One Day // Daniel Ricciardo

CHAPTER 12

My dress hung from my wardrobe, pressed and waiting for the time to come to put it on. It's a strange feeling waiting for the decision day to come, in one way I wanted it to come as soon as possible in another way I just wanted as long as possible with Hallie. I didn't want her to leave, she had become such a part of my routine, a part of my life, even if she wasn't biologically mine, she was mine.

I had wrongly convinced myself that I would be the person that would raise her, would cry on her first day at school, cuddle her during her first heartbreak, cry again when she went off to university. Thinking that in a few hours that could all be over.

I still had a good case according to my lawyer; my Mum was fighting for custody in return and that was what terrified me. She manipulated my dad for years and it worked every single time, guaranteed there would be something up her sleeve to try get it to work in her favour.

"Earth to Jess? Hello?"

Danny snapped his fingers and I jumped back in to reality. I was sat on the edge of the bed in the spare room folding clothes from laundry but I think my mind had completely wandered off which led me to the point of folding the same baby grow over and over.

"Stop thinking about it, everything going to be okay."

A tear rolled down my eye that I tried to wipe quickly but he saw and came to kneel in front of me.

"It's like before," I started, "It's just sitting about waiting for bad news, I don't want it to change again."

"I truly don't think you have anything to worry about. We've got this together."

The tears started falling fast. I had managed to enjoy the past week since the birthday party, Danny spent a lot of time with us but also respected our privacy. I think he was keeping a close eye on me to make sure I didn't spill in to a pit of anxiety and sadness.

He pulled me in to a hug and rubbed my back as I sobbed in to his t-shirt, "Everything's going to be okay, I promise you."

I never hugged him back, just comforted myself with the fact he was holding me for as long as possible.

*****


I kissed Hallie on the cheek and left her with Luisa and Kelly in a small room with some toys to keep her occupied while the hearing was taking place. Her little lips turned in to a pout and she held her arms out to me, almost as if she knew. I decided not to make it any harder and shut the door quickly.

The room the hearing was taking place in was cold which didn't help with the frosty feeling that was felt inside. A long oval table consisted of two sides, myself and my lawyer on one side and my mum and her lawyer on the other. It should have been easy; I should have been able to apply for adoption as her primary carer but of course my sister was informed and my Mum got involved.

The two lawyers did most of the talking which was guided by the judge at the top. He was an older man looking like a typical grandfather. He had a soft voice but stern enough to take control of the situation when each party got a little too heated. I droned out for the most part, I just wanted to hear the final result I didn't want to encourage or get involved in any bickering.

My Mum sat directly opposite me, I couldn't bear to look her in the eye but from my quick glance I could see she had perfected an image of herself that could be completely deceiving to the judge and the funny thing was she was not in defence of my sister. With her perfectly straight hair and made-up face she argued that regardless of the decision it should be made to prevent my sister from getting any access to her in the future.