Page 43 of Pucking Daddy

I pace once, slow, controlled. “Meaning?”

“They’re leaning into a maternal stability argument.”

I go still. “What does that mean in plain English?” I ask.

A pause. Then—

“They’re going to argue that Lily, as a young girl, needs her mother as her primary caregiver. That emotional development, identity formation, all of it is better supported in a maternal household.”

My grip tightens around the phone.

“They’re pushing for sole custody?” I ask.

“They’re positioning for it,” she says. “At minimum, primary physical custody with you having limited visitation.”

A cold, steady anger settles in my chest.

“That’s not happening,” I say flatly.

“I understand,” she replies. “But we need to be realistic about how courts weigh these arguments.”

I start pacing again.

“They don’t get to use gender as a deciding factor,” I snap.

“They don’t say it’s about gender,” Rebecca says carefully. “They say it’s about emotional needs, developmental support, and the best interests of the child.”

Same thing. Different packaging.

“They’ll present her as a loving, engaged mother who simply wants more time with her daughter,” she continues. “And unless we counter that effectively, it’s a compelling narrative.”

My jaw clenches hard enough to ache.

“She’s inconsistent,” I say. “She cancels. She disappears. She—”

“We know that,” Rebecca cuts in. “The question is whether we can prove it in a way that outweighs the emotional argument they’re building.”

Silence.

I drag a hand over my face. “What do we need?” I ask finally.

There’s a pause on the other end.

Then: “Let me ask you something first.”

I don’t like that tone.

“What?”

“Are you currently in a serious relationship?”

I have no idea where she’s going with this.

“No,” I say immediately.

But my mind betrays me for a split second—back to the kiss that happened just moments ago.

“No,” I repeat, slower this time.