In court, my ex said, “my son wants to live with me.” the judge asked my son, “is that true?” my son stood up, pulled out his phone, and asked, “may I play the recording from last night?” the judge froze.

The courtroom was quiet, not the kind of quiet that feels peaceful, but the kind that makes your heart thump louder than it should. My son, Zaden, sat just a few feet away from me, his little legs swinging off the edge of the wooden bench. He was only eight, but his face was older that day, like he’d aged in the minutes we’d been sitting there.

Damian, my ex-husband, stood tall beside his lawyer. He wore that same smirk he always did when he thought he was winning. He looked straight ahead, not at me, not at our son.

The judge adjusted his glasses, flipped through a few papers, and finally looked up. “Mr. Carter,” he said, “you’re asking for a change in custody. You’ve told this court your son has expressed a desire to live with you. Is that correct?”

Damian nodded confidently. “Yes, Your Honor. Zaden told me he’s not comfortable in his current living situation. He said he wants to live with me full-time.”

My stomach turned. I looked at Zaden. His hands were folded tightly in his lap. I wanted to reach for him, to shield him somehow, but I couldn’t move.

Related Posts

Mom Goes To Hospital Thinking She’s Having Twins, Then Doctor Discovers Something Incredible

Laura Perkins always wanted to be a mom, but after an exhausting year of trying to get pregnant, the thought of fertility treatments seemed too daunting. With…

Farewell in tears Family announced the sad news of Legend singer Madonna

Los Angeles, CA – Behind the glittering costumes, sold-out tours, and record-breaking career, Madonna has faced a quiet battle with loneliness that even fame couldn’t heal. The…

The Sprouse Twins today: Inside their life now, at 30

The adorable identical twin boys, who captured our hearts almost 25 years ago with their playful performance as the precocious little boy on Big Daddy with Adam…

‘INCREDIBLY PAINFUL,’ says Ellen DeGeneres. ‘I had no idea that was a symptom.’

Ellen DeGeneres recently shared her experience with COVID-19, revealing an unexpected and debilitating symptom: severe back pain. The talk show host, who contracted the virus in December…

My SIL Demanded I Give My Late Son’s College Fund to Her Son

Clara continues to fiercely protect her son Robert’s memory five years after his death. Unaffected since his death, the college fund established for him prior to his…

BE CAREFUL, if you notice this in your underwear, it means you have Ca…see more

Yet though there’s seemingly no end to the advantages it brings to our daily lives, it’s perhaps the fact that it’s a bottomless well of shared knowledge…