Page 170 of Role Play
He nods, then opens the door without knocking.
The mediator looks up in alarm as we enter. “Excuse me, this is a private?—”
“I know, I know.” Dad waves his hand dismissively. “Never been great at following rules. But there’s something everyone here needs to know.”
I see Forrest’s shocked expression first, then Hannah’s irritation, then Rina’s raised eyebrows that quickly transform into understanding as my father continues.
“Forrest Hawkins is my agent,” he announces to the room.
Forrest looks completely bewildered. “I’m your what?”
“My agent,” Dad repeats firmly. “He’s helping me broker a deal for my next series.” He glances around the room, his gaze settling on Hannah’s lawyer. “Seven figures at least, if you’re curious. Probably eight, depending on the audiobook situation.”
Understanding dawns on Forrest’s face. He glances at me, and I give a small, encouraging nod.
“That’s right,” Forrest says, picking up the thread seamlessly. “J.P. and I have been discussing terms for a while now.”
“Indeed.” Dad clasps his hands behind his back, looking like a professor delivering a lecture. “Forrest’s commission alone will cover his outstanding debts and provide quite comfortably for his daughter.” He smiles thinly. “So, excuse me for being crass”—he shoots me a sly smile—“but isn’t that what had your panties bunched up in a wad?” He looks at Hannah. “Problem solved, yes?”
Rina, quick on the uptake, leans forward. “You see? As I told you earlier, you don’t have a case. Forrest’s prior employment was perfectly legal.” She pauses significantly. “He’s never missed a custody day. And if we’re looking at facts, he’s been the more stable parent for the entirety of Dakota’s life.”
Hannah’s lawyer looks shaken. She leans over to whisper something to Hannah, who nods reluctantly.
“If this is true,” the lawyer says slowly to Hannah, “and if Mr. Hawkins is indeed working as Mr. Cooper’s agent… Then his past employment isn’t a concern, if his current employment is solidified. He doesn’t have a criminal record, Hannah.” She sighs. “In court, this would likely come down to your decision to leave for Tokyo. And given the evidence—including the boarding-school enrollment forms with Mr. Hawkins’s signature—I’m not confident in our position to request full custody.”
“You’re saying?” Hannah asks flatly.
“Your very intelligent lawyer is saying if we go to court, you’ll lose,” Rina delivers.
Hannah’s lawyer idly taps her pen. “It’s not about winning or losing, but?—”
“Don’t patronize me, Judith.” Hannah turns to face Forrest directly, her expression unreadable. “You win. Congratulations.”
I watch Forrest’s face, expecting to see triumph or at least relief. Instead, I see something more complex—a man looking at the mother of his child and seeing beyond his own hurt to what really matters.
“Hannah,” he says quietly. “Does this feel like winning for anyone? I didn’t ask for this. This isn’t what I wanted.”
Hannah looks confused. “Then what do you want?”
Forrest stands, addressing her directly. “I want us to split custody fairly. Whatever makes most sense for our daughter.” He takes a step toward her. “I never wanted to hurt you. And Icertainly never wanted to keep Dakota from you. She needs her mother.”
Hannah’s composure wavers, a touch of vulnerability in her eyes. “You’re saying you’ll share custody? After everything?”
“I’m saying I want to do what’s best for our daughter.” Forrest spreads his hands. “I’m not trying to rip our family apart. I’m trying to build a stronger one, to let new love in.” He glances at me, standing quietly by the door, and my heart swells with pride and love. “Dakota deserves to have both her parents in her life, plus as many people who love her as possible. But from here on out, we do what’s fair and what’s right. No more threatening me. No more keeping my kid from me out of spite. You either work with me, or against me…in court, where a judge will tell you what my rights are, if you won’t respect them coming from my mouth.”
Something shifts in Hannah’s demeanor—a softening, a surrender. “I assume you want to see her?” she asks. “Today?”
Hope alights Forrest’s face. “Yes. Today.Right now.”
“She’s with my parents. I’ll call them. How about we bring her to you this evening? You guys can get reacclimated… She misses you.”
“Good.I miss her too. And we should talk about Christmas,” Forrest adds. “Work out a schedule that gives her time with both of us. Your parents have that big Christmas dinner every year, right? So I’ll take the morning, and send her to you in whatever fancy dress you want her in. I’m more than willing to compromise, okay?”
Hannah nods slowly. “That seems…fair.”
“More than fair,” Rina snarks.
Hannah looks down at her hands, then back up at Forrest. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…” Her gaze darts to me, then back to him. “I shouldn’t have used Dakota against you.”
