Just before one, Max found Steph sitting on the wall outside the courtroom. "You know, he was right," he said, walking up to her. "You don't seem to be able to make up your mind."
"Who's side are you on?" she asked.
"The first break up, OK, I'll give you that one. But the second?"
"I had my reasons."
"Yeah, and you had them for the third as well."
Are you trying to make me feel worse?"
"Worse than what I felt? The woman I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with walked out on me three times. My ego is currently about this big," he said, holding up his thumb and forefinger to illustrate its size.
"So you think I don't deserve Matthew?"
"At what point did I say that?"
"You just..."
"Aside from that cheap shot about me meaning more to you than Matthew, has he lied?"
"...No."
"Has he told the truth?"
"No."
"So get in there and tell it. Toadie's on your side, and he's going to help you. But only if you let him."
"One question," Steph said, jumping off the wall. "If I... would you...?"
"I'd like to say yes, Steph. But I don't know him. The boy I knew and loved has gone."
"If you did?"
"He's your son, Steph. How could I not love him? You love my kids, I figure it would be rude... Look, we'd better get back in there."
"OK," she said, falling into step beside him.
"One thing to remember," Max said as they reached the courtroom door. "To me, you're Steph Scully. So show me what you're made of."
Steph trusted Toadie. He was one of her oldest friends. Whatever line he wanted to use was fine with her. Although right now she was having doubts.
"You are aware of what Max went through when his wife, Claire, died, aren't you?" Toadie asked.
"It nearly destroyed him," Steph said.
"You love him?"
"Yes."
"You don't want to see him hurt?"
"Of course not."
"So why did you leave him the first time?"
"I thought I was going to die. Claire had... I didn't want to put him through that again."
"I see. But that wasn't the same case the second time, was it?"
"I'd just lost my father, I was devastated."
"You were close to your father?"
"Very. It's why I want Matthew to know who his father is."
"How does Max feel about this?"
"He's... not happy."
"Why?"
"He doesn't want Ian to be part of our lives."
"But you do?"
"Only as Matthew's father. We fought a lot about it."
"So you had a choice, either you stayed with this man, or your son knew his father?"
"Yes."
"Objection," Ian's lawyer said. "He's leading her."
"I don't see it," the judge said. "But be careful," she warned.
"Is that why you left him a third time?"
"It wasn't about what I wanted, it was what was best for Matthew."
"Forgive me for saying this, but is this what is best for him? A custody battle?"
"If it sorts all this out once and for all, yes."
"Mr Tait has a number of relatives who can support him in raising Matthew. He can be a stay at home father..."
"That won't make him the better option," Steph said.
"What can you offer him?"
"I'm his mother. I love him more than anything else in this world. I gave up everything for him and I would do it again."
"What do you mean, gave everything up? You're talking about your relationship with Max?"
"In part..."
"So what's the rest of it?"
"I..." Steph trailed off, looking at Ian.
"Mrs Tait?" the judge said.
"Ian said I could leave him and keep Matthew as long as I didn't go back to Max. If I did, he'd fight me for custody."
"And Mr Tait filed for custody the very day you told him you'd returned to Max?" Toadie asked.
"Yes."
"Why take that chance?"
"Because... because Max gave me that chance. He stopped chasing after me and let me make up my own mind. He gave me options that Ian didn't, options that he'd never given me."
"Such as?"
"Such as the chance to make my own decisions. Ian supported me through some tough times, but he always made the choices."
"If you love Max, if he's the 'love of your life', as you put it, then why marry Ian in the first place?"
"...Security," she admitted. "He was someone who loved me when I needed it, supported me, wanted me."
"Did you love him?"
"Yeah, I did. But not... not like I should have done."
"No more questions," Toadie said.
Ian sat in the witness box, calm, composed, and with such a smug air that Max wanted to punch the guy. He would have had to get in line behind Steph as she listened to him refute the idea that he threatened Steph, and painted himself as the ever-loving, wronged husband.
Toadie shuffled to his feet. "Just a few clarifications," he said. "You own a number of businesses in both the Victoria and New South Wales states?"
"That is correct," Ian said. "Mainly in the leisure industry; pubs, restaurants, hotels, that kind of thing."
"You're worth a fair bit then?"
"I have money, yes. Enough to ensure Matthew has a comfortable upbringing."
"That's not in dispute, Mr Tait. Nor is your devotion towards this case."
"He's my son."
"You love Stephanie?"
"With all my heart."
"So much so that you took her back after her affair?"
"Yes. I believed we could work things out."
"And when it became clear that you couldn't?"
"I offered her the flat in the city."
"In return for unlimited access?"
"Yes."
"So she could have somewhere to stay, and you could see your son whenever you wanted. Given Mr Hoyland's dislike of you being part of Steph's life, had she gone back to him I suppose you wouldn't have seen as much of Matthew as you would have liked?"
"I guess not."
"That would have been hard."
"Do you have children?"
"No."
"Then you have no idea how hard it would have been. Not being able to see my son? When you become a parent there is nothing that you wouldn't do for them."
"Nothing would stand in your way?"
"No."
"Not even your wife?"
"No..." Ian said. Then he suddenly realised the trap he'd walked into.
"Hypothetically, Mr Tait, if you were faced with losing your son to be raised by another man, would you threaten someone, even if that someone was your wife, to ensure you saw him?"
"Objection," Ian's lawyer said.
"Withdrawn," Toadie said. But the damage was done.
Ian sank back into the chair, suddenly feeling a little less smug.
