Page 44 of Retrofit Analysis

Todd stammers. “I was not aware of that, your honor.”

The judge nods his head. “I do indeed, and I have to tell you that I do not appreciate the notion that your long-term parenting plan is to send your son away to an institution that doesn’t exist.”

Todd clenches his jaw and I squeeze Jake’s arm. The judge picks up his glasses and puts them back on and leans forward, pointing at Jake. “Jacob, do you have any desire to spend time with your father?”

“I object!” Todd stomps his foot and the judge glares daggers at him.

“Jacob,” Judge Palowski says again. “What are your thoughts on all this?”

“I want to stay with my mom,” he says, and I feel a sob crawl up my throat. I breathe rapidly through my nose, trying to calm down.

“I suspected as much.” The judge starts writing in his book on the table. “I am awarding Ms. Burns full custody in this case and adjusting support payments accordingly.” He looks up at me and smiles. “Case adjourned.”

“Yes,” Erin pumps her fist and turns to me for a high five.

“I don’t understand,” I tell her, frowning. Kellen, Cal and Orla hustle forward as Todd is escorted out of the room by the clerk.

“I’ll make it simple for you,” Erin says. “That oozing hemmerhoid came in here guns blazing and demonstrated exactly how much of a pile of feces he is. He’s now being guided through adjusted paperwork to pay out the ass and leave you guys alone.”

Cal grins and elbows Orla. “Oh, I like her.” Orla nods. Kellen shushes them and squeezes behind the table to put his hand on my shoulder. Only when I feel his firm touch do I realize I’m barely able to stay standing.

I don’t say anything. I can’t speak. I need to make sure I understand what I’m hearing. “So Jake and I are free?” Kellen beams at my words, pulling me in tighter as I try to listen to Erin.

“Free and fully funded. It’s coming right from his paycheck into your debit account,” she says. “Congratulations, Liz. Hope I never see you again.” I laugh at her candor and thank her for her work on the case.

She winks at Kellen. “Definitely an upgrade, Liz.” And she’s gone.

I turn around and look into Kellen’s eyes. “It’s over,” I tell him. He picks me up and spins around, holding me in the air, and when he sets me down he pulls me in for a kiss. I hear the other Bradys whistle and Jake protest and when I disentangle myself from Kellen’s embrace, I feel like I should be embarrassed, but all I can think about is how happy I feel.

Thirty-Four

Kellen

After I leave Jake and Beth at the ceremony on Saturday, my mind is reeling. I am still not sure if we’re okay after the things I said to her, but I also know she has to prepare for her hearing on Monday, so I don’t want to distract her with my own selfish needs to be comforted.

By the time my family shows up on Sunday for dinner, they panic when they find me sitting around in sweatpants watching television. I barely respond to them being here, unable shake off the deep desire to help Elizabeth, paired with my equal desire to show that I believe she can help herself when she needs to.

I considered going over to her house a thousand times, wrote a rubric about my options, and eventually sank into the couch catching up on the radio documentaries that suddenly no longer seem interesting to me.

Mick takes a look at me, orders pizza, and insists the Brady family intervene somehow. They all want to storm the courtroom when I tell them about the hearing Monday, but surprisingly it’s Mick who speaks as the voice of reason about that suggestion.

“She can’t show up in there with a circus in tow,” he says, shaking his head. “We’ll just name delegates who can behave.”

“Oh, well Isaac is out then,” Nicole says, elbowing my nephew in the ribs. “And me. Don’t let me near that scum bag. I will not be couth.”

“Is couth a word?” Maddie is pacing the room, rubbing her bulging stomach. “I know about uncouth. Anyway, I could spew this baby out at any time so Liam and I are a no for tomorrow.”

“I’m not going back in a family courtroom ever again,” Mick says, starting to clean up all the paper plates and napkins. I stare at him, cleaning up my house, speaking with experience about custody proceedings. “We should bring the kid back to Beltane afterward, though. Isn’t he an egghead?”

“Is egghead an insult?” Nicole frowns at him. “It feels like it could be insulting.”

I roll my eyes at them all, but I love that they’re doing this. They’re treating Elizabeth like she’s one of us already and it’s so meaningful to me I almost start to cry. Nicole hands me a beer and says, “Here’s what we’re gonna do. Isaac and Ray are going to plan a nerd-gasmic robot adventure for Jake and Orla and Cal will be Brady ambassadors along with Uncle Kellen.”

They all nod and wedge themselves with me on the couch. Sitting here, together with them all, I know things are going to work out. Mick claps his hands and stands up. “Well, I’ve got a date,” he says. “Good night, you beautiful babies. Nobody show up in court wearing sneakers.” He glares at Callum and backs out my front door.

After the hearing, Orla and Cal bustle Jake away. Elizabeth, holding his tie and blazer, still looks shell shocked. She stares after them, tears rolling down her cheeks in the hall where the staff ushered us after the hearing. They really pack those courtroom schedules, and the next deadbeat ex-husband is due to get his comeuppance a few minutes after Elizabeth’s.

“Let me drive you home,” I whisper into her ear. “My car is at the Beltane lot and I walked.” I shrug and reach for her purse, and she hands it to me. I pull out the keys and place my hand on the small of her back.