Chapter 2
Martin instantly turned pale.
My legs went weak, and I almost lost my balance.
Bernie steadied me. His grip was firm, but his palms were slick with sweat.
"I want to see Dawn," I said. "Right now."
"After we finish the paperwork," Bernie replied.
Bernie kept his hold on me. "As soon as we're done, I'll take you to see him."
"And," he paused, "from today on, you can see him every day. You can keep being his mom."
"Are you fucking forcing her into marriage?"
Martin blew up again.
"What else do you expect me to do?" Bernie finally raised his voice, his usually calm eyes now filled with emotions I'd never seen in him before. "Let you take him to Velmoor?
"Let your old flame become his new mom?
"Or should I, his 'grandpa,' just keep watching him waste away, not eating or talking, all because you, Martin, are chasing after that damned, unreachable love?"
The hall was dead silent.
Martin looked like he'd just been slapped, stunned and frozen.
I stared at him.
This was the man I'd spent seven years loving, five years married to, and just divorced yesterday.
"Where's Dawn now?" I asked Bernie.
"At home, with the nanny," he replied. "His fever had dropped to 100.4°F before I left."
I turned to the staff. "Do I need to sign in person?"
"Daisy Martha!" Martin called out, his voice full of disbelief.
I ignored him.
I picked up the pen and signed my name on the marriage registration form.
My hand was trembling, but every letter came out crisp and clear.
Bernie signed his name too. His handwriting was sharp and confident, a far cry from Martin's careful script.
When that paper was handed to me, I felt like I was in a trance for a second.
Yesterday I was signing divorce papers, and today I'm signing a marriage certificate.
My new husband had gone from being my son's dad to his grandpa.
It was so ridiculous, and I almost burst out laughing.
As we stepped out of the city hall, the sunlight was so harsh I couldn't even open my eyes.
Martin hurried after me, grabbing my arm hard. "Daisy, just let me explain..."
"Explain what?" I shot back.
I shook off his hand. "Explain why you didn't even know your son had a fever?
"Explain why you were in such a hurry to take Selena to Velmoor?"
"Or maybe you want to explain this?" I pulled the marriage certificate from my bag and waved it right in front of his face.
"I'm your legal stepmom now, Martin," I said, my voice icy.
Martin's face went pale, then turned a sickly shade.
Bernie had already opened the car door. "Are we picking up Dawn from the hospital?"
"Let's go to the mall first," I said.
"The newest Ultraman toy he's been obsessed with just dropped yesterday. I told him I'd buy it for him as soon as he got better."
Bernie nodded, then looked at Martin. "Go home on your own. Or go chase after Selena. Starting today, Dawn will be living at my place."
"He's my son!" Martin yelled.
"He's my grandson now too," Bernie replied.
Bernie said quietly, "By law, Daisy is my wife, and Dawn is her son, so of course, he's my grandson now."
Martin stared at Bernie like he was seeing him for the first time, like he'd never really known the guy who'd been his stepfather for twenty years.
Long after we'd pulled away, I could still spot him in the rearview mirror, just standing there, not moving an inch.
"Why did it have to come to this?" I asked Bernie, watching the city blur past outside the window.
He was silent for so long, I thought he wasn't going to answer at all.
"Dawn can't be without a mom," he finally said.
"And Martin..." Bernie paused, his voice icy. "He doesn't deserve to be a dad."
"So you stole my ID? Made me marry you?" I asked.
"It was the only way to keep you legally in the Walkley family, and by Dawn's side," Bernie replied.
He finally looked at me; there was guilt in his eyes, but not a hint of regret. "You have every right to hate me. But I had no choice."
I gripped the marriage certificate tight in my hand.
The plastic cover bit into my palm, making it ache.
Did I hate it?
Of course I did. I hated this absurd mess, hated Martin's cold indifference, and hated myself for being so helpless that I had to go through all this just to stay with my son.
But when I pushed open the hospital room door and saw Dawn curled up on the bed, clutching the dinosaur plushie I'd bought him, something inside me just broke.
He looked up, his eyes puffy and red, cheeks burning with fever, but the second he saw me, his whole face lit up like sunshine.
"Mommy!" Dawn called out.
I rushed over and wrapped him in my arms. His little body was hot as a furnace, and he kept sobbing into my ear, over and over.
"Mommy, don't go... Mommy, please don't leave me..."
"Mommy's not leaving," I whispered, kissing his burning forehead.
Tears finally rolled down my cheeks. "Mommy's here to stay. I promise."
Behind me, the door clicked shut.