Claiming Noah (38 page)

‘What's the matter?' Tom asked, nodding towards her barely touched lunch.

She pushed it away. ‘I could have done more. My answers weren't compelling enough.'

She glanced at Liam. He didn't seem to be having any problems with his appetite. His sandwich was so large he had to hold it with both hands, and even so he finished it within minutes. Then he took Diana's uneaten salad and finished that as well.

‘How do you think you went?' she asked Liam. He had answered his questions with ease, displaying none of the emotion that Diana had forced herself to hold back while she was being questioned.

He shrugged, rummaging around in the salad for something other than lettuce. ‘Pretty well, I think. It doesn't matter anyway, he's definitely ours.'

‘Why do you say that?'

‘We're his legal parents, her husband's a felon. It's a no-brainer.'

Diana studied him, amazed that he was so relaxed when they had so much to lose. She waited for him to smile at her, to reassure her that she had done well, but he didn't say anything. He was either oblivious to her apprehension, or he didn't care. Most likely, she thought, it was the latter.

Diana excused herself from the table, saying she wanted to check on Noah, and then she walked outside the cafe to call her mother.

Eleanor answered the phone on the second ring. ‘Noah's fine, darling, he's having a sleep. How did it go?'

Diana sighed. ‘I don't think I did enough. I could have spoken more about the type of life we'll provide for Noah, or how happy he is around me and Liam now.'

‘I'm sure that was obvious.'

‘I guess so.' Diana moved further away from the door of the cafe as a large group came towards her and squeezed into single file to fit through the narrow space. They seemed happy and carefree, emotions Diana hadn't felt since she heard about the custody application.

‘Mum, do you think it's unfair of us to be fighting for full custody of Noah against his biological mother?'

She heard her mother's breath catch. ‘Do you really want to share Noah with another woman?'

‘No. But she hasn't done anything wrong, and she's already lost her baby and her husband. Now she might lose another child as well.'

She couldn't get the image of Catriona's Sinclair's face out of her mind. It was obvious she loved Noah just as much as Diana did, and whichever way this case turned out, one of them would lose the son they loved. Diana wished it didn't have to be that way, but for one of them heartbreak was an inevitable conclusion.

‘You're too kind-hearted,' Eleanor said. ‘Don't worry about her, you don't even know her. Just worry about yourself.'

Jerry walked out of the cafe, spotted Diana and walked over to her. ‘The judge has called us back,' he said. ‘He's ready to deliver his verdict.'

Diana said goodbye to her mother and tried to hang up the phone, but her hands were shaking so badly that Jerry had to do it for her.

‘It's okay, Di,' he said. ‘He's yours, I know it.'

Tom and Liam joined them and together they all walked back to the courtroom. Liam strode in front of the rest of them, as if he were just keen to get it over with, but Diana's feet dragged. Tom took her arm in his and that gesture helped her to walk the rest of the way.

The judge wasted no time in delivering his verdict. As soon as they were all seated he called for attention and started to read from a piece of paper in front of him.

‘With most custody cases I see, it is immediately obvious which party would provide the more suitable home for the child,' the judge said. ‘It's rare to see a case such as this one where both parties appear to be loving, capable and responsible parents, and I would feel confident to leave the child with either party. But a decision has to be made, as unenviable as it may be.'

The judge paused to look at those present in front of him. Diana's chest felt so tight that she was struggling to breathe. The only sound in the courtroom was that of Liam cracking his knuckles under the table, which Diana knew he only did when he was nervous. It was as if the entire world had hushed just to hear this verdict.

The judge looked back down at his piece of paper. ‘I am required by law to abide by legal proceedings put in place previously, and that is why I am ruling that the adoptive contract that was signed and agreed to when the child, Noah Edmond Simmons, was still an embryo should still stand. I also have to consider the professional recommendation of Mrs Collins that Mr and Mrs Simmons could provide the better home for the child, and I happen to agree with her statement that it is usually better for a child to be raised by two parents than one. While I have no doubt about Mrs Sinclair's capability as a parent, I am hesitant to put the child in a position where he may again come into contact with Mr Sinclair, whose character has been proven to be less than desirable. So, I am awarding full custody of Noah Edmond Simmons to his adoptive parents, Diana and Liam Simmons.'

Diana slumped sideways in her seat and fell against Liam, which he must have mistaken for affection because he put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him.

‘He's ours, Di,' he said to her as a grin spread across his face.

She tried to return his smile. Finally, the uncertainty was over and they could be a family again.

Once the initial shock passed Diana felt a rush of affection for Liam when she saw his elation. She vowed to push her disdain for him, along with all the other negative thoughts that had burdened her for the past two and a half years, from the forefront of her mind to a deep pocket in her brain; a place reserved for bad dreams and dark thoughts. Obviously she and Liam still had problems they needed to work through, but surely their relationship was worth the effort. He had helped her to get through this custody hearing and now they could go home to Noah knowing he would never be taken from them again. It was time to concentrate on starting a new life together as a family.

She couldn't help but look over at Catriona Sinclair. When she saw the agony evident on her face, Diana's joy disappeared. She had placed her elbows on the table and leaned her head into her hands in silent repose. She didn't cry out, didn't make a sound. She just sat with her eyes shut, as the courtroom emptied around her, unaware that Diana was watching her.

The people gathered on the opposite side of the courtroom looked up as Diana appeared in front of them. Diana herself didn't know how she had ended up there, but something had drawn her to this woman. They had a common interest. No, it was more than that. They had a common love.

‘Excuse me . . . Catriona?' Diana said in a small voice.

Catriona opened her eyes and lifted her head from her hands. When she saw Diana standing in front of her, with only a table between them, her brows furrowed.

Diana felt her mouth go dry. She became aware of people staring at her, the enemy. She felt a desire to run from the courtroom, but she stood still and forced herself to speak. ‘I just wanted to say . . . Well, I just wanted you to know how much my husband and I love Noah,' she said in a voice that sounded calmer than she felt. ‘We'll take good care of him and make sure he has the best life possible.'

Catriona's mouth pursed and Diana wasn't sure whether she was going to cry, or yell at her. Liam beckoned to Diana from the door of the courtroom, motioning with his whole arm for her to hurry up. Catriona didn't respond and Diana chastised herself for saying anything. She should have left her alone in her misery.

Diana glanced at the people around her and, finding nothing but blank expressions, turned to go. ‘I'm sorry,' she said to Catriona, her voice quivering now. ‘I guess I just wanted you to know that.'

‘Wait,' Catriona said as Diana was halfway across the aisle. She turned and walked back towards the table. ‘Thank you for saying that. I appreciate it.'

Diana noticed that Catriona's face looked pale and she hoped that the people around her would look after her. Diana knew the anguish of losing a child and this woman had now lost two sons. The thought of it stopped Diana's heart. She wanted to console her, but she knew it wasn't her place.

‘Thank you for taking such good care of him,' Diana said, knowing even as she said it that it was inadequate. ‘It's obvious that he was very well loved.'

Catriona smiled sadly at her.

A force from Diana's subconscious, probably the same force that had propelled her to Catriona's side of the courtroom in the first place, caused Diana to reach into her handbag and pull out an old receipt and a pen. She wrote her mobile phone number on the back of the receipt and handed it to Catriona.

‘You can call . . . if you like,' Diana said. ‘If you want to talk about Noah, to see how he is. I don't mind.'

Catriona took the receipt gingerly, as if afraid it might disintegrate in her fingers. ‘Thank you,' she said, looking up at Diana. Her eyes brimmed with tears. ‘That means so much to me.'

She reached into her own handbag and pulled out a business card from an inside pocket. She handed it to Diana. ‘And if for any reason . . .'

Diana smiled and took the business card from Catriona's outstretched hand. ‘Thank you.'

Diana offered the group a quick wave before she walked over to join the others at the door of the courtroom.

‘What was that about?' Liam asked her.

‘Nothing, just a few words from mother to mother.' Diana hooked her arm into Liam's, as she had done when they had first started dating, and smiled at him. ‘Let's go see our son.'

•  •  •

The phone rang while Diana was having lunch with her family. Liam was upstairs, having excused himself from the table a few minutes earlier, so Diana took the call. It was one of Liam's friends calling for him. The phone had been ringing for three days straight, ever since Diana and Liam's friends heard about the outcome of the hearing. They knew what the couple had been through and how the past few years had nearly destroyed them. Diana took the stairs two at a time and looked through the open door of the bathroom, where she had expected Liam to be. There was no-one there, but the study door at the end of the hallway was closed. She reached the door and went to turn the handle, but the sound of Liam's voice made her pause. She pushed her ear against the door so she could hear his conversation without alerting him to her presence. She knew if he had gone to the other end of the house to make a phone call, it was to have a conversation he didn't want Diana to overhear.

‘I might not be able to see you until the day after tomorrow,' Liam said. His voice was muffled by the door, but still audible. ‘We've had a constant stream of people at the house since the custody hearing.'

There was a pause, and then he said, ‘No, babe, of course I want to see you, and of course I miss you. But Diana will know something's up if I leave the house. Why don't I call you tomorrow morning and then I should know when I'll be able to get away?'

Diana felt a rush of anger surge through her body, but she stayed still, her ear pressed against the door, waiting for what came next.

‘I love you too,' Liam said. ‘I can't wait to see you again.'

So that was it. He was cheating on her. She had been prepared to put her ill feelings about Liam aside for Noah's sake, but Liam obviously cared more about himself than he did about their family.

With shaking hands, Diana turned the handle and opened the door just as Liam hung up the phone. He started when he saw her with her eyes narrowed and mouth drawn, and looked down at the phone he was still holding in his hand.

‘My mate Paul called us to say congratulations,' he said as he slipped the phone into his pocket.

‘That's funny,' she said, ‘because Paul just called on the home phone for you. He's still on the line downstairs. Do you often tell him you love him?' She was surprised at how calm her voice sounded given the rage she felt inside.

Liam leaned back against his desk. ‘What, are you listening to my conversations? Very mature, Di. And of course I don't tell Paul I love him, you obviously misheard me. Why were you standing at the door anyway?'

‘Like I said, Paul called for you. I came to get you.'

‘Oh.'

As Liam walked towards the door, Diana closed it behind her and stood in front of it to block his way. ‘I don't even want to know who she is. I just want you to tell me how long this has been going on, so I can work out how much I hate you.'

A look of surprise glanced over Liam's face before he frowned at her. ‘What are you accusing me of? Why do you just assume I'm cheating on you?'

Diana squared her shoulders and glared at Liam. ‘Because I know when you're lying and I know there has to be a reason you've been sleeping in the study again since my mother left. I thought it was the custody case that was keeping you distant, but this makes much more sense.'

When Liam looked down at his feet instead of responding to her, she asked her question again. ‘How long has this been going on?'

Liam's response was quiet, but clear. ‘About eight months.'

‘Eight months?' Diana mentally counted back in her mind. ‘Was that before Noah came home?'

Liam cleared his throat and finally met Diana's gaze. His expression reminded her of the deer that was mounted on the wall of a ski chalet they had visited once, before they were engaged. Both had the same trapped look of fear and realisation. ‘No, we met about a month after he came back.'

Diana thought back to when Sergeant Thomas had finally brought Noah home to them. The first few weeks with Noah had been great, but then after James Sinclair's committal hearing they had been held captive in their own home because of the reporters gathered around their house.

‘But we weren't even leaving the house then,' Diana said. ‘The only people we saw were my family and . . . Oh.' Diana doubled over, closed her eyes. He couldn't have done that to her.