The Rules of Dating(88)
That made me chuckle. “No, sweetheart, I didn’t get in trouble at work.”
“So why aren’t you smiling?”
“I’m sorry. I guess I was just thinking about something.”
“It’s okay, Daddy. But maybe you should call Billie.”
“Why would I call Billie?”
Saylor shrugged. “Because you always smile when you’re around her.”
God, this kid doesn’t miss a thing. I lifted her up and set her back in the bathtub so I could rinse her hair. “You know who else makes me smile?”
“Who?”
I swiped my finger through her hair, grabbing a dollop of suds, and tapped them onto her nose. “You.”
She smiled, and I felt it in my chest. There wasn’t anything in this world I wouldn’t do to keep my little girl happy. I needed to remember she was the reason I had to get through this shit with Maya.
After Saylor’s bath, I read her a story and tucked her into bed. As I walked out of her room, I heard my phone buzzing from the kitchen counter. I frowned as I read the name flashing. Adam. My immigration lawyer. I took a deep breath before answering. “Hello?”
“Hi, Colby, it’s Adam Altman. Sorry to call so late, but I just spoke to Xavier Hess, Maya’s attorney.”
“Oh?”
“Did things not go well this afternoon?”
I sighed. “It was a shitshow. Apparently the officer had been coming back from his break at the same time I arrived at the building, and he saw me walk up to Maya. He noticed my frosty greeting, and that put him on the offensive from the minute we started. Then I was wrong about which hand she wrote with, and things went downhill from there.”
“Well, Xavier claims he’s friendly with a clerk in the office you went to, and your file was marked for a Stokes hearing after you left.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s a second interview that takes place when the officer suspects the marriage is fraudulent.”
“Shit. How screwed am I?”
“Well, it’s not good. But it’s essentially a second chance for you two to prove you have a real marriage. So you can get this back on track. Though a Stokes hearing is way harder than whatever you went through today. You and Maya will be interviewed separately and recorded. The officer will then compare the videoed answers for any discrepancies. And these interviews are notoriously long and detailed, sometimes running up to eight hours.”
I dragged a hand through my hair. “I was soaked with sweat after five minutes today. How the hell am I going to handle eight hours of interrogation?”
“It’s not easy. But if it’s any consolation, I can attend this one with you, if you’d like, and I should also represent Maya so we present with a united front.”
Nothing could console me at the moment. “When will this all take place?”
“We’ll have to wait until we get the formal notice in the mail to find out the date. But usually it’s a few weeks after the letter arrives.”
“Great.” I sighed.
“I should probably also warn you, this particular officer has been known to make unannounced house calls bright and early in the morning and late at night. He also likes to stop by people’s jobs to speak to coworkers.”
“What? How can he do that?”
“It’s an investigation. He has a lot of leeway.”
“What am I supposed to do if he shows up here?”
“Let’s just take this step by step. That doesn’t usually happen until the officer sees how things go at the Stokes hearing. I only wanted to give you a heads up about what might happen down the road. Try to hold off on the panic. Nothing is even official yet.”
I was long past panic. But what could I do about it? Nothing. So I shook my head. “Yeah, okay. I’ll try.”
“I’m sorry I’m not calling with better news, Colby. But these things can get back on track. I’ve had cases go to a Stokes hearing, and then subsequently a green card is issued. It’s not over yet.”
No? Then why does it feel like someone just nailed my coffin shut?
Fifteen minutes later, I was pouring my second glass of whiskey when there was a knock at the door. I froze, thinking it was Officer Weber, before realizing it was probably only Billie. She’d said she was coming over tonight after her last appointment.
This was the first time since I’d walked into her tattoo shop to introduce myself as her landlord that I really didn’t want to see her. I’d let us down today, and I dreaded hurting her any more than I already had. But it was obviously too late to cancel, so I walked to the door and tried to put on my best face to greet her.
Though she was apparently as perceptive as my daughter. Billie took one look at me, and the smile fell from her face. “Shit. What happened?”
CHAPTER 26
Billie
Just when we’d started bracing for the worst, nothing happened—for weeks. We’d had a three-week break from any action as we waited for the next step in the hearing process. Every single day that went by felt like borrowed time, so once again, Colby and I cherished each minute. And just as this latest stretch of peace had been unexpected, so was the moment it all came to a screeching halt one Friday afternoon.