Love's lawyer

Chapter 5

"Well, I was also born in Hammersmith. I studied art for a few years, and after three years I decided to drop everything and pursue my lifelong dream: acting. I went to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. When I graduated, I began to play in small productions. My first big one was the Liaisons Dangeureuses. Then, I was spotted by a casting director and that's how I got the Hans Gruber role. And I think you know the rest of the story..." He said, looking straight at me.

I could feel he was completely passionate about his craft. The way he talked about it, the way his eyes shone with an indescribable glow... It was as if nothing else mattered to him. We stayed silent for a few minutes until I heard my professional phone ring. I shook my head quickly and jumped up from the couch, to pick up the phone that was still ringing.

"Yes? Rose Addington's speaking." I said in a fully composed and well-rehearsed manner.

I could see from the corner of my eyes Alan who was still sitting on the sofa, he had a kind of worried look upon his face and his right leg kept jiggling. I turned myself fully towards him and gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile.

"Hello, Miss Addington. Mr. Glenn asked me to tell you that they were ready for you in conference room 106. You can go up now. Just a quick heads up, they are here. And I've never seen so many lawyers for a simple divorce case."

"Alright, thank you, we'll be right up," I said, hanging up on her and going back to Alan who was still sitting on the sofa, looking more stressed than ever.

"Hey, Alan, look at me. We're going to fight this. I can't promise you that we will win, but I know that we'll do our absolute best in order for you to keep custody of your children. Now I need you to stay very calm and don't talk to her. Only to me." I said, squeezing his hand lightly to try and comfort him a little.

"Thanks, Rose, let's go and fight this." He said, standing up from the couch, now looking more confident.

We walked out of my office and went to the elevators. The ride up felt like ever but in reality, took only a few seconds. We arrived at the conference rooms floor and I directed him towards the conference room. As we entered the room, I was quite impressed by the people who were waiting for us. There were five other lawyers, surrounding his wife. I entered trying my best not to look impressed by their little game and showed a chair opposite the large table to Alan. Once he had sat inside the chair, I sat down next to him and greeted the people on the other side.

After a little while, once the divorce paper had been read through a first time to make sure both parties had the same copy, I began to talk.

"I am sure that we are all very busy so I will be quite straight forward. It is completely unacceptable that my clients get to have little to no custody of his children. There isn't a single element in your file that proves that he is a danger to his children..."

"To his children, maybe not, but what about his wife. He assaulted her violently, and she has sustained a pretty traumatic memory from this night. He hasn't even apologized for it. Is it the kind of raw model he wants to impress on his children? That it is alright to hit a defenseless woman, for no apparent reasons should I add?" One of the lawyers added sulkily.

"No apparent reason!? I don't think you want to go on that ground Mr. Your client has broken the marriage contract by having an affair with Mr. Bellamy while my client was taking care of their kids. Do you think it is a responsible way for a mother to act? Leaving her children to have an affair in my client's back. I don't think you want to engage on whose responsibility it is sir." I replied making my point completely clear.

"Anyways, it isn't an option for your client to get custody of his children. They are too young to have to live between two houses. The youngest is still needing its mother to be fed, he is after all only five months all and not able at all to be taken away from his mother. They still need to bond..." He said, looking at me with a small smug.

I could see from the corner of my eyes Alan expression change from stressed to completely outrage, and I couldn't blame him, I mean he was their father and on the simple pretext that they were too young to actually leave their mother. He needed to bond with his children. If he did not, he would have absolutely no part in the kids' lives.

"A, love. Don't do this to me. You can't take my children away. You know they would have a better life with me and Victor. It would be so much better for them. You'll get to see them... at one point..." Mrs. Rickman said, trying to reach for Alan's hand without much success.

He looked at me and I shut my eyes for a few second shaking my head, begging him not to answer her.

"Please restrain your client from speaking to Mr. Rickman. I don't think you want to have what she said put into records. She is straight forward insulting my client, and showing that she doesn't plan to involve him in any kind of decision that may affect their children..." I said to the opposite lawyers.

"Not at all, it can go into records. Unlike you, I believe that the client has the right to speak his or her mind. After all, we want what's best for them. Do we not?"

"Of course, but their are other things at stakes, like the lives of those two children. They diserve to have both of their parents with them."

"If you would excuse us Miss Addington, we would like to take a few minutes break."