by Dynah Zale
“You are the last party. The hearing should begin as soon as you get in there.” He stopped and allowed them to pass through a huge wood door. The security guard closed the door behind them and returned to his post.
Together they walked toward the defense table, and as Val proceeded down the center aisle, she could feel a pair of eyes watching her. When she looked up she abruptly stopped in her tracks. Sitting at the table across from theirs was Caitlyn and her lawyer.
When Caitlyn realized she had Val’s attention, she gave a sly grin and whispered something into her lawyer’s ear. The lawyer turned over his shoulder to look at Val, and the two began whispering again.
“Val, what’s wrong?” Jonah came up behind her. “Is everything all right?” He was concerned.
Val couldn’t take her eyes off Caitlyn.
He looked to where Val was staring. “Come on, let’s not keep Mr. Lawson waiting.”
The two of them grabbed a seat next to Mr. Lawson and waited for the judge to enter.
Val kept sneaking looks in Caitlyn’s direction. She wondered what she was doing here.
When Judge Cohen walked into the courtroom, everyone stood. “You may all be seated,” he announced. He sat down in his chair and picked up the papers set before him. When he saw Jonah’s name, he dropped the papers back down on his desk. “Mr. Reynolds,” he proclaimed, “what are you doing back in my courtroom? Did I make a mistake by returning Hope to your custody?”
“No, Your Honor.” Jonah’s eyes pleaded with Mr. Lawson to step in.
“Your Honor, there seems to be a question of the child’s maternity,” Mr. Lawson stressed the last word.
“Now, I’m confused. Can someone please tell me what is going on?” the judge asked out loud.
Caitlyn’s lawyer stood up to speak, “Well, Your Honor, my client has reason to believe that Mr. Reynolds is not the child’s biological father. This is the biological mother.” He pointed to Caitlyn. “She gave the baby up for adoption, and since then both adoptive parents have died and she would now like to get her daughter back.”
The judge turned toward Jonah, and he could see by the look in Jonah’s eyes that there was some truth to Caitlyn’s story.
“Well, I don’t think I’ve ever had to rule on a case this complex,” Judge Cohen commented.
“As you can see, I have provided a copy of Ms. Haas’s financial records for the past three years. I have provided depositions from her friends and associates that can vouch for her character.”
Caitlyn’s overzealous lawyer tried to charm Judge Cohen with his flattering words. He mentioned a lot of prominent people in Seattle who were associates of Caitlyn’s, but Judge Cohen seemed unmoved.
“Ms. Haas, where is Hope’s father?” Judge Cohen asked.
“Well,” Caitlyn cleared her throat before stealing a glance in Val’s direction, “her father played for the NBA, but he was killed not too long ago in a plane crash.”
“Julian Pennington?” the judge questioned.
Caitlyn affirmed by nodding her head yes.
Val sat up in her seat and stared at Caitlyn. She was sure she had heard her incorrectly. At first she thought this was another one of Caitlyn’s sick jokes. A vicious lie she had concocted to hurt her.
Then the weight of Caitlyn’s words started to affect Val in a negative way. Her mouth turned dry, and her stomach turned. The room spun around her. The well-ventilated courtroom was now suffocating, and Val felt like she couldn’t breathe. She grabbed for her purse and rushed out the courtroom doors.
As she left, she could hear Jonah call out her name, but that didn’t stop her. Val ran to her car and jumped into the driver’s seat. She watched her hands shake. Her heart raced with fear. She noticed her doors were unlocked, and she slammed her hand down on the lock button.
Val was intimidated by Caitlyn’s courtroom revelation. She didn’t know why her lies would shake her to the core. There was no doubt in her mind how much Julian loved her, but Val felt like Caitlyn had won because she’d had his baby. From the parking lot she stared at the courthouse. She couldn’t stay any longer because she wasn’t emotionally prepared to face Caitlyn again.
She started her Mercedes and spun rubber to get out of the parking lot as fast as she could. Val drove through the streets of Philly erratically. The Mercedes cut off trucks, ran through red lights and barely yielded at stop signs. She wasn’t sure where she was going. Her subconscious took over control of the car.
The car came to an abrupt stop in front of First Nazareth A.M.E. He had safely directed her to His house. The Lord’s house.
She struggled to get out of her seatbelt and staggered up to the church doors. Inside, the church was empty. Val didn’t wonder why no one was around. She knew He planned it this way. When she needed to talk with Him at one of her most vulnerable times in her life He made His altar available. She ran to the altar and prayed earnestly. The word that kept crying out from her soul was “Why?”
At that moment a lot of truths were revealed to her heart. Since Julian’s accident, she hadn’t prayed at all. Months had passed since the last time she came to the Lord with love in her heart or praise on her lips. In her heart she could hear God asking her, “Why?” Why hadn’t He heard from her? He was delighted each time she called on Him, but lately He missed the sound of her voice. He wanted her to pour out her sorrows to Him.
Val knew what God wanted, and without hesitation she handed her troubles over to Him. Her soul immediately felt light. “Thank you, Jesus, for Your grace and Your mercy.”
Val heard the reassuring sound of his voice telling her, “Everything is gonna be all right.” With that thought she closed her eyes and envisioned God holding her tight in His arms. She simply laid her head on the altar—which in her mind was God’s shoulder—and smiled, to herself.
Back inside the courtroom Caitlyn’s lawyer was still trying to get the judge to side with his client. “Judge Cohen, as you can see from Caitlyn’s references, she comes from a very good family. There is no doubt she can provide for the child financially. The child will attend the best schools and have all the advantages a child needs. We ask that the court stop wasting taxpayers’ money by humoring Mr. Reynolds and his need to seek custody of a child he has no claims to. Ms. Haas would like to expedite the matter as quickly as possible so that she may be a mother to her daughter.”
Offended by the lawyer’s remarks, Judge Cohen became increasingly leery of the lawyer’s true intentions as time moved on. The young experienced lawyer lacked respect for the court and spoke to the judge as if he were a peon.
“Ms. Haas, what was your reason for giving your daughter up in the first place?” the judge asked. Her lawyer sighed when he realized the judge had disregarded his remarks. “Your Honor, I’m not sure,” she stuttered. “I guess I felt like I was too young to care for a baby.”
“Is it safe to assume the father felt the same as you?” Judge Cohen dug deep for answers.
“No.” Uncertain of what to do, she searched her lawyer’s eyes for an answer. “He never knew he had a daughter.”
Judge Cohen stopped writing and set his pen down in front of him. “You mean to tell me Julian Pennington never knew he had a daughter?”
Caitlyn halfheartedly shook her head no. “Your Honor,” Caitlyn’s lawyer tried to intercede on her behalf. “If you don’t mind—”
“I do mind.” He was tired of the lawyer’s nonsense. Then he shifted the focus back to Caitlyn. “Why would you keep something like that a secret?” The judge sounded like a stern father reprimanding his child for doing wrong.
Caitlyn shrugged her shoulders in response.
Frustrated with the entire case, Judge Cohen sighed. “Ms. Haas, you carry very impressive references.” He handed the bailiff a folder to give back to Caitlyn’s lawyer. “You also come from a very good family, but none of that means much in my courtroom. I’m going to put in an immediate order for DNA testing. Ms. Haas, Hope and Mr. Reynolds will all have
to be tested. It’s only fair to Hope to know her true lineage. Once the results are in, they will be returned to my office. At that time I will contact all parties through their lawyers. We will meet back here, and I will not only read the results out loud, but also grant full custody to either Mr. Reynolds or Ms. Haas. In the meantime, I’m going to grant both you and Ms. Haas visitation to Hope at the group home where she is currently living.” He picked up the gavel and slammed it hard against the sounding block.
Val slid her key into the lock that opened her front door. She entered, and from the kitchen she could hear Jonah talking with Mr. Lawson. The screen door slipped out of her hands and slammed shut, creating a noise so loud, she felt like an intruder in her own home.
Jonah jumped from his seat and rushed into the foyer. “Hey!” He opened up his arms wide and embraced her with so much love, she thought she was going to start crying again. “I was worried when I couldn’t find you at the courthouse. I tried to reach you on your cell phone, but it kept going straight to voice mail.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I wasn’t feeling well and I left to come home. But I thought maybe I just needed some fresh air, so I went out to the park.”
Jonah looked at her strangely. “Are you feeling all right? I thought something else was wrong.” Jonah pressed her for information.
“No.” Val straightened out her clothes.
At the park, Val calculated the amount of time that had passed since Caitlyn and Julian were last together. She subtracted out nine months and ended up with a three-year-old child. Val added and subtracted months, weeks and years from every angle. It all turned out the same. There was a great possibility that Julian was Hope’s father. If Hope really was Julian’s child, that meant his seed had been living in her house, eating her food and sharing the same air as her.
Val closed her eyes and prayed this was all a dream. This couldn’t be happening. Having to deal with Caitlyn was enough, but caring for Julian’s daughter was too much.
“Val.” Jonah touched her lightly to wake her from her thoughts.
“I’m fine.” Val turned toward the kitchen and saw Mr. Lawson watching them. “Mr. Lawson, I apologize for leaving so suddenly at the courthouse. Sit down while I get you another cup of coffee, and you can tell me about the hearing.”
Jonah watched Val strut past him and toward Mr. Lawson. He could sense that there was something wrong with her. What that was, he wasn’t sure.
The following morning Val left the house when the sun was still down. She hadn’t slept a wink all night. All she could think about was Caitlyn being Hope’s biological mother.
After her talk with Mr. Lawson, Val volunteered to help in any way she could. That’s why she was the first person in the law library that morning. She was determined to find any information to help Jonah keep Hope.
On her computer screen was a list of adoptive cases similar to Jonah’s, but none denied the birth mother custody. In each case the child was always returned to the biological mother, except in instances of child abuse or neglect. She tapped a few keys and read through another list of cases. The database listed over three hundred cases, and she planned on going through every one.
After five hours of research, Val was tired. She couldn’t take it any longer and needed help. Val sought assistance from the librarian. Mr. Lawson had warned her that this would be a hard case to win, but Val was determined to find at least one case of precedence. She put her trust in God and knew that with Him anything is possible.
Chapter 24
The fragrance of lavender-scented candles saturated the air, Will Downing’s sultry voice adding a bit of spice to the evening and Olivia’s sheer Calvin Klein dress was the finishing touch she needed to a perfectly planned rendezvous. This was the night she had been dreaming of since Dean’s discharge from the hospital.
Over the past few weeks Dean had regained his strength. A good dose of rehab, rest, good cooking and lots of love from Olivia and Bryce were all contributing factors to his speedy recovery. He even felt strong enough to return back to work.
But tonight would be the night they would consummate their marriage. Olivia designated that night as their honeymoon, since they never got a chance to have one like most couples.
Olivia fanned her hands back and forth to dry her freshly painted nails while she waited for Dean to come home from work.
The timer on the stove alerted her to remove a pan of pasta shells stuffed with ricotta cheese and tomato sauce.
The enticing aroma swept past Olivia’s nose and caused her stomach to growl. After taking the contents out of the pan, she neatly arranged the main course on a serving platter. She placed everything on the dining room table and took one final look. Olivia excitedly tapped her right foot on the rug. “It’s perfect! This is a night he will never forget,” she said out loud. Then she grabbed a wineglass full of sparkling cider and relaxed until Dean arrived.
Fifteen minutes later Dean walked in the door unaware of what his wife had planned for the evening. She greeted him in the living room. The first thing he noticed was how low-cut her dress was.
“What’s going on? Did I forget something? I know your birthday isn’t until October.” Dean was worried.
Olivia led him to the dining room table set for two with the fine china that belonged to her mother. “I thought we deserved to spend a quiet evening alone.”
“Where’s Bryce?” He sat across from her at the table.
“He’s staying the night with my sister.”
Worry lines formed along Dean’s forehead.
“It’s okay. Bryce is at that age where he tells everything he sees. If Danyelle does anything I won’t like, he will tell me.”
Olivia served her husband as if he were king. She looked stunning, and the candlelight seemed to only enhance her beauty. Once again he thanked the Lord for sending him a wife who possessed every quality he ever desired in a woman.
“What did you do with Clinton and Kennedy?” Dean looked around for the pooches. They usually welcomed him home.
“I put them outside for the night. I know they’re used to sleeping in the house, but it won’t hurt for them to sleep outside for one night.”
“I miss their daily routine of jumping up on me when I come home from work.” He smiled.
The couple ate their dinner in silence. The only sound they heard came from the knives and forks hitting their plates.
Dean practically cleared his plate before he took a hold of Olivia’s hands. “Livie, don’t think I don’t appreciate everything you do for me.” Dean didn’t let a day go by without telling Olivia how much he loved her, but tonight was different. She had gone through a lot of trouble to make this night special. The candlelit dinner and sensual atmosphere were something he would cherish for the rest of his days.
“Listen, I know I’ve asked you to do some things you wouldn’t typically do, like marry me without your family and then keep secrets from them, but if it gets to be too much, you have to let me know. I wouldn’t want you to carry a burden that’s too heavy for you.”
With tears in her eyes she said, “I love you.”
After they finished eating, Dean volunteered to clear the dishes from the table.
While he was busy cleaning up, Olivia slipped into their bedroom to change clothes. She opened her top dresser drawer and pulled out the red-and-black negligee Tressie helped her pick out earlier that day.
Olivia walked out and found Dean sitting comfortably on the living room sofa waiting for her to return. She cleared her throat. The dazed look on Dean’s face visibly said he was confused and didn’t know what was going on. Embarrassed, Olivia’s face turned red. She timidly forced herself to stand directly in front of him.
Dean never knew Olivia had such a voluptuous body. Her curvy hips and ample thighs shouted out to him. He wanted to reach out and touch her long vanilla legs that were unblemished. He couldn’t believe anyone that alluring could be real because he was sure she was a dream.
“Olivia.” Dean reached out to caress her waist, but when he touched her she jumped away. He realized she was nervous. “We don’t have to do this.” He didn’t want her to feel obligated to be with him.
“Why? Are you not feeling well?” Olivia grew concerned.
“No, I feel fine. Better than I have in weeks. But if you’re not comfortable, then I can wait. I want us both to want this.”
She may have been a little scared, but she was ready to be with her husband. Olivia took a deep breath and closed her eyes and climbed on top of him. That was her way of saying she was ready.
Dean rubbed her thighs. He was sure he would enjoy the rest of the evening. She climbed off him and led him to their bedroom. The look in his eyes said he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
Bubbles greeted them as they entered the room together. Dean stopped and thought he had entered into Fantasy Island. Their bedroom had been transformed into an enchanted garden.
Olivia hoped she was seducing Dean the right way. Tressie often shared intimate details of things she did to set the mood for her ex-boyfriend Payce. She had to give it to the girl. Tressie did some creative things with candles, feathers and rose petals; but Olivia wanted something different. That’s when the idea of bubbles came to her. Bryce had a bubble machine that Olivia used to fill the room with bubbles. She decorated the room with a few plants. The final touch was the soft pink lightbulb that illuminated the room.
Olivia was pleased that every minor detail went as planned. She loved Dean, and it was important for their first night together to be unforgettable. She wanted to give him just her body, but also a part of her soul.
As they sat on the side of the bed. Olivia waited for him to touch her, but he never did. Instead, he avoided looking at her by staring at the far wall.
Dean hadn’t been with a woman in such a long time, he was just as nervous as she was.
Once she realized he wasn’t going to make the first move, she took his hands and wrapped them around her waist. Pulling him down on top of her, she kissed him passionately.