"I'm going to throw up."

Nate's eyes widen in alarm at my declaration and he immediately gathers my hair into a ponytail, holding it up high.

"There's a bush right there."

"Nate." I groan and smack his hand away. "I meant figuratively. Let's not encourage it."

"Right. My bad." He tugs at the collar of his button-down shirt. "I'm sweating buckets. You?"

"I'm an aquarium underneath these clothes." I agree.

"Will you two relax?" Aria hisses. She fans herself with the papers in her hands. "You're making me nervous."

"You're the lawyer! You can't be nervous." Nate hisses back.

"Then stop making me, dickface!"

"O-kay." I cut in, putting my arms between them and separating their suddenly toe-to-toe bodies. "I think we all need to take a breather."

"I'm fine." Aria insist and tugs on the sides of her blazer. "I told you I've got this and I do. Plus their family is meeting us without their own lawyer so they'll be even more intimidated."

"I believe in you." I tell her sincerely. "You sound and look ready as ever."

And she does. Her appearance totally reflects her being in her element with her black blazer and black knee-length pencil skirt paired with a white button down shirt. Her only accessories are heels and a watch and her hair is tied up into a high ponytail. She looks lethal and stunning at the same time.

I tried to go for a casual but serious look with my nicest pair of jeans, a blouse, blazer, and flats. Nate is in a button-down shirt and dress pants, looking rugged as ever. His shirt clings to him like a second skin and looks like it'll pop any moment. He looks ready to yank someone's head off and I know that'll work in our favour, too.

"You think Zack's doing okay?" I ask Nate.

"I'm sure the girls are keeping him entertained." He brushes my bottom lip in reassurance. "Want me to text Mom for an update?"

"It's okay." I make myself say, wincing. "She's already given two in the past ten minutes."

"Sorry, Del." Aria rubs my arm in sympathy. "I know you like having him with you but it would've been a disadvantage. The McNeil's might be influenced to file for custody if they saw Zack. It's a known fact that babies will compromise your decision-making because of their cuteness. I don't want Chris's parents falling for the kid. Out of sight, out of mind, you know?"

"You're right. That's smart." I nod and shake the sadness away. "It's going to be fine."

"I will personally make sure of it." She confirms.

"Thank you so much for doing this, Ria. I'm not even paying you anything. Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"Of course I am. And don't even think about money. I told you Delilah — we're family."

I give her a small smile. "Thank you, anyways."

She wraps her arm around my shoulders. "Sisters need to stick together, babe."

I can feel myself grow warm at the words. I've never had siblings before and I've always wanted a sister. Emily and Avery are definitely the best friends I could ever ask for but something about Aria's declaration hits me differently. When I look at Nate, he's smiling softly at Aria. He meets my gaze and winks, probably knowing what's going through my head right now.

My phone buzzes in my hands and my heart misses several beats. I clutch the device with my trembling fingers and look at the screen reluctantly.

We're here.

"That's them." I whisper. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. "I guess it's time."

"Do you need another minute?" Aria asks quietly. I nod. "Then you do that. I'll call them into the office and introduce myself and you can join us a moment later."

She squeezes my hand tightly before letting go and and heading down the hallway. I take a seat on the couch when I'm convinced my legs won't be able to hold me up another second and look around the firm. Through Aria's connections, she managed to hold the meeting in a law firm here after explaining the situation. Luckily, her colleague spoke very highly of her so she was able to conduct the meeting in one of their offices. It's professional and sleek and most of all, intimidating. We need all the ammo we can get.

"Angel." Nate murmurs. He takes a seat beside me and blows out a huge breath. He looks just as much of a nervous wreck as me. "I need to talk to you about something."

I feel my brows go up. I thought he was nervous about the meeting. "What is it?"

"You know I'm hoping for the best and believe the hell out of my sister and her capabilities but...if things don't go well in there, I don't want you and Zack to suffer. This is all happening because of me. I don't want you to lose Zack because of me. If things don't go the way we want then pick him. Do whatever it takes to keep him and if the only way you can do that is without me in the picture, I'll get out of the way."

All I can do is gape at him, dumbstruck. "Come again?"

"I'm serious. You've already been through so much and my being in your life is a threat to Chris. He's trying to make you suffer even more and maybe if I step away from all of this, he'll leave you alone. I just want to protect you and Zack no matter what it takes, no matter how much it hurts me."

"Stop it, Nate." I say firmly and he startles. I don't think I've ever sounded so angry before. "I get that you're scared but so am I. Don't start making yourself believe you're at fault out of fear and then make the mistake of acting on it. I get that we're only human and we all have doubts but we don't get to run away because of them. You are Zack's father, not Chris. You are my partner, not Chris. You have every right to be in our lives, not Chris. This isn't happening because of you — this is happening because we're dealing with a man-child that has an ego the size of a planet. No matter what happens in there we are in this together. Zack deserves for us to fight until we're bleeding out and you know it. So are you in this or not?"

"Shit." He curses. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me to him, hugging me tightly. "Shit. I don't know what I'm saying. I'm fucking losing it. I'm so sorry, Angel. You're right. I'm staying and I'm in this completely, okay? I don't even know why I said all that."

"You're scared and you feel like you're backed into a corner. Being in that position makes us do things we would never do under other circumstances and that's okay, Nate. You can talk to me about that and you can tell me anything. But just talk to me, okay? Don't go deciding things without communication. We're a team."

"I'm sorry, baby." He sighs, setting his forehead on my shoulder. "I was rambling, I guess. But I promise that I'm in this completely no matter how much it scares me. I can't fucking live without you two."

"We couldn't live without you either."

He pulls away to kiss me quickly but sweetly. "I love you."

"I love you more. You ready for this?"

He squeezes my hand. "With you? Always."

We wait patiently, hand-in-hand, and a couple of minutes pass before my phone buzzes again with a text alert from Aria to step into the office. I look over at Nate and release a quivering breath. He nods at me and we stand together, keeping our fingers linked as we go down the same hallway Aria disappeared into a few minutes ago. My shaking hand turns the knob of the office and I open it to a quiet room, Aria sitting at the front of the desk and smiling at me in encouragement while the McNeil's turn in their seats and eye us warily. Immediately, Chris's eyes drop to mine and Nate's hands and he scowls, turning back around in his seat. I don't miss the annoyed sigh that leaves Aria's mouth and I have to hold back a laugh at how genuinely fed-up she looks. She doesn't look the least bit worried and that eases most of my nerves.

"Take a seat." Aria gestures to the two seats placed closely together on the right of the desk. Nate and I sit down and I look over at the McNeil's, smiling out of courtesy.

"It's nice to see you all." I offer.

The parents give me tight smiles in response but I don't let it discourage me. I understand that some part of them must realize they're grandparents and want to explore it despite how their son is handling this so I can be sympathetic. I glance over at Nate and it's clear he doesn't feel the same way. He glares back, undeterred, and I pinch his bicep lightly to get him to stop.

"Let's get right into it." Aria starts and I wipe my suddenly sweaty palms on my jeans. I'm nowhere near ready but I have no choice. It's a bitter pill to swallow. "How about we start with the plaintiff's requests and expectations before we move on to the defendants?"

Chris clears his throat. "I want to file for custody for my son."

"Joint custody or sole custody?"

"Sole."

My fingers curl into my jeans. I guess he's going all in.

"Alright." Aria makes a quick note on her notepad before looking back up. "And can you state your son's full legal name for me?"

Chris hesitates. "I guess he took Delilah's last name so it would have to be Zack Stevens."

"Is this correct?" Aria asks me.

I shake my head. "He has a middle name."

"Mr. McNeil, you're going to have state your son's full name. Can you rephrase for me?"

"Well, how am I supposed to know?" He explodes. "She hasn't told me anything about him since he was born. She just sent a picture and told me to stay out of her life."

"Then how about we look into that?" Aria's smile is sugar-sweet. She reaches into the drawer of the desk and pulls out a small binder full of papers, opening it up. "In here I have the printed history of digital conversations between you and Ms. Stevens via text. It also shows call history and recorded inbox messages. I can go straight to the text where Ms. Stevens refused to give you any information about your son following his birth. She texted you on the day he was born, correct?"

"Yes."

"Perfect. Please state your son's exact date of birth so I can pinpoint the accurate date to look into your text history."

Chris falters. "His date of birth?"

"Correct."

There's a beat of silence. Chris's mother's face turns slightly red as she nudges Chris with her elbow. His dad looks just as puzzled as we all watch Chris look around the room like he'll see the answer there.

Finally, he responds with a resigned, "I'm not completely sure."

"I see." Aria says, jotting down on her notepad.

"Christopher." His mom mumbles, her expression a clear question of what the hell? His dad sighs deeply.

"Can the defendant answer both questions for clarification?"

"She's hogged him since birth. Of course she would know. I'd like to see him answer both questions instead." Chris points an accusing finger at Nate.

Nate doesn't hesitate a second. "Zack Miles Steven, born October 17, 2018 at 8:37am. He weighed at five and a half lbs and was sixteen inches long, measuring under average due to being born exactly twenty-six days premature from his original due date of November 9, 2018."

Pin-drop silence.

All I can do is press my lips together to contain my hysterical giggle and clasp our hands together. Aria's mouth twitches and the pride is evident in her eyes when Nate discreetly winks at her. The McNeil's can't stop gawking.

"Moving on." Aria chirps.

"I demand to see another lawyer." Chris cuts in. "You're his fucking sister. Of course you would twist this to work in his favour."

"Christopher." His father glares.

"Watch your language." Nate warns, already sitting up straighter.

"Rest assured Mr. McNeil, if this goes to court I will not be presenting them due to risk of family conflict. Any bias on my end could result in the loss of my license so I am not displaying any sort of prejudice in this office the same way I would avoid doing so in court. I'm merely asking you the most basic questions the judge will ask you when deciding your capability to care for Zack at your request for sole custody. This is just the beginning."

"We understand." Chris's mother interrupts before he can say anything else. She looks at him with clear disappointment.

"Let's discuss you." Aria redirects the conversation. "I trust my colleague was able to do the home inspection yesterday as per my instructions?"

"Yeah." Chris mutters.

Aria pulls out another binder and sifts through the papers, stopping on one. "I have the blueprints alongside the pictures he took. The three of you live in the same condo, yes?"

They nod.

"Chris, you currently reside in the basement?"

Another nod.

"Theoretically, where would Zack's room be?"

"I guess with me, in the basement."

Aria scribbles something down and opens up another page, holding it up. It's a picture of their basement.

"This is the one?"

"Yes."

"I see. Let's discuss the layout. First of all, there are no windows which means Zack won't receive natural lighting unless he's not in the basement. Secondly, there's the concern of the back door which allows easy access outside unless child-proofed. There are also no visible locks so there is a concern of possible breaking and entering. Thirdly, There's no bathroom so I would assume you go upstairs when that is required and this presents as an issue because it is possible you'll need to go the bathroom during the night, in which case Zack would be alone downstairs unless you either take him with you or wake up your parents to watch him. Both are inconveniences but necessary precautions for Zack's safety. Lastly, there is minimal space. The bed takes up a majority and your multiple bookshelves leave little room to move around. The bookshelves are also a concern in the case of their falling over. Here's a close-up picture of one of the shelves actually creaking underneath the weight of all the textbooks so their hazardous nature is not out of the question."

Chris presses his lips together tightly, not being able to deny any of Aria's observations. I meet Nate's eyes and it's obvious we're both trying to contain our excitement. Holy crap, we're actually winning this thing.

"I can just find another room for him upstairs."

"Absolutely, though you would need to move with him. Lots of babies have their own rooms but this is a matter of floor level difference, you being on the bottom level and Zack being on the main floor. It's too risky."

"Fine. I'll move too." He couldn't sound more reluctant if he tried.

"Let's talk about your employment. You are currently working part-time at for a company that specializes in infrastructure, correct?"

"Yes."

"You are also a part-time student obtaining your Ph.D.?"

He looks proud. "Yes."

"Between your job and your studies, you have little time to yourself. Your day-to-day itinerary states your being out of the house by 7am and home by 8pm on a daily basis. Who would watch Zack during those hours? Your parents are both employed."

"I guess I would hire a nanny."

"When do you wake up and go to sleep?"

"I'm in bed by 10pm and up by 6am."

"If my math is correct, that leaves you with a total of four hours a day that you'd be able to spend with Zack out of twenty-four."

"I guess." He repeats but not as confidently.

"Hmm." Aria scribbles something else down and Chris's parents shift uncomfortably in their seats. "Four hours are far too less to be spending with an infant as it is so these are four hours you absolutely cannot negotiate. This leaves no room for a social life of any sort, whether it be drinks after work or going out with friends. Not to mention having to study for exams and tending to your workplace while simultaneously taking care of Zack. This means that the few hours he has with you will be more than likely spent under your divided attention."

Chris doesn't say anything and merely runs a hand through his hair as he glances warily at his parents. Aria pulls out a third binder and the McNeil's look just about ready to yank their eyeballs out. It's impossible to fight the laughter crawling up my throat but I manage to do it. Aria wasn't kidding when she said she was prepared.

"With your consent I was able to withdraw your income history, taxes, and monthly bill records. Mr. McNeil, this file states you were unable to pay your phone bill on time for the past two months. Furthermore, your food consumption receipts showcase a stockage in packed and canned goods. Your parents have a completely different food consumption history despite all three of you living underneath the same roof. I would like to ask why that is."

"I'm a busy guy." He says defensively. "It's just easier for me to hole out in my room while I'm studying and am up late at night so processed foods are more convenient."

"Is it possible they're also in your price range?"

"So?"

"Your income is lower than your parents due to you working part-time which is completely understandable. As you said, you're busy. Being a student and working is not an easy task. I'm just worried about your ability to care for Zack financially while caring for yourself since your parents do not assist with your payment in bills."

"I'll figure it out." He shrugs.

"And I believe that but a game plan is necessary, Mr. McNeil. Right now this is all theoretical but it's about to become your reality very soon and you do not seem prepared. You have failed to provide the most basic information about your son, your living arrangements and financial status are in dire condition, and your enthusiasm for sole custody is not evident. You have given me clipped and short responses to all of my questions and you seem to have no direction of your responsibilities for Zack. Tell me, Mr. McNeil, why do you want to be the sole guardian to Zack?"

"He's my biological son, for the last damn time." He grits out.

"That is well understood by everyone in this room. Beside blood relation, what do you hope to get from this? What do you want to learn about him? What are your dreams and aspirations for him? What is the most important reason behind fighting for him?"

"He's rightfully mine. I don't want a stranger caring for him in my place, a place that belongs to me."

"Mr. McNeil, you are dictating what you want and how this situation should work in your favour. I'm not asking about you — I'm asking about Zack."

Chris's face turns beet red and he presses his lips together, not answering.

"I'd like to redirect the question to the defendants." Aria looks at us. "What is the most important reason to you both for fighting for Zack?"

Nate and I share a glance, knowing what we want to say.

"We love him." I shrug and Aria smiles. "We have raised him together since he was born and he's part of us now. Losing him would be like losing ourselves."

"All we want is for him to be happy and we believe we can do that for him." Nate says. "He brings us so much joy and it's the kind we can't ever repay but hope to spend the rest of our lives trying to."

"Being parents is part of our identity now. That's just who we are — we're Zack's parents. And for the record, I gave you the opportunity to be his parent too." I look at Chris, unwavering. "Just take a look through the binder with our phone history. I called you every single day of my first and second trimester no matter the fact that you were practically a ghost. I finally stopped after my car accident."