The next few days at school went by normally. Sasha had developed a
routine. After school, Jake and Lucas went to the riverside to play
basketball everyday. While they played, she watched Jenny and finished her
homework. Afterwards, they hung out at Jake's until it got late.
One day, they were all at Jake's, when the doorbell rang. Sasha got up to get it because Lucas and Jake were deeply engrossed into the basketball game on TV. When she opened the door with Jenny in her arms, she saw an unfamiliar face. It was a girl with brown hair and arched eyebrows that looked rude.
"Well, well, well. Does Jake have a new girlfriend that I don't know about", she said.
"Excuse me?" Sasha said. She turned her head into the living room and called out, "Jake, um, do you know who this is?"
The girl ignored Sasha and stepped inside. She walked over to where Jake and Lucas were. "Jake, we need to talk. Now."
Jake looked up and saw Nikki giving him an evil stare. As Sasha watched from behind, she slowly put the pieces together. So, this was Jenny's mother. What was she doing here? Jake had said she had left when Jenny was born...
"Nikki, we've been through this already. You can't have Jenny."
"Oh yeah?" she challenged. "Jake, I'm sick of you pushing me around. I'm taking this to court. I'm gonna get my daughter back and there's nothing you can do about it." With that, she left, slamming the door behind her.
The three of them looked at each other, speechlessly.
"Whoa Jake. I know you warned me she was a bitch, but I had no idea she was this bad."
"Yeah, she's horrible", said Lucas.
"What am I gonna do? I can't lose Jenny", said Jake. "And if she does take this to court, I can't hire a lawyer. What if the judge sides with her? I don't think I'll be able to handle it."
Sasha rubbed his back affectionately. "My uncle, who lives in Virginia is a lawyer. I think I could get him to help."
"Do you really think so?" asked Jake.
"What if Nikki says that Jenny doesn't have a motherly figure in her life?" asked Lucas, thinking hard.
"Well, Sasha could be considered a motherly figure. She baby-sits and spends a lot of time with Jenny", said Jake.
"Now we're on to something," said Lucas.
The three of them continued talking and strategizing until it was late. She said goodbye to Jake and Jenny, and Lucas walked her home.
That night, Jake was feeding Jenny and imagined life without her. What would he do? He just had to win the case...
"Lucas!" Jake called out the next day at school.
"Hey, any news about Nikki?"
"Yeah. I'll tell you at lunch, okay?"
"Ok"
Finally it was lunchtime and Jake felt like he was going to explode. After what seemed like hours, Sasha and Lucas finally got there and took a seat.
"Ok guys, here's the news. Nikki called last night. She said she's going to court. The case is in two weeks. That doesn't give us much time."
"Oh my gosh. This is real", said Lucas, feeling overwhelmed.
"I called my uncle. He said he could come here next Saturday. Sound good?"
"Yeah, that's great. Thank you so much. I don't know what I'd do if I lost Jenny."
Finally, the day of the case came. Last week Sasha's uncle Joe had arrived and they had gotten right to work. Sasha, along with Jake's parents and Lucas were going to testify. Sasha as the motherly figure and Lucas as the supportive best friend. Jake was so nervous, his palms were all sweaty and his heart was beating a million beats per second. After all the paperwork had been taken care of, they entered the courtroom with Joe.
Karen sat impatiently outside, waiting to know what would happen. She truly felt like Jake would make a good parent. Karen also disliked Nikki strongly, because she reminded her of how Dan had acted when she was pregnant with Lucas.
The case was almost over. Both sides had present their views and it was all up to the judge and jury. Jake had a good feeling in him and hoped that everything would work out. After what seemed like an eternity, the judge came out and declared "I hereby grant Jake Jagelski full custody of his daughter Jennifer Ann Jagelski. Court is adjorned."
Jake felt relieved inside. It was all going to be okay. Jenny would stay with him. Sasha came over and gave him a big hug.
One day, they were all at Jake's, when the doorbell rang. Sasha got up to get it because Lucas and Jake were deeply engrossed into the basketball game on TV. When she opened the door with Jenny in her arms, she saw an unfamiliar face. It was a girl with brown hair and arched eyebrows that looked rude.
"Well, well, well. Does Jake have a new girlfriend that I don't know about", she said.
"Excuse me?" Sasha said. She turned her head into the living room and called out, "Jake, um, do you know who this is?"
The girl ignored Sasha and stepped inside. She walked over to where Jake and Lucas were. "Jake, we need to talk. Now."
Jake looked up and saw Nikki giving him an evil stare. As Sasha watched from behind, she slowly put the pieces together. So, this was Jenny's mother. What was she doing here? Jake had said she had left when Jenny was born...
"Nikki, we've been through this already. You can't have Jenny."
"Oh yeah?" she challenged. "Jake, I'm sick of you pushing me around. I'm taking this to court. I'm gonna get my daughter back and there's nothing you can do about it." With that, she left, slamming the door behind her.
The three of them looked at each other, speechlessly.
"Whoa Jake. I know you warned me she was a bitch, but I had no idea she was this bad."
"Yeah, she's horrible", said Lucas.
"What am I gonna do? I can't lose Jenny", said Jake. "And if she does take this to court, I can't hire a lawyer. What if the judge sides with her? I don't think I'll be able to handle it."
Sasha rubbed his back affectionately. "My uncle, who lives in Virginia is a lawyer. I think I could get him to help."
"Do you really think so?" asked Jake.
"What if Nikki says that Jenny doesn't have a motherly figure in her life?" asked Lucas, thinking hard.
"Well, Sasha could be considered a motherly figure. She baby-sits and spends a lot of time with Jenny", said Jake.
"Now we're on to something," said Lucas.
The three of them continued talking and strategizing until it was late. She said goodbye to Jake and Jenny, and Lucas walked her home.
That night, Jake was feeding Jenny and imagined life without her. What would he do? He just had to win the case...
"Lucas!" Jake called out the next day at school.
"Hey, any news about Nikki?"
"Yeah. I'll tell you at lunch, okay?"
"Ok"
Finally it was lunchtime and Jake felt like he was going to explode. After what seemed like hours, Sasha and Lucas finally got there and took a seat.
"Ok guys, here's the news. Nikki called last night. She said she's going to court. The case is in two weeks. That doesn't give us much time."
"Oh my gosh. This is real", said Lucas, feeling overwhelmed.
"I called my uncle. He said he could come here next Saturday. Sound good?"
"Yeah, that's great. Thank you so much. I don't know what I'd do if I lost Jenny."
Finally, the day of the case came. Last week Sasha's uncle Joe had arrived and they had gotten right to work. Sasha, along with Jake's parents and Lucas were going to testify. Sasha as the motherly figure and Lucas as the supportive best friend. Jake was so nervous, his palms were all sweaty and his heart was beating a million beats per second. After all the paperwork had been taken care of, they entered the courtroom with Joe.
Karen sat impatiently outside, waiting to know what would happen. She truly felt like Jake would make a good parent. Karen also disliked Nikki strongly, because she reminded her of how Dan had acted when she was pregnant with Lucas.
The case was almost over. Both sides had present their views and it was all up to the judge and jury. Jake had a good feeling in him and hoped that everything would work out. After what seemed like an eternity, the judge came out and declared "I hereby grant Jake Jagelski full custody of his daughter Jennifer Ann Jagelski. Court is adjorned."
Jake felt relieved inside. It was all going to be okay. Jenny would stay with him. Sasha came over and gave him a big hug.