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“Call, Dad,” she said, as she stood on her tiptoes and kissed my cheek. “Just call.”
She let go and stepped away to find the bathroom as I pulled my phone out of my pocket. She smiled at me and then disappeared around the corner. I looked at the phone screen and then pulled up Emily’s number and hit Send. I waited as it rang, and then felt both relief and disappointment as it went to voicemail.
I hesitated and then left a second message before hanging up.
When Nina returned from the bathroom, I told her I’d called and left a message. She nodded and took my hand as we waited for our turn in the courtroom.
Ten minutes later we were called into the courtroom. I scanned the hallway, but there was no sign of Emily. I sighed heavily as we entered the room and took my place at the table with my lawyer. I knew this would move quickly and that I wouldn’t get to say much in my own defense. Remy and her lawyer had made sure of that.
We stood as the judge entered, and once she’d rapped her gavel on the bench, we began. Chief and Tony provided statements supporting my assertion that I was a good father and an upstanding citizen, but the judge didn’t seem moved by either man. Remy had brought several of her business associates to testify, but it wa
s obvious that they didn’t know Nina nor she them.
“Does anyone have anything else to add before I render my decision?” the judge asked, from her position above the court.
“I do,” said a voice from the back of the courtroom. I turned and saw Emily striding up the aisle confidently.
“And you are?” the judge asked.
“Emily Fowler, Your Honor,” she replied, as she walked to the front of the room and faced the judge. “I’m Nina’s 10th grade History teacher and Blake Gaston’s girlfriend.”
I heard Remy gasp as Emily explained who she was, and when my lawyer turned to me with a questioning look, I simply nodded. I had no idea what Emily was doing, but it was obvious to me that she had a plan to help.
“There’s no mention of you in the papers that Mr. Gaston filed with the court, Ms. Fowler,” the judge said, giving her a skeptical look.
“I know,” Emily said, bowing her head in deference before turning to look at me. “I made a mistake, and Blake was furious with me, but I wanted to come tell you what happened, and I wanted to let him know that I still love him.”
“She can’t do this, Your Honor!” Remy cried, as she stood up.
“Ms. Gaston, I suggest you sit down and let me decide what I can and cannot allow to happen in my courtroom,” the judge warned. Remy’s lawyer pulled her back down into her chair and whispered urgently in her ear. Remy crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back, looking like an angry child. The judge turned back to Emily and said, “Ms. Fowler, what is it that you have to add to this hearing?”
“Your Honor, I was the one Nina went to the night she returned after running away,” Emily began. “I wanted to call her mother and father immediately, but she begged me to wait until morning to do it so she could have a chance to gather her thoughts and be able to explain what she’d done and why.”
“And you thought this was a good idea?” the judge said, raising an eyebrow.
“No, Your Honor, I did not,” Emily admitted. “But I was afraid that if I didn’t give Nina a little bit of space, she’d take off again, and then it would be my fault for pushing her into a situation that might have been truly dangerous. I made a bad decision, but it felt like the best one at the time.”
“Why didn’t Nina want you to contact her parents?” the judge asked. “Did she give you a reason?”
“She did, Your Honor,” Emily said, looking over at me. “She was trying to figure out a way to tell her mother that she wanted to live with her father full-time, and she didn’t want to hurt anyone.”
“Nina Gaston wants to live with her father?” the judge asked, as she looked down at the paperwork on her desk and began flipping through it. “This is not the impression I got from the petition that was filed with my clerk.”
“She does, Your Honor,” Emily nodded. “She feels that despite having her best interests at heart, her mother is overly controlling and often absent since she travels a great deal for her job. Nina feels that she would be happier living with her father and visiting her mother on the weekends her mother is in town.”
“Ms. Gaston, you indicated in your petition that Mr. Gaston is a neglectful father who is rarely home and who doesn’t have a vested interest in raising a healthy teenager,” the judge said, as she pulled the petition from the stack of papers and began reading from it. “You said, and I quote, that Blake Gaston works overnight shifts on a regular basis and leaves the minor child at home without supervision. He pays no child support and has not contributed to the college fund for said minor.”
“That’s unfair!” Nina cried from the bench behind Blake. “My dad does everything to help me! He’s the one who made me focus on getting my grades up! He was the one who met with my teachers! Mom didn’t even show up!”
“Miss Gaston!” the judge said, as she rapped her gavel on the desk. “You will remain quiet, or I’ll have you removed from the courtroom immediately!”
“It’s not fair,” Nina muttered under her breath.
“Ms. Fowler, are you one of the teachers that Mr. Gaston met with?” the judge asked.
“I am,” I nodded. I could see Remy out of the corner of my eye and knew that if looks could kill, I’d have been dead 10 minutes ago. “Mr. Gaston met with me when Nina’s grades dropped, and we worked out a plan to get them back up.”
“And was that plan successful?” the judge asked.
