Marcus laughed quietly to himself. Sharp, right? He hadn't looked sharp in years, but he got up anyway, washed his face, set his alarm for 6:30, and lay down on the couch. The cushions were worn, the springs shot, but he'd slept on worse. As he closed his eyes, he thought about the twins, Sophie and Maya.
About their father who had everything except what mattered. About how they'd looked at Marcus, a broke mechanic in a beatup car, and seen something worth respecting. "You seem like a good dad, the kind who shows up." Maybe that was enough. It had to be enough.
Marcus fell asleep to the sound of rain on the roof, his daughter safe in the next room, and a prayer on his lips that he barely remembered how to say. Saturday morning came gray and drizzly. Marcus worked his shift at the auto shop, then raced to the diner for the lunch rush. His body moved on autopilot wrenches and coffee pots, oil changes, and order tickets, smiling at customers who looked right through him. In between, he thought about the hearing.
He thought about what he would say, how he would say it. He practiced his testimony in his head while he changed a transmission, rehearsed his answers while he refilled coffee mugs. Why do you believe you should retain custody of your daughter? Because I love her. Because I've been there every single day for 6 years.
Because her mother abandoned us and only came back when it was convenient. But your financial situation, I work two jobs. I'm doing everything I can. Money isn't love. The court must consider what's best for the child.
What's best for Lily is stability. What's best is a father who shows up, who cares, who puts her first every single day. That's me. That's always been me. Would it be enough?
Would any of it be enough? Marcus didn't know. He picked up Lily from Mrs. Patterson's after his shift, and they walked to the little ice cream shop two blocks from the apartment. It was their Saturday tradition. One scoop each.
Nothing fancy, but it was theirs. Chocolate with rainbow sprinkles. Lily ordered same as always. Vanilla, Marcus said. Plain.
They sat at their usual table by the window, watching people walk by with umbrellas and raincoats. Daddy, Lily asked, licking her cone. Yeah, baby. What happens Monday? Marcus set down his ice cream.
He'd hoped she wouldn't ask. Had hoped he could shield her from the worst of it, at least until it was over. But Lily was smart. Too smart sometimes. Monday, he said carefully, is when the judge decides where you're going to live.
And you think he'll say I can stay with you? I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that happens. Lily was quiet for a moment. Then what if he doesn't? The question cracked something open in Marcus's chest.
He reached across the table and took her hand. Lily, I want you to listen to me. No matter what happens on Monday, no matter what any judge says, I am your father. I will always be your father and I will never stop fighting for you. Do you understand?