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“No, thank you for insisting,” Theo replies. Even her outfit tells me she means business. Dark blue jeans, a black sweater, and her platinum blonde hair pulled into a tight bun. “It took me a while to figure out I wasn’t doing Stella any favors at this point.”
“What’s going on?” Levi asks.
We take our seats, and Noah pours Theo a cup of coffee. She sighs deeply, and I can see she’s still hesitating despite the wise decision she made yesterday to come here and meet with us.
“Thing is, Stella is okay, for the most part, but I don’t think she’ll be okay for much longer,” she says.
“What do you mean?” Beau replies, his black brows furrowed into a deep frown.
“Man, I didn’t want to tell on her,” Theo mumbles. Her shoulders drop. It’s so obvious she cares deeply about her friend, otherwise she wouldn’t be here. “Elijah has been threatening legal action, but he’s been quiet the past week. He hasn’t been calling me incessantly like he did before, either. After Stella left here, he was constantly hounding me, looking for her.”
“If he’s quiet, it means he’s either given up or he’s preparing something from a legal standpoint with his lawyer,” I say. “If the latter is the case, I don’t think his odds are good.”
“Stella hasn’t been taking his calls,” Theo says. “From a legal perspective, Elijah could use that against her. Up to the point where he came back and asked to see his children, Stella could be reached. She would’ve answered the phone. She even texted him a number of times over the months following their divorce. If she’s cut off all contact, he could get the authorities involved. He could say she’s denying him access to their children, especially now that he’s paying child support.”
Noah’s jaw tightens. A moment later, he takes a deep breath. “Does Stella know Elijah has been radio silent?”
“Yes. And she’s worried. I’m worried. I don’t know what she’ll do. I don’t know what shecando,” Theo replies. “I tried hooking her up with a new lawyer, but I haven’t heard back from any of my contacts. They will reach out, eventually, but I fear the clock is ticking way faster.”
“That’s why I wanted us gathered here, today,” I cut in. “I’ve already spoken to my family’s law firm, and they’ve been kind enough to put their associates in touch with Noah and me on the matter of Stella and Elijah’s custody issues.”
“We’re meeting them later,” Noah says. “And Theo will be joining us, since she has the most knowledge about the situation.”
“But I needed the four of us to reaffirm our commitment to Stella,” I add. “I know we’ve each shared and acknowledged our feelings for her, our emotional attachment to the kids, and our thoughts on her unexpected pregnancy. We’ve all said we would do everything in our power to bring her and the little ones back safe and sound, yet there is still this thorn in my side that’s really digging deeper.” I look at each of them, meeting their eyes. “Are we absolutely certain we’re going to go all the way through with it?”
Levi gives me a startled look. “What do you mean? Of course we’re sure.”
“Listen to me very carefully,” I reply. “I am ready to risk everything I’ve worked for in order to make this work with Stella. I am ready to risk the kind of public scandal that would destroy my entire family for this. That’s how sure I am. And I need to know that each of you is equally ready to do this with me. I may have had my doubts and fears in the past, but I’m not turning back now. Stella needs us all by her side, no matter what. No matter what those Hollywood execs tell you, Levi. No matter how many more West Coast hotels you buy, Beau. No matter what our parents expect of you once I start running for public office, Noah, if I even still can.”
A heavy silence falls across the table. It’s not a sign for me to stop, though. I’ve given this too much thought not to lay it all out so it’s crystal clear for everybody.
“Had it only been me, I would’ve taken Stella as my wife right away, no questions asked and gladly. But there are four of us, each with something massive to lose. And while it sounds romantic to say we’re doing it out of true love, we do need to be realistic. It takes more than that to be with her, to be a part of her life. Those children deserve better, and we can’t waste her time if any of us will turn around and desert her when it inevitably gets tough. Lucas and Ava need a father in their lives. And the four of us have repeatedly said we want to be dads to them. Which is why I need to make sure we’re on the same page here.”
Beau nods his agreement. “It’s not about sacrificing our futures, our careers, and reputations. It’s about coming together to make sure none of that happens while we also give Stella and her children everything they need and deserve.”
“Precisely,” I say.
Theo can’t help but smile. “You guys are amazing, I swear. No one else in this world would have the balls to do what you’re about to do. You say it’s not just about true love, Isaac, but let’s face it. It’s exactly the love you feel for her that has you ready to put everything on the line like this. I only wish Stella could hear you. Maybe then she’d understand.”
“She will,” Noah says. “It’s not an easy concept to grasp, I get it. I had a hard time reconciling my own thoughts on the matter. It’s complicated, and it’ll get even more complicated with a third child in the picture, but I know we can do this. I’m certainly willing to fight all the way through.”
“Me, too,” Levi replies. “You’re right, Isaac. It can be done. It’s not going to be easy, but if we’ve got enough legal juice, we could cover our backs on every possible front later down the line.”
Theo clears her throat. “I think we need eyes on Elijah, first and foremost.”
“We’ll discuss this with our lawyers later today,” I say.
And I’m certainly prepared to keep every possible option on the table. Even the options I wouldn’t bring up now for fear of shock and awe. It takes a lot of grit and a skewed moral compass to thrive in America’s political jungle these days. My parents and grandparents before me understood the risks, and none of them hesitated to get their hands dirty when push came to shove.
There are possibilities way outside the legal realm. Ugly things I’m ready to do in order to keep Stella and her children together. I only hope I won’t have to go that far, but the mere fact that I’m willing to do so tells me I’m seeing this through. Truth is, there is no one I’d rather spend the rest of my days with. I don’t care that my name might not be on a marriage certificate anywhere.
I don’t care that our children will grow up having to hide the wonderful complexity of their family from the rest of the world. I don’t care that I will always have to hide the best part of my life from my own family and friends. If that is what it takes for us to be together and happy, truly happy, I’ll do it.
“Where is she now?” Beau asks.
“Portland. She’s got a steady job at a diner downtown, and she’s renting a nice, cozy little place. She even got her neighbor’s kid to babysit Ava and Lucas,” Theo says.
“And how is she feeling?” I reply.
