Tessa P.O.V
I pulled out another outfit from my bag, and put it on before leaving the bathroom putting on a white windowpane pencil skirt, and a pink baggy sweater, pairing it with converse. A nice Casual that will be easy for me to feed Iris in case of an emergency.
I opened the bathroom door and asked Collin “How about this one?” twirling for him, so he can getting all of the view.
“Tessa, you’re not getting it. You need to dress classy, not like a mix of lazy and dressy. If we go to the court and they see us looking they we didn’t care about our outfit, or we’re young parents and don’t care. They’re going to ultimately give your parents custody of Iris.”
“Okay, well that opened a wound. You didn’t have to be rude about it.”
I felt like I was being yelled at by my mother. What he wasn’t understanding was that Iris, spits up, I don’t want her to spit up on my dress and have to change anyway when we get there, she just always seems to spit up when I look nice.
I walked back into the bathroom and pulling out an outfit Collin will hopefully not think is lazy and dressy. I hate that this is what I decided to bring, I feel like i’ll look like a lepricon. I grab the white leather skirt with a small slit on the upper right leg, matching it with my green Sondra jacket and green block heels. This is mixed of sexy, classy, and down right fancy.
“Did you purposely save the best for last?” I loosed up, my body no longer tense, at least until we get to the court house.
Iris was wearing a garnet red dress, it was loose and cheap enough that I wouldn’t care if she spit up on it. She looked absolutely beautiful. It was my dream to be able to dress her for such a special occasion before she became to old to make her own decisions.
“I didn’t want you to yell at me anymore. This is the only thing that could cover possible leaks from my boobs.”
“I wasn’t mad at you. I’m just nervous, your family scares me, especially since I, you know, slept with a minor.”
I rubbed his back, trying to relax him, when I myself need to be relaxed, I’m terrified for whats going to happen.
“If anything Collin, I will say that they said it was okay to have intercourse with you.”
“That wouldn’t matter anyway, they didn’t give me consent to have sex with you. But if you’re now of age so I’m not sure if they can arrest me, I’m not sure.”
“What if Iris ruins my outfit?” I changed the subject, not wanting to talk about his possibility of being arrested.
“She can’t be in the court room with us, you know that right?”
“No I didn’t. I wish you would have told me so I could’ve pumped this morning for Sydney and Nick to watch her during our little session with my parents.
“What time is it?” He asked.
I looked for my phone underneath all the clothes on the bed, when I found It it was already 8:30A.M
“It’s 8:31.” I replied.
“We have to get going I’m sure Sydney and Nick will be there when we get there being that we’re going to be late.
“Mommy’s going to protect you Iris, I won’t let anything happen to you.” We walked out the door, hand and hand. I leaned my head on his shoulder as he was carrying Iris’s car seat in his other hand.
“We’re going to be great. Don’t worry Tessa.”
“What if my parent’s win?”
“I’ll make it in my best interest they will not win.”
_____________________
“Tessa Reynolds, and Collin James, Custody Case.” Collin told the receptionist.
“They’re waiting for you, go ahead.”
Collin grabbed my hand, and held it tight, leading me behind him. We had dropped Iris off at the beginning of the court house, with Sydney and Nick.
When I see my parents my heart drops and my legs start shaking. I’ve been trying to avoid them as much as I could the last month and it was going well, I thought we were going to go without seeing them for an eternity, but plans had changed.
“Finally, it took you two long enough!” My mother shouted.
“I have to use the restroom, it was a long drive, is that okay?” I looked up at Collin.
“Yeah it’s alright.” He let go off my hand, and I raced to the restroom, having to pee really, really bad.
I opened my purse and grabbed what thought was my phone, and it turned out to be Collins. I had accidently turned the screen on and saw a message from a girl named Helen
He would be 5 today, Collin.
My heart jumped, is Collin talking to another woman? Why didn’t he tell me this yesterday when he was spilling his guts out to me, and I to him.
I finished using the bathroom but I felt sick to my stomach. I wasn’t going to open the message, maybe Collin would tell me when he see’s the message, maybe he would tell me it was his sister who miscarried or something, I don’t know. I have no idea who it is. But I’m not going to seem like I snooped through his phone.
I walked back to where my parents were, and saw Collin fidgeting, I grabbed his hand and noticed what my parents were wearing, and it made me feel amazing. They were dressed in casual clothes so that means that the court would notice that right? There lack of effort?
The officer walked us into some small room, similar to like a conference room, and asked the two parties to seperate. I was starting to get scared, like really scared. I know this isn’t the like, final meeting so we’ll get our daughter for a little bit but still, I’m nervous I’m going to get something wrong. Or was I still scared about that text.
The judge came walking in, and sat down in his chair, my heart skipping 1,000 beats; my mother fake crying like she doesn’t want to do this when she really does, she wants to ruin my life, hurt my family, hurt me just like-- just like-- well I can’t remember her ever hurting me, but I know it’s her intentions.
“Case number 1097.” the officer blurted.
“Tessa Reynolds and Collin James against Mr. And Mrs. Reynolds.” The Judge spoke.
“Now, I am reading that this is a custody battle, between the parents Collin and Tessa, of the young one month old baby, Iris Gold Reynolds. And Mr. And Mrs Reynolds, Grandparents of the child. Am I correct?”
“Yes.” All four of us said.
“If I am correct, Mr. James you had s*x with Ms. Reynolds when she was a minor, correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds did not give you or Ms. Reynolds permission to have s*x, is this information correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And if this information provided your daughter was conceived before Ms. Reynolds was of legal age, am I correct?”
“Yes.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds if the information I have from Ms. Reynolds, you had kicked her out due to her pregnancy, and left her with nothing but the money she had in her wallet, and her college savings. Nowhere to live or provide proper housing, for she can not purchase a house, or check into a hotel at the age of sixteen.”
“Well you see sir-”
“Just answer the question ma’am.”
“No.”
“So you are telling me that the information Ms. Reynolds provided me, is false?”
“We feel as if our daughter is being controlled by Mr. James and wrote that down, we also feel as if she was s*xually assulted.”
“THAT IS NOT TRUE AND YOU KNOW IT! I WOULD NEVER LET---!” Collin put his hand on my upper thigh, basically tell me to stop without using his word.
“Why didn’t you press charges?”
“We didn’t have any proof, we didn’t think the law would be on our side.”
“The police would still have arrested Mr. James for having sexual relations with a minor. But it’s kind of too late now, Mrs. Reynolds.”
The judge looked at us and asked “What’s your side Mr.James and Ms. Reynolds?”
I started talking first, “Iris is our child, if you take a child away from her mother especially at a young age, Iris won’t be getting the nutrients she needs, she won’t feel that connection, and I feel that if Iris were to go home with them, my parent’s, will be raising her to feel unwanted, miserable, unloved, where as With me and her dad she will grow up-”
“Abused, powerless, ashamed of her body, maybe even starved!” My mother interrupted. She’s accusing because she feels like she’s already lost, and I feel like she’s betraying my father who hasn’t said a single word, he’s just staring at his lap.
The judge looked at us again asking “Is this true?”
“No! Not at all they’re lying, I would never do that to our child, I would never even touch a woman that way, or any child! Can you two grow up? Tessa told me the way you punished her Mrs. Reynolds and--”
I stopped Collin from saying anything else, my mother will not appreciate any other word that comes out of Collin’s mouth. My chest was rising in and out breathing heavy from the anxiety I was having. My father looked up big eyed, when Collin was about to talk. I sat down in my chair, and looked at the judge, “I- erm- I’m having a hard time breathing, I need some fresh air judge.”
“Court adjourned, we will be looking at both of your homes tomorrow.”
______
“She abused her power! I was trying to have a conversation with the judge and she just goes and accuses of child negligence! I’m going to lose my mind, Collin!” I run my hand through my hair, anger boiling in my blood. “I wish she would just give up!”
“It’s hopeless to wish for something that can’t happen Tessa. It’s like wishing we would live forever, when in reality all of us die at some point.”
I rolled my eyes. I rolled my eyes so dramatically that I think New York could tell I didn’t appreciate Collin’s scenario.
Collin came up and consoled me. He wrapped his arms around me, resting his chin on my forehead. I take a deep breath as I hug him back. He kisses my forehead once, than pulls me from the hug.
“I know this is hard, but we both have to stay strong, if not for our family, than for love. Without each other there wouldn’t be Iris, there wouldn’t be commitment, and you would be stuck in the same place, maybe even a worse place than you are right here, not knowing that your parents true Identity is horrible.”
“And without you I would be lost.” I said kissing him.
The Elevator opened, as we walked out holding hands to go get our beautiful baby, I looked Collin in the eyes; “When did we become so mature?”
“When you gave birth to our daughter.”