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Ms. Danes clears her throat. “My clients are adamant that the decision made by their son-in-law was illegitimate. In fact, they feel that coercion was involved in his decision.”
Okay, not totally off the mark there…
I glance at Ruslan, who couldn’t be more relaxed. If you blurred out the background, you’d think he was on a beach somewhere, drinking piña coladas and soaking up tropical sun. Not standing in this bleak courtroom with the fate of my sister’s children on the line.
“Can they prove it?”
“Not as such, necessarily, no.” Ms. Danes clears her throat. “In addition, however, my clients feel that Ms. Carson is ill-equipped to take care of all three children. She lacks the resources and the maturity to fully meet all their needs.”
My jaw flops open. Neither of my parents will look at me, but I can feel their attention aimed in my direction. I want to knock their smug heads together.
Judge Kennedy purses her lips. “And yet Ms. Carson is the one who has been meeting their needs consistently for the past three years.”
“Thankyou!” Every single pair of eyes in the courtroom turns to me. I blush scarlet. “Sorry,” I murmur. “That was supposed to be an inside thought.”
The judge doesn’t crack a smile but she doesn’t admonish me, either. Her gaze veers back to my parents and their lawyer. “It’s not in the best interests of those children to be removed from a familiar environment and placed in your care, even if you are their grandparents.”
Beatrice jerks up to her feet again. “They’re not even in school! She pulled them outmonthsago. I checked with their principal!” Her lawyer grabs her arm and whispers something in her ear but Beatrice just shakes her off. “I want what’s best for my grandchildren and I’m terrified that my wayward, irresponsible daughter will do more damage of an unfixable variety if they’re left with her in the long run.”
The judge twists her dark gaze back to me. “Ms. Carson, am I to understand that you pulled those children out of their school without finding an alternate option for them?”
Oh God. Oh God. Oh God.
Isabel gets to her feet before I can fumble for some half-assed explanation. “Of course not, your honor. My client has indeed secured an alternate option for the children.”
Ruslan pulls out a sheaf of papers and hands them to Isabel, who walks them over to the judge. I sidle a little closer to Ruslan. “What’s going on?”
“I’ve enrolled the kids at Horace Mann.”
My skin tingles. Everyone in the city has heard of Horace Mann. It’s where pop stars and presidents send their kids. The tuition for one semester alone is over thirty thousand dollars. But, if I’m being honest, I’m less annoyed about that and more annoyed about the fact that this is the first I’m hearing of any of this.
He’s gonna get an earful about this later.
“Well… everything seems to be in order,” Judge Kennedy says, turning over the papers to read through everything. “It seems your daughter hasn’t neglected the children’s education at all, Mrs. Carson.”
My mother is gawking at Ruslan and I now with a disbelieving expression. “B-but… she can only enroll them there because ofhim.”
Judge Kennedy sighs and turns to Ruslan. “And who are you, Mr…?”
“Oryolov, your honor. Ruslan Oryolov.” He’s the only one who doesn’t look on edge right now.
“And who are you to these children?”
“I’m Ms. Carson’s partner.” He crosses his hands in front of his belt. “And I’m fully committed to helping her raise those three children. I already think of them as my own.”
My jaw flops open again, but for a very different reason this time. Okay, so it’s alittleharder to be pissed at him about the whole school enrollment thing. Sue me.
The judge fixes him with her eagle eyed gaze. “Taking on three children is no easy feat, Mr. Oryolov.”
Ruslan doesn’t hesitate. “I’m well aware, your honor. It’s a great responsibility, but it’s also a rewarding one. And I’m more than up for the challenge.”
Judge Kennedy nods. “Then there’s nothing further to discuss. Mr. and Mrs. Carson, your petition for custody has been denied. Legal and physical custody of the minor children—Joshua, Reagan, and Caroline Ziegler—will remain with their aunt.”
She bangs the gavel—and just like that, I can breathe again.
36
EMMA
