Two reviews was enough to convince me to continue this story for an extra chapter.

Chapter Two:

Her kid was going to school with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich stain on his sweater. It could have been worse.

Nadia sighed as she came back in to clean up the mess. Today, Colin decided he didn't like the feeling of fleece. There went half his wardrobe. He eventually settled on a cotton Donald Duck shirt (he HATED Mickey). Colin also didn't like cereal, or eggs, or anything but a peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for breakfast. The problem, was when she put his milk in the wrong glass, which led to the tantrum.

"Rats," she muttered as she realized, he got a milk stain on one of the papers relating to Bruce's civil case. It wasn't particularly important, but just a reminder for her to cover all paperwork before any meal.

It was a light day. A meeting with her old firm, and then a trip to see Bruce. It still felt like she had tons to do, despite Bruce being her only client. She was filing complaints with Baltimore over the treatment of the murder case.

Her phone rang. It was Jane Logan. They had become "friends" in a way, in that Jane wanted to be friends with her after everything, while Nadia wanted the woman to go away.

"Hi Jane," she said as she swept the kitchen.

"Hey, how are you?" Jane asked.

Nadia had learned over the years no one wanted the real answer.

"Fine," she lied. "Do you need anything?"

"I was wondering if I could treat you to lunch at the new wine bar in Foggy Bottom."

"Jane, how many times do I have to go over this with you? We are not friends."

"But you found my son for me! I want to make up for everything that has happened."

"Then lose my number," she said and hung up.

Jane had threatened to call the police and charge her with harassment during the months she tried to talk to her. It was also why the overworked social services were going to take Colin as someone had tipped them off about Nadia leaving her firm. Nadia had no use for Jane.

"I KNEW IT! THAT GIRL IS A HOE!"

Mrs. Gertrude was watching paternity court again, without her hearing aid. The walls were thin so she heard every piece of a dialog. The joys of working from home.

Jane stepped into the bathroom and looked at her appearance. Bags under her blue eyes, massive pores, and a cold sore on the left side of her mouth. She felt older than thirty-six. Turning away, she stepped over a rubber duck and proceeded to shower.

"WHY COULDN'T YOU KEEP IT IN YOUR PANTS!?"

Nadia changed into dress clothes for the firm. She was saving every dime coming in for better schooling for Colin. As she didn't have social media, Bruce's kids told her that after the press conference, everyone was talking about how "poor" she looked, and stylists were even offering makeovers. Accepting the money made her feel dirty, but she needed it for Colin. A new wardrobe was out of the question. She liked pale blue, as her mother said it brought out the color in her eyes, before she jetted to the Caribbean with the first man willing to pay the bills. Nadia a noted to buy bleach after seeing the state of her blouse.

"WHO CHEATS WITH THREE WOMEN AT ONCE!?"

Fresh water stains were growing on the walls. Another phone call to add.

…

Nadia walked through the halls of a Harwood, Stenton, a Lamb with a sense of exhaustion. She accepted the job at the firm seven years earlier as her mentor at Ohio State Law School had recommended her for the position. After signing in she headed for the elevator.

"Hey hotshot!" Kirk Harwood Jr. entered. "I heard a rumor you'd be in."

As inclined as she was to tell him to go to Hell, she smiled and nodded without making eye contact.

"I know you don't do eye contact," he said. "Or physical contact. How about a wave?"

She waved gamely.

"Look I know we've had our differences, but I always thought you were an amazing lawyer."

She had a meeting in the top floor, so this ride was unbearably long.

"I heard they're throwing in a car, but don't accept anything cheaper than a CRV. You're worth more. Hold them to it."

The elevator dinged, finally. He patted her on the shoulder.

"Good talk."

She smiled and nodded as he darted out.

Jason Lamb was waiting in impeccable three-piece suit.

"Hey, Junior," he said to Kirk.

"I think she's warming up, Uncle!" he said.

"Glad to hear it."

"Remember CRV," he said and walked away.

"That idiot stopped maturing when he hit thirteen," Jason said.

"I'm glad you said it," she said.

Jason smiled.

"Follow me. Tell me Nadia, did you ever get this deep into the firm?"

"No."

They turned a corner, and were in the executive conference room. Sara Avery and Dwight Bram, the two most senior partners, were present in addition to Kirk Sr.

"All this for me?" she asked.

"You're certainly worth it," Sara said.

Everyone sat around the oval table.

"So, you've taken time to look at what we've offered," Jason said. "Have you made a decision?"

"I was thinking about the car offer, and how nice it would be to have a 'mom van' to transport Colin around it."

"Welcome back!" Sara said.

Nadia took a deep calming breath. She'd been preparing this speech for some time. She looked at no one.

"Then I thought about how I could have used that van to clean my stuff out of my office when you told me I had to choose between the Bruce Havers case and my place at the firm. I kept this nice corkboard of pictures of my son. I had to choose between carrying the files for the Bruce Havers case and that corkboard of pictures. You're offer is no different from any other I have received: Student debt wiped out, a car, a signing bonus, a wardrobe stipend, and a window view. I came here because I wanted the one thing, I don't think you can give me: That corkboard of pictures."

The room was dead silent. Nadia couldn't stop shaking.

The door opened. A janitor appeared. She was an older broad woman of African American descent.

"Eunice!" Nadia said. "How are you? I miss your banana bread!"

Nadia worked such odd hours, to take care of her son and work, she knew the janitorial staff better than her peers.

"Jeff found the board in the dumpster. One of the new kids tossed your stuff. A pizza had been thrown in too, but we took the photos to the copy shop and got clean glossy copies for you. They're in Jeff's office along with my banana bread recipe."

Nadia felt tears blooming as she stood up.

"You said you'd die before you'd give that recipe to me!"

"I say a lot of things."

Nadia looked back at the firm.

"We should have offered Eunice's banana bread recipe," Dwight said as weak joke.

"I'm getting my photos and leaving," she said.

No one stopped her.

"Is JJV offering you a job?" Eunice asked once they were in the hall. "Make sure you get an office with a view of the mall."

"That is one of the few places I am seriously considering," she said.

"Take your time, you earned it."

They stepped into Jeff's office. Eunice gave her a book.

It was beautiful engraved album.

"How much do I owe you guys?" Nadia asked.

"Henry knows a guy who owed him a favor. It cost nothing."

"Does this mean I owe Henry now?" she said with a laugh.

"You did a good thing. Keep doing good things. That is all you owe us and the world."

Nadia opened her arms. They hugged.

…

While on the bus, Nadia looked at the photos. Colin took after her in terms of looks, in addition to psychologically. Only the nose looked like it belonged to the father.

The father Nathan Greenwald was currently married to an ex-Browns cheerleader in Cleveland. They met an Ohio State Alumni mixer in DC. He was a business lawyer in town to seal a merger. It wasn't date rape, but there was a lot of alcohol and Nadia didn't say yes or no. She was eager to "act like an adult" and the idea of a one-night stand sounded mature. Nathan promised, that nothing would happen after the condom broke. Something did happen, and he made her pay for the paternity test to prove it.

When Nathan asked about his father, Nadia lies and says she went to special bank to get the stuff to make him. At first Nathan was very involved by visiting once a month. But when Colin turned three, she got the diagnosis, even the birthday cards stopped. He also called her a number of names and regretted ever meeting her.

Nathan called her after she got Bruce off. He congratulated her and offered to come help. She politely declined even as he was another person she wanted to tell go where the sun doesn't shine.

Life was getting easier. JJV's offer was appealing but it was no magic cure. Being neurodivergent meant being in a constant state of anxiety over who was judging her over what she couldn't control, no matter how good a job she did. Firm culture meant cliques. Not to mention, any housing change would be horrible to manage with Colin. Nothing was easy.

The Mercer institute was quick to agree to take Bruce in. They'd take a payment only after a settlement was reached. Bruce seemed happy when, she visited a few weeks ago.

She put her album on the chair, as she'd show it to Bruce as a surprise. There were only a couple of other people in the room. Standing up to her firm exhausted her mentally. As much as she looked forward to seeing Bruce, part of her wanted to go home.

Then he walked in. She recognized him vaguely from some headlines about a federal agent who had escaped after being held captive for years. He was wearing the most ridiculous gray shirt with a joke about Schrödinger's cat on it. His eyes filled with concern when he saw her.

Those eyes pierced her soul. It was like someone was looking at her as if she truly mattered for the first time. She wasn't afraid like she usually was. Bruce was making introductions and Nadia made her usual jokes about her wardrobe. Counter to everything she'd ever felt her whole life, she wanted to feel his embrace.

"Ms. Dells," Reid said.

"Call me Nadia."

"Nadia, can I hug you?"

This took her by surprise. Wishes come true. She nodded.

Nadia nearly started crying. The way he held her. Somehow gentle and strong at the same time. The burden of humanity felt like it was lifting from her. This was a soul-nourishing hug if there ever was such a thing.

Then she caught a look at Bruce. He looked too pleased with himself. Nadia turned red.

"That was a really nice hug," she said with a laugh.

"You looked like you could use one."

"I guess I did."

"We were debating how accurate Life of Pi is," Bruce said.

"People get the impression, all predators see everything as prey, when really these animals do their own version of cost benefit analysis," Nadia said.

"Exactly," Reid said. "A human boy takes a lot of energy to eat."

Nadia put the album on the table so she could sit down.

"Your son," he said.

It would never work between them. The hug was nice though.

"Yes," she said, as the proud mother she was.

"Let me see," Bruce said.

They gathered around the album and looked at photos.

"That's interesting," Reid said. "His artwork is very detailed."

"His teachers say his artwork is horrible," she said.

"It's the opposite," he said. "I'm guessing in this picture they asked him to draw a cat but he couldn't understand the task. Look at the shading, he's trying draw the texture of the cat. You can see it in his struggle to get the nose right too."

"He's in Huston's early intervention program. I intend move him to a different program next school year."

"Nadia, do you have enough to move him now?" Bruce asked.

"It's not that easy," she said with a flare of anger. "The change in routine would hurt him for a long time."

"I understand that, and I respect your need to keep him comfortable. When you're ready I can get him into the Birch-Fitch Academy with a phone call," Reid said.

Nadia couldn't help it, she felt tears well up.

"How? That is the most exclusive education facility in the Northeast!"

"I provide data research for them, as it is obvious, I'm on the spectrum also," he said as he went red with embarrassment. "Think about it."

Bruce was humming something under his breath. Nadia wanted to kick him for being so smug and then hug him.

Maybe wishes do come true.

TO BE CONTINUED IN HIS OWN HERO