On My Doorstep [Editing]

Chapter 27

FAWN

My lawyers set up their things in my living room as I grabbed a bottle of water for each of them. I was nervous about meeting today, because I was completely unsure of what they'd say. I had lawyer friends, and I learned a few things from the lawyers that worked at my company. But, I knew close to nothing about Family Court and Law. My experience adopting Ami had been so easy, but I knew better than to assume it went like that all the time. And now I had some stalker threatening to take my baby away from me. It felt like I was asleep, and I couldn't wait to wake up.

It had been a few weeks since I'd met with their colleagues, Yusef and Nyah, as I had been busy and the court case wouldn't be for another couple weeks. They assured me that we'd have time to get our defense ready, they just needed a little more info from me. Yusef and Nyah were great, but apparently not as well-equipped to handle a case like mine. And while I was happy to see my new lawyers, it made me nervous to know that 'a case like mine' needed more attention that junior associates might not have been able to give it.

"Here," I handed them their water with a smile, then sat on the adjacent sofa. Without even thinking, I tucked my legs underneath me. The pose grounded me and, in all the chaos, it made me feel like I was in control. Safe, somehow.

"Thank you," they replied in tandem. They rustled through more files, then finally had something to say.

"We have a pretty good idea about what's going on, and how the case would go, but first we wanted to ask you some questions," Mr. Suzuki told me.

I nodded, "okay."

"Is it okay if I take notes?" Ms. Tunde, the other lawyer, asked.

I nodded, "that's fine."

After a few seconds, Mr. Suzuki looked down at the file in his hands, "what is your relationship with Ami's birth mother?"

Even though I knew it wasn't true, just hearing the words 'birth mother' made me feel like less of one. I shook the thought away, "we don't have one. Acquaintances, at best. We went to the same high school, hung out once or twice, and had lunch together sometimes. I hadn't even spoken to her, let alone seen her, until she ambushed me a couple weeks ago." Mr. Suzuki nodded as I spoke, and Ms. Tunde typed everything I said.

"And, what did she say when you saw her?" she asked me.

I looked up, "um, she said 'I'm Beccaa, your baby's birth mom, and I want her back'. She told me about how I'd donated my eggs to a bank, and talked about her boyfriend and his low sperm count. She said they fertilized my eggs with donor sperm, but he didn't want the baby so she gave her up. And now he wants to be in her life, so she wants her back. She also said that she found my info, but I have no idea where she got it from. How could she know I was the donor?"

The two lawyers looked at each other, then Ms. Tunde made eye contact with me. "Do you know anyone that works at the egg bank?"

I looked at my hands, which were holding onto each other and thought back to when I donated my eggs. I could barely remember what the receptionist looked like, let alone any of the people's names. My toes curled into the plush rug, taking some of the material in between my toes, and I felt them shake a little.

"No," I told her.

"Not even an acquaintance?" Mr. Suzuki asked. I shook my head. The depths of my interactions with the people that worked there were as shallow as could be. I wanted to do a good thing, but I was busy and distracted.

They both took more notes, then Mr. Suzuki looked up from his paper. "I'm guessing Brenda does know someone that works there. Are you aware of anyone?"

I raked my hands through my curly hair and sighed. "I'm sorry, Mr. Suzuki, but I don't know anything about Brenda-"