Page 16 of Power Play

The color drains from my face, and my eyes widen. “What?”

“I’m suing the state to establish paternity and petition for custody, yes,” Al states. He squeezes my shoulder. “This is the way we have to do it. Until then, Emmy should remain with Riley.”

“Except she brought her to Massachusetts, which means she should be with a Massachusetts foster family,” Joanne cuts in.

I shake my head. “No. She stays with me.”

“It’s not your choice,” she says, almost snidely.

I start toward her, ready to give her a piece of my mind, but Al yanks me back.

“The suit includes a request for Emmy to remain in Riley’s care,” he says. “I have no intention of pulling my daughter away from the only person left in this world that she knows.”

“Hmph.” Joanne does not look pleased. “We’ll see about that.”

My hand covers Al’s on my shoulder, lending him support. “We only want what’s best for Emmy.”

“Well, let me take a look around.”

We fall silent while she continues the interview, answering her questions without volunteering any extra information. Al’s lawyer briefed him, and he relayed the basics to me, but I’ve spent enough time dealing with harried social workers to last a lifetime.

I went into the system when I was six years old, when my mom died of an accidental overdose. My father was already in prison on a domestic violence charge, and he’s since had his sentence extended another forty years for various infractions while inside. When I was younger, I wondered why he didn’t love me enough to come rescue me from foster care, but once I was old enough to know what he did to her, and what he tried to do to me, I realized what I went through was a cakewalk compared to what life with him would have been like.

Every year on my birthday, I’d receive a letter from him, but after I was twelve or thirteen, I started shredding them, unread. I want nothing to do with a person who has that much evil inside them.

Emmy will never suffer the same fate as I did. Not if I can help it. She has a parent who loves her, and she has me. She will not have to go through that.

Al swoops her off the floor, booping her on the nose and grinning when she laughs. He’s only spent a few hours with her, interspersed across the two days he’s been home, but he’s clearly a natural with her.

We make it through the rest of the inspection easily enough, and then I put Emmy down for her nap. On my way back downstairs, I’m surprised to find Al opening the door to his sister.

Cari.

I can’t believe I thought she was his girlfriend. The family resemblance is so strong, it’s impossible not to see it now.

“Hey, Riley,” Cari says with a bright smile as she settles on the couch. “I wanted to see my niece.”

My heart warms at the idea of Emmy having an aunt. Family.

“She’s napping, but as soon as she wakes up, she’s yours,” I promise.

Cari pouts. “I don’t suppose you’d wake her up to play?”

At that, Al laughs, the sound springing a rogue flight of butterflies in my stomach. “Even I know you don’t wake up a sleeping baby.”

“Fine.” She huffs, but I swear a smirk twitches her lips. “Tell me about you two. When are you getting married?”

I recoil. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Looking to him for backup, I find Al glaring at his sister, almost like he’s angry with her.

Then he runs a hand through his hair and takes a deep breath before giving me a pleading look. “Just hear her out.”

“Well, you have custody,” she drawls. “And Al is trying to establish paternity. If you get married, he’ll automatically get custody as your spouse. Isn’t that how it works?”

Staring at her, I try to follow her thought process. “No…”

“Well, think about it,” Al says, leaning forward. “If we’re together, she won’t have to go to a foster family. She can stay with us.”