Page 120 of Never the Bride
Abby’s words echo in my head long after the session ends, following me to my condo in Phoenix as I sift through my mail.
My gaze pauses on an envelope. I quickly tear it open and read the letter.
Dear Mr. Harrison Taylor and Ms. Camila Jiménez,
Please be advised that Judge Perry has set a court date to decide whether your marriage is valid in connection with the Glen Lucas Irrevocable Trust.
At this hearing, the Court will determine if the marriage was entered into in good faith and whether any remaining trust funds may be released or subject to repayment.
Sincerely,
Hawthorne & Bell, LLP
Counsel for Mr. Glen Lucas
And all of a sudden, the weight of choice presses heavier than ever.
I thought I still had time to figure things out, maybe even one more counseling session, but the court date says otherwise.
Our six-month marriage just got shortened by a few weeks.
And I’m not sure how I feel about it.
I think I’m brave enough to jump all in with Hess. I want to be. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say the risk terrifies me to the core. Not because of Hess. I’m sure about him. How could I not be?
I’m scared ofmyself.
What if I’m not capable of the happy ending?
Month Six
Camila
I’m tryingto internalize the words Judge Perry says, but the courtroom feels too small with Glen Lucas here, sitting at the table with his lawyer.
Why did he have to come? He’s never cared before—not about my mom and certainly not about me. His smugness and a tailored suit that costs more than my monthly condo payment turn my stomach to knots, and no amount of deep breathing can shake the nausea that creeps up my throat.
I think about the version of myself who stormed into Glen Lucas’s office building six years ago, determined to give him a piece of my mind, to tell him how pathetic he was for tossing me and my mom aside like we never existed. I was so sure of myself until I heard him laughing behind his closed office door when his secretary told him I was there to see him.Laughing.As if it werecomical that I thought I had any business being there, being in his life.
He never spoke to me that day, dismissing me just as he has done my entire life. I didn’t know how much that had affected me until this moment, when I’m face to face with him in the same courtroom.
I remind myself to focus forward.
On the proceeding.
On the judge.
Not him.
But it’s hard.
Hess leans over, whispering, “Do you think we passed?”
I glance at Judge Perry as he reads through some documents. “I don’t know.”
“Maybe we should’ve brought Harvey in to testify. I think he has some stories to tell about us that can corroborate the validity of our marriage.” There’s a devilish grin on Hess’s lips that tells me exactly what he’s alluding to.
I kick him under the table as the judge looks up.
