“It may as well be because if I can’t see that little girl on a regular basis, or ever, she’ll take that with her for the rest of her life. My only saving grace is she doesn’t know who I am to her.”
Maybe she was better off that way.
Kara
As we sat in Jamie Montgomery’s office, my stomach twisted in knots. I hadn’t seen X since the morning he had stayed with us after Zoey had gone to the hospital. He’d done what I’d asked and gave me space. He hadn’t contacted me. The void of not having him with me and Zoey was unbearable but wasn’t that what I wanted? I told him to leave me alone and he did.
I’d been thinking about this whole situation for weeks. I’d wanted to reach out to him and see if we could come up with a solution that worked for all of us. I didn’t know what that could be. In my heart, I wanted him by my side raising Zoey and the three of us living as a family. Maybe that would have been possible if I never found out who he was. There were days I wished Kate hadn’t revealed the secret and X was able to carry out his plan of marrying me and adopting Zoey.
I’m crazy! Who would want to live a lie with a man you thought you could trust?
“Is your client coming?” Dennis, my attorney, asked. “We don’t have all day.”
“He’s on his way up,” Jamie said. “Can I get you some coffee?”
“I’m fine, thank you.” That wasn’t really true but coffee wasn’t the solution. I clasped my hands and set them in my lap, waiting to get this over with.
Dennis had warned me that if we couldn’t reach an agreement today, X would probably move forward and petition the court with his request for DNA testing and then visitation. He had deep pockets and a shark for an attorney. I didn’t want to tell Dennis but I didn’t want to fight. Maybe I could allow X to see Zoey. That was what my daughter wanted. I had to get over X’s betrayal long enough to think things through in a rational manner. I had to do what was best for Zoey. Denying her the opportunity to be with him would only hurt her in the long run.
Wouldn’t she be better off with a father in her life who loved her? Didn’t he deserve a chance to be her dad? He had been robbed of the first four years of her life. That wasn’t fair.
When X came in, my breath hitched in my throat. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Dennis observing me. Yes, I still have feelings for him. Somehow, he managed to make me lose my breath when he entered a room. Lose all sensibility.
Xavier looked every bit the part of the dashing, charismatic billionaire bachelor that everyone wanted to know. From his striking black suit, all the way down to his shiny five-hundred dollar Italian leather shoes. As handsome and put together as he appeared, something was missing. When our eyes met, I realized he seemed tired, almost defeated. That wasn’t like him. He didn’t show his true colors when dealing with contracts and business. Did I know him well enough to see through the facade?
Of course, I do. He’s hurting.
“I apologize for my tardiness.” He cleared his throat as he approached Jamie.
Tardiness. That seemed like a word he’d teach Zoey. She’d say she was late and he’d tell her she was tardy. I smiled when I imagined her repeating back the word to him.
“No problem,” Dennis said. “When we fight this sham and win, you’ll be paying for my client’s legal fees.”
“Send me the bill,” X countered. “I’ll take care of it today.”
“Xavier,” Jamie warned. “Let me handle negotiations.”
“About that.” He took out papers from his briefcase. “Would you mind if my attorney took a look at this contract I drew up?” He stared at me. “It won’t take long.”
“No.” I opened the water bottle in front of me because my throat suddenly went dry. I’d been thinking about our last kiss and how right it felt. I wanted more than anything for him to be mine. “It’s fine.”
Jamie took the contract from him, with a curious glare. “What is this?”
“My solution,” he answered with a dry tone.
“Are you sure?” Jamie read the papers in front of her. “This isn’t something I see every day especially not when the child has been adopted.”
Dennis tapped the table with his pen, adding to my growing anxiety.
“I’m certain,” X answered. “Let’s execute this today.”
“Execute what?” Dennis asked. “What are you trying to pull?”
X ignored Dennis and spoke to me. “Jamie will explain everything but before I go, I need to say something.”
Go? Where is he going?
“I didn’t have a say in Zoey’s fate but I don’t have any regrets as to where she ended up. She belongs with you. I never meant to disrupt that.”
“I’d say you’ve done a very good job of disrupting their lives,” Dennis said.
“Please.” I patted my attorney’s hand. “Let him finish.”
“I only meant to see her that day in the park. I thought if I saw her, I could be satisfied with that but once I did everything changed.” He nodded toward Jamie. “As I said, it will all be explained but I need something from you.”
“What?” My voice was just above a whisper.
“You have to make sure Zoey knows that I would never abandon her. She may not remember me in a few years but when the time comes and you tell her about her biological parents, I need you to tell her that I’m out there and I’m waiting for her. I’ll always be waiting for her.”
“What are you saying?” I didn’t like the look in his eyes. His drive and determination were missing.
“I’m sorry for everything.” He headed for the door. “If the terms of that agreement aren’t acceptable have Jamie contact me.”
“Wait.” I stood but Dennis touched my arm in an attempt to stop me. “You’re leaving?”
“I’m doing this at your pace.” He opened the door. “On your terms.”
He left. No more explanations. No more words. What the hell happened?
I sat back down because my legs were unsteady. That all seemed a little too final. I never wanted him to walk away.
“I-I don’t understand what just happened.” I sipped my water, trying to get a hold on my emotions.
“Your daughter’s biological father is extremely generous.” Jamie handed the contract to Dennis. “I can’t imagine that these terms aren’t acceptable considering Xavier is under no legal obligation to support Zoey.”
“What terms?” I asked.
As Dennis read through the contract, Jamie began throwing out numbers. Really big numbers.
“You’ll receive child support once a month,” she informed me. “That’s independent of Zoey’s needs such as clothes, extracurricular activities, and any child care. Xavier will cover her education through college including any post graduate studies.”
“College?” That was fourteen years from now.
“He has also set up a trust fund that Zoey will receive on her twenty-fifth birthday. According to these numbers your daughter is going to want for nothing. She’ll be a very wealthy girl.”