CHAPTER 14 : 13 DAYS
1096 Words
Wednesday.
Day 8.
12 days left.
I woke up to 3 missed calls.
All from the facility.
My blood went cold.
I called back with shaking hands.
"Miss Mutesi? Liam’s fine. We just wanted to confirm visitation for next Tuesday. 10am. Same room."
"Okay." I hung up.
Fine.
He’s fine.
Why did that word feel like a lie?
I didn’t go to work.
I couldn’t.
I sat on the floor and counted.
12 days.
288 hours.
17280 minutes.
Too long.
####
At noon there was a knock.
I thought it was Damian.
It was a delivery guy.
Box. No name.
Inside: clothes.
For Liam.
Tiny shirts. Socks. A new dinosaur. Green this time.
And a note.
`He mentioned he liked green too.
Court papers attached. Read them.
-D`
I opened the papers.
Motion to dismiss.
Evidence of fraud against Richard, not Damian.
Bank statements. Emails.
It was a lot of legal words.
But at the bottom, highlighted:
`If approved, Mr. Hartley’s charges will be dropped in 10 days.`
10 days.
2 days before court.
I sat there for an hour just staring at the word "dismissed."
Could it be real?
My phone buzzed.
Damian: `Did you get it?`
Me: `Yes.`
Damian: `Can I come over? We need to talk about Tuesday.`
Me: `Fine.`
####
He looked worse than Monday.
No suit. Jeans. T-shirt. Hair a mess.
Like he hadn’t slept.
"You look terrible," I said.
"Thanks." He sat on the floor with me. Didn’t ask. Just did it.
"We need a plan for Tuesday," he said. "They only give us 30 minutes. We can’t waste it crying."
"Crying is all I do."
"I know." He handed me a paper. "Visitation rules. What you can bring. What you can’t. What to say."
Rule #1: No talking about the case.
Rule #2: No promising to take him home.
Rule #3: Stay calm.
"How am I supposed to stay calm?" I laughed. It came out wrong.
"I don’t know." He rubbed his face. "But if we break down, they’ll note it. And use it against us."
Us.
He kept saying us.
"Why are you here, Damian?"
"Because I’m his dad."
"On paper."
"On paper is all I have right now."
That shut me up.
####
We sat in silence.
The green dinosaur was between us.
"You didn’t have to buy him that," I said finally.
"I know."
"So why did you?"
"Because he asked for it. On the phone. Yesterday."
My head snapped up.
"What phone?"
"They let him call me. 2 minutes. Because I’m on the emergency contact."
2 minutes.
And he didn’t call me?
"Why didn’t you tell me?" My voice was shaking.
"Because I knew you’d—"
"What? Be mad? Be hurt? I AM HIS MOM!"
"I know!" He yelled back. "And I’m trying to do right by both of you and I’m messing up everything!"
We stared at each other.
Breathing hard.
"I hate you," I whispered.
"I know."
"Good."
But I didn’t move away when he reached for my hand.
####
Thursday.
Day 9.
11 days left.
Ms. Nakato called.
"The judge approved the motion to review evidence. It’s moving fast."
"Is that good?"
"It’s very good. But it means Richard will fight harder."
Richard.
Like I could forget.
That afternoon he showed up at my work.
I work part-time at a cafe to pay rent.
"Lila." He sat at my table.
"What are you doing here?"
"Checking on my family."
"He’s not your family."
"He could be." He slid an envelope across the table. "20k. Cash. Sign the papers and it’s yours. Plus I’ll make sure Liam gets the best care."
I looked at the envelope.
20k.
That’s rent for a year.
That’s a lawyer.
My hands were shaking.
"I said no," I whispered.
"Think about it." He stood up. "10 days, Lila. Then Damian goes to jail and you get nothing."
He left.
I didn’t touch the money.
But I didn’t throw it away either.
####
That night I couldn’t sleep.
I kept thinking about 20k.
About Liam’s medicine.
About rent.
About what kind of mom I was for even considering it.
At 2am I texted Damian.
`Can you come over?`
He was here in 15 minutes.
I showed him the envelope.
"I didn’t take it."
"I know." He didn’t look surprised.
"But I thought about it."
"That doesn’t make you bad."
"Doesn’t it?"
He sat next to me on the bed.
Close. But not touching.
"You’re scared. That’s different."
"Are you scared?"
"Every day."
We stayed like that until sunrise.
Not talking.
Just... existing.
####
Friday.
Day 10.
10 days left.
The email came at 9am.
`Subject: Charges Dismissed - Damian Hartley`
Dismissed.
I read it 5 times.
It was real.
I called Damian. He didn’t answer.
I texted: `IT WORKED`
He called back in 2 minutes.
His voice was shaky.
"It worked."
"It worked."
We both laughed.
It sounded like crying.
"Does this mean—"
"I don’t know. It means I’m not going to jail. It means we have a chance."
A chance.
####
Saturday.
Day 11.
9 days left.
We went to see Liam.
Emergency visit. Because of the fever.
The same room. Same table. Same 30 minutes.
But this time Damian came in with me.
Liam’s eyes got big when he saw him.
"Who are you?"
Damian knelt down. Slow.
"I’m... I’m your dad, buddy."
Liam looked at me.
I nodded. My throat was closed.
"Okay," Liam said. Then he climbed into Damian’s lap.
And Damian broke.
Right there.
Silent tears. Holding his son for the first time.
30 minutes wasn’t enough.
But it was more than we had before.
When they took him away, Liam waved.
"Bye dad. Bye mama."
Dad.
####
Sunday.
Day 12.
8 days left.
I’m writing this from the floor.
The envelope from Richard is still on the table. Unopened.
Damian is in the kitchen making coffee.
Like he belongs here.
The court date is in 8 days.
The evidence is in.
The charges are dropped.
But I’m still scared.
Because what if it’s not enough?
What if the judge still says no?
What if I lose him anyway?
Damian brings me coffee. Sits down.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"We’re gonna be okay."
"How do you know?"
"Because I’m not giving up. And neither are you."
I lean my head on his shoulder.
Just for a second.
"I’m tired," I whisper.
"I know."
We don’t have answers.
We don’t have guarantees.
But for the first time in 12 days...
We have hope.
And 8 days to fight for it.
END OF CHAPTER 14
- Writer
