Page 12 of The Surrogate Nanny
“Before you take her away from me,” she inserted.
“If that’s how you want to put it,” I said before focusing on my daughter. “Hi, Nori. You look beautiful today,” I complimented. I reached out to touch her and recoiled when she tucked herself behind Simone’s leg.
“I’m sorry, but she doesn’t do well with strangers. Come on, Nori,” Simone said before leading my daughter into the courtroom.
“Do you need aloe vera?” Jonathan asked, sidling next to me.
“Aloe vera? For what?”
“For that burn Ms. Livingston gave you,” he joked.
“I may not be able to move as fast as I used to, but I have 36 inches, and I’m not afraid to use it,” I warned, motioning at him with my cane.
“Violence is never the answer, Anthony. She hired a decent lawyer. The matchy outfits? Gold. Despite their skin color differences, they look like mother and daughter.”
It was my turn to shoot him a glare. “Whose side are you on anyway?”
“Nori’s. Let’s go. Judge Wallen is a stickler for punctuality, and you don’t want to get on her bad side.”
***
I anxiously tapped my cane against the tile floor and stared at Judge Wallen. Her poker face was top-tier—she didn’t give the slightest hint of emotion as Simone expressed how she should retain parental rights of Nori.
“Judge Wallen, I implore you to do the right thing. It’s regrettable what Mr. Powell went through, but I’ve been Nori’s everything since she was born. While he may be her biological father, he’s still a stranger.”
“Do you have anything else to add before Mr. Powell speaks?”
“I...I’ve loved Nori since I felt her first kick; however, I told myself not to get close to her because of my obligations and duty to Mr. Powell, but all bets were off when we left the hospital. It’s me and Nori against the world, and she’s mine. I’m not heartless, Judge Wallen. I propose joint custody if Mr. Powell is in agreement. It would only be fair.”
“Thank you, Ms. Livingston. Please take your seat. Mr. Powell, will your lawyer speak on your behalf, or would you like to make a statement?”
Jonathan stood, but I quickly indicated for him to sit as I climbed to my feet. “I’d like to make a statement. I’ll be brief.”
“Very well. Please, Mr. Powell, will you tell the court why custody of Baby Nori should be granted to you?”
“Thank you, Judge Wallen. I could stand here and tell you how much I love Nori, but we’d be here all day. Nori was conceived via in vitro fertilization using my deceased wife’s egg and my sperm. While I’ll always be grateful for Ms. Livingston and how she stepped up in my absence, she is not Nori’s biological mother. We wouldn’t be here today if I weren’t a victim of an 18-wheeler accident. Ms. Livingston would’ve birthed Nori and walked away as agreed upon in our surrogacy contract, and I would have my daughter. Ms. Livingston knows that before Nori’s birth, I was always present, not only for my unborn child but for her as well, and I had every intention of being a single father. Ms. Livingston has been a wonderful mother to Nori, but I have concerns if she is left in her care.”
One of Judge Wallen’s eyebrows hitched toward the ceiling. “Concerns?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“What kind of concerns?”
“Financial.”
“You have concerns that Ms. Livingston cannot financially support Nori. Is that correct?”
“That is correct.”
“What evidence do you have to substantiate your statement?”
I flipped open the manila folder on the oak table before me. “I have evidence that Ms. Livingston received SNAP and unemployment benefits while Nori was in her care.”
“Wait! I can explain! A few months after Nori was born, the company I worked for closed, and all employees were laid off. I was only on government assistance for three months while I got back on my feet,” Simone rushed out.
“How about the multiple late rent payments?” I questioned. Simone balled her fists at her sides and bit the inside of her cheek before rebutting.
“Yes, I’ve been late on my rent a few times—”