Page 57 of Rush

Located in downtown Portland, the mediator’s office was in the family services building just down the block from the Multnomah County Courthouse. With Nora’s hand in his, giving him comfort, Linc stepped into the glass and chrome building and went straight for the directory. Howard Flint’s office was on the fourth floor.

Stepping off the elevator, they went right down the hall and Linc opened the door to suite 4B, holding it wide for Nora and Sophie to walk through. A desk was the only piece of furniture in the small room with a receptionist sitting behind it.

She gave them a broad smile. “May I help you?”

Linc was too on edge to smile back. “We’re here for a nine o’clock appointment with Mr. Flint.”

The woman tapped a few keys on her computer. “Mr. Scott?”

“Yes.”

The woman looked up from the screen. “The Parkers have yet to arrive. If your party could please step through that door and take a seat, Mr. Flint will be with you shortly.” She indicated a door to the right of the room. There was also an identical one to the left.

“Thank you.”

The waiting room they walked into was twice the size of the reception area and furnished with chocolate brown accent chairs and a long, brown leather sofa. A TV hung on the opposite wall from the couch with the rest of the walls filled with framed prints depicting various forest scenes. Linc had a feeling they were trying to make the place feel homey, and if he had been there for any other reason, they may have succeeded.

Nora sat down on the couch and reached for the Highlights for Children sitting on the large coffee table that held an assortment of magazines. “I remember reading this when I was younger. They were in my doctor’s office.” She flipped open the magazine, patting the sofa for Sophie to sit next to her.

“I remember those too. I think they’re in every doctor’s office in America.” Linc sat down on Sophie’s other side.

“These were always fun.” She’d stopped on the look-and-find puzzle page. “Do you want to do this with me, Sophie?” Nora pointed to the first object. “We have to find this kite somewhere in the picture. Point to it when you find it, okay?”

Linc’s thoughts wandered while the girls worked on the puzzle until a door on the far wall opened and a woman poked her head in. “Mr. Scott?”

Linc stood.“Yes.”

The woman smiled. “We’re ready for you now.”

He felt Nora’s hand slip into his, giving it a squeeze. He looked down and she mouthed, “You got this.”

He jerked his head in a nod, squeezing her hand in return before releasing it and walking toward the woman.

He was shown to a large, glass-walled conference room. His lawyer was already sitting at the table along with one other man dressed in a gray suit.

“Mr. Scott, welcome. I’m Howard Flint.” The man in the suit introduced himself. “Please take a seat.”

Linc pulled out the empty chair next to Jefferies and was in the process of sitting when the Parkers were shown into the room.

They’d cleaned up since the last time Linc had seen them. Gone were the casual clothes replaced by suits—Mr. Parker in brown tweed and Mrs. Parker in peach silk. Mrs. Parker had also done something to her hair. No longer slicked back into a tight bun, it was now cut into a sleek bob which ended just under her chin. Only Mr. Parker looked at Linc when the couple entered the room. The glance was fleeting, yet full of hostility.

Ditto, mother fucker, Linc thought as he watched the man take a seat, Mrs. Parker sitting next to him, while Flint introduced himself to the newcomers and then introduced everyone in the room. At that point Linc couldn’t help but notice the Parkers lack of lawyer and wondered if that fact would change if they indeed needed to go to court.

“I want to remind everyone that this is not a legal proceeding but the first step in the process to resolve the custody dispute of Sophie Elizabeth Parker between Mr. Lincoln Scott, the maternal uncle, and Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Parker, the paternal grandparents. I don’t have the authority to grant anyone here custody of the minor child. I’m here as a buffer to determine if both parties can come to a mutual understanding.” Flint paused for a moment to let that sink in before continuing, “I also want to remind you that disruptive behavior won’t be tolerated.” He looked pointedly at Linc and then the Parkers. “I will hear arguments from both sides before helping you try to reach an agreement. Shall we start with you Mr. Scott?”

Jefferies spoke for Linc by ticking off all the key points of their case, starting with how the Parkers are strangers to Sophie and ending with their biggest selling point, the document which stated that Natalie and Jake wanted Linc to be Sophie’s guardian in the event of anything happening to them.

“I object!”

Flint gave Parker a pointed look. “This isn’t a courtroom, Mr. Parker, no need to object. You’ll get a chance to respond when it’s your turn.” Flint turned back to Linc’s side. “Anything you’d like to add, Mr. Scott?”

Linc cleared his throat. “Yes. I’d like to add that Natalie and I were extremely close growing up, and when she married Jake, he quickly became part of our close-knit family. I was thrilled for them when they found out they were expecting, and unlike the Parkers, I had the privilege of watching Sophie grow up in a loving environment. If she’s allowed to remain in my custody, she will continue to grow up in a loving environment.”

Flint nodded, giving his attention back to the Parkers. “You now have the floor.”

Sidney Parker leaned sideways in his chair pulling a thick stack of news clippings from a briefcase. He spread the articles across the table and it wasn’t hard to notice from the sensational headlines that they were all from tabloid publications.

“Right here is a full accounting of why Mr. Scott would be an unfit parent. News article after news article of his philandering and partying. He uses women and tosses them away. Is that a proper role model for a young girl?” Parker’s self-righteous stare and smug smile landed on Linc. “What’ve you got to say to that?”

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