“Are you okay?” he asked, keeping his voice low.
“I think so.”
“And Briar?”
“She will be.”
“Good. Because I’m about to go full scorched earth, I heard from his attorney.”
I clutched my hands together. “Oh my god. Is it bad? I mean, aside from what happened with Briar? Could it be worse?”
He leaned one shoulder against the wall, arms crossed. “He wants primary custody. Probably so he can avoid paying child support to you. He’s accusing you of working crazy hours. But unfortunately for him, he is currently cohabitating with someone who is absolutely tanking any shot he has at appearing stable.”
“Are you kidding me?” My blood turned cold as his words sank in. “This is all about Danielle, it has to be. She is a piece of work. Always has been. He’s gone crazy. And hello? The kids are teenagers; they won’t stand for this. I mean, doesn’t he realize they are fully capable of forming their own opinions? Is he trying to ruin his relationship with them forever? He’s already on beyond shaky ground with Noah. I mean, look what happened last night for fuck’s sake!” I slapped a hand over my mouth, afraid of getting too loud.
“I don’t pretend to know how people like him justify their actions,” he answered. “From what you’ve told me, he’s obviously prioritizing her kids at the expense of yours. The court will likely be concerned about the minimal attention and emotional support being given to his own children. If it even gets that far. And Briar walking out and ending up in danger? Not a good look.”
I swallowed. “You really think he won’t be able to change things? I mean, I thought this was all settled.”
Ren’s eyes sharpened. “He’s not getting the house. He won’t get primary anything. And at this point, he’ll be lucky if he walks away without supervised visitation. If he pushes this, I will nail him to the wall, Paige. You don’t have to worry about a thing.”
I closed my eyes, a deep breath filling my lungs for the first time in what felt like days. “Thank you.”
“You already did the hard part. You’re free of him,” he said softly. “Now I just clean up the mess he’s trying to make.”
I nodded, blinking quickly. “I should get back in there before Piper starts planning my second wedding,” I joked to hide that I was about to cry. Or scream. Or have some other kind of uncomfortable emotional outburst. Ren was used to it, though. He’d seen it all when I was going through the divorce.
Ren smirked. “To Hunter?”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re as bad as she is.”
We stepped back into the kitchen to find Piper leaning against the counter, plating muffins and burritos, like she'd already claimed setting up breakfast as a personal challenge. Hunter stood across from her, holding his coffee and watching her like she was a one-woman sitcom.
“Everything okay?” Piper asked.
“Everything’s handled,” Ren said simply.
Hunter caught my eye but didn’t press. That was one of the things I liked most about him—he waited until you were ready to talk.
Piper handed me a burrito, warm and fragrant in its foil. “Eat before you start overthinking. You’ve already reached your brain’s daily freakout limit. It’s early, but I know it.”
“Is that a medical opinion?” I asked, peeling it open.
“It’s a sister opinion. Arguably more qualified.”
Ren clapped his hands together. “Alright, our mission is complete. We’ve fed, assessed, and emotionally triaged. Time to go.”
Piper kissed my cheek on the way out. “Call if you need anything. Or don’t. We’ll probably show up either way to bring you and the kids dinner later.”
Ren and Piper left in a flurry of takeout wrappers and quiet affection, and for a moment, the house was still again. I sank into a kitchen chair with my burrito and let the comfort of everyone being safe under my roof sink in.
Until the sound of a door creaked down the hallway.
Lark shuffled in first, wearing fuzzy socks and an oversized sweatshirt with a glittery bunny on it. She squinted at us like we were an optical illusion.
“You’re still here?” she asked Hunter, rubbing her eyes. “I mean that in a nice way. A surprised way. Mornings are not my thing,” she mumbled. “Hi.”
“Hi.” He grinned. “Breakfast is on the table.”
