All the Little Things

Chapter Twenty: Jamie

Jamie tightens his hand around Luca's as they walk into the small building, where they will be meeting Becca's parents. They had both been up early this morning, Jamie stress baking and Luca just creeping into the nursery to check on Noelle every five minutes. Once the baby had woken up, Luca had taken to carrying her around all morning. When Marris had shown up to watch Noelle, Jamie had to practically pry Noelle from Luca's arms.

Suffice to say, they were both stressing. At first, Jamie had offered to stay back and watch Noelle, thinking that it might be awkward if he went. It might even make things worse with how conservative Becca's parents are. But, Luca's face had fallen, and Jamie quickly retracted the offer.

Now, here they are.

Kia, their lawyer, is already waiting for them in the lobby. Her pencil skirt fits her perfectly, and the heels she is wearing add a good four inches to her height. She does not wobble in the slightest though, looking every bit confident.

"They are already here, arrived about five minutes ago." She looks both of us over. "You two ready for this? It probably won't be pretty, but just remember that whatever they say, you have more parental rights than they do."

Jamie looks to Luca, who nods his head. He is here to support Luca, even if it hurts. Because he does see Noelle as his own daughter. He has been with her almost her entire life, and he can't help but love her as his own. So it makes it even more painful that he does not have parental rights in this situation. Even though it hurts, he will be here for Luca, who he knows is on the verge of collapsing into a panic. They both have to hold it together long enough to make it through this meeting. Then they can go back to Noelle.

"Alright, let's go up there," Kia says, and they follow her up the stairs.

The walk is short, too short. All too soon they are entering a small conference room. The back wall is made up entirely of windows, giving a good view of the street below. It is pouring down rain outside, matching Jamie's mood. It makes the room feel smaller and more gloomy, which is definitely what they did not need right now.

"Ah, Mr. Flowers," a tall, thin man says, standing up and holding out his hand. Luca takes it. "I'm Gerard Argo. I'm here to represent Mister and Misses Archibald."

Luca drops his hand and the lawyer doesn't even spare Jamie a glance. It sends a shiver of unease down his spine. Becca's parents are sitting across the table, looking every bit as uptight as he remembers. Mrs. Archibald, Cheryl... Sharron... something like that, is sitting perfectly straight, not a hair out of place. She has the same dark curls that her daughter and granddaughter share. But her small, tight lips and pinched brow are the complete opposite of Noelle's. Her husband is stony, not moving an inch. It is hard to even notice if he blinks. He is completely bald, but the paleness of his eyebrows hints at what color his hair might have been. Thin, wire-framed glasses sit on his round nose, but they do not do anything to retract the sternness of his gaze as he glares at Luca.

"Thank you for meeting with us," Kia says, taking the seat on the other side of Luca. Once everyone is situated, she places her sleek, black briefcase on the table and clicks it open. It is perfectly organized inside, not a paper out of place. She grabs the file on top before snapping it closed and setting it down on the ground beside her. "I have the most recent paperwork that I have gone over with my client here..."

Her words are cut off however, by Mr. Archibald's harsh voice. "What is he doing here?"

His eyes cut over to Jamie, and he has to use every muscle he has to hold back a flinch. Never in his life can he think of a time when someone was able to intimidate him so much. But there is so much at stake here, he can't let free all the things he wants to say to the couple sitting in front of him. Instead, he bites the inside of his lip, physically holding himself back from saying something that the Archibald's can use against them.