Twisting the key, JJ heard the box unlock. Neil walked by her, kissing her cheek. "Can you get the letters for me too please?" He handed the keys to her. "I'm gonna get the packages."

"Do you think they've been getting annoyed at how many packages we've been getting?" she asked as her hand reached into the mailbox.

"Well that's your fault, honey. I thought you moving in would be just moving your stuff, I didn't know you needed to order so much shit." Neil took a step back with a laugh before she could hit his shoulder. "I love you too."

After entering through the door, JJ scanned through the letters and gave Neil all addressed to him. He kissed her cheek to thank her before she walked into the bedroom to change. By the time Neil had joined her, he had a frown on his face and was intently reading the letter.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Lara's mother. She wants custody." JJ tilt her head to the side as he handed the letter to her. "It's there. She actually wants custody of our little girl after abandoning her when she was just a couple days old?"

Without taking her eyes off the letter, she reached a hand out to Neil's, feeling him immediately squeeze onto hers. "Calm down, honey. We'll make some coffee and took at this properly, okay? We'll call your dad and-"

"For fuck sake!" he groaned as he walked out the room. She quickly finished the letter and then went to find him. As expected, he was in the balcony, glancing onto the busy streets.

"Do you want some time to be by yourself?"

"No...I just....I'm sorry. I shouldn't have walked away like that."

"That's okay. I finished the letter. She's put forth an argument that she's married and works from home. Has more kids in private education. Has a husband who earns plenty. I get why you're frustrated." When she saw him look down, she slowly walked towards him. Her hand gently ran through his hair. "I'll go and make you a cup of coffee, yeah?"

Before she could walk away, he pulled her into a tight hug, burying his head into her shoulder. "I love you. I love you so much." She ran her hand through his hair as she sighed.

"I know honey. I love you too. Let me go and make you some coffee and you can have some time to yourself okay?"

"No," he mumbled. "No." He straightened up and gently placed his hands on her cheeks. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"To hell you are. You can be upset too, she's our daughter."

"I'm not though am I? This is her real mum and I-"

"I better not hear you say that again, you hear me?" Neil leaned his forehead against hers. "You are her mother and no one else is going to take that place. I don't care how good she is or if she's changed but no one is taking that place. You have loved her from the beginning. You have accepted her and put her first and I will be damned if I find another woman to love her the way you do. You're my everything, Cara." He pecked her lips softly. "I'll call my lawyer and solicitor. If she wants to take this straight to court then she's got another thing coming."

* * *

Neil stood in the mirror as he straightened his collar. He heard the door open and glanced in the mirror to see JJ standing still and watching him.

"I'm fine, cara." She scoffed as she walked up to him. Her hands wrapped around his waist and she rest her head against his back. Neil slowly placed his hands on top of hers. "It's going to be okay, Jay. We're going to the meeting and Lara will be honest about what she wants. If she wants to get to know Penny then she can, I'm not against that. I'm just against the fact that she wants full custody."

JJ nodded her head. "We'll get through it. Together."

Neil turned around and pulled her to his chest. He kissed the top of her head. "Yes we will. But let's go, it's quite a long way away."

When they had reached the office, Neil stopped at the entrance, staring at the glass door, watching as families walk in and out. He felt JJ slip her hand into his and gave it a squeeze. She looked up at him and caught his eye, giving him a reassuring smile. He then looked down at Lara who was swinging their joint hands.

"We can do this, Neil." He sighed but nodded his head.

Once inside, JJ and Neil watched as Lara was taken into the room by a solicitor. They sat down outside the room and waved at Lara until the door was closed.

Lara looked around the room. There was a sofa, a desk, a beanbag and a floor seating with cushions. The lady and man behind her took a seat at the table and she went for the bright orange bean bag.

"Are you comfortable, Lara?"

"Yes. I like bean bags."

"Right well I'm just letting you know that I'm going to start recording now, okay?" Lara nodded her head and the woman pressed the button. "You just let me know if you're uncomfortable, if you don't want to talk about anything anymore, if you need to go to the toilet or if you're hungry. Your dad told us everything you like beforehand so we have them ready for you."

"Okay," Lara said with a smile.

"Right well like we said outside, my name is Ava and this is my friend Brad. We're here to talk to you about a few things regarding your parents. I want you to be completely honest with me because there is no right or wrong answer. You don't have to worry about hurting anyone because whatever you say is going to stay in this room. I promise you that. I need you to be honest with me so we can make you happy, okay?"

"Yes. Daddy and JJ always tell me to tell the truth."

Brad smiled as he turned to face her completely. "What do you think is the best present your daddy ever got you?"

Lara thought for a while. "I can't say. I love everything Daddy gets me."

"And what would you say was your best birthday?"

"This one is easy. It was my eight birthday party. I just turned eight."

"I heard. I hope you had a lot of fun," Ava said.

"I did. I had so much fun because JJ was there as well. And she made my cake. And she played with me and my friends and we all cut the cake together."

"And do you like JJ?"

Lara shook her head. Brad wrote this down. "No. I love her to the moon and back. She's my person."

"Your person? Can you tell us a little more about that?"

"When my nonno had a stroke, my daddy told me that JJ was his person because he loves her and she loves him and she helps him be a better person. And I love JJ. She's my best friend and we always have fun together."

"Did you always like JJ?"

"Yes. She was very nice to me and she was my friend first before she was daddy's girlfriend."

Brad leaned forward. "I heard that JJ is moving in with you guys. How do you feel about that?"

"I feel very happy. She's my best friend and it means we can have sleepovers all the time without her having to go home. And like daddy said, she's always at our house anyways."

"Lara...do you understand that JJ isn't just your friend? That she is your daddy's girlfriend?"

"Yes of course. I want her to be my mummy."

"And why is that?"

"Because I love her. And she loves me. My friends have mums and I see the way they are and JJ and I are the same. Nonna even gave the ring to daddy so she will be my mum one day."

"Does it make you upset that she isn't your mum now?"

Lara frowned. "No. Because I know she loves me. She tells me every night. And I tell her every night."

Brad looked over at Ava with a smile. "Well I'm very glad to hear that Lara."

"Has your dad ever spoken to you about your birth mum before you met JJ? Or have you ever asked your dad?"

The room fell silent. Lara played with her fingertips. "I asked him before. Every mothers day my old school would have everyone bring their mum in and I had to bring my dad in. I asked him where she was and he told me she was doing something very important and couldn't be with me. He said she was saving the world. But I know he's lying."

"What makes you think he's lying?"

"Because my friend has a mum who is in the army and his mum comes home every now and then. She is saving the world and she still sees her son. So why can't my mum come and see me?" Lara sighed. "The priest always tells me that sometimes people are not meant to be in our lives. That they come for a reason and they are to teach us good and bad. If my mum did love me then she would see me. She would have have come to my birthday parties. She would have tucked me into bed and read me a story. She would have taught me how to plait my hair. She would have come to my school plays even when I was a tree. She would have walked me to school. She would have taken me shopping and gotten ice cream after. She would have left me notes in my school lunch telling me I look beautiful. She would have given me a kiss after school and pretend to like all my drawings. If she loved me, she wouldn't have left me. But daddy and JJ do all those things and that's why only JJ can be my mummy."

Ava sighed softly. "I can see you're a little upset, Lara. Would you like to take a break?"

Lara wiped away her tears. "Can I go outside and see JJ? She gives the best hugs and I need a hug."

"Of course you can, Lara." Brad stood up and opened the door for her. JJ had her head resting on Neil's shoulder as he played with the tips of her fingers. When they heard the door open, they straightened up. As soon as the door was fully open, Lara ran out and jumped into JJ's lap. Neil heard her crying and leaned down to kiss her head.

"Hey, it's okay, monkey. We're here. Shh, it's okay." JJ felt her eyes burn as she heard Lara sob into her neck. She rocked them back and forth until she quietened down.

"Tesero, sweety tell me what's wrong. You know daddy hates seeing you cry." Lara slowly looked up and Neil sighed, feeling his heart ache at the tears running down his daughter's face. "Come here, Tesero." JJ slowly handed Lara over. "It's okay, Lara. We're here and we got you. You can stay here as long as you want and if it's hugs and kisses you want then we'll give you as many hugs and kisses as you want, okay?"

"Okay," she mumbled. Lara stuck out a hand and JJ held onto it tightly. "JJ, I want you to be my mummy." JJ looked up at Neil in shock. He gave her a soft smile and then a slight nod.

"I would love to, monkey." She leaned forward and kissed the top of her head.

"Hey don't you start crying now," Neil said as he lifted a hand to wipe away the corner of her eyes. "Are you ladies trying to break my heart into a million pieces?"

"We're sorry," they both said at the same time.

"It's alright, you're both forgiven."

"Daddy?"

"Yes princess?"

"Do you think we can get some ice cream after this?"

"We most certainly can."

Ava and Brad watched as the three of them talked for a while until Lara got off Neil's lap. JJ leaned down to kiss her cheek and then the top of her head.

"I want you to know how proud I am of you. You are so strong and brave. If you do feel upset again then you can come out again and your daddy and I will be here for you, I promise. But just go back in, have a glass of water and then juice- not the juice first, and just be honest, okay?" Lara nodded her head. "Alright. I love you monkey."

Lara pulled her into a hug before going back to the door. "I love you too, mummy," she said with a smile.