Page 60 of That Right Moment

“Madeline,” Hannah greeted Madeline, a fake smile on her face. Richard walked up to Hannah’s lawyer and began to mutter something, but my eyes were fixed on Madeline. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“Milo asked if I could come for support, so…” Madeline raised her shoulders. “Here I am. No worries though. I have my book and plan to sit and wait.”

Hannah narrowed her eyes, her mouth no longer smiling, giving us a small hum. She nodded. “Right.” She sighed and turned her attention to me. “Good to see you, Milo.”

“Wish I could say the same,” I mumbled, instantly regretting I said it.

Madeline squeezed my hand even harder. I wouldn’t have any blood in my fingertips if she squeezed again.

Hannah stiffened and turned to Donald. Madeline stepped in front of me, her eyebrows raised and her eyes wide, her jaw slightly open with a look that would kill.

“Don’t say stupid things like that in the meeting, I won’t be there to remind you to stay grounded,” she whispered.

I pursed my lips and bit the inside of my cheek, giving her a quick nod. She let go of my hand, rubbed my shoulder, and then walked to the bench against the wall, pulling her book sleeve from her bag.

“I’ll be right here.”

I nodded at her again, locking my eyes with her as long as I possibly could until Richard came into my view, letting me know we were ready to begin. He placed his hand on my shoulder and led me into the small, cold, mediation room…the door seeming to slam behind us.

“Our plan is simple.” Hannah’s lawyer, Ms. Tressa Allen, sat up straight as a board, her fingers laced in front of her with a leather notebook opened on the table. Both lawyers had the custody agreement in front of them, and they seemed to refer to it often. “Mr. and Mrs. Wilde are planning on moving to Seattle before the school year to get Holly accustomed to her new home. They have both agreed that Holly can return to Portland the week before school begins, and that Mr. Harris can visit whenever he’d like. He would be allowed to take Holly this Christmas and have her the entirety of next summer, returning her to Mr. and Mrs. Wilde before the school year begins again.”

I would beable to visit, allowed to takeandreturnHolly. Their plan made it sound like Holly was a piece of property I would stick in the mail with a stamp and track her progress as she traveled to Seattle.

She continued, “We are pushing the fact that Seattle isonlya two to three-hour drive or the price of plane ticket; so Mr. Harris should have no issues in seeing his daughter.” Ms. Allen cocked her head, making direct eye contact with Richard as she spoke, her shoulders square and her form like stone. Richard was good, but damn…so was she.

I shifted in my seat next to Richard and pressed my lips against the back of my hand. We had been in this room for forty-seven minutes, and I honestly felt like we made no progress whatsoever. Hannah and Donald went over the details of the new job and the area in which they were building the house.

I would admit it was in a great area, but for me, it wasn’t good enough for Holly. A nice neighborhood was only as good as the people in it, and I had no idea who she would be moving close to. I knew my neighbors. I knew Portland like the back of my hand. This was home. This was the only place good enough for Holly.

Richard leaned forward, glaring at Ms. Allen. “It’s just not feasible for my client to take those trips regularly. Perhaps Mr. and Mrs. Wilde would be willing to meet him…” Richard looked over his shoulder at me, and I shook my head.

“What is your idea then, Milo?” Hannah bit. “You’ve been awfully quiet this entire meeting.”

I’m trying to keep my temper down. and that’s why I hired Richard. To do the talking for me,I wanted to say.

Instead, I mumbled, “We have a counter option.”

“And what would that be?” Hannah glared at me.

I looked to Richard, almost as if asking for his okay to talk. He gave me a slight nod.

“I want full custody,” I said simply.

Hannah’s back straightened, and Donald’s eyes hit me like a ton of bricks.

“Pretty much your proposal, but with me. Holly would stay with me during the school year, and we would work on holidays and weekends to visit you in Seattle.” I spoke calmly and clearly, something I didn't expect to happen. “Holly’s life is here and expecting her to change and settle before the school year is not a reality.”

Hannah took a deep breath. I didn’t think she was expecting me to fight back. I bet she was expecting me to fold, to agree to any terms that they threw at me. Even her lawyer looked dumbfounded.

“I can’t agree to that,” she said, her shoulders stiff as her eyes left me and fluttered to the table. “I can’t…”

“And we won’t,” Donald hit back, placing his hand on Hannah’s shoulder to comfort her.

“Those are my terms.” I bit my bottom lip. “I’m not going to be the missing father from Holly’s life.”

As promised, Madeline was on the bench, her book open in front of her. Hannah flew through the door first, Donald not far behind her. I stuck my hands in my pockets and stood in front of Madeline. She smiled up at me and then watched Hannah and Donald fly down the hall, Hannah visibly upset.

“How did it go?” she asked.

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