Page 28 of Sweet on You
10
Lex
“You’re telling me, I’m going to meet my daughter soon? Maybe before the end of the week?” I froze halfway between my couch and the window on the wall where Lana was leaning, sipping the glass of wine I had poured for her. Even though the question was directed at my lawyer, this new man I’d only had one conversation with before this, I couldn’t help but look to Lana. She’d known this case longer. She’d been working with me for over a year. And she and her husband were easily my two closest friends in the area. In some ways, it was instinct to turn to her first.
She gave me an encouraging smile before glancing at her husband who was sitting in my armchair, Frost curled up in his lap. “I told you that you didn’t want to miss being here, Tony.”
He lifted his glass in my direction. “I’d get up, but I don’t want to disturb your first furbaby, here.” He winked and ran his free hand down Frost’s back. I could hear her purr from across the room.
Brady, my new lawyer, held his hand up. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Step one is you and I need to be at Sarah’s arraignment tomorrow morning.” Sarah. I didn’t know if I’d ever get used to hearing London called by her real name. “You’ll present yourself as baby Olivia’s father. They will likely want to do a DNA test to be certain.” Brady leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and taking a sip from his water. He had declined the glass of wine I had offered him from one of the few dusty bottles I keep on hand… just for visitors. “But I have to say, Sarah’s parents seemed relieved… cautious, yes… but relieved that Olivia has a father. However, they’ve watched their own daughter struggle with addiction and she told them about your history with drugs as well. Naturally, they’re very hesitant.”
“I’ve been clean for two years. I haven’t fallen off the wagon once, not since London—I mean, Sarah—sent me that ultra-sound picture when she was four months pregnant.”
Lana placed her hand gently on my arm. “We know, Lex. We believe you.”
Brady nodded. “I think her parents want to believe that, too. But you have to understand that their daughter is their only real experience with addiction from what I can tell. And she has never managed to stay clean.”
“Never?” What did that mean? Did she stay clean during her pregnancy at least? A lump lodged in my throat. “Is Olivia… I mean, did Sarah fall off the wagon when she was pregnant?”
Brady licked his lips nervously. That was all the answer I needed. I squeezed my eyes shut. Even though I’ve never been a particularly religious man, I prayed to whatever God would have me that Olivia was okay, despite the shitty decisions Sarah and I both made in our lives.
“Olivia’s fine, Lex. I pulled her medical records. She has some vision problems. A disease called nystagmus which means her eyes move from side to side. She’s wearing glasses to help correct it and according to Mr. and Mrs. Murphy, it’s a very mild case.”
It didn’t matter that it was mild. The lump in my throat grew. “She’s only a baby and she’s wearing glasses? Because Sarah couldn’t keep a needle out of her fucking arm!”
I stomped into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water with shaking hands. I needed to calm down. Get a hold of my emotions.
“Get it out now,” Brady said. “Because at the arraignment, you need to stay calm. You can’t show anger like this.”
I nodded and walked back into the living room. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
Brady handed me some paperwork, sliding it across the coffee table. “Fill these out tonight so that they’re ready for tomorrow. If Sarah’s parents ask for drug testing, are you willing to comply with that?”
I nodded. “Yes. Of course.”
“What if they want routine drug testing?”
I blinked. “As in, random drug tests more than once? Like an employer would do?”
He nodded.
“I guess that’s okay. I wouldn’t want to have to do it for a lifetime, but I will if necessary.”
Brady nodded. “I think that’s fair. What if we offer random drug testing for the first year of custody, revisiting after the twelve month mark.”
“I can do that. I’ll take a drug test every day if it gives me my daughter.”
Brady smiled at me.
“Told you he was a good man, Brady,” Tony said from across the room. “Kind of sappy… but a good man, nevertheless.”
I flipped him off, grinning as he sat there petting my cat like some evil villain.
“Last bit of business, Lex. You don’t have to answer me now, but… do you want sole custody or joint custody with her parents?”
I blinked in shock. Sole custody had never occurred to me. I’d just assumed London and I would share Olivia once I found them. “Holy shit,” I muttered, falling onto the couch beside Brady. I raked my fingers through my hair and could feel a bit of dough from my morning batch of biscuits in the strands.My bakery. I needed to call Seth… a college kid who was my one and only employee. He wasn’t scheduled for tomorrow, but maybe he could fill in so I could go to Sarah’s arraignment? I scrubbed my palms over my face. There was so much to consider. Was I ready to be a full-time father? Did I even have a choice? I yanked my phone from my pocket and texted him, hoping to God he was available at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow.
“What do Sarah’s parents want? Do they want joint custody?”
