Page 13 of The Surrogate Nanny

“Six,” I interrupted.

“I’ve been late on my rent a few times, but only by a couple of days, and I was never at risk of being evicted due to the complex’s grace period.”

“Ms. Livingston, is there a reason you could not pay rent on the first of the month?” Judge Wallen asked.

“D-day care is $800.00 a month,” Simone gritted out through clenched teeth.

“I see. Mr. Powell has it notated in his documentation that you were provided $30,000.00 prior to Nori’s birth. How was that money spent?”

“I purchased a reliable vehicle before her birth and had to use the rest to cover my medical expenses after the delivery. My private insurance covered a portion of my delivery, but I had to foot the remainder of the bill because Mr. Powell was indisposed and couldn’t cover my medical bills as agreed upon in the surrogacy contract.”

“I see,” Judge Wallen said. “What is your monthly income after taxes, medical insurance, and 401k?”

“Around $2,200.00 a month, but that’s without overtime.”

“Do you work overtime often?”

“Whenever it’s available. It’s usually during the holiday season,” Simone answered.

“Remind me how much your rent is?”

“$900.00 a month.”

Judge Wallen eased her glasses down her pointed nose and stared at Simone in disbelief. “If my math is correct, that leaves you with $500.00 a month for the remaining expenses. That’s not much to live off as a single adult, let alone a child. There are diapers, wipes, clothing, food, and everything else. How much do you squirrel away for savings a month?”

“Not much. Maybe $50.00 a pay period.”

“Ms. Livingston, it sounds like you’re robbing Peter to pay Paul. Mr. Powell, do you have anything to say in closing before we take a recess for me to make my decision?”

“Yes, I do, Your Honor. We must uphold our legal system’s core values, including honoring legally binding documents. The agreement that Ms. Livingston signed was that she would carry Nori, birth her, and walk away with zero parental rights or contact. Thank you, Your Honor. That’s all.”

Chapter Seven

Simone

“I’m sorry,” Anthony murmured as he sat beside me on a bench while we waited for the verdict.?

Sorry?I scoffed in my head while Nori sat on my lap, playing with a doll.

“About which part? Trying to take my daughter? Refusing to split custody? Or was it bringing up food stamps or the fact I was a day or two late on my rent a few times—”

“Six,” he reminded me, setting his cane across his lap.

“You didn’t need to clarify,” I snapped.

Heartless bastard.

He cleared his throat, and his gaze locked on Nori. “I’m sorry...for all of it. Believe me, Ms. Livingston; it was not supposed to be this way. I didn’t want to do this.”

I smiled ruefully. “Oh, let me guess...this hurts you more than it hurts me?”

He pursed his lips before allowing his expression to even out. “Perhaps not more, but I’m hurting too.”

“Not even getting hit by a truck hurts more than this.”

His lips turned up softly. “You haven’t been hit by a truck yet.”

“Yet?” I scoffed with a shrug. “You might as well, at this point.” I sighed and looked down at my baby. I pinched her cheeks gently between my fingers and gave them a few squeezes. It was another little game we loved to play that would leave her laughing and drooling.