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“Right this way Mrs. Knight.” Monica was escorted into the lawyer’s office. She saw the Liv and Elle were already there.
As before Elle was seated at the receptionist desk to draw allowing Liv, Monica and Mr. Carson to talk privately. Monica was shocked at how easy the whole matter was handled. In a matter of minutes she signed the papers to become Elle’s legal guardian.
As they walked out the office door Liv spoke, “I’ll bring Elle to the house this afternoon.”
Monica was shocked. She saw that Elle was happily talking to Connie. “I didn’t realize you were leaving town so soon. Does she know?”
Liv sighed, “I’ve talked to her about it. Told her I’ll be gone for a while. She’s excited that she’s going to be staying with you.”
“Gerard is very happy too.” She watched Liv’s face closely to see her reaction.
Liv simply nodded.
They agreed on a time and parted at the front of the building. Monica had offered to drive them home but Liv said they still had other stops to make. As she reached her car Gerard called.
“I’m not getting you at a bad time am I?”
Monica got in and fastened her seatbelt. “No I’m just leaving the lawyers office.”
“So you signed the papers?”
“Yes.”
He heard something in her voice, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothings wrong. Liv is bringing Elle over later today. I’m kinda worried about how Elle’s gonna take her mom being gone. Liv said she explained to her she will be gone a while but I’m sure Elle thinks it will just be a few days.” She sighed, “I guess it might be a few days. I really don’t think Liv will be able to be away from her.”
“Look, I told you. I don’t want Elle to go back to living with Liv. Once she’s with us I want her to stay. I’ve talked to Brian and he’s talking to our lawyer. I want full custody of Elle.”
Monica spoke without thinking, “Is this the same lawyer you contacted when you first found out about Elle? When you thought Liv was screwing with you by telling you that you had a child?”
He was surprised by her remark, “You know finding out about Elle shocked the fuck out of me. I didn’t know what to think.”
Monica shook her head, “I’m sorry. This is all sorta stressful for me.”
“I don’t understand. Why? I thought you were happy we’re getting Elle?”
Her temper snapped, “Why? Look I love Elle. No matter what you say it’s quite possible that Liv will waltz right back into town in a few weeks and want her back. Do you have any idea how much that will hurt me? Do you have any idea how bad it makes me feel to admit to myself that I want Elle with me? I want her but I also don’t want to take her from her mother. I just know Liv isn’t gonna be able to live without her.”
“I told you, we are gonna get full custody of Elle.” He said while walking out to the waiting van.
“Gerard, you want full custody, I know you’ve said that. But do you want it because you think it’s best for Elle or are you trying to get even with Liv? Are you trying to hurt her because she’s going off to California with someone?”
“Fuck, stop it. You are trying to turn this around on me. Stop trying to make everything I do go back to Liv.” He noticed Frank staring at him. “I gonna go. We’re getting in the van to head for an interview.” There was silence on the phone. Looking down he saw the call had ended. “Fuck, she hung up on me.” He muttered.
“Not surprised.” Frank said walking past him to get in the van.

“Monica, come on in.”
“I hope you don’t mind me just stopping by.” She said to Christa as she walked into the apartment. “Whoa.”
Christa laughed, “Yeah, this is a mess even by my standards.” She pushed off several piles of clothing littering the sofa and motioned for Monica to have a seat. “I’m starting to pack our stuff to move to the house. I had no idea how much stuff Ray and I have.”
Monica leaned over to look in one of the moving boxes on the floor. It was filled with stuffed animals. “Wow. You have quite a collection.”
Christa burst out laughing, “Those aren’t mine, they’re Ray’s.”
“These are Ray’s stuffed animals?” Monica asked picking up a stuffed bear.
“Yep, they are Ray’s.”
Both women giggled, “So would you like something to drink? I’ve got soda or tea. I can make coffee.”
“No, nothing.” She sat back on the sofa. “I really just need someone to talk to.”
“And you thought of me?” She didn’t mean it to sound like she was shocked but she was actually.
“It’s about Liv.” Monica admitted, “I know you don’t really know her and..”
Christa broke in, “And so I don’t have a preconceived opinion of her like the others.”
Monica nodded, “Exactly.”
“So are you Elle’s legal guardian now?”
“Yes, I signed the papers. Liv is bringing Elle over this afternoon.”
“To stay? She’s already bringing her over to move in with you?”
Monica tossed the stuffed animal back in the box. “Yes, and I just feel so wrong about this. I can’t explain.”
“Try.” Christa urged, “Just start to tell me how you feel.”
Leaning back on the sofa Monica tried to gather her thoughts. “Okay, first off there is the whole worry that Liv is just doing this to get Gerard’s attention.”
“Has she?” Christa hoped her question wasn’t out of line.
“She really does always have his attention.” Without warning she burst into tears. Christa was beside her in a moment with her arm around her. “Monica, it’s okay. Just let it all out. I could see at Donna’s how hard this is for you. You try to keep everything inside but that isn’t good.”
“I’m sorry. I hate to blubber.” Monica said swiping at her eyes. “I just don’t know anymore. Gerard loves me. I truly believe that and I believe we can be happy. But he’s never let go of this past with Liv. No matter how he tried to convince himself he’s never let go completely.” The tears continued to flow. “That day at Donna’s when he really saw and talked to Liv for the first time since she left him..” He voice trailed off. She reached over and grabbed a tissue. “The way he looked at her.”
Christa gave her a quick hug, “Go on, keep talking.”
“I could just see there is something there still between them. He still wonders why she left him like she did.”
“She just left, right? No note or anything?” Christa had heard the story from Ray.
Monica nodded, “Yeah, he just woke up one morning and she was gone. The fucking memory haunts him.”
Monica wiped her eyes then spoke, “Now Liv says she’s leaving.”
“You don’t believe she really is?”
“I don’t know. Maybe she really is but maybe she’s just doing this to see how Gee reacts.” Monica hiccupped, “And how terrible will it be if she does leave for several months? Gee will come home and we’ll all be a happy family and then she’ll want Elle back. My heart will break.”
Christa felt her own heart breaking for Monica. “Then maybe what the others said is right. Maybe you can get full custody of Elle.”
“But that’s the other thing that is tearing me apart. As a mother I understand how it would feel to lose your child. I don’t want to do that to Liv.” Now anger was seeping into her thoughts, “But I wish I did.”
“God, I don’t know what to tell you.” Christa paused a moment. “Have you explained this to Gee? Have you told him how you feel?”
Monica sighed, “I’ve tried. I talked to him before I came here. I ended up hanging up on him. Right now he’s angry at Liv.”
“Angry?” Christa was surprised.
“Yeah but he doesn’t want to admit why. He says he’s angry she’s leaving Elle.”
Christa knew what Monica was thinking, “But you think he’s really angry because she’s going to California with a man.”
“Yeah.” Monica whispered. “I do.”
“But Monica, he loves you. I know he does. I can see it in his eyes when he looks at you. You both are going to have a perfect life together. You’ve got a beautiful house, he loves your kids and now you’re going to have Elle too. Things should good.” Christa was truly speaking from her heart.
“But what if he can’t let go of her? Their past just keeps pulling him back. Maybe if she just told him once and for all why she left him.” Monica tried to explain how she felt but her emotions were so confused.
“Maybe she just didn’t love him anymore.” Christa said softly.
Monica shook her head, “No, there is one thing I’m sure of and that is she still loves him. I know she does.”
Christa sighed. She had no words to help Monica.