Page 10 of Redeeming Melodies

She was right. The race wasn't over. But maybe, just maybe, we weren't running on empty anymore.

That hope lasted exactly twelve minutes, right until Vanessa took the stand. She'd switched chairs like she switched personalities - gliding up there with that perfect posture and practiced grace that had once made her the darling of pit lane. Now she aimed all that charm at the judge, while I sat there watching my past get rewritten.

"Ms. Price," Sterling prompted, "could you describe your ex-husband's typical involvement in Tommy's daily life?"

Vanessa adjusted her cream blazer, a gesture I knew meant she was about to go in for the kill. "Elliot has always been... passionate about his career." The pause was surgical, calculated. "When he's present, he's wonderful with Tommy. The problem is how rarely that happens."

My hands clenched under the table. Passionate about my career - the same career she'd pushed me to pursue back when we were young and broke, living in a cramped apartment while I chased my racing dreams. "You're going to be somebody," she'd said then, stars in her eyes. "We're going to make it big, baby."

"Could you be more specific?" Sterling asked.

"Last month alone, Elliot missed Tommy's science fair, two soccer games, and a parent-teacher conference." Each event landed like a punch. "I had to explain to our son why daddy's practice laps were more important than his solar system project."

Bullshit. Pure fucking bullshit. She'd switched the science fair date without telling me, scheduled it knowing I had qualifying that day. But I kept my face neutral, just like Cassidy had drilled into me. Shows of emotion from men didn't play well in custody hearings.

The judge leaned forward. "Mrs. Price, how does Tommy handle these absences?"

"He tries to be brave about it." Vanessa's voice softened, perfectly modulated to convey maternal concern. She turned to give Tommy a gentle smile - the same smile she used to give sponsors' wives. "But I see how it affects him. Children need consistency, Your Honor. They need to know they come first."

I caught Tommy's eye for a split second. He looked confused, like he was trying to match his mother's words with his own memories. That hurt worse than anything - watching my son try to figure out which version of his father was real.

"And now Mr. Blue has suddenly put his racing on hold,” Sterling continued. "How has that affected Tommy's routine?"

Vanessa dabbed at her eyes with a tissue I hadn't even seen her grab. Oscar-worthy performance. "Tommy was devastated. Racing has been his father's whole life - our whole life. For Elliot to just walk away like that, without any plan, any stability..." Sheshook her head. "It terrifies me to think what other impulsive decisions he might make."

My whole body went hot, then cold. Impulsive decisions? Like the time she'd impulsively maxed out our credit cards buying furniture for a house we couldn't afford? Or when she'd impulsively enrolled Tommy in private school without discussing it, then used the tuition as leverage?

"Your Honor," Cassidy stood, "this characterization of my client's career decision-"

"Goes directly to the question of stability," Sterling interrupted. "Mrs. Price, how would you describe your approach to parenting compared to Mr. Blue's?"

Vanessa straightened, hitting her mark perfectly. "I've structured my entire life around Tommy's needs. His school schedule determines my work schedule. His activities are my priorities. I don't have to choose between my son and my career because I've already made that choice."

The judge nodded, making notes. "And what provisions have you made for Tommy's future?"

"I've researched the best schools in our area. Started a college fund. Maintained relationships with his teachers, his doctors, his coaches." Each word built her fortress of maternal perfection higher. "Tommy's life with me is stable, structured, secure."

All the things she claimed I couldn't provide. Never mind that my "impulsive" career had funded every bit of that stability. Never mind that I'd started Tommy's college fund the day he was born, or that I knew every one of his teachers by name.

"Ms. Price," the judge spoke again, "how do you envision co-parenting with Mr. Blue going forward?"

Vanessa's mask slipped for just a moment - a flash of something bitter and angry before the perfect smile returned. "I want Tommy to have a relationship with his father. But it needsto be consistent, reliable. Not just when it's convenient or when Elliot decides racing isn't exciting anymore."

Tommy fidgeted in his seat, picking at that loose thread again. I wanted to tell him to stop, that he'd unravel his whole sleeve, but that was Vanessa's job now. She turned to give him another reassuring smile, this one calculated to show the court what a attentive mother she was.

"I'm simply asking for the chance to provide our son with the stability he deserves," she concluded, managing to sound both reasonable and wounded. "Every decision I've made has been for Tommy's benefit. I just wish Elliot could say the same."

The courtroom felt airless, like the moment before a crash when time slows down and you know impact is coming but can't do anything to stop it. I watched Vanessa step down from the stand, every movement graceful, every gesture designed to reinforce her image as the perfect mother.

My fingers dug into my palms hard enough to leave marks. Every bullshit word she'd said about my "passionate career" and "impulsive decisions" burned in my chest like acid. One sharp movement and I'd flip this whole fucking table-

"Steady," Cassidy whispered, her hand light but firm on my arm. "Tommy's watching. Show him who you really are."

Right. Tommy. I forced my hands to relax, found his eyes across the room. My boy. The only trophy that ever really mattered.

The judge called for recess, her gavel crack making everyone jump. People started shuffling out, but I barely noticed them. My focus locked on Tommy, bouncing in his seat like he was ready to sprint to me.

"Fifteen minutes," the judge announced. "Mr. Blue, you may speak with your son in the presence of the court officer."

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