At Last

Prologue

Her birthday weekend has been perfect. After the gala, her and Wilmer had checked into one of the hotel rooms downstairs and stayed there for a day and a half before returning to their kids. Then they took a carriage ride around Central Park before going to Coney Island and spending the day there with the kids. When they came home they all just relaxed, eating buttery popcorn and watching Demi's favorite Disney princess movies. It was perfect. It was everything that she didn't know she wanted her birthday to be.

Monday morning she was out of bed with a smile on her face, for once. She slipped her glasses onto her nose and relished in the feel of her cold feet being comforted by the plush carpet in her bedroom. Or her and Wilmer's bedroom. They still hadn't worked out if he was officially moved in or not because he still had his old apartment.

No one else was awake, not even Dorinda, and that was because she needed to be in work early because she had a meeting about her winter line. She was thinking of collaborating with another designer but she just wasn't sure who yet.

She made a cup of mint tea and sat down in the living room in front of the pile of mail that she had been neglecting. She was facing the south wall that was full of windows and something about the sight of New York in the early morning, when the city seemed to be restarting, made her smile and appreciate the city more than she ever had before.

On the very top of the pile of mail was a letter from one of Nick's attorneys. She didn't know why she was receiving mail from them when any legal proceedings that she had with Nick were over with. But nonetheless, she ripped the top open, pulling out the thick stack of papers that made her furrow her eyebrows. And then she dropped her mug of tea on the priceless imported floors, the ceramic shattering and the hot liquid splattering everywhere as she took in the bold statement at the very top of the page.

I, Nicholas Jerry Jonas, petition for full custody of Nolie Marie Jonas and Nicholas Jerry Jonas, as of August 20, 2016.