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“Please rise,” a booming voice said, “for Judge Edward Beck.”
We all stood as younger man entered the room, his black robe billowing behind him. He sat, we mimicked, and he began to look through all the papers in front of him. He addressed Milo and Richard, and then Hannah. Facts about the custody were spouted off. I tried to pay attention, but there were details I wasn’t aware of. Judge Beck mentioned the timeline once or twice, obviously not thrilled about the way Milo was told about the move. I kept my eyes on Milo, who nodded along with him, and every now and then, would say “yes, Your Honor” with confidence in his voice.
“Now, that we have that cleared,” the judge spoke, his voice strong, yet soft. Something told me by his demeanor he had a child at home too. “The custody of Holly Harris is on the table, and both parents are asking for full custody. This isn’t an easy case. Both parents have a steady home life, balanced jobs which allow them to be financially stable. Mr. Harris has very little debt to his name, and Mrs. Woods is able to stay at home with her children, thanks to Mr. Woods’ job with the hospital.”
“Yes, Your Honor,” Donald interrupted. “I am Chief of Surgery—”
“As impressive as that job title is, it doesn’t help you here really. My interest lies with Holly.”
I pursed my lips, holding back a laugh as Donald’s shoulders slumped a little bit.
Judge Beck turned back to the papers and spread them out. “I was told you would both have statements to read regarding Holly’s custody.”
“Yes, Your Honor,” Milo said instantly.
“Yes, we do as well.” Hannah gave a soft look toward Milo.
“Mr. Harris, if you wouldn’t mind reading yours first.” Judge Beck laced his fingers together and leaned back in his chair.
“Yes, I can. It’s not very long,” Milo said, sliding the paper toward him. He cleared his throat and began to read.
“In college, I always felt that nothing could go wrong. I had my friends and my family. I was on track for a career in the medical field, and then my world crumbled. When my mother passed, I lost all ambition. I dropped out of school and stopped working. I became a failure in my own self. I lost sense of who I was. It wasn’t until a new life had found me that I was able to become me again, and then years down the road, when I became a father, my life had an entirely new meaning, a reason to see the light in all the darkness. Holding Holly for the first time was probably the same cliche feeling every father has, but I was holding my entire world in my arms. I was holding every feeling of love that could be contained, and at that moment, I knew nothing else mattered except for her.
“My hope for Holly is the same as it was weeks ago. Portland is her home and a part of who she is. Not only is Holly’s life centered around here, but her family is located here as well. Her grandparents, both my father and Hannah’s parents are here. Her school and her friends mean more to Holly than I think we realize. She had told me once that she didn’t want to move, that she wants to stay in Portland. She knows that here she’s loved and wanted. Moving her to Seattle would reset her entire life, possibly causing emotional trauma. If Holly continued to live in Portland, for the most part, her life would remain normal.
“Not only would she have her grandparents, but she would have her Aunt Madeline, who is constantly bringing joy into her life. She would have me, a father who would do anything to make sure his light is happy and taken care of. Holly is my world, the one thing that has brought meaning to my life. I will always fight for her happiness, even if it means sacrificing my own, but in reality, this isn’t about what state Holly lives in. It’s about where her heart lies.
“My goal and wish here is to not rip her from her mother. Hannah is an amazing mother, and I know how it feels to lose someone so important to you, but my goal is to bring joy to Holly’s life in ways that I have been unable to through family and friends, through her school and her home. My goal is to show her that she is loved through many channels, not just through Mom and Dad. Love for Holly flows through Portland, and I feel that she would thrive, physically—emotionally—intellectually—here. She is loved more than she knows, and I want to show that to her.
“Please reconsider your terms and let Holly remain in Portland with the world and life she knows.”His voice was cracking, and he cleared his throat, holding back the tears that I knew were welling up in his eyes.
Milo licked his lips, folded the paper, and handed it back to Richard, who stood and gave the statement to Judge Beck.
If only I could jump this barrier and wrap him in my arms, give him the comfort he so desperately needed. Judge Beck was nodding, his eyes narrow, reading every word that Milo had said.
I turned my attention to Hannah, noticing that she hadn’t moved a muscle since Milo began talking. She was sitting with her hands on her lap and her eyes focused on her fingers. She pursed her lips, biting her bottom lip a few times before shifting her weight in her seat. Finally, she blinked, and I saw a single tear fall from her eyes.
She looked up at Donald and then at Milo. She sniffed and leaned into her lawyer, whispering something in her ear. I pinched my brow.Tell us what you are thinking, Hannah…
“Your Honor,” Ms. Allen said as soon as Hannah pulled away from her. “Can we request a short break?”
Judge Beck kept his chin down but looked at Ms. Allen through his eyelashes.
“We will resume in fifteen minutes,” Judge Beck put the paper down and spun in his chair.
“All rise,” the voice boomed again, and we all stood as Judge Beck made his way out of the court room.
As Milo turned to Richard, asking him what was going on, I looked to Hannah. She stood, leaving the room quickly, her hand covering her mouth. Donald glanced as his wife left the room, but he stayed firmly planted next to his lawyer, and once she was gone his eyes shot back to Milo. Milo, who I was certain was going to crumble under the weight of Donald’s eyes, stood firm and confident in his chair, paying attention to what Richard was telling him.
All the while, I wondered about Hannah. This entire custody situation was hard on Milo, but what was it doing to her? Of course I wanted Milo to win and for Holly to stay here, but Hannah was first and foremost a mother, and after Milo’s statement, she must be more devastated. I stood and quietly left the room, looking up and down the hall as I slowly shut the door to the meeting room.
I spotted her easily, her blue dress flowing over her baby belly, her head buried in her hands. I took a deep breath and approached with caution.
“Hannah?” I spoke softly, tempted to reach out and touch her back, forcing myself to keep my hands to myself. As much as I would have welcomed the touch, I didn’t think she would have welcomed it.
Hannah sniffed and lifted her head, turning her eyes to me. She was crying, her mascara running lightly. She ran her fingers along her cheeks and sighed, lifting her head to the ceiling.
“You know,” Hannah finally said, lowered her head to her feet, her brow furrowed. “Holly hasn’t been happy ever since we told her about the move. I can’t tell you how many times she’s begged me to stay. I’ve always told her there wasn’t any option, that we were moving as a family, and that was that. She would take my answer but, I could tell she wasn’t happy. I didn’t listen to my baby girl.” She wiped her fingers under her eyes, taking the tears and mascara with it. “I refused to believe that she wanted to stay.”
