Page 80 of Moonlight & Matrimony
On September 2nd, 2024, this court issued a custody order specifying visitation rights for the father of the child, AustinTaylor, which entitles him to two supervised visits per week with the minor child, Rylin Taylor.
Respondent Ivy Roberts willfully and intentionally violated the Court's visitation order by denying Austin Taylor access to the minor child on October 15th and 18th. Respondent refused to comply, citing an ongoing police investigation into an arson at her home, and unsubstantiated suspicions that Mr. Taylor might be involved. The police investigation into the arson does not provide a legal basis for withholding court-ordered visitation rights.
Respondent's actions constitute a willful and deliberate disobedience of the Court's visitation order, which undermines the best interests of the minor child and disrupts the established visitation schedule.
Petitioner requests that the court find Respondent in contempt of the Court's visitation order. Petitioner requests that the Court issue appropriate sanctions to enforce the visitation order, including but not limited to compensatory visitation time for Austin Taylor and any other relief the Court deems just and proper.
Rage floods my veins as I continue to read the court filing along with an expected court date set for next month. My gaze instinctively moves to my wife, all the earlier lightness gone from her features. I swipe at the trail of tears tracking silently down her cheek, her face downcast as she waits for me to speak.
“Look at me,” I command. Her eyes meet mine and a part of me cracks wide open. “Whatever happens next, we’ll face it together, okay?”
She nods in acknowledgement, then inhales a steadying breath. “Just tell me.”
“Austin is trying to have you held in contempt for withholding visitation.” I go on to explain everything in detail, Ivy’s expression morphing from anguish to indignation. “Wehave over a month before the court date. We’ll speak to your lawyer and go from there.”
“Thank you, Luca. For everything.” Her voice is more steady now. “You didn’t have to take all of this on. You could’ve walked away the moment you saw what was happening.”
“I think you know me better than that by now. There’s no way I would ever turn my back on you and Rylin. Not in a million years.”
“You’re a good man, Luca Roberts.”But not good enough for you, Ivy Jo.
Walking into our home again after almost two weeks away is a surreal experience. There’s still the faint smell of smoke, and the remains of what used to be my workshop litter the backyard — the only signs that something devastating happened here. After all, I paid a pretty penny to have everything inside in pristine condition when we returned, hoping it might ease some of Ivy’s worries.
As soon as we enter, Sage barrels through the house towards the back door, begging to be set free in her domain. I open the doors to the back porch, avoiding looking at the charred pieces of my life’s work. “I’m sorry,” Ivy whispers, her palm gently sliding along my spine.
“What did I tell you about apologizing?” I ask, a teasing tone to my voice. “I can always rebuild. I’m thankful it’s the only thing we lost that night. I can replace everything in that shed. I can’t replace you.”
The words hang between us as we watch Rylin and Sage make chase around the yard, careful to redirect them away from the roped off area as needed. Does it hurt a little to see everything I built reduced to ash? Yes. I won’t lie about that. But it could have been so much worse, and I’m fairly certain the goal was something much more sinister.
“Hello? Anybody home?” My sister’s voice calls from somewhere inside the house.
“We’re outside,” I holler back.
“Hey you,” she says as she pulls Ivy in for a bone-crushing hug. When Paige left Canada, she wasn’t much of a hugger, but knowing what I know now about Ivy, it wouldn’t be out of pocket to assume Paige has overcome her aversion to affection for her best friend.
“What am I? Chopped liver?”
“Ry Ry! Come see Auntie Paige!” She holds her arms out for my best girl, intentionally ignoring my remark. Rylin throws herself at my sister, a tangled mess of limbs and curls that nearly knocks them both on their asses.
“Where’s Sofia?” Rylin asks, her face alight with pure excitement.
“Uncle Cade is feeding her inside. You wanna go see her?”
“Yes!” she squeals in delight, taking off into the house at a sprint.
I narrow my eyes at my hands, turning them over to inspect them. “That’s funny. I could’ve sworn I wasn’t invisible. Ivy, can you see me?”
“Do you hear something, Paige?”
“Nope. Must be the wind.” They both giggle, walking into the house arm in arm. I shake my head in exasperation, whistling for Sage to follow us inside.
I stop off in the kitchen, grabbing a tray of drinks before I follow my ears to the sound of animated voices coming from theliving room — mainly Rylin, who's talking Cade’s ear off about the animals at the ranch.
“I saw a goose! Like the bird kind. And he was mean!”
“Ah, the good ol’ Canadian cobra chicken,” he chuckles. “Gotta be careful around ‘em.”
“No, Uncle Cade. Not a chicken — a goose!” The room erupts into raucous laughter and warmth floods my chest.I fucking missed this.
