Chapter 17 | Atty. Mara
1196 Words
Cassie's POV
_She said we have 8 days. She said we have each other._
Makati.
Glass building.
AC that was too cold.
Atty. Mara’s office was the opposite of Atty. Cruz’s.
White desk.
Plants.
Coffee machine.
“Ms. Torres. Mr. Morales,” she said.
She stood up.
Blazer.
Early 30s.
Sharp eyes.
“Atty,” Dante said.
She shook our hands.
Then looked at Mimi.
“Hi, Mimi. I’m Atty. Mara.”
Mimi hid behind Dante’s leg.
“It’s okay,” Atty. Mara said.
Soft.
“You don’t have to talk.
You can draw.”
She pushed paper and crayons across the table.
Mimi took them.
Sat on the floor.
Atty. Mara closed the door.
“Let’s talk,” she said.
We sat.
“I read your book,” she said.
“All 16 chapters.
Twice.”
My face burned.
“Good or bad?” Dante asked.
“Honest,” she said.
“And that’s what the court needs.”
She opened a folder.
Our book.
Printed.
Highlighted.
“Chapter 11. Pancakes.
Chapter 15. The Storm.
Chapter 16. The Lawyer.”
She looked at us.
“This isn’t just a story,” she said.
“This is evidence.”
Dante frowned.
“Evidence of what?”
“Of attachment,” she said.
“Of a stable, loving environment.
Of a child who has two parents now, not one.”
I blinked.
“Two?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Because you act like parents, Ms. Torres.
You cook.
You care.
You show up.
The court calls that ‘de facto parentage.’”
My throat closed.
“Mrs. Morales’s argument is ‘unrelated female, unstable, public exposure.’”
She tapped the book.
“My argument is ‘two caregivers, documented income, community support, child is thriving.’”
Dante leaned forward.
“Will it work?”
“It can,” she said.
“If we have proof.”
She pulled out a list.
“One: Financial records.
3 months.
Bank statements.
Dreame payouts.
Shop receipts.
Hotel pay slips.”
“Two: Photos.
Daily life.
Not posed.
Mimi eating.
Mimi drawing.
Mimi with both of you.”
“Three: Witnesses.
Ate Nene.
Head Chef.
School teacher.
Neighbors.”
“Four: Medical.
Mimi’s pediatrician.
Proof she’s healthy, vaccinated, well-cared for.”
“Five: Your story.”
She pointed at my laptop.
“Keep writing.
Daily.
The court will see engagement.
Support.
That you’re not unstable.
You’re employed.”
Dante nodded.
Slow.
“Atty,” he said.
“Why are you doing this?
Pro bono?”
Atty. Mara looked at Mimi.
Drawing sunflowers.
“My sister lost custody,” she said.
“Because she was poor.
Because her ex had money.
Because no one fought with her.”
She looked at us.
“I’m fighting with you.”
I cried.
Right there.
Dante didn’t.
But his hand found mine under the table.
Squeezed.
“Okay,” he said.
“We fight.”
Atty. Mara smiled.
Small.
“Good.
Because we have 8 days left.”
8 days.
---
On the MRT, Dante was quiet.
“Dante.”
“What?”
“Are you okay?”
“No,” he said.
“I’m scared.”
“Me too.”
“If we lose…”
“Don’t,” I said.
“Not yet.”
He nodded.
At home, we worked.
Dante printed bank statements.
Hotel.
Dreame.
I organized photos.
200 of them.
Mimi eating adobo.
Mimi with paint.
Mimi sleeping between us.
Mimi helped.
“This one, Ate Cass.
Daddy and me.”
Photo: Dante making pancakes.
Mimi on his shoulders.
Flour on his nose.
I saved it.
Ate Nene came over.
“Anak, I’ll be your witness,” she said.
“I saw everything.
How you care for her.
How he changed.”
“Thank you, Nay,” I said.
Head Chef texted Dante.
`I’ll come.
I’ll say you’re the best dad I know.
And best cook too.`
Dante stared at his phone.
“Dante.”
“What?”
“People are with us,” I said.
He nodded.
---
Mimi was asleep.
Dante and I sat on the floor.
Papers everywhere.
“Dante.”
“What?”
“I’m scared I’ll mess this up,” I said.
“How?”
“By loving her too much,” I said.
“And then losing her.”
He looked at me.
“Cassie.”
“What?”
“If you didn’t love her,” he said.
“She wouldn’t be this happy.”
He gestured at Mimi’s room.
Drawings on the wall.
Sunflowers.
Us.
“Look,” he said.
I did.
Mimi drew us 3.
Holding hands.
Big smiles.
Under it: `FAMILY`
My chest broke.
“Dante.”
“What?”
“Can I write tonight?”
“Yes.”
“What should I write?”
“The truth,” he said.
So I did.
`Chapter 17 | Atty. Mara`
`She said we have 8 days.`
`She said we have evidence.`
`She said we have each other.`
`Because courtrooms are cold.`
`But love is warm.`
`And warm wins.`
I published.
Dreame blew up.
Reads: +3,200 in 1 hour.
Comments: 800.
`@protectmimi: WE GOT A LAWYER`
`@teamtension: I’M SOBBING`
`@lawyer_reader_2: I’m in Davao but I’m sending 500 pesos. For Mimi.`
GCash notification: +500.
Then another.
+200.
Then +1,000.
“Dante,” I whispered.
“What?”
“Readers are donating.”
He looked at the screen.
+3,700 pesos.
In 20 minutes.
“Cassie.”
“What?”
“Post your GCash,” he said.
“For legal fees.
If they want to help.”
“I can’t—”
“You can,” he said.
“Because this is for her.”
So I did.
At 11PM: +8,200 pesos.
At 12AM: +12,500 pesos.
We stared.
“That’s… that’s Atty. Cruz’s retainer,” I said.
“And more,” Dante said.
He sat down.
Hard.
“Cassie.”
“What?”
“People love her,” he said.
“Mimi.”
“I know.”
“People love us,” he said.
I didn’t answer.
Because I was crying again.
Dante moved.
Sat next to me.
Not touching.
“Cassie.”
“What?”
“If we win,” he said.
“When,” I corrected.
He smiled.
Small.
“When we win,” he said.
“What then?”
I looked at him.
“Then we stay,” I said.
“All 3 of us.”
He nodded.
“Dante.”
“What?”
“Thank you,” I said.
“For letting me be part of this.”
He looked at Mimi’s door.
“She chose you,” he said.
“I just didn’t say no.”
My phone buzzed.
*Atty. Mara:* `Donations received. I’ll file the motion Monday. Sleep. You’ll need it.`
I showed Dante.
He exhaled.
For the first time in days.
“Dante.”
“What?”
“Bed?”
He nodded.
We lay down.
Mimi between us.
Mimi mumbled,
“Family.”
Dante’s hand found mine again.
This time, he didn’t let go.
I whispered,
“8 days.”
Dante whispered back,
“We’re ready.”
And for the first time,
I believed it.
_End of Chapter 17_
- Writer
