Page 77 of Next Time Will Be Our Turn
“It is…a possibility?”
There was a hiss, like Andika was sucking in her breath through her teeth. After a while, she said, “Do you have a stable income?”
I closed my eyes. “No.”
“Any assets? Annual dividend payouts? Stakes in the clinic?”
“No.” The clinic was as good as Parker’s, because of course it couldn’t possibly be passed down to a woman.
“Where would you reside after separating from your husband?”
“I—here. In LA. Probably at my sister’s old place.”
“Oh.” Andika sounded taken aback. “In LA? The US?”
How many LAs are there in the world? I wanted to scream. “Yes. It’s where Iris and Hazel have lived for over two years. I think it would be in Hazel’s best interest to stay here.”
“I see. Well, I can understand why you might feel that way, but I can tell you right now that no judge is going to allow you to take Hazel outside of Indonesia, at least not for the foreseeable future. Even if you did get granted full custody of Hazel, her biological father will have visitation rights, which means you will have to stay in Jakarta, unless he waives his rights.”
“But Hazel has forgotten all about Jakarta. It’s basically a foreign place to her. Moving her there is going to be a huge upheaval.” Desperation made my voice shake, and I fought to keep my emotions under control, but I might as well be trying to row in a stormy sea.
“I understand and empathize with you, Magnolia. I am merely letting you know that Hazel’s father will likely gain visitation rights, even if you gain custody. The bigger problem here is your impending separation from your husband. I’m afraid your chances of winning custody as a single mother are slim to none.”
Please, I said silently to no one in particular.Please, I said to the universe.Please, no.
Andika continued speaking, every word a hammer blow. “You said yourself that you have no stable income, no assets, and no housing in Jakarta. If you want to get custody, you must have proof of a stable income and a house that is appropriate for children. And you really do need to be married. In all my years practicing family law, I haven’t come across a successful adoptionfrom a single parent household, especially when the adoption is in contention. The only exceptions are where the bio parents expressly wish for a specific person to adopt the child. But that’s not the case here.”
In the end, the patriarchy will always get us. The system was designed to make us fail at every turn. No career equals no financial stability equals no rights.
“What can I do?” I whispered brokenly.
“I can’t tell you what to do with your life,” Andika said. “But as your legal consultant, my advice is if you really want to adopt your niece, then you need to stay with your husband and move back to Indonesia.”
“And if I don’t?”
“Then you will lose your niece to her biological father.”
She said it so simply. Black and white. Hazel or Ellery. I thanked Andika for her time and told her I would think about it. Then I hung up the phone and slid to the floor. I thought I couldn’t possibly shed any more tears, not since Iris died. But somehow, I found more.
Ellery crouched down next to me. “Hey,” she said, placing a gentle hand on my arm.
I couldn’t bear to look at her. “I need a moment.”
“Okay, love.” She kissed my temple and left me, and the moment she was gone, I let myself shatter once again.
• • •
I tried everything, Izzy. Don’t think I backed down without a fight. I called up LA-based lawyers. They all told me the same thing, that the case was an Indonesian one, so I had to play by Indonesian rules. I even, stupidly enough, called up Erik. Theconversation went about as well as you could expect. Names have power, and so I don’t say this lightly, but Erik was a true asshole.
“Why are you trying to get custody of Hazel?” I said to him, struggling to keep my voice civil.
“Because she’s my daughter?” he said, like I was a particularly slow learner.
“You have never been a father to her.”
“Because your sister kidnapped her, and I chose to take the high road.”
“Didn’t know wife beaters get to say they took the high road.”
