“—like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be,” I finished.
The silence in the courtroom was deafening.
Gabriel’s hand had come up to his mouth, but his eyes never left mine.
“Your Honor,” Richard said, standing abruptly. “This is irrelevant. The witness’s feelings for Dr. Lyon have no bearing on—”
“On the contrary,” Anthony interrupted smoothly. “It has everything to do with this case. Mr. Castellano has spent the last hour trying to paint this marriage as a transactional arrangement, a desperate ploy for custody. Mrs. Lyon’s testimony proves otherwise. This is a real marriage. Real feelings. A real family.”
Judge Winters looked at me, then at Anthony. “I’ll allow it. Continue, Mr. Gallagher.”
Anthony turned back to me. “Mrs. Lyon, one more question.”
Please don’t ask me anything else about Gabriel.
“Do you love Megan?”
The answer came immediately, without hesitation, without thought.
“Yes.”
“Could you elaborate?”
“I love her more than I knew it was possible to love someone else’s child,” I said, and my voice cracked slightly. “I love her laugh. I love the way she explains things with complete confidence, even when she’s totally wrong. I love the way she hums when she’s coloring. I love that she’s brave and curious, and kind.”
The tears were coming now, and I didn’t try to stop them.
“I love that she trusts me. That she comes to me when she’s scared or sad, or excited. I love reading to her at night and making her breakfast in the morning and helping her with her homework. I love...”
My voice broke completely.
“I love being her mom,” I whispered. “Even though I’m not. Even though I didn’t give birth to her. Even though I’ve only been in her life for a few weeks. I love being her mom. And the thought of not being able to do that anymore, of not being there when she wakes up or when she goes to sleep or when she needs someone—”
I couldn’t finish.
I was crying openly now, in front of the judge and the lawyers and Gabriel and everyone.
So much for being calm and collected.
So much for not being a disaster.
But I didn’t care anymore. Because it was true.
All of it was true.
“Thank you, Mrs. Lyon,” Anthony said quietly. “No further questions, Your Honor.”
He walked back to his seat.
Judge Winters looked at Richard. “Cross?”
Richard stood, but he looked... uncertain. Like he’d been planning to tear me apart, but now wasn’t sure how.
“No cross, Your Honor,” he said finally, sitting back down.
“Mrs. Lyon, you may step down,” Judge Winters instructed.
I stood on shaking legs, my vision blurred with tears.
