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“I don’t know, KO,” I sighed. “I’m not convinced he’s coming back.
“Of course he is,” she said, as she stuffed her wallet into her back pocket and grabbed her keys off the front hall table. “We just have to remind him a little.”
She took off out the door, waving goodbye as she pulled out of the drive. I went back inside and cleaned up the kitchen before I took a shower and got back to grading 10th grade History papers.
I hoped KO was right.
Chapter Forty-One
Blake
On Thursday morning, a county sheriff showed up at work and served me with the papers that Remy’s high-powered lawyer had filed. I was to show up in court the following week and present my side of the case to the judge in Family Court. I wasn’t surprised that Remy had moved so quickly, but I was surprised that the court had agreed to hear the evidence so fast. It made me wonder what strings Remy had pulled with the people in power and whether I had a snowball’s chance in hell of getting a fair hearing.
I spent the next several days mulling over my options and talking with my lawyer. I missed Nina terribly, but for now, I could only chat with her in text or on the phone.
On Friday night, my phone rang, and when I picked it up, I saw Nina was FaceTiming me.
“Hey, Punkin, what’s up?” I said, flipping on the video and watching as my daughter’s face appeared on the screen.
“I hate it here, Dad,” she said glumly. I could see that she was in her bedroom and that Remy had done some redecorating.
“I know, kiddo, but you’re going to have to hang tough and wait for the hear
ing,” I said, reminding myself not to do anything to fan the flames of resentment between Nina and her mother.
“Dad, she thinks I’m perpetually 12,” Nina said, rolling her eyes. “She treats me like I can’t do anything myself, and when I do, she yells at me for doing it wrong.”
“Patience, kiddo. Have patience,” I reminded her. It killed me to see my daughter so miserable and not be able to do a damn thing about it.
“Have you talked to Emily yet?” she asked.
“No, you know how I feel about what she did,” I said flatly.
“Dad, it wasn’t her fault!” Nina cried. “I asked her not to say anything, and she respected my wishes. You can’t be mad at her because of what I did!”
“Nina, we’ve been over this numerous times,” I reminded her. “Emily was the adult in the situation, and she should have called me to let me know you were safe. End of discussion.”
“You’re so hardheaded,” she said in an exasperated voice. “You need to forgive her, Dad. She’s the best thing that ever happened to you.”
“Besides you,” I said, without missing a beat.
“Yes, me, whatever,” she sighed. “You need to call Emily and talk to her. Forgive her, Dad.”
“First we need to get through the hearing,” I said, ignoring my daughter’s advice. “Once that’s over I’ll think about talking with Emily.”
“What did your lawyer say?” Nina asked.
“She said it wasn’t going to be a total loss, but that we’d better be prepared to suffer the consequences of your mother’s rage,” I said honestly. “I don’t know if you’re going to be allowed to come live with me full-time, Nina.”
“This sucks,” she protested. “I don’t want to live with Mom!”
“I know you don’t, kiddo,” I said sympathetically. “But you’re going to have to make the best of the situation. Once the court decides on the petition, we’ll figure out our game plan.”
Nina sighed loudly and then went on to tell me how school had been and that she’d gotten an A on her last History exam. We wrapped up the conversation when Remy called Nina to come join her in the kitchen for homework time. Nina rolled her eyes dramatically and then said, “Love you, Dad,” before signing off.
I sat at the kitchen table staring at the screen where my daughter had been, wondering how I’d ended up in this situation. I wanted to blame Emily for being irresponsible, but I knew I was to blame for ignoring Nina’s distress over having to move back to her mother’s. I’d been selfish and thought about what I’d wanted without stopping to think what Nina needed. Maybe Remy was right. Maybe I was a lousy parent and Nina would be better off with a mother who set limits and paid attention to things.
On Saturday, I spent the day cleaning house in case someone from the courts wanted to come see the environment Nina had been living in. I knew it was a long shot, but at this point, I was willing to do anything to make sure she could continue to spend time with me. As the hours passed, I felt more and more anxious about losing Nina, and by Sunday afternoon, I’d not only cleaned the inside of the house, I’d done yard maintenance and fixed the loose gutter on the side of the house.
