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Finally, he sat down and folded his hands on the desk in front of him. He smiled at me briefly, then reached for a folder. “So, you gave me an idea of what happened and the kinds of goals you have. But why don’t you fill me in a little bit more and we can talk about the best options for you.”
I nodded and went into the story of Justin taking my money from me. As I talked, the lawyer picked up a pen and started taking notes. He nodded and made acknowledging sounds every few sentences. When I was finished, he looked back over everything he wrote down, then up at me.
“That’s an interesting story. Definitely not something I’ve encountered in my career. But I have helped plenty of people who have had money stolen from them in different ways. And I am more than prepared to help you secure your finances and prevent anything else like that from happening again,” he said.
“That would be fantastic,” I said. “I’ve already gotten some advice from people in law enforcement and an investor, but do you think there’s any legal recourse I could take against my ex? Is there any way to prove what he did?”
“That’s not something I can know right off the bat. I would have to look into it more in-depth and contact the bank and the investor. But it’s definitely something we can discuss,” he said.
“That would be great. I’ve already pretty much resigned myself to not being able to prove everything, and I really am at peace with that. If it’s not an option, it’s not an option. But if there was something I could do about it, I am more than ready to,” I said. “The most important thing to me, though, is making sure I have a way to keep my money safe.”
“Perfect,” he said, reaching into his desk drawer. “Then let’s fill out some paperwork.”
As he searched around for another pen with no explanation as to why I couldn’t use the one he did, I thought about the baby and how I needed to protect it into the future. Taking the steps I was taking now wasn’t just about keeping myself safe. It was about making sure my child had everything I could possibly give it as it grew up. It was amazing how something so small could change my thoughts so much.
When Mr. Bach finally located a pen that was acceptable for me to use, I filled out the paperwork he put in front of me. That finished, he gave me another bright smile.
“Anything else I can help you with right now?” he asked.
I almost asked what I should do about the little bean growing in my belly but decided against it. That probably wasn’t his area of expertise. Instead, I said no, shook his hand, and headed home to stuff myself into pajamas and watch useless TV for the rest of the day.
As delightful as that plan sounded, it wasn’t to be. I walked out of the office and was staring down into my purse as I turned down the sidewalk. Two steps later I crashed into somebody.
“Oh! I’m so sorry!” I said, looking up to see who I’d tried to plow down with my lack of attention.
“Bryn?” the woman in front of me said.
It took me a second to recognize her. The last time I saw her face, it was behind enormous sunglasses.
“Minnie,” I said in surprise. “Hi.”
“I thought that was you! How are you doing, sweetheart?” she asked.
Well, if this isn’t one of the most uncomfortable moments of my entire existence.
“I’m doing well,” I said, glossing over reality. “I’m sorry about running into you like that.”
She made a dismissive sound and waved it away. “Don’t you even think about it. I’m happy to see you no matter how it happens. Are you busy?”
The question came so quickly after all the other words she said, I was taken aback and found myself responding before my brain was able to think all the way through what to say.
“No. I was just heading home.”
“Good,” she said, looping her arm through mine. “Then you can come with me to the bakery for an afternoon treat.”
Next thing I knew, I was sitting in the bakery across a tiny window table from Minnie. Each of us sipped at our cup of tea and munched on a pile of delicately decorated cookies. Something about her made me open up, and soon I was telling her all about my childhood.
Minnie was an exceptional listener and just as good a talker. She was a force of nature who clearly wanted her last son married off. She made me laugh, and for a while I wasn’t even thinking about everything that was going on in my life.
But then I noticed a glint in the older woman’s eye. It was like she knew something. I took that as my cue to get out of the conversation before I blurted out she had a grandchild coming and started talking names. Nick didn’t need to learn he was soon going to be a father by seeing monogrammed onesies first.
