We were back at my house, seated at the dining room table. I had my legal team stop by. They were educating us on the family court system. How things work with absent fathers and their rights or lack thereof.

Julia was laying in her glider swing next to Diri, with some soft white noise playing. She was calm as usual, looking around the room, moving her tiny fingers in a motion like grabbing air.

"I wouldn't want him not to be able to see her, but it would have to be on my terms. —For instance, him having a problem with me taking my daughter on a trip with us. That's a problem because primarily she will always be in my care. —He doesn't make any real efforts to be in her life. Then he just popped up at my condo. —What if I was alone?" Dira expressed her concern. We had a little bit of a talk before they came. She made it clear about wanting to take legal action but wasn't sure to what extent. This could be an easy case, but she's not ready to go all the way with it. Which is a little frustrating to me. But what gives me the right to feel that way? I don't know.

"Yeah, what are we looking at? Could he in any way possible get any rights after not putting his name on the birth certificate? Can he go to court?" I questioned because I needed some clarity.

"These things could get tricky. Let me run a few scenarios by you,—just a few possibilities." My lawyers' good friend he recommended spoke. He's known to be the best of the best. We nodded, waiting for him to proceed.

"The first option for him would be to go and try to establish paternity. He'll sign an affidavit filing it with the court. Which is he stating that he believes he's the father. —It would require Adiras signature. If she were to refuse, he could get a court request for a DNA testing."

Diri and I looked at each other. She's worried, and I am too.

He went on to say further, "—but he would still have to be deemed fit by the court. At the end of the day, it's the best interest of the child. We could build a case against him if it comes down to that. —Make no mistake. He will try to do the same. It could get messy, drug out, and very costly."

"I don't care about the cost," I added.

"So what if he establishes paternity, that means he gets parental rights? Does his name get added to her birth certificate, even if I don't agree?" Adira finally spoke, she's been a little uneasy with this entire conversation.

"Ms. Thompson, there are ways you can play this. I'm not going to beat around the bush. If this were to get to court, —it could get out of your hands. Once the court establishes him as the father, he can fill out a Certificate correction form and have his name added. That's with your objection." He leaned into us, folding clasping his hands together on the table.

We both sighed.

"Then after that, we'd get into the whole custody war, that's if you two don't agree." He paused, raising his brows and released his clasped hand as if he had an idea. "You said Mr. Kenzo Martin's like a father figure right?"

Adira raised her hand a little stopping him from finishing. "I know what you're getting at, and that's off the table." She spoke very clear, looking down at Julia.

I also understood what she meant very clear. She doesn't want Nelson to have any rights over anything regarding Julia, due to his immature behavior and threats. —However, she also doesn't want me or anyone else to take his place either, legally. —Like I said before, I understand it, but it still hurts because, in my heart, I feel like she is my daughter. Julia's a part of me.

"I'm just checking all of the boxes here." He threw his hands up. "He might be all talk, we never know, but you want to be prepared for everything."

We conversed a little while longer just about any possible loopholes or anything we can get blindsided by.

"Thank you all for coming right over." I shook their hands, Diri stood behind me holding Julia.

"Yes, thank you so much." She added.

"No problem, we'll be in touch. Also don't forget to start keeping track of all communications, even if and when he visits. —Look into that restraining order. I know you hate those words, but we need the paper trail. That way we'll have legal proof of his character." The lawyer added walking further to the door. "Plus it shows him that you're serious about not tolerating his behavior."

I brought up restraining order to her a few times, but she always kind of brushed it off. She takes him so lightly. Even her parents tried to get her to get one as well. She did the same to them. With the 'I'm not afraid of him' card, she always pulls. She needs to understand that this doesn't make her weak. She's a grown-ass woman with a baby. We can't keep doing this cycle with him.

"I agree, don't take it lightly if things began to escalate." My lawyer Stan added.

"Oh, I'll make sure of it." I agreed, and so did Diri.

We let them out, I closed the door and turned around to face her. We were staring at each other sighing simultaneously. I wrapped my arms around her while staring down at Julia, sleeping in her arms.

"Is there any way we can leave tonight for Thailand?" She twisted up, face at me. She was spent.

"I'll go ahead and make the arrangements," I said sort of distant, breaking away from her, then headed toward the bedroom.

"Zo are you ok?" She noticed I was a little off. I'm a fixer, and I do not see a way to fix this, in my power. I don't know how to push her in the direction to leave this guy behind. I see a problem but have no control in this situation. So I'm just in it. Maybe this vacation is just what we need.

"Yeah Diri baby, I'm fine." I gave her a weak smile before walking off toward the staircase.

As I entered the room, I closed the door behind me. I sat on the bed and pulled out my phone to make the travel arrangements. After getting everything straight, I tossed my phone to the side and sat in silence.

After about two hours later, Diri came knocking on the door while entering.

"Why are you knocking?" I chuckled.

"I didn't know if you were on the phone still." She laid Julia on the bed in her co-sleeper. She sat on the edge of the bed beside me.

"Talk to me." She leaned her head on my shoulder. I sat staring down at her pretty feet, thinking.

She felt my hesitation. "Whatever it is you're thinking, say it. I'm listening."

I figured I'd go ahead and let her in my head and tell her about how I feel. "Its nothing, sometimes I get territorial that's all."

She sat quietly waiting for me to speak.

I took second thinking about how I wanted to word it. "Honestly I feel like I'm building this close bond between Julia and I, just to get it ripped from underneath me. That's my biggest fear."

"That would never happen. I know I basically said I don't want you to take that title away from him. I say that because as a mother, what gives me the right to do that. Yes, he's an ass today, yesterday and will probably one be next week. —But that's still her father. He's a part of her. His family's a part of her. She might want to know that side of her family one day. I'm trying to think about Julia in this, as much as it pains me. I would love to be selfish and have you legally be her father, but I can't. She will always be yours too. If that makes sense." She tried explaining to me, but it didn't feel like enough. She sighed knowingly.

We sat quietly in the same position, me staring down at her feet. I didn't have anything to say. Anything I thought to say felt selfish.

"I know he loves and cares about her, underneath it all. Why else would he sit at my door for hours waiting to see her? —Even though it was two months later. I'm not defending his behavior, but this is honestly how I feel about this." She added, which brought more silence between us. The silence became deafening. The entire situation is bittersweet, more so bitter.

I decided to drop it for now. Besides I have a little something, something up my sleeve when we get to Phuket.

I pulled her up on my lap, wrapped my arms around her, and squeezed tight. "Let's get packed up so we can go. We have to make a stop for vaccinations first. I called my travel physician. He told me to meet him down at the office. We should already be up to date on shots but just to make sure."

She smiled at me. She was relieved I didn't push further. "Ok."

I guided my lips down to hers, taking in her bottom as she devoured my top. I motioned for entry. She opened up, taking my tongue deep into her mouth, swirling it around hers. Her hands found their way to my face. I tilted my head slightly.

"Come on, let's get packed up, you're starting something." I rubbed my hands up and down her torso.

"Is that a bad thing?" She trailed kisses down to my clavicle, while slowly bringing her hands to the back of my neck. I moaned a little feeling myself thump underneath her.

"It is if we're still leaving tonight. This isn't the car. If we start up again, I won't stop." I motioned to pull her shirt up to allow my hands to roam.

She quickly slid off my lap giggling. "Ok, I'll go pack."

"Don't pack too much. We can go shopping when we get there." I said, knowing she was probably still going to pack everything. First-time mom shenanigans

"I need to go to my condo to grab a few things."

"You need more stuff? You practically live here?" I said as I went over to my closet. She was over on the other side of the bedroom in her closet. We even turned one of the guest rooms into a nursery since we're over here at my house more.

"Yes, I want to get my brown and black bikini, some of my hair products and Julias smaller stroller." She went on further rambling, but all I heard was the first part.

"I was sold at bikini." I chuckled.

"This momma is ready to have some fun. I can't wait to tour and eat everything. I want to do everything, ride ATV's. I want to go to the Rum distillery and taste the differences." She squealed doing a Harlem shake like dance.

"I'm wearing all beachwear. Swim shorts, no shirts." I pulled my suitcases out. "I haven't had a vacation all year."

"Same, I'm wearing less as possible. I have to show off this new after birth bawdy." She shuffled through her clothes, laying what she wanted to take on the bed.

"You're beautiful," I yelled out to her from the closet. "The pregnancy marks and all."

It took us a while to get packed up. My guard Bo, his wife, and son are vacationing with us. Then, of course, we're bringing the nanny along as well. I think we've all been working and super busy. So this was well deserved.

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