Exhibit Laws - JB

Chapter 42 - We're in this together

[JESSICA'S POV]

*Several months later* 

Waking up with back pains and extreme morning sickness was a completely normal thing now, it didn't worry me anymore. I used to think something was wrong when my stomach was aching this way but being in the last month of your pregnancy was much easier than the months before. You get used to certain things and you start thinking some other way.

Today was a special day. Not only because there's hardly a week before our baby is due but also because Justin was finally meeting Marissa in court. The case had been put up a few months due to the judge not being available the first few dates that were set out. The lawyers had been going back and forth, arguing with each other and I knew Justin was more than ready with his arguments. I knew he was looking forward to winning back his child.

I had been making sure I was staying free for him in the sense that I wanted him to feel my support but nothing more than that. Justin had asked if I could join the case again, go back to help him and I had given him the few arguments that I would've personally gone with but I had chosen to stay out of the actual case and court. I was excited to go and watch him, knowing he had a great standard put up in front of him, but I didn't want to stress myself out with the baby and therefore I had decided that this was his war to fight, not mine. 

It made me happy to know that he supported my decision as well even though I know he'd really like me to help throughout everything. I had done my best and I was certain that he would do amazing without me, especially knowing he's been a lawyer for much longer than me and he's specifically educated within divorce and family rights. This was his type of subject, he would do amazing today.

"Are you ready?" I heard a voice from behind, interrupting my daydream that was forming. A daydream that included a family of four. Justin, me, Noah and our little Nova. If she was a girl, that is. 

We still hadn't checked the actual gender but we could both feel like it was a girl. I could feel it in the way she moved, it's an unusual sensation to know that you have a person growing inside of you. It already felt like my child, already felt like I knew her. I didn't have to check the gender to feel like I knew who was growing inside of me. I just knew. 

I nodded at his question, "I'm ready. Are you nervous?"

We both began to walk towards the car, locking the house in the process as I listened closely to what he had to say. Justin tried to convince me that he wasn't as nervous as he should be but his body language said differently. His hands were fumbling with the keys, he seemed a bit sweaty and sometimes his words stammered. 

I wasn't surprised, I would have been nervous in his situation too. Today will be the final day where he knows how his future is going to look like. Whether or not he will have custody of his child.

"How do you feel about all of this?" He turned to look at me and even though I knew what he meant, I pretended as if I didn't and gave him a confused look, "I can still call it off if you want."

"Why would I want that?"

"Because this isn't your child, I don't want you to feel uncomfortable whenever Noah's around knowing it's not yours," Justin grabbed my hand after we had both made it into the car, my huge belly stopping us from doing it quickly. He held it steadily and gave me a serious gaze, his eyes burning into mine meanwhile I could hear the heartbeats fastening under his tight shirt, "I know we're building our own family together and I promise I will put as much time into that, if not more, than to Noah. It must be really weird for you to just jump into something like this and if you're uncomfortable with Noah or Marissa, I can still call it off. I love Noah a lot but I want you to be happy-"