Mom, Don't Cry! Here comes a new Daddy! novel Chapter 46

Chapter 33

Chapter 33

(Sabrina’s POV)

“I am angry.”

+25 Points

“At yourself. That’s useless.” He taps the document. “Get angry at the man who cheated on you stole credit for your work for seven years, and is now trying to take your child. Get angry at a system that judges mothers for dating while fathers get a pass. Get angry enough to walk into that

courtroom and fight.”

Tears blur my vision. “Richard…”

“No tears.” His voice softens slightly. “Because in forty-eight hours, you’re going to sit across from Dustin Reed and his expensive lawyers, and you’re going to show them exactly who Sabrina Moore is. Not the wife he broke. Not the employee Jessica fired. The mother who would walk through fire

for her son.”

“But I don’t have-I’m not-” The words tangle in my throat. “I’m living in a hotel, Richard. I’m still struggling to find a new job. I have maybe three weeks of savings left. How am I supposed to prove I’m stable when I’m barely holding it together?”

“By showing up.” He pulls out a yellow legal pad. “Walk me through your relationship with Dustin. Every parent-teacher conference. Every drop off and pick up.”

I think about the years of being the only parent to show up for parent-teacher meetings. The school events Dustin missed for important clients. The sick days he refused to take leave from work all the time claiming at least one person in the family needed to have a good track record to keep our family income stable.

I have Jake’s school calendar. I marked every event, every meeting Dustin missed. “Jake’s teachers know me. But…they’ve never met Dustin.”

“Good. That’s very good.” Richard makes a note. “What about character witnesses?”

The question makes my chest tight. “Sophia-” I stop. “I don’t know if she’d still-”

“She would.” Richard’s voice is certain. “I spoke with her this morning. She’s prepared to testify. But Sabrina, you need to call her back. Having your best friend and Jake’s primary caregiver on your side is crucial. If you walk into that courtroom alone, isolated from everyone who cares about you, it plays right into Dustin’s narrative.”

I close my eyes. He’s right. I know he’s right.

But calling Sophia means admitting I overreacted. That I was wrong. That I still need the help of a

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Chapter 33

friend even if I want to prove I can stand on my own.

“What about Jake?” I ask instead. “Does he have to testify?”

+25 Pants

“Not in open court. He’s too young. But the judge will likely speak with him in a private chamber+a private conversation.” Richard’s expression becomes very serious. “Sabrina, listen to me carefully. Do not coach Jake. Do not tell him what to say. If Dustin’s lawyer suspects he’s been influenced, it

will destroy your case.”

“I would never-”

“I know. But desperate parents do desperate things.” He softens his tone. “Just make sure Jake knows he can tell the truth about his feelings, about both parents’ presence in his life, without worrying about disappointing anyone.”

I nod, my throat too tight to speak.

“One more thing.” Richard pulls out another document. “Dustin’s claiming you’re in an unstable relationship with a man Jake barely knows. What’s your status with Jason King?”

The name makes my chest ache. “There is no relationship. We met on a cruise. It was a setup. It’s

over.”

“Are you sure? Because if there’s any chance he’s going to be part of Jake’s life-”

“There’s no chance.” The words come out harder than I intend. “He lied to me. He manipulated me. Whatever I thought we had was fake.”

“But he was good with Jake?”

The question catches me off guard. I think about the videos I finally forced myself to watch last night. Jason crouching down to Jake’s level, listening to his excited chatter about dinosaurs. The way Jake’s face lit up when he talked about his “new dad.”

“Yes,” I admit. “He was good with Jake.” Hell, his relationship with Jake is better than good. The two teamed up to deceive me together. “But that doesn’t matter now.”

“It might matter to the judge.” Richard closes his briefcase. “If Jake talks about wanting Jason in his life-”

“Jake is five years old. He doesn’t know what he wants.”

“Five-year-olds are surprisingly honest about their feelings. And if he tells the judge he felt safe and happy with you and Jason together-”

“Stop.” I push past him into the main room. “Jason is not part of this. This is about me and Dustin and who’s the better parent.”

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Chapter 33

+25 Porite

Richard studies me for a long moment. “Okay. But Sabrina? If your anger at Jason is the only thing – stopping you from accepting him, then you might need to do some reflection. Jake is still young. The judge would expect him to have a father figure in his life, and if that person isn’t Jason, then it’ll have to be Dustin. Don’t let your pride stop you from doing what’s best for your son.”

The words hit like a slap.

“I’ll have everything you need by tomorrow morning,” I say, my voice tight. “Thank you for stopping

by.”

“No problem.” He moves toward the door, then pauses. “And Sabrina? For what it’s worth, I think you’re going to be fine. You’re a good mother. We just need to make sure the judge sees that.” After he leaves, I sink onto the bed next to Jake. He’s finished his drawing-a family portrait. A tal woman labeled “MOM.” A smaller figure labeled “ME.” And standing slightly apart, a tall figure with

no label.

“Who’s that?” I point to the unlabeled figure.

Jake avoids my gaze, his voice small as he whispers. “I don’t know yet…”

“Jake-”

“It’s okay, Mom.” He goes back to adding details. “Whoever it is has to be nice to you. That’s the rule. If they’re not nice to you, they can’t be in our family.”

I run my fingers through his hair, my vision blurring. “Baby, it’s just going to be you and me for a while. Is that okay?”

He thinks about it, then nods. “Yeah. That’s okay. We’re also a good team.”

“The best team.”

“But Mom?” He looks up at me with those too-knowing eyes. “If somebody nice wants to be on our team to protect you… that would be okay. Right?”

I look at the unlabeled figure on his paper. The one standing close but not quite connected.

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