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My palms are sweaty, and I rub my hands down the front of my pants. I want to tell him she’s not my ex, but it seems so trivial right now. “I haven’t spoken to or seen her since Sunday, and she hasn’t come to pick Matty up either. She came to Bellamy’s, we talked about why she hid Matty from me. I told her that I was going to fight for my rights, and she told me her husband was going to bury me. I expected her to take Matty with her when she left, but she didn’t. She hasn’t answered any of my calls and every time I go by their house, no one is home.”
“Where’s your daughter now?”
“She’s at school,” I tell him. “On Monday, I went out and bought her some new clothes because everything she owns is at her mother’s, and she doesn’t have a key to get in and get her stuff.”
He makes more notes and excuses himself for a minute. My leg bounces and to pass the seconds, I go through the emails on my phone. Most of them are about my return home, my flight, work out plan, team meetings — my career is going to consume me from the moment I touchdown in Boston while my mind is going to be here in Richfield, wondering and agonizing over my daughter and what’s going to happen to her.
“Sorry about that,” he says when he comes back into the room. He takes a seat behind his desk and shuffles a few papers. “I asked my secretary to schedule you and Matty for the clinic today. She’s also asking for an emergency custody hearing with the judge, but I need some more information before I file.”
“Okay.”
“Has Matty had any contact with her mother?”
I shake my head. “She doesn’t have a cell phone and she hasn’t said anything to me or Bellamy whether Annie called the school or anything.”
“What kind of house do you live in?”
“I have a two-bedroom apartment.”
“School district?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know. I know there’s a school nearby, I’ve been there a few times for fundraisers. I can find out.”
“Do it, it’s important. How long is your contract with your current team?”
“Three years, why?”
He scribbles on his notepad. “I want to show stability.”
I adjust in my seat, a bit uncomfortable. “I know I’m not a parent now, but many guys in the league have children and they adjust.”
Smith puts his pen down and looks at me. “You’re requesting to uproot a ten-year-old who has only known Richfield as her home, to move across country, to a place she’s never been, with a parent she doesn’t know. The more I can throw at the judge, the better.”
I nod, understanding everything he’s saying. “My parents are willing to take her, if need be.”
He writes that down.
“And I’ve asked Bellamy to move with me — she has a son who is friends with Matty.”
“What will you do when you have a road trip?”
I don’t know. I stare out the window behind his desk. His office is in a residential neighborhood and there’s a man walking his dog outside. No traffic. It’s calm and peaceful which is a stark contrast to my life. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. I don’t know what I’m doing or what tomorrow brings. All I know is that I’m Matty’s father and I have to do whatever it takes to protect her. “Honestly, I’m hoping Bellamy moves. If she does, she will be home with Matty. If not, I can hire someone or there are team wives she can stay with. I believe I have options. She won’t be alone.”
“Game nights?”
This one is easy. “Games are family affairs. All the kids come, they have reserved seats or can stay in the owner’s luxury box. Knowing Matty, she’ll want to be where the action is. I’d make arrangements so she’s with the other families. I have friends who will look out for her. She wouldn’t be alone in the ballpark. Plus, there’s security.”
Again, he makes notes. “If we can get a hearing before you leave, can you be there?”
“Yes, but what would it be for?” I ask, feeling completely stupid.
“It’s a stretch, but I think we can show abandonment.”
“Okay.”
“At the very least, we get in front of a judge and get an order for visitation. In the meantime, spend as much time with Matty, without her missing school, and continue to try and reach her parents. Establishing a connection with her is going to be key.”
“We have a connection,” I tell him. “She’s very smart and is the one who figured out I’m her dad.”
