California Sunrise (27 page)

Raúl squeezed her shoulder for a moment before the bailiff glared at him.

The judge shuffled his papers. “It says here the child might have a mental disability. How would you handle that?”

Eduardo’s back stiffened. He started to speak, but his lawyer cut him off. “Mr. Vasquez wishes to take the child to his own doctor, for a second evaluation. Since the doctor the child’s mother is using is also her boyfriend, Mr. Vasquez is concerned about the accuracy of the diagnosis.”

She could feel the anger seethe from Raúl.

“Our turn will come,” Jessica whispered.

“The defendant states your client had numerous run-ins with the law,” the judge said.

“Youthful indiscretions,” the lawyer answered. “My client cleaned up his life a few years ago.”

She knew Eduardo was smiling at the judge, even though his back was to her. That’s how he worked, trying to charm people into believing his lies.

The judge cleared his throat and shuffled more papers. “The woman you’re engaged to, is she in the courtroom?”

“Yes, your honor,” the attorney said, and pointed to Graciela.

”Please come up here, young lady.”

Graciela sashayed her way to the podium.

She’d never get Luis. Never.

Raúl squeezed her shoulder again.

“Are you ready to take on the responsibility of another woman’s child?” the judge asked.

“Oh, yes, your honor. I’m ready. I’m so happy Eduardo has asked me to be a mother.”

“With this child, you’d have to share care, communicate, and work with his biological mother. If it turns out the child does have a disability, are you prepared to handle that?”

“Oh, yes. I work in a doctor’s office now—a pediatrician. I’m used to seeing children with problems.”

Next to her, Alicia’s lawyer smiled. “Gotcha,” she mumbled under her breath.

More paper shuffling.

“Don’t you work in the office of Dr. Raúl Mendez?” the judge asked.

Graciela took a small step back. “Uh.
Sí
. Yes.”

“Isn’t he the same doctor Miss Fuentes is seeing?”

She nodded.

“For the record ...” the judge said.

“Yes.”

“So what do you think of the doctor?”

Graciela glanced over her left shoulder to where Raúl was sitting.

Alicia stifled the urge to laugh out loud. Instead, she smiled at her attorney. Watching Graciela squirm was almost worth going to court.

Hope made her heart beat stronger.

• • •

It was difficult for Raúl to keep from smirking as Graciela’s panicked expression told him she realized the trap she was in. Instead, he watched Alicia, proud of her strength through this ordeal. Would he have the same courage to face Joe Wilson?

“Well, young lady?” the judge asked.

Graciela turned back to the judge. ”Dr. Raúl is a fine pediatrician. All his patients love him.”

“So you don’t think he would deliberately misdiagnose a patient?”

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “No.”

“I see.” The judge’s gaze stayed on Graciela.

Raúl smiled as the questioning continued. As much as Graciela tried to paint Alicia as an unfit mother, Alicia’s poise and dignity guaranteed no one could believe the words her enemy was speaking. No one.

“Did Miss Fuentes ever mention to you that she was pregnant prior to the child’s birth?” the judge continued.

“Um ... no,” Graciela said.

Eduardo glared at his girlfriend.

The judge leaned forward. “Are you sure about that?”

“She may have said something, but she didn’t know who the father was. She slept around. Eduardo wasn’t the only one.” The lies came rapidly. “That’s why he dumped her. He couldn’t trust her.”

Raúl was halfway up when he saw the bailiff start toward him. He sat back down but clenched his hands around the wooden bench. If he ever got his hands on the two of them … No wonder Alicia had gotten into a catfight with the woman.

His need to defend Alicia grew with each word they spoke.

The judge gestured to the three people behind the podium. “Is there anything else you’d like to put before the court?”

The lawyer’s voice was firm. “My client believes the child would benefit from having both parents in his life. A strong father can be a good influence on a son, preventing difficulties later in life. It is in Luis’s best interests that he be united with his father.”

Lawyer babble.

“Any questions, counselor?” The judge looked at Jessica Martin.

“Not at this time, your honor.”

“Fine. Now I’d like to talk with Miss Fuentes.”

Alicia and her lawyer waited until Eduardo, Graciela, and his lawyer returned to their seats. Eduardo’s face was set with darkness, and Raúl could see the threat he could be in the right circumstances. Hopefully, court would be the only place they’d ever have to confront him.

Risking the bailiff’s ire once again, he put his hand on Alicia’s shoulder for a brief moment before she rose.

“It says here that you wish to retain full custody,” the judge said.

“Yes, your honor.” It was Jessica Martin’s turn to perform her attorney tricks. “My client believes joint custody would be detrimental to her son.” She leaned forward. “Moreover, Miss Fuentes did inform the father of her pregnancy and of her son’s birth. She has never been with any other man, before or since. She knew Eduardo was the father, a stand that testing has now proved.”

“A statement the plaintiff denies.”

“He said, she said, your honor. Unfortunately, there is no proof. Miss Fuentes was—is—young and didn’t think she needed to prove she told Eduardo about his fatherhood.”

“This diagnosis of Asperger’s. Who came up with this possibility?”

“A doctor at Stanford suggested it. Dr. Mendez also believes it’s a possibility.”

“Ah, Dr. Mendez. The same doctor she is now involved with.”

Raúl clenched his fists, unhappy with the judge’s tone.

“Yes, your honor.”

“So how did this relationship progress from a professional doctor-patient one to something more? I’d like Miss Fuentes to answer that.”

God, they probed into every nook and cranny of a person’s personal life.

Alicia stood erect in front of the judge, carrying herself like Audrey Hepburn in those old movies Raúl’s mother had watched to learn English.

“Dr. Mendez offered me extra help with Luis. My son ... can be ... difficult at times, and I was searching for ways to make it easier to care for him. Raúl ... the doctor ... is studying children who are on the autism spectrum. He gave me a book to read.”

Her ribs expanded as she paused, and he saw her shoulders square and her head straighten almost imperceptibly. When she spoke again, her voice was stronger.

“We met at a coffee place to discuss the book, and he came up with other suggestions for Luis. We began to talk about our lives and discovered we had a lot of common interests as well as passion for the same things.”

“Your honor, the plaintiff has a question.”

“The questions can wait until I’m done with the debrief, counselor. Miss Fuentes, it says you currently work at a day spa and store and are also going to school for sociology. An interesting choice. Who takes care of your son when you are doing these things?”

“Miss Fuentes’s grandmother has been a great help in these manners, your honor, as has the college daycare,” Jessica Martin answered.

“I understand the grandmother has had recent health issues.”

“Yes, your honor. Miss Fuentes’s mother has come from her home in Los Banos to assist.”

“Will the mother be moving down here permanently?”

“It’s under discussion.”

Raúl took a breath. Would the judge consider the childcare good enough? Would Alicia mention his involvement?

“I see. Is the doctor here?”

“I am, your honor.” Raúl rose as he spoke.

The judge waved him forward.

He pushed aside the wooden gate and moved to the podium. He wanted to squeeze Alicia’s hand in reassurance but restrained himself.

The judge stared at him, as if taking his measure as a man. Sounds of shuffling feet, rustling papers, and a dry cough filled the air behind him. His palms itched with nerves.

“How would you define your relationship with Miss Fuentes?” the judge asked.

“We are getting to know each other,” he replied. “It’s early yet, only a few months, but I’ve found her to be intelligent, compassionate, and a mother ready to do whatever it takes to help her child.”

“I see. And does Miss Ramon work for you?”

“Yes.”

“How is she as an employee?”

He hesitated. Denigrate Graciela and he’d seem unprofessional. Make her too nice and he’d undermine Alicia’s cause.

“She’s competent.”

“And?”

“She does a good job.”

The judge shook his head. “You’re dodging the question, Mr. Mendez. What is she like with patients, specifically children?”

“With most patients she is quite nice. She’s good with the little ones, although she doesn’t have any of her own. She can be ...” He shifted from one foot to the other, groping for the right words. “Judgmental, if a child is cranky. And she definitely has a problem with Alicia.”

He could feel his employee’s hard stare between his shoulder blades.

“Why haven’t you fired her?”

“My partner, Dr. Patel, wants to make sure Graciela is given the proper warnings and guidance to see if she can change her behavior. As I said, she’s a competent employee.”

“And you?” The judge’s eyes were hard on him, daring him to tell the truth.

“I’d fire her in an instant.”

The sharp intake of breath behind him told him it wasn’t the answer Graciela had expected.

“I see.”

“Any questions?” The judge nodded to Eduardo’s attorney.

“With all the time Miss Fuentes is spending working, going to school, and dating the good doctor, how can she spend enough time with her son?” Eduardo’s attorney asked.

“Miss Fuentes, please answer that directly,” the judge said.

“I am with Luis for several hours before I go to work.” She turned to face Eduardo. “I feed him, get him dressed, and get his day started. I only go to school two days a week—in the evening. The other nights I’m home with him. When I go to school, Raúl—Dr. Mendez—watches him so my grandmother gets a rest. The days I’m off, I’m with my son all day. As for dating Dr. Mendez”—she looked at Raúl—“we see each other alone about once a week. The rest of the time Luis is with us. Raúl knows we come as a package deal. As he said, we’re still in the early stages of a relationship.”

“Your honor.” Jessica Martin’s voice was firm. “I’d like to ask the plaintiff the same question. They are both working. Who would take care of Luis during the day?”

“My client’s job provides enough funds so that Graciela will no longer need to work. She can take care of the baby when he’s not around, Eduardo’s lawyer replied.

Graciela turned her head so the judge couldn’t see her and smirked at Alicia.

Alicia let out a breath of air.

This time, Raúl did take her hand and squeeze it. Judges’ opinions be damned.

“One more question,” Jessica Martin said. “Why are you pursuing custody? Why now?”

“Yes, I’m curious about that, too,” the judge said. “And I’d like to hear from Eduardo.”

“As I said, I’ve only recently learned about my son. My fiancée told me he seems to have some problems behaving correctly. A father can make a child behave better than a mother who is too soft. I want custody so I can be proud of my son when he grows up.”

Dios!
Raúl wanted to wipe the smug look off Eduardo’s face.

He glanced at Alicia. Her jaw was set, but she gave no other sign of the turmoil that must be going on inside her. She was an amazing woman. Would he have the strength to be the man she wanted him to become—compassionate and understanding?

The judge asked a few more questions, but they were insignificant compared to the intensity of what had gone before. Finally, he appeared to have all the information he wanted.

“I’ll review my findings and make my decision in two weeks.”

Two more weeks with this hanging over their heads.

“We’ll get through it,
cariño
,” he told her as they walked out of the courtroom.

“What do you think?” Alicia asked her lawyer.

“I think it went well. While Eduardo has a strong case for visitation rights, which he foolishly didn’t request, I don’t think it’s strong enough for joint custody.”

“I don’t want him anywhere near Luis.” Alicia’s voice was firm.

“We’ll fight it if we have to. Let’s get through this first.”

Raúl’s cell phone rang.

Tío
Alejandro.

A chill crawled up his skin.

“Hello?”

“Raúl?”

“
Sí.
”

“I told your parents I’d be the one to call you.”

He knew. “Juan. What’s happened to Juan?”

“I’m sorry, Raúl. They found his body two days ago, but ...” His uncle’s voice choked. “They couldn’t identify him until today.”

Raúl’s ribs crushed inward, expelling all force of life.

Raúl clicked off his phone and stared out the window in front of him at the rows of cars glinting in the sun. He’d barely gotten to know Juan, and now he was gone.

He barely noticed the touch on his arm.

“Raúl, what is it? What’s wrong?”

He turned to look at her—so young, and despite all the grueling questions she’d endured, still innocent in so many ways. But she was the one who didn’t want him to fight for changes to the immigration law—the same law that had just gotten his brother killed. “Juan,” he managed to get out.

“What? Is he back in the country? Arrested?” Her eyes tracked back and forth as she examined his face.

He shook his head.

“No!” She covered her mouth with her hand. “
Madre de Dios
, no!” Lapsing totally into Spanish, she continued, “I’m so sorry. How could this happen?”

“It happened because of laws like Joe Wilson is pushing.” He ran his hand through his hair, feeling the twin demons of anger and depression crawling up his spine. “I can’t be here right now. There’s too much to do—so much to do.”