Jessica sighed deeply as she walked right into the door, the weight of the previous week still heavy on her shoulder. Ethan's visit to her office had just found its way back to her mind, and the more she tried to let of it, the more she found herself haunted by the thought. Returning to work would always give her a temporary place to escape from everything, but every moment since she found her office, has always been one that brought her the same unease.She placed her Gucci bag on the countertop and walked into the kitchen, hoping to get something to eat and retire to bed without much conversation. But Ricky was already staring at her from across the room, his eyes narrowed in on her, and concern filled in his eyes."Hey," he said quietly, trying not to startle to her. "Long day?"Jessica hugged him, managing to reply with a smile on her face as she let go immediately. "Ueaj, something like that."Ricky watched, his gaze searching her entire countenance. "Jess, are you okay? Late
Jessica buttoned her little girl's thick coat and adjusted the scarf on her neck, the frosty air coming through their breaths as they stepped out into the noisy and bustling streets in their car. The sidewalk was packed with snow, festive lights adored the windows of every shop they could see. It had been months since had given herself time to relax, and Avery's excitement was just too contagious."Mommy, please can we go to the toy store first?" Avery begged her gloves hand pulling on Jessica's coat.Jessica smiled, blowing away a strand of hair from her face. "We're for clothes, Avery. But I promise, if we finish early, then we can go look at toys that you like."Avery's face lit up with excitement, and she skipped along beside her mother as they entered a chic boutique filled with winter wear for the season. Jessica let her daughter wander ahead of her, her eyes glowing as she saw the colorful display while she inspected the racks of coats.Her phone buzzed in her pocket, pulling a
Jessica gently unfastened her daughter’s coat, her hands shaking slightly as her thoughts continued to cause chaos in her mind. The boutique encounter with Olivia had thrown her off balance more than she wanted to admit.“Mommy, can I have my hot chocolate now?” Avery asked, her voice cutting through Jessica’s clouded mind.Jessica managed to smile at her, brushing back the strand of hair on Avery’s face. “Of course, sweetheart. But first, go wash your hands and I’ll go in and make it extra sweet for you.”As Avery skipped towards the direction of the bathroom, Jess exhaled for a moment, her chest tightening up.Ricky stepped into the room, his sharp blue-coloured suit, which was wrinkled from a long day of work. “You’re late.” He said with a playful tone before he noticed the look on her face. “What’s wrong?”Jessica hesitated, glancing towards the bathroom to make sure that Avery would be unable to hear anything. “You wouldn’t believe that I ran into Olivia today.”Ricky’s jaw dropp
Jessica leaned back on the cream coloured sofa in her parent’s living room, the envelope that she had received from Ethan’s lawyers lying on the coffee table untouched. The legal notice couldn’t feel more heavier than this, it was like a boulder had been dropped on her thoughts.Her mother, Janet, sipped on her ice tea, her eyes fixed on the document. “Hmm, custody battle?” she repeated to herself, her voice barely audible to others.Jessica nodded, her hands folded together. “So Ethan really wants Avery, Or at least, Olivia has gone and poisoned his mind. I’m sure she has her hands behind all of this.”Her father, Joseph, leaned closer, the look on his face very stern. “This man has no right to do this. After being absent for many years, Jessica. How dare he! When you’ve been the one raising Avery, alone. This is just absurd.”“I know.” Jessica said, her voice cracking as she spoke. “But after many years of knowing Ethan, I’m sure he is going to try to do everything that he can
Jessica's knuckles began to whiten as she held the edge of her desk tightly. Across from her, Olivia still leaned against the wall of her office, an irritating picture of confidence on her face. The air in the room began to feel suffocating, her once peaceful office had to turn of lionesses."Olivia, speak plainly," Jessica said to her, keeping her voice so she wouldn't cause a scene in her workplace. "What do you want here?"Olivia took a step forward, her heels making a sound as they clicked on the polished floor underneath her feet. "Oh, sweet sweet Jessica." She began, her tone as slippery as honey. "I'm here to give you a simple deal. Dump Ricky and give the father of your daughter more access to her. That's all I want."Jessica's eyes closed in on her. "And why would I do that for you?"Olivia smirked, fetching her mobile phone from her sleek Birking bag. "Because if you don't do as I say, this right here might just end up in court as evidence during your custody battle." She ta
Jessica sat across from her lawyer, Lois, in a very meticulously organized office which was in downtown LA. The room had the smell of leather and freshly brewed coffee in it, the bookshelves completely cramped up with legal books, and accolades that adorned the walls. Jessica began to slowly lose her composure as she began to speak of her past, the memories jumping and eating her from the inside out."I waited for five years, Lois" Jessica said, her voice now trembling with emotions that she had tried to suppress for so long. "Five long and very painful years. After all the tests, and endless outings of looking like a disappointment before finally getting pregnant. There I was thinking that a miracle had finally happened."Lois leaned closer, unable to believe what she was hearing. "Ethan Mitchell? Wow, I never knew all of this had happened when you came to me many years ago. How did he feel when you broke the news to him?"Jessica let out what seemed to be a very bitter laugh. "Ne
Jessica sat across from Lois, their lawyer, her gaze being distant as she tried to organize the documents that had been spread across the table. The office, with its well-polished furniture and perfectly set up shelves, for some reason, felt very oppressive today. Ricky sat next to Jessica, tapping his pen on the table in front of him while he waited."Jessica." Lois began, finally breaking the silence that engulfed the room. "We need to try to focus on building a case that focuses on Avery's well-being as a child. This kind of case can get ugly quickly, and Ethan's team will most likely play dirty and try to attack the fact that you hid Avery away for years. We need to be ready for that."Jessica folded both of her arms, her facial expression remaining resolute. "Let them. I'll narrate everything to the court so they understand my point of view. Ethan had no right to know about Avery. He didn't care one bit for me and he sure didn't care about the idea of me having a child when he ki
Back at her parent's house, Jessica paced around the living room, her phone fixed tightly against her ears. Ricky stood close by, coordinating with his private investigator on the matter. Janet and Joseph both rested on the couch, worry visible on their faces. Ethan, who had shown up after multiple furious phone calls from Jessica, leaned against the wall, feeling guilty that he had teamed up with Olivia."The police are en route to the location," Jessica said, immediately ending the call. "They just found the house that Olivia is currently hiding in. It's on the outskirts of the city so it might take a while to get there." She threw her phone onto the nearest table by her side, her hands trembling with fear."We need to go," Ricky said with a firm voice, grabbing his jacket as he got to his feet."Wait, Ricky. Leave this for the police." Janet protested, standing up to her feet to reach him. "Jessica, you can't run head-on into a situation like this. What if something happens to you?
The screen on Ricky’s phone dimmed, but the words from the text had been seared into his mind; Jessica curled up against Ethan, her hand resting on his; the intimacy he saw was impossible to ignore.He had come to the hospital with his heart racing, fear on every step he took, worried about Avery even though he and Jessica had just had an argument.Now, all he could feel was cold.The burn of betrayal wasn’t loud or fiery. It was still, quiet and creeping. Like a crack beneath the surface of something he’d convinced himself to forget. Deep down, he’d always known. But tonight made it real to him.His feet moved before he made the conscious decision to step back into the hospital.The door stood slightly ajar. Beyond it, the soft sound from Avery’s heart monitor pulsed like a clock to king down.Jessica stirred when the door creaked. Her eyes opened up slowly, then they widened as they landed on Ricky. She sat up fast, pushing herself out of the chair. “Ricky,” she whispered, alr
The rhythmic beep of the monitor was the only sound coming from the hospital room for a long while. Jessica sat next to Avery, her fingers brushing back the damp strands of her hair. She’d been humming, soft, quiet, just enough to soothe her little girl. The tune wavered here and there like her voice was on the edge of breaking forever.Ethan stood near the window, arms folded, watching both women.“She’s holding steady,” the doctor said to both parents, stepping into the room. “Her fever’s under control for now, but we want to keep her for observation. Her blood work shows signs of a viral infection, most likely the flu, but we won’t know more until the test results come back.”Jessica nodded, barely looking up at the doctor. “How many days?”“Two to three, minimum. She’ll need rest and fluids going into her. We’ll monitor for any secondary infections, just to be safe, so she doesn’t have to come back here.”“She’s going to be okay?” Ethan asked, his voice sounding tight.The
“Come on, Jess,” Ethan’s voice was tight with panic as he yanked open the car door. Jessica didn’t need to be told twice. Her heels barely even hit the floor before she was inside his car, slamming the door behind her. Ethan was already behind the wheel, his jaw locked, eyes cold and focused like a missile locked on a target as he reversed with a sharp turn.Her heart was already racing, but it slipped entirely when he blew through a stop sign on the road without slowing down.“Ethan!” She gaped, grabbing the dashboard.“Sorry, I’ve got this.” He said voice clipped. “I’m not wasting a damn second of our time.”Jessica twisted in her seat, fingers brushing Avery’s cheek. Her daughter’s head lolled in her arms like a doll, her skin flushed, her breath shallow and fast. Just as fast as they had returned to the house to get Avery.“Avery, baby, can you hear me?” she whispered, moving a strand of her daughter’s hair behind her ear. “It’s Mommy. I’m here for you, sweetheart.”Avery’
FEW WEEKS LATER“You can’t be serious.”Jessica sighed, placing the phone on her other ear. “Dad, I know this looks right, but Avery wants me to be there.”She heard her father’s disapproving silence stretched for a moment before he finally spoke up. “Jessica, this is Ethan’s family we are talking about here. They will use every opportunity to remind you that you lost custody of your daughter. Even though it’s only temporary.”“I know,” she admitted, rubbing her eyes. “But this isn’t about me. It’s about Avery.”“She’s an only child. She doesn’t understand what this is doing to you.”Jessica swallowed the lump in her throat. She understood what her father was talking about. Every moment spent around Ethan, his world, and his family took something away from her, leaving her exposed.But her little girl wanted her to be present. That was all that mattered.A soft knock at her apartment door made her come back to reality. “I have to go, Dad. I’ll call you soon.”She hung up and pulled op
“No, no, no...” Jessica’s voice trembled as she read through the words again, her fingers holding on tightly around the document as if she would squeeze enough and the ruling would change. Her vision began to blur with tears, her entire body going numb from the shock.“Jessica?” Ricky’s voice came but cautious this time around, the argument between them had been forgotten temporarily. She took a step closer, but she shut it down.“Sorry, but I need to be alone.” She whispered, her voice barely audible to him.“What? Jessica what’s going...”“I said I need to be alone, Ricky!” she snapped at him, her grief and frustration boiling over. Without waiting for him to leave, she grabbed a coat from the rack and stormed out of the house, slamming her door behind him. When he was ready he would leave and lock up.The cold night air hit her cheeks harshly as she walked aimlessly down the street. Her mind was a field of chaos. They had finally taken her. They hadn’t finally taken Avery. The cour
“I hope you haven’t come here to waste my time, Ethan. You know I am really busy.”Ethan exhaled sharply, running his right hand down his face as he chose to sit just across from his grandfather in his office in the Mitchell building. The old man’s piercing grey eyes watched Ethan from his mahogany desk, the weight of his grandfather’s expectations pressing on him like a chain, causing him to keep drowning in a river.“I wouldn’t be here if this wasn’t important,” Ethan replied, his voice controlled but tight as he composed himself in front of his grandfather.His grandfather leaned back in his chair, giving his grandson a listening ear. “Then get straight to the point.”Ethan hesitated for a moment before speaking up. “I would like you to meet Avery.”His grandfather’s expression remained the same when he heard that statement, his eyes gave off no sign of emotions in them. “And why would I do that?”Ethan clenched his fists in disbelief that he was hearing a question like this. “Beca
Ricky waited until the door clicked shut behind Ethan before turning around to face Jessica fully. Hisneus, usually filled with charm and warmth, was cold for the first time. He tossed the bouquet of white lilies onto the kitchen counter, the flowers landing with a loud thud.“You’re sure, huh?” Ricky’s voice was low, edged with something darker than jealousy, something very possessive.Jessica crossed her arms, leaning against the door as she steadied her breath. “What exactly are you trying to imply here, Ricky?.Ricky took a step closer, his jaw closing. “I’m not implying anything, Jessica. I’m just asking why was he here?”Jessica exhaled sharply, her patience thinning. “Because he’s Avery’s father. She’s been through enough today with the court hearing, and he wanted to check on her. That’s all.”Ricky’s laugh was bitter, nothing like the easy charm she’d grown used to. “Right. Just like that? No other reason?”She moved to the living room, putting space between them as she picke
Jessica sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the darkened window. The echoes of the courtroom still replayed in her mind. Avery’s eyes ran over with tears, Lois’s sharp words, and Ethan’s fixed gaze on her. She rubbed her eyes together, trying to push it all away, but the ache was relentless, carving deep into her chest.The apartment was painfully quiet, except for the humming coming from the city beyond her window. Avery had fallen asleep hours ago, holding on tightly to her stuffed bunny with a grip that mirrored Jessica’s own desperation. She thought about pouring herself a glass of wine but couldn’t summon the strength to do so. Instead, she sat in the silence, letting it swallow her whole.A soft knock broke through the stillness of the moment, pulling her from her own thoughts. She frowned, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was past eight. Who would be here by a time like this?She walked barefoot to the door and peered through the peephole to see Ethan standing there. He
The courtroom emptied, leaving behind an air of tension that seemed to live out with Jessica as she hastily made her way through the heavy double doors. Her heels hit against the cold marble floor, each step echoing the desperation screaming in her heart.Avery’s cries still rang in her ears, fueling the urgency that she felt. She spotted her daughter in the hallway, her tiny body forced against her grandmother’s tight embrace, hiccupping as the leftover tears ran down her eyes. Jessica rushed forward, her voice filled with regret.“Avery,” she whispered, kneeling. “Baby, I’m so sorry. Please don’t cry anymore.”Avery lifted her face ruined by tears, her cheeks red from the continuous crying. “Mummy...mummy, you were yelling? Did daddy do something?”Jessica’s heart clenched when she heard her daughter’s words. “No, no, my love. Not at all. Mummy wasn’t angry at Daddy. I was...I was upset at something that was happening in there.”Avery sniffled, clinging to her mother’s arm this time