“I don’t need luck. I have you. I like your hair, and you look really pretty today.” His words wrapped around me and squeezed tight. I wanted to cuddle into that feeling and forget the ache of his absence that had been my constant companion the last few weeks. I let him walk out in front of me and took a second to bend over and rest my hands on my knees so I could catch my breath. Those goddamn feelings could pack one hell of a punch when they were free to do their thing.
When we got into the courtroom the mood was surprisingly optimistic. The heavy uncertainty that had reigned the first time we had done this was long gone. This all felt like no more than a formality. We followed all the protocols as the judge entered the room and I answered all the questions from the bench as we went over the home visit, Zeb’s progress on the classes he had been ordered to take, and the details of everything the judge had handed down at the last hearing. The judge seemed pleased with Zeb’s progress and asked him to get up and go to the bench. I nodded at him encouragingly and reminded him to simply be honest. It was what he was best at after all.
“How have the overnight weekends been going, Mr. Fuller?”
Zeb shrugged and then straightened up and spoke clearly and firmly. “There has been some transition. Hyde is really scared to be alone, and I think he’s sensitive about being shuffled between my place and the foster home. He always asks me if I’m going to come back for him. And the kid would live on pizza alone if I let him, so there have been a few meltdowns when I wanted him to eat like real people.”
That startled a laugh out of the judge, which made me smile.
“We work through it. My mom and sister have been great and Hyde’s mother had a really good friend that he was close to. She’s been by to visit him, so I think he knows we’re all just trying to make him as comfortable as possible. I may spoil him rotten, but I figure I have a lot of lost time to make up for.”
“What about the practicalities of transitioning the child into your care on a full-time basis: school, day care, health insurance? How are you doing on all of those things?”
“Hyde won’t go to kindergarten until fall since his birthday is late in the year. I’m going to enroll him in the same district as my niece so that my mother can pick him up and watch him for me until I get off work. Joss already loves him and I would rather have him with family than in day care.”
He looked over his shoulder at his mother and she gave him a nod. The judge watched the exchange over the rims of his glasses and made a note in the file he had open on the desk. “What about insurance?”
I saw Zeb’s shoulders tense, but he answered the question truthfully. “Since I’m self-employed, that has been a tad bit trickier. I have to wait for open enrollment to sign him up on a policy, so until then I’ll put him on Medicaid.”
“What about my recommendation for counseling? You mentioned the child was having issues being alone and separated from you.”
“My sister gave me the name of the doctor she took my niece to after the incident a few years ago. He didn’t have any openings this month, but I set us up an initial appointment for a few weeks from now. I want to make sure Hyde is comfortable with the guy before I commit to anything on a long-term basis.”
More scribbling but there was satisfaction stamped on the judge’s face. This was all going really well and I hadn’t had to do much of anything. I didn’t think he was even going to call the Fuller women to the bench.
The judge nodded and scribbled some more notes. “How has the adjustment in your social life been, Mr. Fuller?”
Zeb’s eyes darted over to me and then back to the judge. I forced myself not to start squirming as the judge followed the exchange.
“Haven’t had much of a social life lately, Your Honor. I’ve been working and getting things settled for my boy. I’m waiting for someone special. I won’t let anyone I’m not seriously involved with near my kid. He’s been disappointed by the adults in his life far too much already.”
The judge reached up, pulled his glasses off, and offered up a slight grin. “That is a very good answer, Mr. Fuller. In fact, I am very pleased with everything you have told me and all the steps you have taken to facilitate your motion for custody. Go ahead and have a seat. Counselor, can you approach the bench, please?”
I wasn’t expecting this but kept my face blank so that I gave nothing away as I passed Zeb on my way up to the bench. He gave me a curious look, but since I had no idea what was going on, I just shrugged a little and took purposeful strides until I was in front of the judge.
He pushed the microphone in front of him to the side, crossed his hands in front of him, and leaned forward so that he was looking down directly at me.
“You’ve been in front of me several times the last few years for different cases, Ms. Cole. You are passionate, dedicated, and driven to do right by your clients. I like having you in my courtroom.”
I blinked in shock and shifted on my feet. “Uh, thank you, Your Honor.”
“You fight for your clients with the obvious belief that you are doing so with their best interests in mind. In this case, I know the father is who you are representing, but I want to know that if it was the child you were fighting for, would you still be convinced the best place for him is in the care of Mr. Fuller?”
I opened my mouth and let it close again. It was unprecedented for a judge to ask legal counsel their opinion on a matter like this.