Chapter 5 - The Fight for Lily and Owen
The courthouse hearing began at nine the next morning.
Vanessa's brother, Richard Cole, wore a thousand-dollar suit and the expression of a man who expected money to solve everything.
His attorney spoke first.
“Colonel Steel is unrelated to these children.”
My attorney answered.
“He is explicitly named in Captain Mercer's family-care documents.”
Richard leaned forward.
“That doesn't make him family.”
Lily squeezed my hand.
I said nothing.
The judge reviewed the documents.
“Mr. Cole, how often have you seen these children?”
Richard hesitated.
“Many times.”
“How many times in the past year?”
“I don't keep records.”
The judge looked at Rebecca.
“Ms. Sloan?”
Rebecca opened her report.
“The children say they've met Mr. Cole twice.”
Richard's attorney objected.
The judge raised one hand.
“Sit down.”
Then the courtroom doors opened.
Sergeant Grant entered.
She whispered to the county attorney.
Documents changed hands.
The attorney stood.
“Your Honor, new evidence has emerged.”
Vanessa's face changed.
“What evidence?” the judge asked.
“Financial records indicating an attempt to transfer approximately $840,000 from trusts established for Lily and Owen Mercer.”
The courtroom erupted in whispers.
The judge struck the gavel.
“Order.”
The attorney continued.
“The receiving corporation is controlled by Vanessa Mercer and her brother, Richard Cole.”
Richard jumped up.
“This is insane.”
His lawyer grabbed his arm.
“Sit down.”
The judge looked at Richard.
“Is that true?”
“No.”
The attorney placed documents on the bench.
“Bank records say otherwise.”
I looked at Vanessa.
She stared straight ahead.
Then came the final blow.
Sergeant Grant approached the prosecutor again.
He read the note she handed him.
His expression changed.
“Your Honor, investigators have also reopened Captain Andrew Mercer's death.”
Vanessa suddenly stood.
“No.”
Everyone turned.
Her lawyer whispered urgently.
“Vanessa, sit down.”
She didn't.
“You can't do that.”
The judge stared at her.
“Mrs. Mercer, sit.”
“It was an accident!”
Nobody had accused her of anything yet.
The room became completely silent.
Sergeant Grant watched her carefully.
Vanessa realized her mistake.
Her lawyer closed his eyes.
The judge ordered both Vanessa and Richard's custody petitions suspended pending investigation.
Then she turned toward me.
“Colonel Steel.”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“You understand temporary guardianship of two traumatized five-year-olds is not a ceremonial responsibility.”
“Yes.”
“You travel.”
“I can adjust my assignment.”
“You have no parenting experience.”
“No.”
“Then why should I place these children with you?”
I could have talked about Andrew.
Duty.
Honor.
Promises.
Instead, I looked at Lily and Owen.
“Because yesterday, everyone who was supposed to protect them walked away.”
The judge waited.
“I won't.”
Lily tightened her grip on my hand.
The judge studied us for several seconds.
“Temporary guardianship remains with Colonel Steel.”
Owen whispered loudly, “Does that mean we're staying?”
The judge heard him.
For the first time, she smiled.
“For now, young man.”
Owen threw both arms around me.
Lily joined him.
I heard Marco whisper behind us.
“Good luck, Colonel.”
I looked over their heads.
“With what?”
He grinned.
“Parenthood.”
But the battle wasn't finished.
Three weeks later, investigators determined Andrew's vehicle had been deliberately tampered with.
Financial records linked payments to a mechanic through a company controlled by Richard.
Vanessa eventually admitted she knew Richard had been stealing from the children's trust.
She denied involvement in Andrew's death.
Richard blamed Vanessa.
Vanessa blamed Richard.
The investigation would take months.
But one thing became clear.
Andrew had been right to worry.
And naming me guardian might have been the last protective decision he ever made.
One evening, Lily found me sitting alone with Andrew's recorded message paused on my laptop.
“Do you miss him?”
“Yes.”
“Me too.”
She climbed onto the chair beside me.
“Colonel?”
“Yeah?”
“If Daddy picked you…”
She hesitated.
“…does that mean he knew you'd find us?”
I looked at the frozen image of Andrew.
“No.”
“Then how did you?”
I thought about Gate 28.
Thousands of people.
One terminal.
One moment.
“I guess sometimes you end up exactly where you're needed.”
She rested her head against my arm.
Then Owen shouted from upstairs.
“COLONEL! THE TOILET IS MAKING A BAD SOUND!”
I closed the laptop.
Lily sighed.
“That's probably really bad.”
“Probably.”
May you like
We ran upstairs.
And for the first time in years, my house felt alive.
