The morning the summons arrived, Aria knew something was wrong before she even opened the door.
There was a knock — sharp, official.
Not the lazy tap of a neighbor, or the hurried knock of a delivery guy. It was heavy. Intentional.
Aria wiped her hands on a dish towel and pulled the door open.
A man in a neutral suit stood there, holding an envelope out like a weapon.
"Aria Winters?"
"Yes?" she said, wary.
"You've been served."
He pressed the envelope into her hand and turned away without another word.
Aria stood frozen for a full minute before finally closing the door.
The weight of the envelope was unbearable in her palm.
She didn't open it right away. She sat at the kitchen table, heart hammering, staring at it.
When Elias walked in from the backyard, he immediately sensed it. His face tightened.
"What is that?" he asked.
Aria slid the envelope across the table without a word.
Elias picked it up, ripped it open, and read silently.
When he finally looked at her, his face was grim.
"They moved up the hearing."
Aria's stomach dropped. "What?"
"It's been pushed up. One week from today."
"One week?" she repeated, her voice a whisper. "That's not enough time."
"They're trying to catch us unprepared."
"Well, it's working," she snapped, panic rising fast. "We don't even have Nadine's full statement yet. Your mom hasn't confirmed if she's testifying. I don't even have my references ready!"
Elias leaned across the table, voice low and steady. "Aria. Breathe."
She clenched her fists, squeezing her eyes shut for a second.
Everything felt like it was slipping out of control.
"We'll tell Hutchins. He'll push back if he can," Elias said.
Aria shook her head. "No judge is going to delay it just because we're stressed. That's what they want — for us to scramble."
Elias set the papers down. "Then we don't scramble. We fight harder."
Aria stared at him, feeling like she was about to break apart into a thousand pieces.
They spent the next two hours on the phone — with Hutchins, with Nadine, with anyone who might help.
Everyone had advice. Everyone had warnings.
"Be prepared for character attacks," Hutchins said. "They'll question everything."
"You need to show unity," Nadine said. "The judge will be watching how you interact."
"Document everything," Aria's sister told her. "Even the small stuff. Every text message. Every school event. Every medical appointment."
By the end of the day, Aria felt like she was drowning under the weight of it all.
That night, they sat on the living room floor, folders and papers spread out around them like a fortress.
Eli was at a friend's house for a sleepover — a rare mercy.
Elias picked up a thick file. "Custody precedents," he said dryly. "Light bedtime reading."
Aria gave a weak laugh, but it quickly died.
Elias looked at her.
"You okay?" he asked.
"No," she admitted.
He didn't pretend to have a fix. He just nodded, respectfurespectfullyu regret it?" she asked suddenly, voice cracking. "Fighting this?"
Elias set down the file. His expression darkened. "Never."
"You could have walked away," she whispered. "You could have just... made it easy."
"And leave you to fight them alone?" His voice sharpened, fierce. "Not a chance."
Aria's throat closed up.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Then she said, "I'm scared they're going to make me look like the bad guy."
"They'll try," Elias said honestly. "But it won't stick. You're Eli's mom. You're the center of his world."
"And you?"
His mouth twisted slightly. "I'm just trying to be less of a screw-up."
Aria reached out instinctively, covering his hand with hers.
"You're not," she said, surprising both of them.
He looked at their joined hands, then back at her.
"For what it's worth," Elias said, voice low, "I think we're stronger than they realize."
"I hope so," Aria said.
The week passed in a blur of motion.
Meetings with Hutchins.
Strategy sessions over takeout containers and cold coffee.
Witness prep with Nadine.
Mock interviews where Hutchins grilled them like he was the prosecutor himself.
Each night, Aria fell into bed bone-tired, only to lie awake for hours, staring at the ceiling.
She dreamed of courtrooms — endless, twisting, dark — where no one listened no matter how loudly she screamed.
Finally, the morning of the hearing arrived.
Aria dressed carefully — a conservative navy dress, and simple jewelry. She wore her hair pulled back neat and ly, with no dramatic makeup.
When she came downstairs, Elias was waiting by the door, adjusting his tie.
He looked up — and froze for a second.
"You look..." he started, then seemed to rethink it. "You look ready."
She smiled tightly. "I don't feel ready."
"Fake it," he said. "You're terrifying when you want to be."
She gave a short laugh, the nerves gnawing at her stomach.
Eli came downstairs, half-asleep.
"You guys look fancy," he said, yawning.
"We have some important stuff today, buddy," Elias said, crouching to meet him at eye level. "You'll be with Nadine, remember? She's going to take you to the park and get ice cream."
Eli brightened. "Two scoops?"
"As many as you want," Aria said, kissing his forehead.
Eli hugged her tightly, sensing more than understanding the tension in the air.
"You'll be okay, Mom," he said into her shoulder.
Her throat closed painfully.
She hugged him back fiercely.
The courthouse smelled like bleach and fear.
Aria sat stiffly on the bench outside the courtroom, Hutchins on one side, Elias on the other.
Opposing counsel stood across the hall — a sharp-faced woman with a stack of files thicker than a phone book.
"They're bringing heavy artillery," Hutchins said grimly.
"Fantastic," Elias muttered.
Aria couldn't stop tapping her foot.
The door opened. A clerk stuck her head out. "Case 204B. Winters v. McCade. You're up."
Aria's heart leaped into her throat.
Elias stood first, offering his hand.
She took it.
For a brief, steadying second, they squeezed tightly — and let go.
Together, they walked into the courtroom.
The judge was a middle-aged woman with stern eyes and no patience for theatrics.
"Counselors," she said, nodding at both sides. "Let's begin."
As the opening arguments started, Aria sat as straight as she could, hands folded neatly in her lap.
The prosecutor went first — a brutal takedown that painted her as unstable, unreliable, and emotionally erratic.
Every word felt like a knife.
She wanted to shout. To defend herself.
But Hutchins had warned her: Don't react. Don't let them see it land.
So she sat. Silent. Steady. Enduring.
When Hutchins stood to rebut, his words were calm, professional — and devastating.
He spoke of Aria's stability. Her sacrifices. Her parenting.
He spoke of Eli.
He made it clear that this case wasn't about punishing Aria or Elias for their past mistakes. It was about doing what was best for a little boy who needed both his parents — not a war.
Aria blinked hard, willing the tears away.
She couldn't cry here. Not now.
The first witness was called — Nadine.
She walked confidently to the stand, hand steady as she was sworn in.
The prosecutor tried to trip her up immediately.
"Isn't it true," the woman said, "that Aria has struggled emotionally in the past?"
Nadine smiled slightly — not smug, but knowing.
"Hasn't everyone?"
There was a murmur of amusement in the courtroom.
Nadine continued. "Aria loves her son. Fiercely. She's made mistakes — who hasn't? But she's never once let those mistakes touch Eli."
Aria gripped the edge of her chair, breath shallow.
Nadine held firm under cross-examination, refusing to be rattled.
When she stepped down, she shot Aria a tiny, reassuring wink.
Aria wanted to collapse into a puddle of gratitude.
When the judge called for a recess, Aria bolted for the hallway, desperate for air.
Elias followed.
"You're doing great," he said quietly.
"I haven't even been called up yet."
"You will be," he said. "And you'll crush it."
Aria nodded, trying to believe it.
Elias leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
"You know what I keep thinking about?" he said.
"What?"
"How much they're underestimating you."
Aria raised an eyebrow.
"They think you're fragile," he said. "That you're going to fall apart under pressure."
"And you don't?"
He smiled crookedly. "I've seen you furious. I've seen you survive worse than this."
Aria looked at him — looked.
And in that moment, she found something steady inside herself.
Something solid.
"I'm not going down without a fight," she said.
Elias's grin widened.
"Good," he said. "Because neither am I."