Today was the court date, I had set this up with Asher and Annie not bothering to tell them what it was about. I had been crying for the past week. Morgan had started sleeping with me. She would lie with me and hold me while I cried. She would shush me and rub through my hair.
It felt so wrong to be sad that this little girl wanted to help someone who needed but I couldn't help it. I woke up Morgan and dressed her. She went to brush her teeth while I got dressed.
Tears pooled in my eyes as I saw my babygirl waiting by the door with a frown on her face."baby are you sure you want to do this" I asked one last time. She shook her head and in her little voice she said, "no I don't want to leave you, but I have to daddy." I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded.
We walked to the car and I lifted her into her car seat. I sighed and sat in the front seat I blew a shaky breath and set my forehead on the steering wheel. But I needed to suck it up, for Morgan, for Annie, for asher.
I drove off in complete silence. Morgan wouldn't talk to me but then again, I didn't ask her anything. We got out of the car after parking in the reserved place for people like us.
I got out of the car with Morgan grabbing my hand squeezing the life out of it. We walked into the courtroom and sat down at our seats. Tears sprung up and started to leak. Morgan noticed this and grabbed my face in her hands.
"Please don't cry daddy, I'm coming back I promise" i cried more as she attempted to soothe me, "You p-promise" My voice cracked as I attempted to speak. She sighed and connected our pinky's.
She leaned in and kissed my nose before whispering in my ear. "I promise".
Annie
I sat in my seat with fear bubbling in my chest, I knew what this was about, I was going to lose custody rights over Morgan for what I did to Tom. I sat in my seat with my head in my hands with Asher squeezing my thigh when the judge started the case.
"So Annie, Asher any idea why your in here" I stood to speak but Asher pulled me back down and stood up. "No sir" the judge nodded before calling Morgan to the stands.
"Morgan do you know why your here" he asked her. I rolled my eyes knowing that this child wouldn't know.
"Yes I do sir" she said in her saddest voice. I sat up in confusion. "My mommy needs help and if that means living with her for tiny bit then I'll do it" my mouth dropped open and tears leaked out of my eyes.
All of a sudden we heard a sob and muffled crying. I looked over to see Morgan run down to the seating section and grab toms hand. She led him to the door before looking at the judge almost to ask for permission. He judge nodded and Morgan and Tom walked out.
About five minutes later Tom was holding Morgan closely, she sat down in his lap. Tom would sniffle every so often. The case went on for an hour of Tom and Morgan talking straight to the judge.
I sat there in shock while Asher cried. " the case is settled Morgan Anne Holland will be places I'm temporary custody of Annie Leblanc and Asher angel" I hugged Asher as tight as I could as I broke down.
" the temporary placement will last for as long as Morgan decides. She will get to see her father on Wednesday's from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, when the child says she ready to go home, court will be assigned and she can go back home" the judge whacked the gavel announcing case closed.
Me and Asher walked over to Tom and Morgan. We got closer to hear her giving a Pep talk to Tom, "Listen Daddy, I'll be back as soon as I think Its good to leave, dome worry I'll be okay, I love you bye for now" Tom wiped away the tears and hugged Morgan one last time.
She kissed his cheek and nose and forehead and hugged him again. She looked over at me and sighed. Asher went over and grabbed her shaking toms hand. "Thank you so much tom" he chuckled as best he could, "it was her decision man it's not my right to keep her from it" Asher smiled and walked out of the courtroom with her.
I sat next to Tom about a hand on his shoulder, "I-I'm sorry Tom" he looked up at me and shrugged, "I deserved it, I took your kid away" he sniffled and his eye watered at the empty seat next to him.
I hugged him tightly and stood up, "goodbye tom I'll see you Wednesday" he nodded and I walked out, the judge walked over and hugged him while he broke down crying.
My heart aches but I walked out to see Asher holding an upset Morgan. "Hey it'll be okay" I tried to reassure her. She sniffled an nodded. We walked out of the courtroom, me with a smile, Asher with a smile, but Morgan with heartbreak.
Tom
The doorbell rang and I groaned loudly, I set the bottle of beer down before getting up and opening the door.
"Heyyy-Yeesh what happened to you" Johnny asked as he entered the house, it was clean despite a few bottles of beer around the table I was a clean drunk not a messy one.
"Morgan, she decided she wanted to go like with Annie" my eyes watered but I wiped them away. Johnny's eyes widened as he screamed "WHAT WHY?" I winced at the loud noise and sat on the coach.
"She said she needed to help Annie so I agreed to it, I never should had but I did" Johnny hung his head and nodded. "So what's been going on man" he said. I bitterly laughed and sat down on the couch.
"Annie has been refusing to let me see Morgan" my eyes watered as I said this, it was true. I hadn't seen her in over a month. "Why don't you take it to court, didn't the judge say you get to se her every Wednesday?" He asked. I nodded and took a swig of what would be my third beer.
"Or just go show up at her house tomorrow and demand to see her" he suggested. I sat up and put my beer down. "That's a good idea" I agreed with him and he sat down. We talked and watched the game for the next couple of hours screaming every time the angels sucked which wasn't often.
"Bye man " he bro hugged me and left. I rushed to pick up all the beer and throw them ok the outside trash can. I went upstairs and showered and brushed my teeth. Tomorrow I was going over there to get her, to get my baby back.
Even if it's only for a day
