after the rug had been pulled out from under me.

While I waited for Aiden, instead of curling into a ball on my bed and sobbing, which was what I wanted to do, I took the dogs for a walk. The sun was shining, although it was a bit cold, and I needed to see that the Earth was still turning and the trees were still standing, even when I felt that my entire world was at its end.

Owning dogs might be messy and inconvenient, but the overall benefit to Lucy’s and to my health was worth it. I didn’t want to think about Lucy living with Annie and Brian full-time, without any animals to whisper her secrets to in the dark of night. It wasn’t going to happen. I wouldn’t let it happen. It was bullshit that they’d even proposed the idea, and they didn’t have any legal claim on Lucy. She was my daughter, full stop.

By the time I got home, I felt much more in control of the situation. I needed to call a lawyer for advice, but I wanted to talk to Aiden first.

He showed up with a box of donuts and two coffees.

“I didn’t know what you needed more, caffeine or treats, so I got both.”

“Thanks. Come on in.”

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