You Outshine the Morning Sun

Pippa

A/N: no sign of Lin yet but every time he tweets I'm like omg he's close by!

I felt sick to my stomach as the secretary called my lawyer, Lin, and me into a conference room. Lin was dressed in a suit - a rarity for him - and he put his hand supportively on my lower back as we walked to the room. Austin was already inside with his own lawyer. He was in one of his really nice suits that was probably worth thousands of dollars. I avoided his eyes as Lin pulled out a chair for me and I sat down.

Someone had set out waters and I gratefully took a sip as the lawyers gathered their papers. I wanted to be anywhere but here.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with us today," Austin's lawyer began. "We'd like to discuss a possible alternate custody arrangement for your daughter, Molly, eight years old."

Did he not think I knew how old my own daughter was?

"Austin has been transferred to Tokyo, Japan by his employer, and while he'd prefer to stay in New York City, he doesn't have any choice in the matter. Because of his transfer, he is not able to see Molly on a regular basis. Sometimes, for months at a time. Austin would like to propose having Molly live with him six months out of the year."

My jaw dropped and I couldn't form any words if I wanted to. He wanted to take my baby away from me for half a year? Lin took my hand under the table and squeezed it. My lawyer spoke for me when I couldn't.

"Sir, forcing an eight year old child to be away from her mother for six months at a time is a completely unreasonable request," he began. "Philippa has had primary custody of Molly since their divorce. It would be catastrophic to the child's development to deprive her of her mother for six months."

"Many children are separated from their mothers for longer periods of time," Austin's lawyer printed out. "Military. Jobs. Incarceration. It's not unheard of."

"It's not ideal," the lawyer printed out.

"I guarantee you my child will not thrive without me," I finally found my voice. "Molly and I are very close. She's a shy, quiet kid and very attached to me. If she were away from me for six months, she would wilt."

Austin looked at me but I still avoided him. I didn't want to look at him. I couldn't believe he was doing this to me.

"Of course we're willing to compromise on the time," his lawyer continued. I breathed out and Lin rubbed my leg in support.

"No more than two weeks," I told them. "Any more than that and she'll spiral downwards."

"Pippa, I can't only see her for two weeks a year," Austin argued. Finally, I met his eyes.

"Then I suggest you visit more often or ask your employer to transfer you back," I said, standing up. "This meeting is over."

Lin stood with me and followed me out of the room. I started breathing deeply, trying to calm myself. My eyes were closed, but I felt Lin's arms close around me and pull me into a hug.

"You did great," he told me softly, rubbing my back. "You said what you needed to say."

"But what if it's not enough?" I asked him.

"No court is going to award him six months' custody. There's no way they're gonna take this to court."

I truly hoped Lin was right. My lawyer stayed behind a few minutes more, wrapping things up with Austin's lawyer. He came out, then motioned for us to step outside to talk.

"They'd like to draw up some documents," he said. "Agreements to let Molly come to Japan for a certain amount of time."

"How long?" I asked.