“Or what? You’ll cut me out of your life just like you did Emily?” Nina dared me. “You’re no better than she is, Dad. You just pretend like you’re the good guy, but you never stand up to her! You’re weak, and you know it!”
“NINA!” Remy yelled. “Knock it off, young lady! I’ve had about enough of your smart mouth and your disrespectful attitude.”
“Whatever,” Nina said, rolling her eyes as she slumped against the wall. I was still stinging from the accusation she’d leveled at me, and stayed silent as Remy moved toward Nina and began speaking.
“See?” Remy said, turning toward me. “This is what happens when you let a teenager run wild. I’ve had enough of this, Blake. She cannot behave like this and every time she comes back from spending time at your house her attitude is worse than the time before.”
“And you’re blaming all of this on me?” I said, looking at her in disbelief.
“I am,” she said coolly. “And this afternoon, I’m going to have my lawyer draw up the paperwork to file for sole custody.”
“MOM!” Nina shouted. “You can’t do that!”
“Nina, your father left you here alone while he went out on a date with your teacher,” Remy said. “He’s a bad role model and a worse parent, and I think any judge worth their degree will agree with me.”
“Remy, don’t do this,” I warned. “This is wrong, and you know it.”
“Do I, Blake?” she asked, cocking her head and giving me a hard stare. “Is it really wrong when our daughter’s safety is at stake?”
“Mom! Dad didn’t do anything wrong!” Nina protested. “I got mad because he didn’t let me have my way when I asked if I could come live with him!”
“And no one thought it might be a good idea to involve me in this conversation?” Remy asked, looking back and forth between Nina and I. “Nina, get your things. You’re coming home tonight, and we’ll see about what happens after the judge rules on my petition.”
“Remy, don’t do this,” I pleaded. “Please. Just don’t.”
“You should have thought of that before you chose your girlfriend over your daughter,” Remy said coldly. She turned and snapped her fingers at Nina and said, “C’mon, get your things! Let’s go!”
“Mom!” Nina protested.
“Do not argue with me, Nina Marie,” Remy warned. Nina’s shoulders dropped as she gave in and slunk off to get her things.
“Remy—” I began.
“Blake, I don’t want to hear another word from you,” she hissed. “You didn’t know where she was last night and we still have no idea where she went. And you work a job that keeps you away from home for 24 hours at a time. It is more than obvious that you do not take your responsibility as a parent seriously enough to warrant shared custody of our daughter.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” I protested.
“And you have no idea what you’re doing to Nina,” she spat back.
“God, you really are a bitch,” I said, regretting the words as soon as they left my mouth.
“I’m sure the judge will be interested to hear how you really feel about the mother of your child,” she said, in a voice that was chillingly calm.
“Do whatever you have to do to make yourself feel better,” I said as my frustration rose. “But Nina is going to hate you more than she already does if you go through with this.”
“Yes, well, that might be true,” Remy said. “But at least if she’s living with me, I know she’ll be alive to do it.”
Having delivered the last blow, Remy grabbed her purse and walked to the front door. Over her shoulder, she said, “Tell Nina I’m waiting in the car.”
I watched as she walked down the driveway and slid into the driver’s seat of her expensive sedan. I knew she wasn’t making an idle threat, but I also knew that her anger at me was clouding her judgment of the situation. I’d fight for Nina, of that there was no doubt.
“Dad, I’m sorry,” Nina said, as she emerged from the bedroom carrying her bags. “I didn’t know that this would happen.”
“Oh, Punkin, I know you didn’t,” I said, as she dropped her bags and threw herself into my arms, weeping like she had when she was small. “Don’t worry, your mom is just upset and scared over what happened. I’ll find a way to calm her down.”
“But she’s going to take me away from you!” Nina wail
ed.