Page 54 of After Midnight

Unfortunately, when it came down to providing his permanent residence, Mr. Galbraith paled. “Your Honor, I’ve only been stateside for a short time. I will be setting up a permanent residence soon, though.”

She shook her head. “Unfortunately, Mr. Galbraith, I can’t in all good faith release the girls into your custody until you have established a residence for them. Their safety and general well-being are of paramount concern to this court.”

I stood up immediately. “Your Honor, I can help with that.”

Mr. Langdon put his hand on my shoulder, trying to pull me back down into my chair. Obviously, I was out of line addressing the judge directly like that, but she nodded anyway and allowed me to continue.

“I will gladly vacate the residence I own, where my sisters lived previously. Mr. Galbraith and the girls are welcome to it.”

“Objection,” Margarette’s attorney interjected. “That property is in dispute. It was awarded to my client in a different civil case.”

“Your Honor, if I may,” Mr. Langdon said, and the judge nodded. “The residence in question is part of a legal dispute that could take months to resolve. At this time, it remains in the legal possession of my client, Mr. Lawson. There should be no issue with the girls and Mr. Galbraith living there while we wait for the appellate court to pass down its ruling. As you know, thishome was the girls’ permanent residence for many years, until relatively recently, and it’s within their school district.”

“And you will agree to stay away from the residence as this case proceeds?” the judge asked me directly.

I nodded. “If it’ll give my sisters stability, I’ll do whatever the court dictates.”

With that, the judge smiled broadly and without hesitation stated, “Mr. Galbraith, the girls are released into your custody pending a background check by the Division of Child Welfare and an inspection of the home to confirm that Mr. Lawson is no longer residing there.”

She hit her gavel to adjourn court as Mr. Clifford rattled off a string of ridiculous objections. Fortunately, she just ignored him and retired to her judge’s chambers while the courtroom began to clear out.

Margarette came at me then, but both Mr. Galbraith and Mr. Langdon stood in her way. The bailiff appeared moments later and forcibly removed her from the building.

I grinned at the witch when she cast a withering look my direction. I knew she wanted to rip into me, physically and verbally, but in this circumstance, even her hands were tied.

The hopeful spark I’d felt during the proceedings began to flame inside of me as I left the courthouse. Maybe, just maybe my godfather, or fairy godmother in this case, might be strong enough to defeat her.

Within a week, the girls and Mr. Galbraith had set up residence in the house. I knew they weren’t allowed contact with me, so I made no attempts. Even though it broke me inside to stay away, I couldn’t risk it. Honestly, I’d rather never speak to my sisters again but know they were safe than continue to fret over them being under the influence of the horrible Margarette Shipley.

I was also chomping at the bit to speak with Mr. Galbraith. The fact that he’d agreed to keep Miss Rita on gave me even more reassurance that my sisters would be well looked after. I knew even if I was out of the picture, she’d keep them razor-focused and ensure they had as healthy and happy a childhood as possible, given all that’d happened.

I’d been living in my new and hopefully temporary place, an extended stay hotel, for about a week when I got a call from my attorney, requesting I come to his office. My godparent wanted to meet with me.

When I arrived, Mr. Langdon’s legal assistant escorted me back to the conference room, where my real-life fairy godmother sat waiting.

“I thought you’d be dressed in drag,” I said as I sat down.

“Oh, I almost did just for kicks and giggles, but I decided I’d best not until all this family court nonsense is figured out.”

I sighed. “Well, it’ll probably figure itself out without me. Olivia’s testimony was pretty damning.”

“About that, I asked to meet you here partially because she and Alli disclosed to me why they’d made those allegations. Of course, it doesn’t take a genius to know Margarette threatened them. According to both girls, she told them if they didn’t say what she told them to, you’d be put in jail, and she’d take all your money and you’d have to live on the streets.”

I nodded. “Yeah, she’s spent years weaponizing our emotions to manipulate us. I figured she’d use that tactic to turn the girls against me, but there was no way to prove it.”

“Well, there is now. Both girls have met with their counselor and gave detailed accounts of how Margarette began trying to brainwash them into hating you from the minute they moved out.”

I wanted to feel happy about the revelation, to celebrate in the knowledge I’d soon be vindicated and maybe this nightmarewould finally end, but I could barely manage a smile. Freedom from our stepmother had come at a high cost, and Olivia and Alli had paid dearly for it because I couldn’t protect them from her.

“I know you’ve been through a lot, Dominic, but those girls are not to blame. They were pawns in Margarette’s scheming, just like you were.”

“Oh God, I know that. I’m not blaming them. It’s just, I feel so guilty, like I threw my little sisters to the wolves by letting Margarette leave with them. I don’t know what else I could’ve done, but I’m their big brother. They trusted me to keep them from harm and I failed.”

“Guilt will do nothing but eat you alive from the inside, and that’s why you’ll be seeing a therapist as well. In fact, we all will. If we’re going to make this family work, it’s going to take a lot of healing.”

“Speaking of being a family, could you give me the full rundown on that? I just need to hear it face to face why you weren’t there for us. Why I don’t remember you.”

“Oh, honey, of course,” he said, then reached into his big mega purse and pulled out a photo album.

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