The morning for the hearing Eva was in a bathroom, throwing up violently. The stress she experienced was nothing like before. She felt ill. Her entire body ached and she was fatigued.
She felt the current stress in every cell of her body. It was protesting.
She dropped the girls off to school and got to court with Donna and Sarah.
She barely managed to persuade Marjorie to give her a day off. She was using her very limited annual leave for this.
She was sickly sort of pale as she walked up the stairs into the court. She wore a black pencil skirt, beige silk blouse, and black suit jacket. She took extra care in putting her hair in a tidy bun.
It was simple but smart looking. That's what she needed.
"Remember, deep breaths." Donna spoke to her. But Eva only heard her as if she was muffled. Her mind was already occupied in rehearsing every line possible.
"Miss Green." The deep voice sounded behind her. Eva turned around to see Callum.
"Mr Anderson." She nodded to him as a welcome.
"I expected you to back out." Callum admitted.
"Look, I've spent nearly a year providing your nieces with a home. It took a lot for them to adjust and slowly recover from the accident. It took lost of therapy and work, and it still does. I don't think that changing their entire life right now will do them any good. I am willing to fight for their well-being. Because, for the first time since the accident, they've started smiling and laughing."
"Come on, Eva. You don't have to explain anything to him." Donna tugged on Eva's arm.
"If he truly cares about them he should know. He should know that for the first few months they both kept waking up screaming in terror. That they would get into crying fits and were inconsolable. That they kept asking where their parents are. That they couldn't even go to school because they had panic attacks. And they only now settled down and started functioning. I don't care if he is a blood relative. Their home is with me right now. They barely know him." Eva answered to Donna but her words were for Callum to hear.
"Come on in." The door to the room opened and a person opening them summoned them in.
The hearing progressed quite smoothly aside of Sarah's panic after she realised who was going against them, which resulted in Eva being the only one speaking. But Eva prepared well.
The judge heard them both out and then he left the room for a short break before making the decision. Eva looked down at her hands worriedly whilst Callum sat back with a smirk on his face, convinced that he was going to win.
Eva's hands shook his sibyl as the judge came back.
"After careful consideration, I have made a decision. I understand that this decision might not be met with your enthusiasm. Both parties made very valid points during this hearing. For the well-being of Suzanne and Emmeline Webb I have decided that temporary joined custody will be ideal until we can make the final decision. As the girls have had no contact with their uncle over the past year, I highly recommend a slow transition towards the equally split contact. The next review will be in 6 months. I will recommend the mediator to ensure that these rulings are to become true. Thank you."
Eva stood with her mouth and eyes wide opened, stunned into complete silence.
The judge passed between the front benches when he stopped by Eva. "Miss Green, did you ever consider a career in law? You were better versed in family law than your representative."
"No, your honour."
"You really should."
The judge left the room and Eva flopped in the seat. Callum scowled at her, whispering something angrily to his lawyer. His side glances didn't have any effect on her. She was still trying to comprehend was has happened. She didn't lose the battle. She didn't win either. Part of her wished that she pushed a knife through Callum on the night when he paraded into her apartment. She could've got away with it if she argued self-defence.
They were made to go to the mediators office where it was decided that they will start with Callum having the girls once a week, building up to the equal split over the two to three months which were too be decided at a monthly check-in.
Eva was mostly silent through the mediation. She run out of the energy to argue. She fidgeted instead, picking at her fingers which she held on her lap.
They walked out at almost the same time. Callum was a few steps ahead of her. As soon as he reached the open space, he lit a cigarette. Then he turned around giving Eva a deadly stare. He definitely wanted her dead.
"I'll come on Friday and pick them up." He announced. Eva gulped. She needed to tell the girls about all of this. She needed to tell them that they were to spend a day with their uncle.
"Saturday morning." Eva replied with a quivering lips. "Not after school. You'll be better off having them throughout the Saturday. I can pick them up in the evening."
"If it's Saturday morning, I'll drop them off on Sunday morning."
"It's one day a week. Not day and night." Eva responded sharply.
"A day is a 24 hour period."
"They'll struggle spending a night away."
"We'll see." Callum sounded cocky in that moment. Eva wanted to slap that out of him - all that arrogance and cockiness.
"Do you want me to write down the list of what girls will need?" Eva asked with worry.
"I think I can manage." Callum responded as he turned his back to her and walked off.
Eva walked down the stairs and found Donna next to her car.
"You did it." Donna smiled at her.
"Did I, though?" Eva sounded hurt.
"Joint custody without all that faff with seduction and marriage." Donna was trying to lighten the mood. Eva frowned at her.
"I guess that you'll be willing to tell that to Suzie and Emmi?" Eva's annoyed tone was a pretty accurate reflection of her anger and hurt.
"It'll be fine, you'll see." Donna's smile weakened. They got in the car and went back home where Eva practiced what she were to tell to Suzie and Emmi.