JACKSON

As I'm kissing April, our lips molding together like something that could never change, I lean forward to cup her jaw in my hands - I can't help it. I run my thumbs over her cheeks, feel her smile against my mouth, and I return the gesture. Jesus, I missed touching her.

When we pull away, there's a soft sound that follows of our lips separating. Her eyes stay closed for a millisecond longer than mine and I hope she's doing what I think she is - soaking up how that felt. Kai hiccups during the small, quiet moment, and April giggles softly while keeping a hand wrapped around his stomach. We don't speak and I keep my eyes on her lips. She licks them subtly and leans in by a few centimeters, which lets me know that we want the same thing.

Now, I can't stop kissing her. Not heated, passionate kisses - those would be wildly inappropriate for Kai to be privy to, sitting right in the middle of us. But instead, I keep pressing my lips to hers repeatedly, close-mouthed and sweet. I cradle her face in my hands and share her smile, then she uses her free hand to caress the side of my neck as we pull away.

Her eyes are shimmering, tears welled up on the waterline. I kiss her once more for emphasis, to tell her all that I'm feeling, and hope she understands. "Tell me everything," I say.

"Everything?" she says, her voice wavering from the onset of tears. "That's a lot."

I smirk a bit. "Start at the beginning then," I say.

"Well…" she says, and by the glint in her eye I can tell she's about to pull something funny. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

"Alright, Joel Osteen," I say, pressing close again to touch her nose with mine. My heart feels like it might explode and burst through my chest; I can't help the way I get around her. She's always been able to do this to me. Turn me into mush, a lovesick idiot. I'd apologize for it if I were in any way sorry. "You know what I mean."

"Alright, then," she says. "The Big Bang. Gotta throw in some electromagnetism and nuclear force."

"You're sexy when you talk like Neil deGrasse Tyson," I murmur, lips moving against her cheek. She giggles and I pull away. "No, really," I say. "I wanna hear what's going on with the trial. What happened when you were cross-examined?"

Something in her eyes dampens and she looks away, stroking Kai's hair absentmindedly. He has soft, abundant black curls that are starting to come in thick. I've been making sure they look nice and well taken care of. "It didn't go the way I wanted it to," she says.

"Does it ever?" I ask.

She shrugs. "I don't know. It's not like I've been in court before."

"But you've seen Kramer vs Kramer," I say. "I Am Sam. Shit, The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Those movies prove that lawyers are capable of twisting your words in any way they want."

"Well, those are just movies," she murmurs, twisting a curl around her pointer finger. "And I never saw The Exorcism of Emily Rose. I made you watch it alone."

"Oh, yeah. But still."

"I'm not like those people in the movies, Jackson, there's no happy ending guaranteed for me. I'm still terrified they'll win and take her away. I can't only see my baby once a month. She'll forget me and it'll be like I never had her at all."

"That's not gonna happen," I assure her, because I truly believe that it won't. "You legally adopted her. They can't just snatch her."

"Well, they're trying," she says, sniffling. "They brought up her broken arm from a year ago, that time when she fell down the stairs."

"I remember that," I say, cutting in. "I mostly remember how pissed Matthew was. When you guys came into the ER that night and you found me. Well, I heard you were there and I guess I kinda found you."

"He was pissed?" she asks, genuinely confused.

I squint, in disbelief that she doesn't remember. He was beyond angry, pointing fingers in circles at who was to blame. Of course, the weight ended up on April's shoulders and she bore it without blinking an eye. She took the fall and admitted that she was the one who left the baby gate open; I was able to hear their fight from where I stood in the OR hallway. He had screamed at her for her mistake. Oddly enough, he didn't seem upset over the fact that Saige had been hurt. He seemed more upset that their routine was disrupted and they were spending time and money at the hospital. He seemed angry over the fact that April had slipped up rather than over the product of the mistake.

"Yeah," I say. "He shouted at you in the waiting room."

Her eyes go wide as she says, "I don't remember." She pauses for a moment to think it over. "That's weird. I wonder why he was so mad at me when he was the one who left the gate open in the first place."

"Wait," I say, stopping her. "It was him? He said that it was you. And you agreed."

She shrugs again. "With him, I learned that the fight wasn't usually worth it," she says. "The fact was that Saige got hurt and she needed to be fixed. It didn't matter who left the gate open. Even though he did, I could've easily shut it. She still fell. It couldn't be changed at that point."

"Did you tell the judge that?" I ask. She shakes her head and I continue with, "Why not?"

"What good would it do to point fingers at the dead?" she says, raising her eyebrows. "Like I said, it happened. And even though it was a year ago and Saige doesn't remember, it still painted me in a bad light."

"So, every parent whose kid breaks their arm is incompetent?" I say, an edge to my voice. "That makes no sense. Kids are kids. They fall and break shit. That's how being a kid works."

"Yeah, I know that," she says, sounding exasperated. "I just have to hope the judge knows it, too. Paired with how the Taylors dragged my name through the mud and told the judge how Matthew never agreed with my parenting style of his child, they said it was my idea to change her name and that he never consented. They told the judge that he said I put it into existence and refused to call her Ruby."

"But that's not true," I say.

"Yeah, I know. It was Matthew's idea and I told the judge that today. I just don't know if he heard me. I don't know. I don't feel very confident because of course, the Taylors' lawyer asked about my state of employment and I couldn't lie. I had to tell him that I'm not working right now. And if that's not bad enough on its own, I also had to say that I'm depending on the money from Matthew's life insurance policy to keep us going until I'm working again."

"What's so wrong with that?" I ask.

She shrugs and shakes her head a bit. "It makes it sound like I'm taking advantage of the situation. If you look at it in the way they're looking at it."

"But isn't that what it's meant for?" I ask. "When someone dies, it's insurance for the people they left behind. If they shame you for using it as such, they're more cracked out than I thought. That's bias, plain and simple."

"I never said they were smart," she quips.

"Did you tell them you're getting your job back at Grey Sloan?" I continue. "I brought it up with Bailey yesterday and she said she's waiting to hear from you. It just depends on when you're ready."

"I should get that in order," April mumbles, eyes veering off as she thinks.

"The sooner the better," I say. "Then, they won't have anything on you."

"I'm sure they'd still find something," she says, sighing softly. "They just keep kicking me and kicking me, Jackson."

"I know," I say. "They want to wear you down. But you're not gonna let them."

She shakes her head again. I know April better than anyone else, which means I'm very familiar with the fight inside her. Even when she's tired, she doesn't stop. She'll fight to the death if it's something she's passionate about; at the very least, she'll fight until the other person gives up. That's why I don't have a doubt in the world that Saige will stay right where she is, living the life she loves. "I know," she murmurs.

"Mama!" we hear, interrupting the pensive moment as footsteps come careening down the hallway. "Mama, dinnertime?" Saige asks. She and Harriet stand in front of us with expectant eyes, and Saige plants her hands on April's thigh. "You got a baby," she says, eyes on Kai.

"I do," April says. "What do you think of Kai, beanie?"

"He's cute," Saige says, then laughs and presses her chin to her chest in an adorable way that makes her cheeks squish. "Hattie's brother."

"Yes, he is," April says, and I watch her face intently to catch any minute expression in her eyes.

"My brother, too?" Saige asks, standing on her tiptoes to get closer to April.

April takes a deep breath and answers simply with, "No. No, not Saigey's brother. Just Harriet's."

Saige frowns and Harriet stays quiet, watching the interaction unfold just as I am. When we meet eyes, she crawls into my lap and rests against my chest, temple against the side of my chin.

"Why?" Saige asks. "I want my brother, too."

"Because Kai is Jackson's baby," April explains. "Jackson is his daddy just like he's Harriet's daddy, right? And who's Saigey's daddy?"

Saige blinks for a moment before clapping her hands down on April's thigh with a big smile. "Mommy." She smiles even wider, reaching up to April's shoulders. "Mommy my daddy. Mommy kiss?"

"A kiss, alright," April says, and there's lightness in her eyes as she presses her lips to Saige's cheek. "We should get going, stinkers."

"No…" Harriet whines.

I clear my throat and say, "Why don't I make dinner?" I meet April's eyes over Kai's head. "It'd be awesome if you could stay."

She smirks a bit. "What are you making?"

I answer in the way I know she wants me to. "Whatever you want."

…

Lately during dinner, my food usually goes cold because it's a battle to get Kai to eat in a timely manner. He's more content painting his high chair tray with whatever I put in front of him, and I spend most of the time spooning the leftovers into his mouth.

But tonight, after I've laid out mashed potatoes and roasted chicken, April scoots next to Kai and shakes her head when I start our usual routine. "I'll feed him," she says. "You go ahead."

"You sure?" I ask. "You don't have to. I didn't invite you to eat with us to trick you into feeding this picky guy."

"I know," she says, smiling softly. "But I know my way around a picky baby. Am I right, lovey?"

Harriet bursts out laughing, head thrown back and everything. "Saigey is the pickiest eater ever, daddy!" she exclaims. "Mommy used to trick her in a thousand ways every night. Remember airplane spoon? Try that, mommy! Try that with Kai-Kai."

"As if I haven't tried the old airplane spoon trick," I say, but I know it'll be different when April does it. She always adds a certain something to whatever she puts her hands on.

"Here comes the airplane, Mr. Kai…" she says, zooming the spoon in loopy circles as it gets nearer to his mouth. "Are you ready for landing?" With his eyes centered on it, he reaches his arms out with fingers spread wide and opens his mouth to accept the spoon. April dips it between his lips and exclaims, "Yummy, yummy!"

"Baby whisperer," I murmur, smiling as I eat a spoonful of my own potatoes. "Totally unfair."

"Mommy did it!" Saige cheers, clapping her hands as Harriet joins in.

"Mommy wins, Mommy wins!" Harriet announces, making sure she's louder than everyone else.

I meet April's eyes across the table after taking in how normal this scene feels, how routine. I know for a fact, without even thinking, that I could get used to this. This melting pot of a family sitting around the same table, celebrating the same small accomplishment. Everything feels settled in place right now, in this moment. I don't want anything to change.

…

When it's time for the kids to leave, Saige and Harriet run to collect a few things from Harriet's room while April puts her shoes on. I linger near the door with Kai in my arms and watch her, badly wishing that I could invite her to spend the night. I could, but I won't. Judging by how things flew off the rails last time, we need to take things slow and steady now. I don't plan on making any rash moves, especially not while the trial is going on.

"This was nice," she says, twining her fingers together as she saunters towards me. "Thank you for dinner. Thank you for… everything. I had a really nice night, and I haven't had one of those in a while."

"I missed having the gang all together," I say, keeping my voice low as Kai is sleepy in my arms. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," she says, then runs her hands over my shaven head. Chills run through my body as she does; she's always known how that drives me crazy. She holds one side of my neck and kisses me slow, letting her lips linger before pulling away. "Pretty soon, I wanna kiss you without this big baby in the way," she whispers.

"Soon," I say. "I promise."

She smirks and lowers to press a kiss to Kai's back over the soft material of his t-shirt. She closes her eyes and breathes him in, then lifts her gaze back up. "He still smells like a baby," she tells me.

"I know," I say, feeling light because she noticed.

"I remember the day I realized Hattie didn't smell like that anymore," she says, and I remember it, too. She called me crying and laughing simultaneously, because she knew how ridiculous she was being but couldn't stop. "Mmm. I just wanna eat him up."

"Daddy's getting jealous," I say, then smile against her lips as I kiss her again, cupping her jaw as she rests one hand on my chest - as much that's open, at least. When we break apart, I ask, "What time is court tomorrow?"

Her eyebrows furrow a bit. "What do you mean?" she says.

"I mean, what time is court?" I repeat. "I wanna be there."

"Oh, Jackson, no," she says. "You don't have to do that. It's gonna be awful and stressful and-"

"And that's why I wanna be there," I say, solidifying my statement. "April, we're gonna do it right this time. And that means I'm by your side through everything. As long as you want me there, I'm gonna be there."

Her eyes shine when she says, "It starts at noon."

…

The next day, I only have one surgery scheduled - a nerve reconstruction with Callie and no one else, which I'm incredibly grateful for. My mind is in too many places for there to be any other people in this room besides myself, Callie, the anaesthesiologist and Bokhee.

"You're quiet today, Avery," Callie mutters without looking up.

"Yeah."

"Something on your mind?"

I raise my eyebrows and continue the movement of my hand with the scalpel. "You could say as much."

"Let's talk."

I shake my head. "Nah, I'm good."

"It wasn't a question," she says, brown eyes on me. "I'm bored to tears doing this surgery I've done ten thousand times, and I need your drama to spice up my afternoon. Don't make me beg."

I snort. "There's really not that much to talk about."

"That's the biggest lie I've ever heard," she says, and I can hear the eye-roll. "When it involves you and Kepner, there's no such thing as 'not that much.'"

I look up instantly. "I didn't say there was anything between me and April."

"You didn't need to," she says smoothly. "You get a certain way about you when it's drama that involves her. I can't explain it, it's just something I know. So spill, since I already seem to know the half of it."

I sigh, giving in as I continue my careful sutures. "We're trying again," I say.

"What is this, round 400?" Callie barks, laughing. It's not mean-spirited, but it does strike a chord. The tumultuousness of mine and April's relationship is common knowledge and I don't like the way that feels. There's plenty kept just between us, but I wish there was more. I guess it's what we get for working in such a tight-knit place - together, at one point. Everyone knows everyone's business here.

"Why would I talk to you if all you're gonna do is ridicule me?" I say, squinting as my eyebrows lower.

"Avery, come on. I'm sorry. You have to admit, it was a little funny and pretty much true."

Now, it's my turn to roll my eyes. "We've done a lot of things wrong in the past and we're aware of that," I say. "But none of that is keeping us from each other. I know that sounds cheesy as hell and honestly, it is, but… I don't know. I can't stay away from her and I don't want to."

"She pulls you in," Callie says, voicing my thoughts.

"Yeah, exactly," I say. "She does. And there have been times where I haven't been what she's needed and times where she's done me wrong but we wanna get over that. We wanna try and do something right for once."

"Well, take comfort in this," Callie says. "You guys have done at least one thing right that I know of." I raise my eyebrows to further her along. "Through all the mess, you've always prioritized the kids. Always. You and Kepner could be at each other's throats and everyone would know, but the minute you two step into that daycare, it's smiles and sunshine and rainbows. All of Kepner's specialties. I think that's really big of you both."

"I… thanks," I say, blinking as her words settle in. "That means a lot. I know it would mean a lot to April, too. I'll tell her you said that."

"Tell her to get her little ass back to Grey Sloan so I can tell her myself," she says, smiling behind the surgical mask.

I laugh, too. "Will do," I say.

After the surgery is done and successful, Callie and I are scrubbing out together when I feel her eyes on me again. "That's not all that's on your mind, is it?" she asks. I sigh, and she already knows the answer. "What else?"

"Remember the trial?" I ask. "The custody battle, between Matthew Taylor's parents and April?" Callie nods. "Well, April was already called to the stand and it apparently didn't go very well. Today, Saige - the little girl - is being questioned."

"Seriously?" Callie says. "I didn't think they did that kind of thing anymore."

"I don't know," I say. "Apparently, they do. April said the Taylors insisted so they could hear her thoughts in her words." Tension creeps into my shoulders as my anger builds. "She's fucking three years old and they're doing this to her." I scrub my hands extra hard, digging in with the rough sponge. "This kid is the sweetest thing and she loves April. I mean, obviously, she does. And not only are they trying to take her away, but they're gonna traumatize her in the process."

Callie looks at me with deep sympathy before saying, "Tell me you're gonna be there."

"Yeah," I say. "I'm leaving after I finish up a few things here."

"No," she says firmly. "Go. You go now."

…

I change into jeans and a dress shirt before heading out of the hospital, and pull up to the courthouse at around 11:45. I smooth out any wrinkles in my clothes as I stand, then jog up the front steps of the building to walk into the cavernous inside. I ask a clerk where to go and she directs me down a specific hallway, and almost immediately do I hear voices that I recognize.

"I just need you to be my big, bad, brave Saigey," April says, and I see her kneeling on the ground in front of Saige so they're at eye-level with each other. "I know it's scary. Mommy was in that same chair last week, and it was very scary for me, too. But I'm gonna give you every single ounce of bravery that I can, and I want you to use all of it. Every single bit. Okay? Can I get an 'okay' from my baby?"

"Okay, mama," Saige peeps, then looks over April's shoulder and makes eye contact with me. "Jackson!" she shouts, then runs at me full speed. I kneel before she reaches me so I can give her a real hug once she does. I close my eyes tight and wrap my arms around her small body, feeling how she trembles a bit from how hard she's hugging me. "Mommy didn't told me you were gonna be here, too," she says, arms still around my neck.

"I wouldn't miss it," I say. "Mommy gave you all her bravery, so I thought it would only be right if I gave you some of mine, too."

"All of it?" she asks, pulling away to look at my face.

"Sure, you can have all of it," I say. "But make sure to give it back before we walk outta here, otherwise I don't know how I'm gonna sleep tonight."

She giggles and puts her hands on my cheeks. "You went gone your hairy beard," she says, referencing how I'd shaved that morning. In reality, I did it for April. She likes me a little more shaven. But if it makes Saige happy too, then that's just another win.

"I did," I say. "You're right."

"No more Santa beard, ho-ho-ho?"

"Hey, I don't think it was quite at Saint Nick's level," I say, pretending to scowl so she'll laugh. I touch her cheek with my thumb and we spend a moment being quiet. "How's everything been so far?" I ask. "How are you feeling about going in there?"

"Don't want to," she says, growing sullen again. I can't blame her. "Cristina showed me in the courtroom and a big chair. I meeted a judge and I only look at Cristina, not Mommy. I can't look at Mommy. Can I look at you?"

"I think if Cristina told you that you should look at her, that's what you should do," I say. "I know you're gonna be awesome up there."

"No fibs," she says, shaking her head firmly. "Can't tell a fib."

"Right," I say. "That's very good."

The sound of high heels on the linoleum rings through the space as April makes her way over in a sharp black pantsuit. I push any and all inappropriate thoughts out of my head and smile up at her from where I'm still knelt on the floor. "She sure is happy to see you," April says, nodding towards Saige who now has her thumb in her mouth.

"Jackson comed, mommy," Saige says, lips moving around her finger.

"I see that," April says. "I'm very happy he did. Are you?" Saige nods. "He makes me feel stronger," she continues. "How about you?"

The little girl smiles and says, "Yeah," while looking at me right in the eyes. Jesus, she might melt me here on the spot. I don't know what I did to get her to like me so much, but I plan on continuing.

"We should go in now," Cristina says from where she stands near the double doors.

"Alright," April says, wiping her hands on her pant legs in a way that's supposed to be subtle. "We gotta go. Ready or not, here we come. Right, beanie-boo?"

"Mama," Saige says, reaching her arms up for April.

Without a fight, April lifts the little one onto her hip and looks at me. "Say bye-bye to Jackson," she whispers, her face close to Saige's. "We'll see him after."

"Bye-bye Jackson, I love you," she murmurs, as routine as anything else.

It takes all I have not to reach out and kiss her. If there's anything purer on this planet, I don't know it. And I see it in April's eyes that she heard Saige's sentiment, too. "Bye-bye, Saigey," I say. "I'll see you in a little bit. You're gonna do awesome, rockstar."

"Rockstar princess," she corrects, her head heavy on April's shoulder.

"Ah, right," I say. "My mistake. Well, rockstar princess, you're gonna be awesome up there."

She smiles and April meets my eyes to mouth thank you. I give her a nod in return and watch them head inside, lingering for only a moment before joining them. I sit in the middle where I'm sure Saige will be able to see me, then take a good look at my surroundings. I have a clear view of mostly everything - the back of April and Cristina's heads, the judge, the witness stand, and the Taylors' profiles. Just looking at them is enough to make me sick, but I can't tear my eyes away. They're sitting there staring ahead like two gargoyles waiting to strike. Their eyes burn into Saige as she - a three-year-old - gets sworn in and led to the chair that April sat in just days ago. She has never looked smaller; her feet don't come near the ground and her eyes are huge and scared. All I want to do is run up there and scoop her into my arms and away from all this. But of course, I can't do that. So, I stay in place and watch everything unfold.

Cristina goes up first. After her, the Taylors' lawyer will have a chance to ask Saige questions.

"Hi, Saige," Cristina says, standing close to the chair. "It's kinda scary being up here, right?" Saige nods. "Don't worry," Cristina says. "I get scared sometimes, too, when I'm being a lawyer. It's completely normal. It's normal to feel scared when a lot of eyes are on you. If it's alright with you, I'm gonna ask you a few questions. It's just you and me talking, so you don't have to worry about any of these people behind me. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Good," Cristina says. "Can you tell me how old you are, Saige?"

"Three."

"And when's your birthday?"

"August 9th."

"Do you know where you were born?"

"Hospital where Mommy works before."

Cristina nods. "And when you say 'Mommy,' you mean April, right?" She points back towards April, who gives a little wave.

Saige nods. "Mommy."

"How long have you been living with your mommy?" Cristina asks.

"All my whole life," Saige says.

"So, Mommy's house is all you've ever known?"

"Yeah."

"Do you and Mommy have fun together?" Cristina asks.

Saige nods and a bit of a smile appears on her face. "Yes."

"What kind of fun things do you do with Mommy?"

"She gets me and Sissy from school and we play," Saige says. "At home, she cooks dinner and plays with us and lets us watch movies with treats."

"That sounds awesome," Cristina says. "Anything else?"

"She kisses my boo-boos," Saige says, then holds up a knee. "This one I got when I falled on second recess. It hurted all day 'til Mommy kissed it. Then it was better."

"She sounds like a pretty chief Mommy," Cristina says, smiling at the little girl. "What do you like about her? What are some of your favorite things about your mommy?"

"Her red hair," Saige says, smiling. "Like a Crayon. Also, she sings songs in the car and the bath and tickles me. And she picks me up and rides me on her shoulders in Sissy's soccer games."

"How fun," Cristina says. "Speaking of your sister, do you live with her?"

"Sometimes."

"Do you have your own room?"

"Sissy and me share a bunk bed," Saige says. "I get the bottom. Top when I'm six."

"I see," Cristina says. "How about your school, do you like your school?" Saige nods. "Would you want to change schools for any reason?" Saige shakes her head vehemently no. "How about where you live?" she continues. "Do you like your house?"

"I wanna stay in my house forever," Saige says. "I don't wanna go anywhere."

"Very good, Saige," Cristina says. "That'll be all from me. You did a very, very good job. Now, another lawyer is gonna come up and ask you a few things. Is that alright with you?" The little girl nods, but as confidently as before. "I'll still be right here," Cristina assures her. "But you're gonna have a conversation with him now."

My stomach toils as the Taylors' lawyer approaches Saige on the witness stand. I don't like seeing him in such close proximity - there's something not right with the image. "Hi there, Ruby," he says. "My name is Mr. Layanas. I have a few questions that I need you to answer."

"You called me something else," Saige says, tiny eyebrows furrowing. "My name is Saige."

"Well, for the purpose of the record and legality, we're going to go with the name that's on your birth certificate," he says, speaking too quickly. "Your name is Ruby Saige Taylor, isn't that right? So, we're going to use 'Ruby' today." She doesn't have anything to say. She just sits there, stunned, chin quivering. In that moment, I know this asshole is going to make her cry. "Here's my first question, Ruby. How big is the yard at your house? How much grass do you have?"

"I don't know," she murmurs, blinking slowly. "A little part by the bench."

"Interesting," he says. "Do you know how much grass your grandma and grandpa have at their house, Ruby? They have a whole field in that back that you could play in. They have room for a swingset, a jungle gym, a sandbox… anything you could think of. Do you think all that would fit in the yard at your house at home?"

She thinks for a moment before answering, "No."

"A spunky kid like you probably loves playing outside," he says. "At Grandma and Grandpa's, you wouldn't even have to go to a park. Just open the back door, and there you go." She stays silent. "How about your school, Ruby? What's your school called?"

"Arbor Heights," she says, obviously trained in that answer.

"And what grade are you in?"

"Zero grade," she says. "I go to preschool."

"The quality of a school matters, Ruby," he says. "And these schools where you live, eh, they're just okay. They're just halfway good. But schools in Tacoma, where Grandma and Grandpa live, well those schools are fantastic. What would you think about going to a better school? One that could make you smarter?"

"Objection," Cristina shouts, and I'm glad for it.

"Sustained," the judge says. "Mr. Layanas, leading."

"Excuse me," he says, then looks to Saige. "How would you feel about changing schools?" he asks.

"No," Saige says.

"Even if the school was better than the one you're going to now?"

"No."

"No what, Ruby?" he presses. "You'll have to explain yourself a little better."

"No!" she shouts, growing red in the face just like April does. "No, I don't want to!"

He pauses for effect. "Where did you learn to yell like that, Ruby? Does your mommy ever yell at you?"

"I don't like you," Saige says, beginning to crumple.

"Kids learn from what their parents teach them," Mr. Layanas says. "So, unless you can tell me that your mommy doesn't yell at you like you just yelled at me, I'll have to believe that she does."

Saige sniffles and wipes her nose, retreating into herself by pulling her knees up on the chair. She tries to shield her body from Mr. Layanas, but it doesn't quite work. "Go away," she says, pinching the material of her tights. "I don't wanna talk anymore. I wanna get down. I wanna get down now!"

"Your honor, please," Cristina says, standing. "He's clearly upsetting the child on purpose."

"I'm not finished, your honor," Mr. Layanas says.

The judge pauses for a short moment. "Make it quick, Mr. Layanas," she says.

"Would you be open to spending time with your grandparents?" he asks. "Visiting them for long periods of time?"

"No," Saige answers simply.

"No?" he echoes. "Ruby, did your mom tell you to say that?"

She sniffles again as her voice rises in pitch. "I don't know."

"Ruby, I need a few more answers here. How much time does your mom spend with you?" he says.

"All the time," Saige peeps.

"How about before your dad died?" he says, laying it out there without padding the statement at all. I could kill him. "When she was working, how about then?"

"Lots."

"Mommy wants to get a new job at a big, shiny hospital," Mr. Layanas says. "She'll be working a lot of hours, sometimes even in the nighttime. What do you think about that? How much time do you think she'll spend with you then?"

"I don't know," Saige whimpers. "I want my mommy. I want my mommy now."

"Mr. Layanas, enough," the judge says. "Honey, you can step down."

Saige does as she's told. She bolts out of the chair and heads straight for April, launching herself into her mother's arms. By the posture of April's shoulders, I can tell that Saige isn't the only one crying. Saige sobs into April's neck and April does her best to comfort her, but it doesn't do much good. By the time court is dismissed, Saige is still in shambles as April carries her out of the room.

I can feel the Taylors' eyes on us as I meet up with them in the hall, but the last thing I expected them to do was come over and say something. So, when I hear a nasally, persistent voice over my shoulder, my first reaction is confusion before I turn around to see a white-haired woman with a scowl on her face. "Honest to God, I can't believe you had the audacity to show up," Marianne Taylor says, staring me right in the eyes. "The one who ruined the wedding. Now what, here to sweep her off her feet again?"

Her voice is risen, but I refuse to do the same. "I'm here to support my family," I say, calm and even.

"Your family!" she guffaws. "You have no rights to that child. You have about as many rights as April does."

"So, plenty," I say. "A legal document exists that states that Saige is April's daughter. You must be a special brand of stupid to stand here and refute that."

"I have plenty to refute!" she argues, getting heated. "That child has my blood, my son's blood. She doesn't belong to your whore and she surely doesn't belong to you."

"Hey," I say, gritting my teeth. "Don't you dare talk about her like that. Saige is who she is today because of April."

"You don't know a thing about Ruby," Marianne hisses.

"I know she sucks her thumb," I say. "I know she likes parmesan on her noodles, but no olive oil. She only likes green apples, not red. She loves anything sour. Taylor Swift is her jam, but not country Taylor Swift. Only the newest CD. She's pretty good with spelling but mixes up her B's and D's. At night, she sleeps with a stuffed animal dog named Baby. She loves wearing all of her big sister's hand-me-downs but likes her dresses the most. She takes ballet on Saturdays, gymnastics on Tuesdays. She can do a somersault but not a cartwheel, at least not yet. Her show-and-tell this week was a rock she found in the driveway that sparkled in the sun." I take a step away from them towards April who's waiting with Cristina. "Don't tell me I don't know that child, because I do. And I love her. You will not win this."

When I turn around, I don't look back. I walk out of the courthouse with April at my side, one hand on the small of her back as she holds her weeping daughter in her arms.