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“Julie?”
“Yes, your honor?” She sat tall in her seat. I noticed how conservatively she had dressed this morning.
“Would you be willing to take on the mediator role while Hunter continues to adjust?”
Her face broke into a smile. “Yes. Absolutely yes, sir.”
“All right. Then I need to speak to the boy and I’ll let you know my final decision.”
We exchanged looks. Julie squeezed my hand under the table.
My attorney nudged me. “We have to wait in the hall,” he whispered.
“Ah, gotcha.” We rose and waited in the hall.
I nodded at Savannah. The rest hinged on Hunter.
30
Julie
The minutes in the hallway felt like hours. Hawk couldn’t sit still. He paced from one end of the corridor to the other.
I felt the same way. As if at any moment I could crawl out of my skin, but instead I sat frozen like a damn statue. Afraid that if I moved I would somehow disrupt the balance of what was about to happen.
I trusted my father. I did. But he knew Hawk’s reputation. He knew everything he had done. Regardless of how hard he cheered for the Sharks on Sundays, my dad wasn’t going to hand over the safety of a child to this man just because he was a star. My dad was wise and fair. Deliberate and detailed.
I squeezed my hands together, praying that Hunter told him everything he wanted to hear in there. Hawk was great with him. Amazing even.
The door to the hearing room creaked open and Hawk and I both rushed to the entrance.
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“You may proceed,” the bailiff announced.
I looked at Hawk, trying to reassure him when I was dangerously close to falling apart myself.
“It’s going to be ok.” He smiled.
We stepped inside the room and I stared at my father. I didn’t know whether he would ask Hunter to leave.
We all waited for what seemed like an eternity.
“This young man and I had a nice conversation.” My father grinned. “After speaking to all of the parties involved, I’ve decided it is in the best interest of the child in question to be placed in the temporary custody of Mr. Kane Hawkins.”
I almost squealed.
My dad wasn’t finished. “I want to remind you all that this is only a temporary custody hearing. There is another process for adoption, if that is the path you wish to pursue.”
We nodded.
“We will re-convene in forty-five days to assess how the situation suits everyone and how custody should be handled at that point.”
Fort-five days? That put us on the other side of Christmas. I was beaming from the inside out. It was the biggest gift he could have given me and we didn’t even have a tree yet.
My mind raced. Was this happening? Were we an instant family? Would Hawk want all those things too? The stockings by the fireplace? Garland and a big tree? Surprises for Hunter? What did that mean for us? I knew Hawk wasn’t a one-woman man. But standing next to him, I felt like the only woman in his world.
I needed to slow down and at least make it out of the hearing room.
