Against All Odds

Chapter Nine

The first day back to work after a long heat leave is refreshing, yet exhausting. The children were all excited to have me back after having a substitute for the beginning of the week. Somehow, this excitement turns them into little terrors, acting out in ways that they usually don't. When the last kid is picked up by their parent, I am ready for a nap.

Instead, I start up my laptop, determined to find a good divorce lawyer for Milo that will not cause us to go broke. It takes a while to sift through all the egotistical lawyers, charging well over four-hundred dollars an hour. Just when I am determined there are really no good people in the world, an email pops up on my screen.

Curious, I click on it, noticing immediately that it is from Grandama.

Ollie,

I don't know if Milo has thought any on getting a lawyer for his divorce, but I put in a word for him with Herri Mikelson. She says she is willing to take the case pro bono and would like to meet with him at 2:45 on October 27. I have attached her number and email below. Have Milo contact her as soon as possible.

I expect to see the two of you this Saturday for brunch.

All my love,

Grandama

How that woman always seems to know when I am in need always surprises me. Immediately, I forward the email to Milo while also saving the contact information on my phone.

The clock at the bottom of my computer reads just shy of three-thirty, meaning I still have a while before I have to meet Milo back at his old house. I click on the link at the bottom of the email, being redirected to a biography page.

It is on Herri Mikelson, the lawyer taking Milo's case pro bono. On the biography, it talks about how she is a civil rights attorney, specializing in omega rights. This immediately makes me like her. We have had to fight so hard just to be able to have basic rights, such as the ability to have suppressants and press charges against alphas who assault us during our heats. Reading more, I see that her partner in the business is her sister, an omega who also specializes in omega rights cases. They decided to go into business together after her sister's nasty divorce from her wife, who was an alpha who abused her regularly. The case was made difficult due to her sister being pregnant at the time, and the law automatically granting an alpha the right to see their child, despite the abuse allegations. Ever since then, they have been taking a few pro bono cases a year that involve omega rights issues, while spending the rest of their time on high-profile cases involving omega rights in our state.

This is starting to look up, and I send my Grandama a quick email of thanks and promising to bring Milo with me to brunch.

Milo should be getting off work soon, so I decide to head over to his old house. It is a surprisingly nice day out today, no rain clouds in sight and briskness to the air that comes with autumn. It makes the drive over to Milo's quick, which I am grateful for.

Nico is already there, leaning against his truck as he drinks coffee. He waves when he sees me, standing up as I get out of the car.

"Little late for coffee, isn't it?" I ask, nodding at his cup.

He chuckles, taking another sip. "I am on night shift tonight, so this is my version of pre-gaming." He looks me over then, eyes narrowing as he subtly scents me. His eyes widen in surprise before he meets mine, an eyebrow raised. "Something you want to tell me, Ollie?"

Shrugging, I lean back against my car, eyes flicking away from him. "No."

"You sure about that?" he questions, arms crossing over his chest. "Because you smell an awful lot like my brother and like an omega who just finished their heat. Is there something going on between the two of you?"