Page 37 of The Next Mrs. Parrish

Meredith watches me walk back and forth and finally says, “Daph, sit.” She pats the cushion.

“I can’t stand it. I’m so worried. Do you think the girls are okay?”

Meredith nods. “I’m sure they’re fine. No matter what, Jackson loves them. He’s not going to hurt them.”

“But he’s going to do whatever he can to damage my relationship with them. This is his revenge for keeping them from him. If you’d seen the way Tallulah looked at me.” I try to take a deep breath, but I feel like I’m suffocating. “What if she believes I didthis on purpose? All his talk about changing. Being sorry for how he treated me. What a load of crap. I should have listened to my mother and stayed far away.”

Meredith puts her arm around me. “I know this is hard, sweetie. But you need to calm down. We’re going to get this sorted out. I promise.”

The door opens and Dean steps out. I’ve met him socially but have never seen him in a professional setting. This silver-haired man in a tailored suit and starched shirt looks high-powered and formidable, unlike the casual and charming guy I’ve seen on the tennis court.

“Hello, Meredith, Daphne,” he says with a warm smile. “Please, come in.”

He shuts the door behind us, and Meredith and I each take a chair across from the large crescent-shaped desk. Plush carpet, wall-to-wall bookcases, and subdued lighting give the room a hushed and protective feel, as if whatever business you conduct here will be effectual.

“Would either of you care for something to drink?”

We both shake our heads.

“Very well.” He focuses his attention on me when he speaks. “Daphne, I’m very sorry that you find yourself in these circumstances. Meredith has given me some background, but I’d like to hear what happened in your words.”

I take a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. “After my divorce, I moved to California with my daughters. The marriage was not a good one—Jackson was abusive, and I was able to get him to terminate his parental rights.”

He cocks an eyebrow. “Really? How did you manage that?”

“Without getting into a lot of detail, I knew something incriminating about his new wife and threatened to expose her if he didn’t terminate his rights. I know it sounds bad, but trust me, the last thing my girls needed was his influence in their lives.”

He says nothing. Waiting for me to continue.

“The only reason I came back to Bishops Harbor is because my oldest, Tallulah, has been very depressed.” I fill him in on what happened on her field trip. “My therapist thought it necessary for me to allow her and her sister to establish some sort of relationship with their father.” I bring him up to speed on how things have been going and Jackson’s charade of having changed. “The last thing I remember is drinking the lemonade he brought and then being awakened by the police.”

He nods. “Of course I know of your husband’s problems with the government. I’m actually very surprised, given the circumstances, that he was able to get an emergency order of custody. The courts don’t look kindly upon parents who voluntarily forfeit their rights, and the fact that he’s got a prison record also makes his suitability questionable.”

I know the reason before he even articulates it. I give him a wry look. “I’m guessing the judge is a friend of his.”

“It appears so.” He sighs. “I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but Mr. Parrish has informed DCF that you suffered from postpartum psychosis and were a danger to your first child when she was a baby. They’ll be interviewing the doctors who treated you when you were admitted to the hospital there as well as the psychiatrist you were ordered to see following your release.”

“But all of that’s a lie. Jackson set me up then too.” I protest.

“I believe you, I do. But you have to understand how it’s going to appear to the social workers. Blaming your ex-husband for both events. It makes you look bad.”

Frustration overtakes me, and I want to grab the glass globe on his desk and smash it to smithereens. “So what am I supposed to do?”

“We’re going to have to come up with a strategy for when you’re interviewed by DCF. I need to give that some more thought and will be consulting with one of my associates whose specialty isfamily law. I’ll be with you during the interview with DCF, and please, no matter what, do not speak to anyone about this without my being present.”

“All right, I understand. But how long will all of this take? I need to see my girls.”

“As soon as they file the order of temporary custody, the OTC, we will appeal it. They have to set the hearing within thirty days of the appeal. We’ll use that time to gather evidence of your suitability and get your character witness testimonies.”

“So in thirty days then, I should be able to get them back?”

He tilts his head. “It’s not quite that simple. It’s within thirty days from thefilingof the OTC. Jackson has the girls under an emergency order. The court still has to file the paperwork, which could take a bit longer. We’ll push as much as we can.”

“Can you speak to my therapist? She can attest to my sanity and to what’s happened in the past with Jackson. Surely if she speaks to the social workers that will help.”

“Give me her information. That will definitely help.”

Meredith leans forward. “Dean, we’re worried about Jackson having the girls. Is there any way we can get custody transferred to Daphne’s mother? We could get her here on the next plane and she could stay with me.”

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