Dear Future Husband

March 22, 2019

Dear my ride or die,

Today was the hearing for full custody.

And we won.

Somehow I found the right words, and I had a feeling it was all thanks to Will.

Both attorneys tried their very hardest to denounce the opposing parent with small, irrelevant information, and with April's testimony it seemed like we weren't going to leave with both our parents, but by the time Jules left the stand we had won.

The attorneys had both decided not to call me to the stand, probably because they knew I wouldn't further their case at all, which kind of pissed me off because I was looking forward to blowing up on them. April went up first, said her piece about mom never being home and dad always being there for her, which broke mom's heart, you could tell by the look on her face. I thought she was going to cry right there. I would've if I was her.

Then it was Jules' turn to go up. Mom's attorney went up first and started drilling her with questions about dad's drinking habits and work hours. Jules didn't say a word as tears filled her eyes. This wasn't fair for a kid like her. She barely had a voice at home, and suddenly she was forced to be the swaying vote in who took care of us.

I couldn't just sit there and watch her get pummeled with these questions. I had to do something, and I had to make up for the fact that I didn't have a voice.

I stood up.

Everyone looked at me and April hissed at me to sit down, but I marched right up to the witness stand and stood in front of Jules. She immediately broke down and cried quietly behind the safety of my back.

I cleared my throat, looking out at the five people in the tiny courtroom in front of me. "I call for this case to be thrown out."

The lawyers started to laugh a little and I scoffed. "Shut the fuck up, I watch Law and Order I know more than you do after four episodes than you do after four years of law school, so shut the fuck up and listen to me."

"Mr. Black," The judge scolded. "This is a civil court, the vulgar language can stop."

"Excuse me, your honor, but sometimes fuck is just the right word," I turned back to the court. "As for you two, mom and dad, you can stop all of this right now. You have no fucking right to tear this family apart even further than it already has been. Look, I get it, you guys don't like each other anymore, but us kids like both of you, ok? You both are well qualified parents and I don't know why you're dragging the other through the mud just so you can have us all to yourselves because that is shitty, not good parenting, and immature. Do you really think you're being good role models for our future relationships? Because I don't think so. I think this is all a big show of what cowards you two are." I swallowed hard, not sure if my spiel was actually working or not. "April, I know you were trying to be cooperative, but you were wrong. Mom is a great parent, and so is dad, and I say that on behalf of at least myself, Jules," I took a deep breath. "And Will, because Will wouldn't want you to fight over us. Hell, if Will was still here you might not even be getting a divorce, but he's not here, and you're getting a divorce, but we're here. We want to stay here, with both of you. Because both of you know well enough it hurts like hell to lose a child." The moment I finished, I got Jules from the witness stand and we sat back down next to April.

"Thank you," Jules whispered to me as we took our seat again.

I smiled at her and put my arm around her shoulder.

April had tears rolling down her cheeks as she took my hand, not saying anything as she stared straight ahead.

The judge ruled a joint custody agreement and all three of us let out a sigh of relief, and I even think mom and dad did too. I said a silent prayer for Will, who I knew was the reason I pulled that off.

At the end when we were all giving mom and dad hugs, I heard April start to sob as she approached mom.

"I-I'm sorry mom, I'm sorry!" She cried as our mother cried with her, making her way over to her.

"You don't get to be sorry," I said to her through clenched teeth. "You're only apologizing because you look like a fucking idiot now that dad didn't win. You had a chance to fight for what was right and you let it slip away-"

"Grant," My mom said sternly. "Stop. Don't talk to your sister like that."

"But mom-"

She put a hand up to stop me before wrapping her arms around April. "I appreciate it, but you said it yourself, I'm perfectly capable of parenting my daughter, and right now she doesn't need to be scolded."

I didn't like it, but she was right. I couldn't let this small division tear us even further. I had gotten what I wanted and April's mistake wasn't mine to correct.

The only thing that mattered was the fact that I had my family back, as shitty as it was, I was grateful.

-Grant