by M K Lansbury
“Hello, Aaron,” Yasmin stammered, so affronted by his obnoxious behavior she felt wrong-footed, “I was just assigned --”
“Yeah, I know. I’m gonna speak to Patricia about that. I think there’s been some sort of mistake. But since you’re already here…” He thrust his briefcase in Yasmin’s hands. “Let me do the talking and don’t say anything, okay?”
Thoroughly put off by his attitude in front of the client, Yasmin made a mental note to complain to Patricia Blake about his behavior.
Linda escorted them into Gretchen Stoltz’s office and Yasmin became further convinced Stoltz was a one-of-a-kind lawyer. While the reception room was organized, Gretchen Stoltz’s office was an organized mess. There were files and papers on every surface with Post-It notes on top to indicate which case they belonged to. The space was small and was occupied by a small desk, three large filing cabinets, a dying fichus plant, and a soot-grey cat sitting on the windowsill that overlooked the back alley and an overflowing dumpster.
Gretchen Stoltz was tiny. Barely five feet she had short dark hair and large glasses that dominated her plain round face. Her hands were constantly fidgeting and Yasmin noticed a string of doodles in the margins of her legal pad.
Douglas Keene in comparison was absolutely still. A fair bit shorter than Margery, Douglas had the look of a portly man who had lost a considerable amount of weight in a very short time. Bestowed with a head of pale brown hair and a permanent five o’clock shadow on his jaw; his skin wasn’t tanned as much as weather-beaten. His eyes, though he avoided looking at anyone, were green and slightly bulging.
“There aren’t enough chairs,” Sprague barked before Stoltz could so much as get up from her chair. “Is this part of your strategy, Stoltz?”
“We can move to the reception area if you want,” Stoltz shrugged. If Sprague had intended to cow her he had failed miserably. “Or Linda can bring in more chairs.”
“Already on it,” Linda huffed as she heaved two foldable picnic chairs into the cluttered office.
Sprague grimaced, as did Margery. Douglas flushed but Yasmin was too busy marveling at how bizarre the whole situation was to care much about sitting on garden furniture during a meeting.
“Sit,” Stoltz waved impatiently at the chairs. “Let’s get started.”
Yasmin and Margery complied but Sprague eyed the office chair askance and chose to remain standing. “This is ridiculous,” he sneered. “I told you before that these were unacceptable meeting conditions.”
“Enough crying, Sprague,” Stoltz said coolly, her hands shifting from her pen to her highlighter as if they were a talisman. “You didn’t have a problem meeting clients in this room when you first started out so you shouldn’t have a problem now. I’m not going to let you antagonize this custody case into court. That’s not what my client wants.”
Suitably impressed, Yasmin sat back to watch what Sprague would do now. True to form her oily colleague let the comments slide off him as if his entire persona was covered in Teflon. He made a great show of brushing the seat with a tissue paper before sitting down.
“I got your email with your client’s request. Sole custody? Really? Especially considering the income – or lack thereof – he earns.”
“You think that just because your client makes more she deserves full custody?”
“Of course.”
“That’s not how it works.”
“Work. Interesting choice of words. Does your client even know how to work? How to hold down a job?” Sprague sneered.
Douglas Keene slammed his hand down on the table. “I’m right here, you know. It’s not my fault! I tried to get steady jobs. But she wouldn’t let me.”
“What are you talking about, Doug?” Margery’s tone was a serrated edge.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Douglas shrugged. “Do I have to put down a deposit before I get the right to speak out loud? Or do you still think you own me just because you paid the bills?”
“I never flaunted my money in your face,” Margery hissed. “But I’m not going to apologize for my success either.”
“Of course not. It’s all about you. Even the kids think that way.”
“If they do, it’s because you put that in their heads.”
“Well, I’m sorry, but you were never around.”
“Well, after we’re done here they’ll never be around to see you.”
Yasmin had had enough. Sprague had turned this into a boxing match and it was blinding the clients to what they actually wanted – what was best for the children.
“Just stop talking. All of you!”
Everyone’s eyes turned to look at her. Sprague shot daggers at her. Stoltz on the other hand looked her over the rim of her glasses seeing her for the first time. It was odd being the center of such avid attention.
“You realize that your children will hate both of you if you keep this up, don’t you?”
Margery and Doug had the decency to look ashamed.
She turned to Doug, “Have you really started to mention these things in front of your children?”
“I…”
“Because I’d recommend you don’t.”
Sprague looked up with a smug smile on his face. “She’s right.”
Yasmin shot Sprague a condescending look, like a teacher silencing a bad student.
She turned to look at Margery, “And you? Have you commented on your husband’s inability to find meaningful work?”
Margery looked to the ground, contrite.
“I don’t think you realize how much children pick up on this sort of stuff. They’re still young and still look up to the both of you. You’re their heroes. And you know what happens when you find out that your heroes are fallible? That they’re not perfect? It destroys you. Not just right now but potentially forever.”
As Yasmin stated this, she realized that maybe Sara actually was right. Their parents’ relationship might be one of the factors in why she was in family law.
“I can you tell you both love them, and you want to be with them. Do you know how important that is to them at this time in their lives? It’s everything. So, really, if you do love them you need to find a way to make sure they’re in each of your lives.”
Silence pervaded the room when she finished. A nerve was working in Sprague’s forehead. Doug was staring resolutely at his feet like a reprimanded child. Margery was harder to read. Her face had gone completely blank. This could mean anything. It could even mean the end of Yasmin’s assistance on this case.
Yasmin shrugged. “I’m sorry. I just --”
“No, you’re right,” Margery sighed. The blank face crumpled like the façade it was and worry lines etched her face again. She looked guilty. “We’re both being selfish. Luke’s teacher reached out to me the other day. He refused to share his toys in class. Said his mother had paid for it so no one else could play with it. He’s getting that from us.”
“He really did that?” Doug looked up, concerned.
“Yeah.”
Doug sighed, and turned to Yasmin. He looked like a man who had made up his mind.
“What are you suggesting?”
Stoltz put her hand on his arm. “That’s what we’re here to figure out.”
“No, I’d like to hear from her.”
Yasmin, shocked, looked around the room, ignoring Sprague’s look of disgust.
“Ms. Day should receive primary care initially since she has the home. The children have their rooms there, their school is in closer proximity, and it’s an established household. But I suggest we split the custody with Mr. Keene starting with the weekends and once he acquires a place we can re-explore it.”
Margery and Doug stared at each other like children caught passing notes.
“Are you okay with this, Margery?” Doug asked.
“Are you?”
Doug silently gave this thought. He held his head in his hands and sighed deeply, his thumbs massaging the tiny groves in his temples. But when he finally loo
ked up his jaw was set.
“I am.”
“Then so am I.”
Yasmin exhaled. The tense knot in the back of her spine loosened. Her outburst had worked!
Doug looked over at Margery. “What was the toy he refused to share?”
“The bulldog one. His Paw Patrol action figure.”
“Well, that’s understandable. It’s a pretty cool toy,” Doug said, a smile creeping on his face.
“He’s the construction guy in the crew. I guess that played a part too.” For the first time all afternoon, Yasmin detected a smile on Margery’s face.
“Well, I think we’re done here.” Sprague got up in a huff. “Doctor Phil – I mean, Miss Diaz – here will draw up the terms and send them to you.” Without turning to say goodbye he marched out of the office.
Yasmin knew that if Sprague wasn’t impressed with her before, this clinched it. But she was happy that Margery Day had got what she wanted – a feeling of settlement. Yasmin gathered her files together and prepared to leave.
“Thank you,” Margery said, tucking her hair behind her ear and smiling. “I don’t know what to say. You’ve just made two boys very happy.”
Yasmin held up her hand to stop her. “I’m just doing my job,” she smiled.
But as she looked back at the office entrance that Sprague had just left, she wondered how much longer she’d have that very job.
Would you like to read more? You can check out the book at here.
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About MK
A ghostwriter for a number of successful books and novels of all genres, MK Lansbury is finally writing stories that are the most important to her:
Heartwarming ones.
In a day and time where it seems like sex and violence are prerequisites, what makes her happiest is the ability to be able to make a reader smile, swoon and be inspired.
Born in Canada, MK has lived and travelled all over. And now that she’s become a fulltime writer, she’s hit #1 on Amazon with a number of books and draws on her experiences to tell stories of love, friendship and family.
MK lives with her loving family, pet dog, and a growing legion of readers and fans.
www.Mklansbury.com
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