Is This God's Way of Testing Me?
Chapter 3
Beca stood looking down at the floor as she allowed Aubrey's words to sink into her subconscious. Then, she slowly lifted her head and turned to rush back out of the kitchen.
"What the Hell was that about?" Stacie asked. "Is that why Chicago's here? To try and get custody of Sophie?"
"Yes, that's what Chloe's been dealing with for the past couple of months," Aubrey said, nodding her head. "She must have told Beca when they went upstairs."
"Why didn't she tell Beca when Chicago first showed up?" Fat Amy asked. "What was she thinking, keeping it from Beca?"
"She was scared," Aubrey said with a heavy sigh. "She thought Beca would jump to the conclusion that she wanted Chicago, and they would ride off into the sunset together with Sophie. Chloe thought she could reason with Chicago and get him to drop it before it went too far."
"Chicago is nothing but a sperm donor," Stacie said tersely. "Sophie is Beca's daughter. Beca is her mama and has been there for Sophie, and Chloe, since before Sophie was born. That little girl idolizes her. It would literally kill Beca if she lost Sophie; I don't even want to think of what it would do to Sophie."
"I agree," Aubrey said. "But sometimes the law doesn't see things that way. So, we will have to tread lightly and not jump the gun on anything. We have to fight smart."
~~ Is This God's Way of Testing Me? ~~
After Beca ran out of the kitchen, she started up the stairs. She stopped when she noticed Chloe, holding Sophie on her left hip, standing at the top of the staircase, looking down at her. Tears came to Chloe's eyes when she saw the hurt and fear in Beca's.
"Beca," Chloe said softly.
Chloe saying her name was enough to spur Beca to move and ascend the last few steps that separated her from Chloe and Sophie. She stopped a step below them and wrapped her arms around her wife and daughter. She buried her head in Chloe's chest and tightened her hold, squeezing them both to her.
"I don't care if it takes every last penny we have," Beca said vehemently. "We will fight him on this. He will not take our daughter from us."
Chloe let out a small sob and wrapped her free arm around Beca, pulling her tighter into her.
Beca stepped back when she heard Chloe sniffle. She reached up to wipe a tear from Chloe's cheek. Chloe leaned into Beca's palm.
"Let's go talk to Aubrey," Beca said as she took Sophie. "See what our options are."
Chloe nodded and followed Beca. Chloe grabbed Beca's arm once they reached the bottom of the stairs.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you when Chicago first showed up," Chloe said, wiping her tears. "I was afraid you might think it wasn't your fight."
"I will always fight for you and Sophie, Chlo," Beca said. "You two are my family, and anything that affects either of you affects me. So just promise me that you'll talk to me sooner about anything to do with Sophie or you. I love you, girls. You're my family, and I will do everything I can to keep my family together."
"I promise," Chloe said, leaning in to kiss Beca. "I love you, too."
"I want kisses," Sophie said, causing Beca and Chloe to chuckle.
"Sorry, baby girl," Beca said, kissing Sophie on the cheek.
Chloe kissed Sophie's other cheek. "I love you, Soph."
"I wuv you, mommy," Sophie said, kissing Chloe and then Beca. "I wuv you, mama."
~~ Is This God's Way of Testing Me? ~~
"So, Chloe's going to fight Chicago on this?" Stacie asked.
"Yes, she is," Aubrey said. "I'm sure she'll tell you more once she and Beca have had a chance to discuss everything."
Before Stacie could say anything, Beca entered the kitchen, carrying Sophie and holding Chloe's hand.
"Aubrey, what are our options in fighting this?" Beca asked.
"I've already started the ball rolling to countersue for custody," Aubrey said. "We're also asking that Chicago's parental rights be terminated and that you and Chloe be given sole custody of Sophie."
"We already have that," Beca said. "Don't we?"
"Technically, yes," Aubrey said. "Legally, no."
"Why not?" Beca asked. "My name is on her birth certificate, not his."
"That's true," Aubrey said. "But, all he has to do is prove he is Sophie's biological father, and the court will take it from there."
"What about the fact he kicked Chloe out when she told him she was pregnant?" Beca asked. "Or the fact that he told her to get an abortion because he didn't want to be a father? Isn't that enough to have his parental rights terminated?"
"We can bring all that up," Aubrey said. "But, it won't be that easy to have his parental rights terminated. There will need to be sound, legal reasons to have someone's parental rights terminated. There are a lot of variables the courts look at before taking that step."
"What would be a sound, legal reason to have someone's parental rights terminated?" Chloe asked.
"The biggest issues would be," Aubrey said. "Abuse or neglect of other children in the same household. Abandonment of the child or extreme parental disinterest. A felony conviction of the parent for a violent crime against the child or another family member. The child would be at risk if returned to the parent's home."
"We can use abandonment and extreme parental disinterest," Beca said. "That sounds like what he did."
"It may be true that he did those things," Aubrey said. "But, we have to keep in mind that we'll need to present very persuasive evidence to the court to win."
"What kind of evidence?" Chloe asked.
"Evidence, such as lack of contact, lack of support, abandonment, abuse, neglect, ongoing indifference, or failure to care for the child," Aubrey said. "And, none of those are easy to prove. And, it could take quite a long time to get a ruling once both sides have presented their cases."
"What if we all were character witnesses for Chloe?" Stacie said. "We can tell them how Chicago hadn't seen, called, or shown any interest in Sophie until recently."
"Plus, he hasn't been supporting her," Beca said. "I have."
"I'm wondering what his endgame is," Amy said.
"What do you mean, Amy?" Chloe asked.
"It just seems weird that he's waited almost four years to do this," Amy said. "I think there's more to it than the fact he wants to take Sophie away from you."
"Amy's right," Beca said. "He wants something and not just Sophie. I'd bet anything there's more going on here than him wanting to be a father suddenly. Let's set up a meeting with him so we can work this out."
"Chloe already tried that," Aubrey said. "That's why we are where we are now."
"Maybe," Beca said. "But, I'm willing to bet that if we offered him money to stop the custody case, he'd take it in a heartbeat."
"You want us to buy Sophie from him?" Chloe asked.
"No, that's not what I'm saying," Beca said quickly. "I'm saying I want to pay him off to leave us alone."
"That's not a good idea, Beca," Aubrey said.
"Why not?"
"If it's money he really wants, what's to keep him from coming back again and again, looking for more down the road?"
"We'll make him sign over his parental rights in order to get the money," Beca said.
"As your lawyer," Aubrey said. "I strongly advise against doing this."
"Brey's right, Becs," Chloe said, putting her hand on Beca's shoulder. "I think we have an excellent chance of winning in court. So let's just go through all the legal channels before doing anything else, okay?"
"Do whatever you want," Beca said, shrugging off Chloe's hand. "I obviously have no say in what happens to our daughter."
Before anyone could say anything more, Beca turned and stormed out of the room. Chloe stood stunned at this turn of events. She let out a huff and turned to follow Beca; Stacie's voice stopped her.
"Give her some space, Chloe," Stacie said. "She'll come around. She always felt like this would happen. Only in her mind, it was Chicago coming back for you and taking you and Sophie away from her."
"I would never-" Chloe started.
"I know you wouldn't," Stacie interrupted. "But, we're talking about Beca here. Underneath that badass persona, she's still Freshman Beca, who guards her emotions and won't talk about anything with anyone. I'm surprised she admitted to me how much she loves you two and that you and Sophie are the best thing to ever happen to her."
"I love her so much," Chloe said with tears in her eyes. "I wish she'd believe me when I tell her that she's the only one I want."
~~ Is This God's Way of Testing Me? ~~
Beca sat on the sofa, breathing in and out rapidly; she tried to calm herself. She looked up and mumbled, "Is this your way of testing me, God? If it is, you suck!"'
Beca let out a breath and clenched her fists. She wanted nothing more than to get her hands on Chicago Walp and beat the shit out of him. He needed to be dealt with harshly. And she was more than ready to handle it herself.
Beca heard a noise and looked down to the table to see Chloe's phone light up with a text. Usually, Beca would have ignored it, but when she looked down and saw Chicago's name on the caller ID and a text asking Chloe to call him, she grabbed the phone and rushed outside. Once outside, she hit call on the phone and put it to her ear.
"Chloe?" Chicago's voice came through the phone. "I wasn't expecting you to call so quickly."
"This isn't Chloe; it's Beca," Beca responded. "You're done talking with Chloe. From here on, you will be dealing with me. What do you want?"
"I'm actually glad it's you on the phone, Beca," Chicago said, chuckling. "I've been wanting to have a chat with you."
"Fine, you got me. Now say what you have to say," Beca said. "I don't have all day."
"Direct and to the point. That's good," Chicago said. "I have a proposition for you."
"What kind of proposition?"
"One that will benefit both of us," Chicago said. "You'll get to keep Sophie, and you'll make it worth my while to make that happen."
Beca clenched her teeth and pulled the phone away from her ear. She knew there was more to this whole thing than Chicago just wanting Sophie. She put the phone back to her ear.
"What do you have in mind?" Beca asked.
~~ Is This God's Way of Testing Me? ~~
After ending the call with Chicago, Beca deleted Chicago's text and call from Chloe's phone. She then quietly slipped back inside and placed Chloe's phone back on the table.
Beca listened and could still hear the others talking in the kitchen. She hurried up to her office and used her phone to place two more calls.
As the second call was coming to an end, Beca wrote down a few notes.
"Thank you. I'll see you around ten on Monday morning," Beca said as she ended the call.
Beca placed her phone in her pocket and sat back in her chair, running her hand through her hair.
Beca remained holed up in her office for the rest of the morning into the afternoon. Stacie checked on her once, but she was left alone for the most part.
It was nearing dinner time, and Beca was finishing up some work she had started to keep her mind occupied. She smiled when she heard a soft giggle come from the doorway.
"Mama," Sophie said and giggled again. "Pizza?"
"Hey, Soph," Beca said, standing to walk over and pick up the toddler. "Are you telling me you want pizza for dinner?"
Sophie nodded, and Beca kissed her cheek.
"Pizza sounds great," Beca said and made her way downstairs.
Chloe was sitting on the sofa with Aubrey and Stacie. She was looking down at her hands when Beca and Sophie entered the room.
"So, Sophie wants pizza for dinner," Beca said, causing Chloe to look up at her.
"Um, yeah, okay," Chloe said. "Amy went home, but Brey and Stacie are staying for dinner. If that's okay?"
"Why wouldn't it be okay?" Beca asked.
"I don't know," Chloe said, running a hand through her hair. "I thought, um. I don't know what I was thinking."
Beca looked over to Stacie.
"Hey, Stace, would you guys mind keeping an eye on Sophie for us? Chloe and I need a minute."
"Sure," Stacie said, standing and taking Sophie from Beca.
"We'll order the pizza while you two talk," Aubrey said, leading the way into the kitchen.
"Thanks," Beca said and sat next to Chloe.
Beca saw tears in Chloe's eyes and pulled Chloe into her arms.
"I'm sorry," Chloe whispered.
"You have nothing to apologize for," Beca said. "I'm sorry for acting like a jerk. You were right in saying we should go the legal route before trying something else. I'm just so frustrated by this whole thing."
"So am I," Chloe said, wiping a tear from her eye. "And I am sorry for not telling you the minute Chicago contacted me. I had hoped to resolve everything before getting you all worked up."
"Chloe," Beca said, pulling back to look Chloe in the eye. "I said it before, and I'll say it again. You and Sophie are my world, and anything that pertains to either of you pertains to me, too. Always will, okay?"
"I know," Chloe said with tears in her eyes. "I was just scared."
"Scared? Of what?"
"Of how you'd react knowing Chicago was back and wanted Sophie."
"That's always been my greatest fear," Beca said, tearing up. "Ever since we confessed our feelings for each other, I've been worried that Chicago would come back for you. And you would take Sophie and go off with him and not look back."
Chloe reached over and wiped at the tears that fell down Beca's face.
"That is never going to happen," Chloe said, leaning in to kiss Beca. "I love you and only you."
"I love you, too," Beca mumbled into the kiss before pulling back. "Are we okay?"
"Better than okay," Chloe said, pulling Beca back into a hug.
After a moment, Beca moved to pull back from the hug.
"Not yet," Chloe said, tightening her hold on Beca.
Beca smiled into Chloe's neck. No matter what happened next, they were going to be okay.
~~ Is This God's Way of Testing Me? ~~
The next day, it was business as usual for Beca and Chloe. First, the family of three went to their local Farmer's Market and then did their weekly grocery shopping. After that, the couple and Sophie spent the rest of their Sunday hanging out at home.
Monday morning found Beca awake early, so she gently removed herself from Chloe's arms before her alarm went off. Beca held her breath as Chloe stirred and rolled to her side of the bed, cuddling her pillow. Once she was sure Chloe was still asleep, Beca let out the breath she had been holding.
Beca got dressed and lightly kissed Chloe's temple before silently leaving their room and making her way to Sophie's room. She quietly opened the door and looked in to see Sophie sleeping in her usual position. She smiled and closed the door with a soft click.
Beca drove away from the house, heading toward the first of two pre-planned stops. After finishing her business at her second stop, Beca headed for the meeting she had set up with Chicago.
Beca pulled into the parking lot at the address Chicago had texted her the night before. She sat in her car and looked around. She spotted Chicago as he exited his vehicle and started walking toward her.
Beca exited her vehicle and retrieved a bag from the trunk. She stood waiting for Chicago to reach her.
"Right on time," Chicago said as he stopped a few feet from her.
She didn't say anything as she tossed the bag at his feet.
"Are you ready to give up the custody case and terminate your parental rights to Sophie?" Beca asked.
"No problem," Chicago said, eying the bag at his feet. "Is it all there?"
"Yes," Beca responded. "Two hundred and fifty thousand, just like you asked."
"A quarter of a million dollars for a kid I never wanted," Chicago said, chuckling as he knelt and opened the bag, smiling as he saw what was inside. He closed the bag and picked it up. "Not a bad deal."
"You're pathetic," Beca said. "I'm still trying to figure out what Chloe ever saw in you."
Chicago shrugged his shoulders and smirked. He turned to go to his car.
"Hey!" Beca called out, causing Chicago to stop and turn back to her. "Don't think for one minute you can come back for more later. A quarter of a million dollars to drop the custody suit and stay out of Chloe and Sophie's lives forever. That was the deal."
"I may not be Father of the Year, but I am a man of my word. That was the deal we made, and I stand by it."
"Thank you," Beca said with a smile. "That's all I needed to hear."
~~ Is This God's Way of Testing Me? ~~
Two hours later, Aubrey was sitting at her desk in her law firm when her personal cell phone rang. She didn't recognize the number but answered the call anyway.
"Hello?"
"Aubrey? It's Beca. I need you. I'm at the West LA Police Station on South Butler."
"Why? What happened? Do you need me as your lawyer or your friend?"
"I think I may need you as my lawyer," Beca said.
"Beca, what did you do?"
"Could you just come? And, please don't tell Chloe."
"Fine, I'll be there in twenty minutes," Aubrey said and ended the call.
Aubrey was frowning as she grabbed her bag and started for the door. She jumped into her car and drove to the police station.
Aubrey walked into the station and over to the desk. "I'm Aubrey Posen-"
"Aubrey!" Beca's voice called from a doorway behind Aubrey.
Aubrey turned, and Beca waved her over.
"What's going on, Beca?" Aubrey asked as Beca moved aside to allow Aubrey into the room.
Two men were sitting at the table, and one of them stood.
"Ms. Posen," the man said. "I'm Detective Harris, and this is Detective Johnson. Thank you for coming in so quickly. Please take a seat."
"Could someone please tell me what's going on?" Aubrey said, taking a seat next to Beca.
"We were just doing that," Detective Harris said, taking his seat. "To bring you up to speed, on Saturday afternoon, Mrs. Mitchell called to speak to us about a phone call she had with a Mr. Chicago Walp and-"
"Don't say a word," Aubrey interrupted, looking at Beca. She then turned to Detective Harris. "I'd like a moment to speak to my client before this goes any further."
"That's not really necessary," Detective Johnson said. "She's not-"
"If you don't mind," Beca interrupted. "I do need to tell her what's going on. I didn't tell anyone else what I was doing."
"That's fine," Detective Harris said, standing and gathering his papers. "You can use this room."
The two detectives left Aubrey and Beca alone.
"Before you say anything," Beca said. "I didn't do anything wrong."
"Then why are we here?"
"I got nervous and was afraid of what Chicago might tell the detectives," Beca said.
"Why would Chicago tell the police anything?" Aubrey asked. "What's going on, Beca?"
"Okay, so on Saturday, after I stormed out of the kitchen, Chloe got a text. I saw it was from Chicago, asking Chloe to call him. So I picked up Chloe's phone, took it outside, and called him myself."
"Why didn't you tell Chloe you talked to him?"
"I figured it was my chance to let him know that he wouldn't be dealing with Chloe anymore. Instead, he would be dealing with me."
Aubrey scoffed. "What did you say to him?"
"After I told him that, he said he was glad I called because he'd been wanting to have a chat with me. I asked him what he wanted, and he said he wanted two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to drop the custody suit, and Sophie would be ours."
"You offered to pay him two hundred and fifty thousand dollars for Sophie? I told you offering him money was a bad idea."
It was Beca's turn to scoff.
"I didn't offer him anything; that's what he asked for. Since he was asking for money to drop the custody suit and leave Chloe alone, I set up a meeting with him for this morning. After he hung up, I called the police and told Detective Harris about the call, what Chicago asked for, and why. I thought what he was trying to do would be blackmail or something like that. I was quite surprised to learn that Chicago offering to sell me Sophie was not necessarily illegal. Detective Harris said they could only charge him with coercion."
"That makes sense," Aubrey said. "Coercion could include things such as extortion or blackmail."
"That's what Detective Harris told me," Beca said. "He then asked me to come here before I went to meet Chicago. So I did, and when I got here, they put a wire on me so they could get everything Chicago said on tape to use in court."
Aubrey shifted in her seat, and Beca stopped to look at her. Aubrey waved her hand for Beca to continue.
"After I was wired up, I went to my bank and got the money. I had called and spoken to the bank manager right after talking to the police on Saturday and made the arrangements to have the money ready for me to pick up between 9:30 and 10:00 this morning. I then went to the place Chicago wanted to meet. The Detectives had already arranged for several plainclothes officers to be there so they could arrest Chicago. I just had to get him to say he asked for the money and why."
"So, I'm guessing he admitted everything since he was arrested," Aubrey said.
"In a manner of speaking," Beca said. "But, I'm afraid I may have a problem."
"What kind of problem?"
"After he got the bag, he turned to walk to his car, and I said, two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to drop the custody suit and stay out of Chloe and Sophie's lives; that was the deal, so don't come looking for more later. Chicago stopped and turned to look at me and said he may not be the father of the year, but he was a man of his word."
"So, what's the problem?" Aubrey asked. "Sounds pretty open and shut to me."
"Is it, though?" Beca asked, looking at Aubrey. "I'm the one who actually said what we agreed to. He just responded by saying he was a man of his word. What if they hear that and think I'm the one who set it all up and offered him money to leave us alone?"
