LAW OFFICES OF BURNELL, CARPENTER, & THOMPSON
Claire's
hand rests on the back of
the empty chair beside her. She stares straight across the table, never
removing her gaze from the private pow-wow Diane
is sharing with her lawyer.
It isn't that she's trying to listen in on them -- not that it would take
much effort, and they're not trying to conceal their conversation anyway.
But she doesn't want them to have the satisfaction of even thinking they're
intimidating her.
Claire's stomach turns as she watches
Diane give her lawyer -- Eric Westin, as Claire moments ago learned is
his name -- a sly grin. He is a young guy, probably not a day older than
thirty, with striking dark hair and a tan complexion. His face falls somewhere
between boyishly cute and sophisticatedly handsome, and Claire has to admit
that he is good-looking.
Clearly Diane thinks so, too, as
she chuckles a little too boldly at something he says. Claire tries to
refrain from rolling her eyes.
Thankfully, her lawyer, Jim Thompson,
returns to the small conference room now. He takes a seat beside Claire
as Diane and Eric straighten in their chairs and Eric organizes the papers
in front of him one last time.
"I don't think there's any need to
waste time here," Eric begins. "Ms. Bishop has a right to raise
her daughter
and would prefer to avoid a drawn-out custody suit."
Jim sees the flare of rage cross
over Claire's face and he sends what he hopes will be a calming look her
way. It works, at least for the moment.
"If you're asking Mrs. Fisher simply
to turn over custody of Samantha--"
"She can have some visitation time,"
Eric says, as if it is the most generous gesture in the history of humankind.
Claire feels a sudden urge to reach
across the oak table and smack the conceited grin off of his face. "You
can't expect me to give up my daughter that easily--"
"She is my daughter," Diane
cuts in.
"Biologically. But four weekends
a year don't make a mother, Diane."
"I would spend more time with her
if I were allowed to!"
"Ladies, please," Jim interrupts.
Eric props up his right elbow on
the conference table and uses his hand to gesture as he speaks: "Ms. Bishop
wants--deserves--full custody of her daughter, plain and simple. She is
the biological mother and the weekends she has spent with Samantha have
been absolutely free of incident.
Mr. Fisher's passing was a tragedy, but
it doesn't entitle his wife to maintain custody of his child with another
woman, a woman who is more than willing to be a full-time parent."
"No!" Claire bursts out. Jim shoots
her a warning glance but she ignores it. "Even the visitation time that
Diane has now is pushing it! She may love Samantha, but she doesn't think
with her head and she isn't capable of thinking of what's best for herself
and for a child."
Diane narrows her eyes at Claire
and the women lock angry gazes.
"Those are the kinds of things you
have to prove, Mrs. Fisher," Eric says coolly. "Just because you consider
yourself a good mother doesn't mean that my client is a bad or an undeserving
one."
Claire smacks a hand down on the
table. "She is undeserving! And I'm not going to allow my daughter to be
raised by a person like that!"
One .
Two .
Three .
Four .
Five .
Six .
Seven
Main Page .
Current Episode .
Episode Archives .
Story Recap .
Characters .
Making Prints .
Interact .
Around King's Bay .
Links
