Chapter 42 of 45: Chapter 42
“Yes, Lana Satre is my mother.” Then said.
“You don’t stay with your mother, honey?”
“No, I’m staying with my papa. I only met her once, on my birthday.”
“Good. So, honey, you know why we’re here. Your mother wants to take you home, and your papa, Mr. Theo Jefferson, doesn’t want to send you with your mother.”
“Now it’s very simple. I will make a decision based on whatever you say. Are you ready to answer my final questions?” Mr. Moss asked.
“Yes.”
“Do think about your answer, okay? Don’t be scared of anyone.”
“Okay.”
“Do you want to go with your mother, Ms. Lana Satre?”
“No, I don’t want to,” Thea said immediately.
“Do you want to stay with your papa, Mr. Theodore Jefferson?”
“Yes, I want to stay with Papa.”
“Why don’t you want to go with your mother? She wants to be there.”
Thea blinked her eyes and thought for a minute. “I was never with her. She never came to see me and how I am. It was always Papa who took care of me, bought me everything, and sent me to
school.
“He loves me and cares for me. My mother only came on my birthday. I do not want to live with her. I love my papa and I feel safe when I’m with him.
“Please, sir… I don’t want to leave my papa,” Thea said, and I sighed heavily as tears welled up in
my eyes.
I watched as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Sweetie…don’t cry, we won’t take you away from your papa. Don’t cry…please go to your papa,” the judge said. Lana stood up from her seat to say something.
“Not a word,” the judge said, looking at her. Thea immediately ran towards us and went straight
into Theo’s arms.
I watched as he picked her up. She wrapped her tiny arms around his neck and hid her face in his
shoulder.
Theo rubbed soothing circles on her back to calm her down. We waited for the judge to say something.
Chapter 42 of 45 Chapter 42
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her. I love my papa and I feel safe when I’m with him.
“Please, sir,. I don’t want to leave my papa,” Then said, and I sighed heavily as tears welled up in
my eyes.
I watched as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Sweetie. don’t cry, we won’t take you away from your papa. Don’t cry…please go to your papa,” the judge said. Lana stood up from her seat to say something.
“Not a word,” the judge said, looking at her. Thea immediately ran towards us and went straight
into Theo’s arms.
I watched as he picked her up. She wrapped her tiny arms around his neck and hid her face in his shoulder.
Theo rubbed soothing circles on her back to calm her down. We waited for the judge to say something.
“After having Ms. Thea Jefferson in the courtroom and after talking with her, I’ve decided that Thea will be living with the person of her choice.”
“Custody goes to Mr. Theo Jefferson, uncle of Ms. Thea Jefferson. She will not be forced to move into her mother’s house.
“If anything goes against the verdict, then the authorities will be taking serious action against the parties,” the judge said, and I could hear Talia squeal in happiness.
I breathed out heavily as my heart beat fast against my ribcage. “The case is closed,” the judge said, signing the documents and closing the file.
“We did it! We won the case! Thea’s custody is ours!” Talia said. I hug her and then Theo.
“You did it! Thea is ours,” I said as tears rolled down my cheeks.
I would be lying if I said I didn’t see tears in Theo’s eyes. He smiled, hugging me and Thea both.
“I will never leave you guys. I will always be there,” he said.
“I love you. We’ll always be there for you, too,” I said.
“I love you, Papa,” Thea whispered.
“I love you.”
JASMINE
I smiled, holding Thea’s hand while Talia joked about Christopher. Christopher rolled his eyes and turned away to talk with Shantanu,
“Where is Mr. Jefferson? I haven’t seen him,” Shantanu said.
“He’ll be here. He just went out to get the cake,” I said.
“He went out to get the cake?”
I laughed, understanding his surprise. “They brought the wrong cake, and Thea isn’t happy with the cake they brought. So he went to get the cake himself.”
“So Thea will be back in school tomorrow?” Shantanu asked Thea, who stood beside me.
“Next week, Uncle Shantanu,” Thea said.
“You are glowing, darling. Are you glowing because of our win, or is there something else we should know?” Talia asked.
“Something?” I asked her back.
“You know, maybe it’s good news. I see this glow on your face and I know the glow,” she said, and I shook my head with a light laugh.
Theo and I had decided to tell them later in the evening. I didn’t want to tell her when Theo wasn’t beside me. We were having a small private celebration since we won custody of Thea.
Theo’s close associates and their families were here.
“Shantanu, you came alone? You didn’t bring a date with you?” I asked him.
Thea ran off to play with some kids as Shantanu shook his head. “No, I’m better off alone this time.”
“Why?”
“Work… Work… And work keeps you busy and your partner mad. It’s better to focus on one thing for now,” he said.
I nodded.
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“Work… Work… And work keeps you busy and your partner mad. It’s better to focus on one thing for now,” he said.
I nodded.
“How’s it going with you? Heard you’ve been staying home with Thea for a bit. Do you miss school and teaching?”
“Hmm… I miss the kids, but they do call me in the evenings. I told them that I would be visiting.
them soon.”
“Didn’t they ask why you aren’t coming? I mean, kids are always curious, aren’t they?”
“They are curious and yeah, they do ask me when I’m going to be there. I told them I’m sick and resting at home.”
“Nice.”
Theo returned with Blake.
I smiled, going over to Theo. “Aw, aren’t you the best papa?” I said, leaning up to kiss his cheek.
“Aren’t you one of the most beautiful people?” he asked, kissing my right cheek.
“Haha…” I said, chuckling.
“Where is Thea?” he asked.
“She is playing with the kids over there,” I said, turning around to see a laughing Thea chasing after another girl.
“Your mom asked about my glow. She asked if there was any good news that they should know.”
He looked down at me as I told him. “I knew she would be asking that. She’s been watching you from the moment she got here. My mom is known for her curiosity.”
“We’ll tell them when the party ends.‘
“As you wish. Did you eat something?” he asked.
“No, I didn’t feel like eating.”
“Come on, let’s have some fruit salad. You shouldn’t be standing like this without eating anything.”
***
“It was good,” Christopher said. I sat beside him while Theo went to use the washroom.
Thea sat beside Talia, and they went through the photos they had taken together.
