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“But she could have easily gotten hurt,” Barbara’s lawyer points out.
“Yes, she could have,” Jenna admits.
What?
“Every day, I worry that she might get hurt. Each time I’m not watching her like a hawk, I know she could have easily gotten hurt and I’m grateful each time she isn’t. And the times she does get hurt? I beat myself up even though it was an accident. Look, I’m not claiming to be perfect. I’m not even trying. All I’m claiming is that I love Shanna more than anything and I will always put her happiness above mine. I think that’s the mark of a mother.”
Emily stands up and claps her hands. I feel like doing the same.
“Silence,” the judge orders.
Emily sits down.
“Do you have any other questions, Ms. McCarthy?” the judge asks Barbara’s lawyer.
She shakes her head. “No further questions.”
“You may go back to your seat, Ms. Holt,” the judge says. Then he addresses the room. “I will take fifteen minutes to take everything that’s been said into account, and when we resume, I will give my decision.”
The judge stands and then leaves the room.
Jenna turns to me. “How did I do?”
I give her a hug. “You did great.”
“She did,” Veronica agrees.
“So did you,” I tell her.
She nods. “We’ve done what we could. Now, all we have to do is wait for the judge to make a decision and hope that it’s in Jenna’s favor.”
I look at Jenna, who seems to be praying.
I definitely hope so.
~
After fifteen minutes, the judge comes back. He says a few things both to Barbara and to Jenna. Then he addresses the court.
“After hearing both sides, I have come to a decision.” He draws a deep breath. “I have decided that the permanent custody of Shanna Holt will be awarded to…”
Chapter Twenty
Jenna
“We won, Dad!” I shout into my phone outside the courthouse. “Shanna is staying with us!”
“Well, didn’t I tell you so?” my dad replies. “I’m proud of you, sweetheart.”
“Oh, but it wasn’t me,” I tell him. “It was Veronica, the lawyer Dax brought. And you were the one who informed him about the case.”
“Well, I figured you shouldn’t do this on your own,” my dad says.
I smile. “I love you, Dad. I’ll see you very soon. Kiss Shanna for me.”
“I will. Take care.”
I end the call, then turn to Dax, who’s standing next to me. I still can’t believe he’s here.
“We did it!” I wrap my arms around him.
He strokes my back. “I didn’t do anything.”
I pull away and shake my head. “You came. You gave me a lawyer. You supported me. That means everything to me.”
Indeed, at that moment Dax arrived, I had a feeling I’d already won.
Dax touches my cheek. “Well, you know I’d do anything for you. I did promise I’d be here for you, remember? Especially when things get tough.”
I remember. I just didn’t think that promise still held.
I look into Dax’s eyes. The love I see in them takes my breath away.
I’ll never get tired of that look, especially now that I know it was almost taken away from me.
“Thank you,” I tell him. “Thank you for being here for me.”
I lift my chin and press my lips to his. Dax kisses me back.
God, I’ve missed this.
I’m about to kiss him some more, but I see Barbara leaving from the corner of my eye.
I hold up a finger. “Just one second.”
Then I go after Barbara.
“Barbara!”
She stops on the steps of the courthouse and turns to me.
“I guess I owe you congratulations,” she says with a shrug.
“And I owe you my thanks,” I tell her. “Those packages. They didn’t just give Shanna stuff that she needed. They gave me strength because they made me feel that I wasn’t alone. I had someone, like some fairy godmother watching over Shanna and me.”
Barbara frowns. “But I ruined all that today, didn’t I?”
“No.” I shake my head. “I admit I felt you were being unfair, but I know you only had Shanna’s best interests at heart. I hope you can visit her like the judge suggested.”
Her face lights up. “I can?”
I nod. “It’s about time you step out of the shadows and do more than just send packages. Be there for her. She is your niece, too, after all.”
Barbara smiles. “In that case, I will.”
“Also, I feel like I already know you, and I can always use another friend.”
She nods. “You are too kind.”
I shake my head. “Nope. That’s you. I’m glad to have finally met you.”
“Me, too.”
It seems awkward for us both to just be standing here when we’re saying such nice things to each other, so I stretch out my arms to her. She gives me a hug.
There. That’s better.
After I pull away, I ask her a question. “I’m just curious. Why did you think Dax wasn’t good for Shanna?”
Barbara glances at Dax. “I didn’t mean to be rude or anything. It’s just… My husband works for a company, too, and he’s heard things. He said Dax Bender could not be trusted. That he had a lot of women. That he had some people killed.”
