Chapter 100: Family Court Part 1

I barely slept at all.

Every time my eyes closed, Xavier was waiting for me in the dark. Not the giggling kid who snuck chocolate chips into his pancakes yesterday morning. Not the boy who insisted every dinosaur was named Steve, or the one who clung to my hand in parking lots.

No... I saw his face twisted in terror, tears streaking down his cheeks as someone dragged him away. He screamed for me until his throat was raw. I screamed back promises I couldn’t keep. Somewhere, a judge’s voice echoed: “There’s nothing you can do.” That was when I’d bolt upright in bed, gasping, again and again.

By the time dawn broke, I didn’t know if I’d slept at all.

The house was too quiet.

Usually, by seven, Xavier was awake and dragging Steve the dinosaur across the floorboards, his pretend roars echoing down the hall.

Today, there was only silence, heavy and thick.

I faced myself in the bathroom mirror. Dark circles, hollow eyes, a tie that felt like a noose. I’d never worn one before. John showed me three times yesterday how to tie it. I forgot again before I went to bed.

He’d retied it this morning in silence, his big hands steady.

Ellie appeared in the doorway, wearing a navy dress and a cream cardigan, hair falling in soft waves. She wasn’t holding her planner for once.

“You ready?” Her voice was gentle.

I tried to laugh. It sounded hollow. “No.”

Ellie just nodded. “Didn’t think so.”

She stepped inside and closed the door behind her, then reached up and straightened my tie again.

“You keep making it crooked,” she teased.

“I think the tie hates me,” I muttered.

“It definitely hates you.”

A real smile threatened, but it melted away before it could settle in.

Her eyes found mine. “You don’t have to be brave today.”

“I know.”

“You just have to be honest.”

I swallowed hard. “What if that’s not enough?”

Her fingers paused on my collar. “It will be.”

“You don’t know that.”

Ellie shook her head, honest as ever. “No. But Nathaniel does. If he says he has this, I’d honestly be worried for the other attorney.” She squeezed my hand. “Come on. They’re waiting.”

The drive to the courthouse felt both too short and impossibly long. No one talked much. Mom sat in the back, reading Xavier a dinosaur book. He didn’t know where we were going, just that everyone was dressed up and quieter than usual.

John drove. Nathaniel rode up front, flipping through his neatly organized folders, color-coded tabs sticking out everywhere. Every so often, he’d jot something in the margins. Somehow, watching him work calmed me. If Nathaniel was calm, maybe I could be too.

The courthouse loomed ahead... gray, glass, and cold. An American flag snapped in the breeze. People in suits moved up the steps, faces tense or blank.

Nathaniel closed his folder and looked back at me. “Remember what we talked about,” he said.

I nodded. “Answer only the question you’re asked.”

“If you don’t understand—”

“I say I don’t understand.”

“If you don’t remember?”

“I say I don’t remember.”

He smiled. “The truth is enough.”

I wished I believed that.

Security was even more awkward than I’d expected, shoes and belt off, pockets emptied, everything dumped into bins. Xavier loved the metal detector.

“Can I go again?” he asked the guard.

“Not today, little man.” She grinned.

Even that simple moment hurt. How could anyone look at Xavier and not see he belonged with us?

Family Court was on the third floor. The hallway was lined with children’s art... bright handprints, families in crayon, smiling faces. The irony made my stomach twist.

Nathaniel checked us in at the desk while the rest of us sat on a wooden bench. I bounced my knee, nerves crawling under my skin. Ellie set her hand on my leg. My knee stilled.

She didn’t say a word. She didn’t need to.

The elevator dinged. Nathaniel looked up. “There they are.”

Miss Jackie stepped out first, looking more nervous than I’d ever seen her. Then her eyes found me and she smiled. “There he is.” She swept me into a hug, fierce and warm.

“My sweet boy,” she murmured.

“You came,” I managed.

She pulled back, hands on my cheeks. “Of course I came. You thought you’d do this alone?” I tried to answer, but she shushed me. “Let us fight for you today, okay?”

Mr. Ramirez followed her out, same boots, same work shirt, sadder eyes than I remembered. He came straight to me. “I should’ve done more,” he said, voice rough. “I saw more than I realized. I’m sorry I didn’t know how bad it was.”

I couldn’t answer. I’d always assumed nobody saw. I was wrong.

Then the Johnsons appeared. Mrs. Johnson smiled. Mr. Johnson’s eyes were kind as ever. Shame burned in my cheeks at the memory of the lobster.

He chuckled. “Still thinking about that lobster?”

I tried to laugh. “Uh... yeah.”

He grinned. “I was mad for ten minutes. Then Jackie came knocking and told me why you took it. I’ve trapped lobster forty years. I can spare one.”

Tears prickled at my eyes. “I should’ve paid you back.”

He nodded at Xavier. “You already did. You kept that little boy alive.”

Silence fell, comfortable and full.

For the first time, I looked around... Jackie, Mr. Ramirez, the Johnsons, Ellie, John, Nathaniel. They were all here. For me. Not because they had to, but because they wanted to. Because they believed in me.

The realization nearly brought me to my knees. I wasn’t alone. Not anymore.

Nathaniel returned from the clerk’s desk, legal pad in hand. “Ten minutes.”

Everyone looked at him.

He nodded at me. “Walk with me.”

We stepped down the hall, away from the others.

“Nervous?” Nathaniel asked.

I let out a shaky laugh. “Feels like I’m gonna puke.”

He smiled. “Good. Means you understand what’s at stake. But nerves don’t win cases, facts do.”

I swallowed. “What if I say the wrong thing?”

“You won’t.”

“What if I freeze?”

“I’ll help you.”

“What if—”

He held up one finger. “No.”

I fell silent.

He softened. “Family court isn’t television. No surprise witnesses, no shouting. The judge isn’t looking for perfect answers, just honest ones.” His hand settled on my shoulder steading me. “When you’re asked a question, answer just that question. If you don’t know, say so. If you don’t remember, say so. If you need clarification, ask for it.”

He smiled. “And start every answer with ‘Yes, Your Honor’ or ‘No, Your Honor.’”

I nodded. “I can do that.”

“You can.”

Across the hall, I spotted her... My mother. Beth Reed. Standing beside a slick lawyer in an expensive suit. They were laughing. Confident. Like they’d already won.

Beth looked up, met my eyes. A smug smile unfurled, slow as poison. Her attorney followed her gaze and gave the same smile... cold, certain.

A chill ran straight through me.

Nathaniel caught my stare. “Don’t look at them.”

“I can’t help it.”

“You can. They want to get in your head before we even start.”

“They look… comfortable.”

He shrugged. “So do sharks. Doesn’t mean they’re winning.”

The courtroom doors opened. The clerk called, “Reed custody matter.”

Every conversation stopped. My heart hammered.

Nathaniel picked up his briefcase. John squeezed my shoulder. Ellie found my hand.

Together, we stepped into the courtroom.