Beckett frowned. Gianna was the hardest working businesswoman and mom he knew. She didn’t have enough hours in the day to do it all alone.
“What about your ex? Can’t he contribute?”
Gianna wiped her eyes. “He’s not exactly reliable. The support he’s supposed to pay for the kids is either late or light. And now that he doesn’t have a job, I don’t see how I can count on him for help. Not that it even matters since Evan isn’t technically mine. He should have been. I asked Paul about adopting him when we found out his mother died. But I just let it go when Paul said he’d look into it. So stupid.”
“Now that I can help you with.”
She dabbed at her eyes. “Really? How?”
“Do you think Paul would be open to making you Evan’s legal guardian?”
She frowned, considering. “Would he have to give up his parental rights?”
Beckett shook his head. “A legal guardian is kind of an additional ‘parent’ in the eyes of the courts. It can be a tricky process, especially if the biological parents aren’t open to the idea,” he cautioned. “But it would allow you to put Evan on your insurance and make schooling and medical decisions for him.”
Gianna perked up. “That sounds perfect! I can’t see why Paul wouldn’t go for it.”
“Some parents aren’t open to other people being legally responsible for their kids,” Beckett warned. “Even though they still have rights, it can get sticky. And if he fights it, the courts often side with the biological parent. If he is on your side, it would make the whole process a lot easier.”
“What do I have to do to start the guardianship process?”
“Talk to your ex first and talk to Evan, too. Make sure he understands that his dad isn’t just signing him over to you. Then come see me and I’ll get started with the paperwork.”
She reached up and held his face in her hands. “Beckett, I don’t know what to say. This would mean so much to me.”
Her tear-stained face was doing something to his chest. Something painful. He shoved her head back down against his shoulder so he didn’t have to look into those watery green eyes.
“Are you and the kids going to the Halloween carnival tonight?” he asked, changing the subject.
She nodded against him. “Will you be there?” Her fingers were toying with the lapel of his jacket.
He dropped his chin to the top of her head. “I’ll be there. As mayor it’s my duty to judge the parade floats.”
“Are you dressing up?”
He heard the smile in her voice.
“I am not.”
“Party pooper. Aurora will be devastated.”
“I take it that means you’ll be in costume?”
“One cannot escort a doctor and a ninja to a carnival in regular everyday clothes,” she told him.
They were quiet for a minute before Gianna spoke again. “Beckett?”
“Hmm?”
“Why am I sitting in your lap telling you why I was crying?”
“Because you like me.”
She nodded. “I do like you.”
He sighed heavily. “And I like you.”
“Things are going to get complicated, aren’t they?” Gianna asked.
“Very.”
Beckett had left her with a kiss on the forehead and a head swirling with thoughts. He’d given her hope. For Evan and herself.
After he headed back to his house, she’d taken out her laptop and opened up the yoga studio financials. She was doing well, better than she’d hoped at this point. But, as she’d thought, it was still too soon to start pulling any extra cash out of the business. She’d find something part-time and flexible. It was important to her to be there for the kids as much as possible. So that left a few hours here and there during the week, at least until summer.
She would make it work.
“Aurora! Wait for me, please,” she called. She’d gone old-school witch in a long sleeve black dress over spider web stockings and knee high boots. It wasn’t creative, but it was comfortable and the cloak and pointed hat pulled the outfit together.
Her five-year-old ninja danced at the corner, swinging her orange pumpkin impatiently.
“Hurry, Mama! The parade.”
“They won’t start without us,” Gia promised, shouldering Evan’s backpack for his sleepover at a friend’s that night and pulling Aurora’s pony suitcase for her overnight with Grampa and Phoebe behind her.
A night without her kids. The prospect both excited and terrified her.
“I think Roar gets more excited about Halloween than Christmas,” Evan commented through his surgical mask. The scrubs Gia had hemmed for him were smeared with fake blood and he carried a plastic scalpel that looked more like a butcher knife than a surgical instrument.
Gia laughed. “It’s the candy. If Christmas presents were made entirely out of sugar she’d be more excited about it.”
“The last thing that kid needs is more sugar,” Evan shook his head sadly.
“Oh, like you aren’t going to fill up on energy drinks and five-pound bags of sugar the minute my back is turned,” Gia teased.