“That bastard managed to get an hour long supervised visit with Angel today. Based on any of this we should be able to stop it.”
“John Lucas suggested you don’t do that…there is not enough time to go before a judge before tomorrow so he’s just preparing for court tomorrow with this new information. Jason…think about this for a minute. I know you want to go for the jugular but one day Angel is going to grow up. He’s her father. Do what you need to do to get custody but just know completely destroying him will hurt her.”
Hearing Franklin called Ryan, Angel’s father was like a punch to the gut. “No Franklin, Ryan is not her father. I’m her father. He’s just some slime that provided his sperm.”
*****
Jason, Vicky, and Angel arrived at a place called ‘The Kid’s Corner’. That was where the court supervised meeting was supposed to take place.
Vicky and Angel went into their reserved private room while Jason waited at a booth in the general area.
He immediately saw Ryan and Alicia Carter as they entered the place. However, they didn’t see him. They were arguing. He was close enough that he could over hear their conversation.
Alicia looked fit to be tied, “I swear you live to torture me! The hearing is tomorrow this little visit is so unnecessary. You can get all the pictures for the press you want with Angel after we get custody. And even if we don’t get full custody, you’ll still get visitation.”
Ryan was so agitated with Alicia, “Look…there is no guarantee that we’ll get custody or even visitation. Likely but not guaranteed. This is what my campaign manager said needed to be done. Since Victoria lost the baby she’s garnered a lot of public sympathy. We can’t take any chances.”
“Well…why do I have to be here? You don’t need me for this.”
“The picture of the happy family is the money shot. Don’t act like your some sort of martyr. You want the Governorship just as much as I do. So, we’ve got to do what it takes. Take a seat, call your boyfriend or read a book for the next hour…I don’t care; Just sit tight until it’s time.”
It took everything within Jason not to kill Ryan Carter. However, he heard Franklin’s words in the back of his mind, ‘One day Angel will grow up and destroying him will hurt her.’ Jason would figure out a way for Ryan to pay for this and pay dearly.
Vicky and Angel were in the private play room. The court appointed supervisor was sitting off to the side trying to observe without being in the way. Angel was having a ball playing with the games. She and Vicky were on the floor playing with one of them. Angel had no idea that she was about to meet her father. Vicky’s stomach was doing somersaults.
A few minutes later the door opened and Ryan Carter walked inside the room. Vicky couldn’t move or breathe. This was a day she never imagined in her wildest dreams.
Ryan was frozen. The last time he’d seen Angel she was covered from head to toe in tubes and was about to be rushed into surgery. Now she was running around, laughing and playing. He didn’t think it was possible but his chest felt tight. She was a beautiful little girl, she looked just like Vicky and she was his daughter.
Angel turned around to chase her ball when she realized someone else was in the room. The ball hit Ryan.
She walked over to get it “I sorry.”
Ryan bent down to her level, “It’s alright.” He could barely speak, “My name is Ryan what’s yours?”
Angel looked back at Vicky for the okay to talk to the stranger. Vicky nodded her okay and Angel turned and smiled at him, “Angel.”
He held out his hand for a handshake, “That’s a pretty name for a pretty girl.”
She giggled and took his hand in hers, “Thank you.”
That was when Ryan noticed she had his hands. He held them longer than necessary. Then, he looked up at Vicky.
Vicky felt so many emotions all at once. Anger, frustration, hate, sadness…sadness for Angel but mostly she was sorry. She was so sorry that this was the man she’d chosen to have a child with.
She rose up from the floor and went to sit in the opposite corner of the court supervisor. For the next hour Vicky watched Ryan play games with Angel…with his daughter.
*****
As soon as the hour was up, Vicky stood, “Angel…it’s time for us to go.”
Angel’s eyes sparkled, “Is daddy coming back to get us?”
“Yes sweetheart, he’s right outside the door waiting.”
Ryan enjoyed his time with Angel more than he thought he would. He got up off of the floor too. “She’s a beautiful child Vicky.”
Vicky wanted to ignore him. She wanted to pretend he didn’t really exist but after tomorrow that more than likely wouldn’t be possible.
She looked through Ryan, “Yes. She is.” Then,
