Laura brought the Mercedes to my shop and demanded I move other customers aside to repair it.
When I resisted, she threatened my weekend with the boys.
I did the work.
She and Brent accepted the car and refused to pay.
When I resisted, she threatened my weekend with the boys.
I began treating the $7000 like any other unpaid business debt.
And hours later, Laura threatened my parenting time again.
My attorney handed the judge the final message.
Laura shifted in her chair.
For once, she didn’t have another explanation ready.
My attorney handed the judge the final message.
Even Brent stopped looking at me.
He was looking at Laura.
***
The court enforced my parenting time and gave me make-up weekends for the time Laura withheld.
The order also made one thing unmistakable.
Even Brent stopped looking at me.
My time with Rick and Noah wasn’t hers to hand out or take away whenever she wanted something from me.
***
Outside the courtroom, Brent caught up with Laura near the elevator.
“You really kept his kids from him over that bill? I thought that was an empty threat—”
“Stay out of it.”
Brent caught up with Laura near the elevator.
She glanced at me.
“This is what you wanted, isn’t it?”
Before I could answer, Brent shook his head.
“Don’t blame him. I laughed when we left that shop. I shouldn’t have. I wouldn’t have if I’d known you were serious.”
Laura stared at him.
“This is what you wanted, isn’t it?”
“This isn’t about taking sides,” he said softly. “It’s about what you did.”
The elevator doors opened.
I stepped inside and left them standing there.
***
The repair bill remained a separate matter.
I didn’t threaten them. I didn’t bargain with Laura. I simply kept the signed paperwork and let the shop’s normal collection process run.
The repair bill remained a separate matter.
They fought the bill.
They still had to pay it.
The day the money cleared, I paid off the parts I’d bought on credit and caught up on the jobs I’d lost rushing Laura’s Mercedes.
Then I went back to work.
I didn’t feel victorious.
I felt square.
They fought the bill.
Laura stopped calling me with demands after that.
She started texting about the boys in short, careful messages.
The first restored weekend, I closed the shop at four.
Rick and Noah were waiting when I pulled up.
Noah ran toward me first.
Laura stopped calling me with demands after that.
“Dad!”
