Chapter 4 - Sabine Had Never Seen The Custody Papers
After the wedding tent cleared, Sabine removed her veil and asked Keaton one question.
“Did you file against Marissa today?”
We were in a small reception room behind the tent.
Delaney sat beside me, arms folded tightly.
Keaton stood near the window holding an ice pack against his side where he had hit the chair.
“Yes.”
Sabine stared at him.
“Today?”
“It was a filing deadline.”
“You told me everything with Marissa was settled.”
“It mostly is.”
Delaney laughed bitterly.
Keaton turned toward her.
“You’re twelve. You do not understand—”
“Don’t.”
I said it before Delaney could answer.
Keaton looked at me.
“Don’t tell her she doesn’t understand something she has been living through.”
His jaw tightened.
Sabine asked:
“What are you asking for?”
Keaton hesitated.
That frightened her.
“Primary school-year custody.”
Sabine went pale.
“You told me Delaney would keep the same schedule.”
“That was before Marissa’s finances became a problem.”
Delaney stood so quickly the chair behind her scraped.
“Because of you!”
I put a hand out.
“Delaney.”
She stayed beside me but pointed at her father.
“Mom sold Grandma’s necklace to pay her lawyer!”
Keaton’s face flickered.
I had not known that.
Neither had Sabine.
Delaney continued:
“She stopped her therapy because she said I needed mine more.”
That landed harder.
Sabine slowly sat down.
“Keaton… how many times have you taken Marissa back to court?”
He didn’t answer.
I did not know the number then.
Later, we counted.
Seventeen formal filings or motions in twenty-six months.
Not all frivolous.
Some legitimate.
Several duplicative.
And many settled only after Marissa spent money responding.
Sabine looked at the man she had just married as though a stranger had stepped into his suit.
“You told me she wouldn’t stop fighting you.”
Keaton answered quietly:
“She wouldn’t.”
Delaney whispered:
May you like
“She was trying to survive you.”
Nobody in that room had an answer for that.
