Page 111 of Laws of Love
He’d refused and stated he’d file for full custody to keep from paying her. Since he made more money, he was sure the judge would rule in his favor. He hadn’t, especially not after the husband admitted he only wanted sole custody to keep from having to pay child support. Not only did her client get full custody with the dad getting weekend visits, he was ordered to pay two and a half times what she’d been asking him for.
The look on his face had been priceless. Some people only knew how to learn things the hard way, and he’d done exactly that.
She plucked a grape off the skewer before reviewing her appointments for the following day. She had a reschedule, and the rest of her afternoon was free. Leaving early crossed her mind, but she decided to ensure all the documents she needed for specific meetings tomorrow were ready, and she would look over the information for two new incoming clients.
Aiva had been working for an hour and a half, snacking on her fruit arrangement, when Finx buzzed into her office.
“Yes?” she asked.
“You have…a visitor.”
Aiva furrowed her brow. If it were Knox, her mother, or siblings, he would have let them back since she didn’t have anyone in her office and no clients coming in. Finx would bring any deliveries to her unless it was something she needed to sign for herself, and then she tended to go to the front to do it.
“Send them in.”
Mere seconds passed before Mia was standing in her doorway. Unlike the first time she’d shown up after the finalization of their divorce, this time, she didn’t barge in with metaphorical smoke coming out of her ears. If Aiva didn’t know any better, she would think she was waiting to be invited in. So she did, gesturing to a seat across from her.
“What can I do for you, Mia?” Aiva asked after a few seconds of silence.
“It looks like you and Knox had fun on his birthday.”
Aiva refrained from sighing. Were they really about to have a repeat of the first time she visited? “We did.”
“Now it seems like I can’t go a day without one of my friends tagging me in pictures, articles, and posts about the two of you.”
“If your friends are tagging you on things they know will upset you, you might need to reconsider those friendships.”
“What makes you think they upset me?”
“If they didn’t, you wouldn’t be here. I’m also not blind.” When Mia raised a brow, Aiva elaborated. “I can tell that seeing him with me hurts you, but I’m sure it would be the same regardless of who he was with if it’s not you. Believe it or not, unless you try me, I try not to rub that in your face.”
She was quiet momentarily, and Aiva let it linger between them. Allowed her to process what she’d said and get her thoughts together.
“You know, when he moved out, I told myself it didn’t matter because he’d realize he was miserable without me and come back. When I was served with papers, I told myself I didn’t care and that I was better off as long as I got what I wanted from him. When those papers were signed, everything was done, and I stood alone in that big house; I told myself it was what I desired because I could do what I wanted. That faded quickly, and I knew I’d lied to myself.
He wasn’t miserable without me. I’d been the one making him miserable and refused to see it when it was happening, and he gave me everything I thought I wanted when, in reality, all I wanted was our family. I didn’t even want to do any of the things I had before, and then I saw him with you.
I knew you were dating; Yas said something about an adult play date on one of our visits, but seeing you with him on blogs made it too real because that was once me. After that, I convinced myself you were here for a little while. That you’d be gone, and I could have what I wanted.
Then, I saw the two of you together at Yas’ birthday party, and I knew he’d slipped from my fingers. He hadn’t looked at me the way he looked at you for a long time, but some part of me still hoped, even with all the shit I put him through. Then we celebrated Yas’ first week of school; he told me…” She trailed off as if unsure if she should say what she was going to, and Aiva felt she knew what it was.
“He told me too,” Aiva stated. She didn’t think it was necessary to tell her when Knox had informed her he loved her or that he’d inadvertently said it at the birthday party. “He also said that you thought he or I were trying to replace you in Yas’ life, and that’s far from the truth. I don’t want to be in your shoes with her. I want to be another person in her corner to love her to pieces because I do. As much as I love him, I love her too.”
“I can tell.”
“I don’t need us to be friends, Mia. I honestly don’t care if you continue to dislike me or if you want to hold every grudge you have against me. Theonlything I need for us to do is love that little girl, do what’s best for her, and show up when she needs us. Everything else between us doesn’t matter to me. Not what you think about me, not your feelings for Knox. As long as we understand each other in that regard, we can throw hands whenever we aren’t around Yas if you want, as long as we put her first.”
Mia laughed, and Aiva could admit it startled her briefly. She hadn’t heard any sound come out of her mouth directed at her outside of contempt, rage, and dislike.
“I can do that.” She tilted her head to the side. “Though throwing hands every time would be exhausting. How about every other time?” It was a joke. The look in Mia’s eyes gave it away.
“I can do that.” Aiva leaned back in her chair. “You might want to find an Isabela or Pepa costume.”
“What?”
“Yas has decided she wants to be Mirabel for Halloween. I’ve already called Dolores. I think we might go this weekend to get costumes. You could come if you want.”
“Are they requiring costumes for the festival? Knox texted me about it yesterday.”
