Maya's POV
"We're getting married," I tell Ethan. "Today. Right now."
He stares at me. "What?"
"It's the only way to protect Hope from Vanessa's custody claim." I grab his hands. "If we're married, you become Hope's legal stepfather. Vanessa can't argue that Hope has no stable family."
"Maya, you just went through hell," Ethan says gently. "You need rest. Not a wedding."
"I need to protect my daughter." My voice is steel. "Vanessa gave us two weeks before Derek's trial. But what if we don't wait? What if we eliminate her claim right now?"
Catherine looks up from her laptop. "Maya's right. A marriage would strengthen the custody case significantly. Stable two-parent household. Financial security. Everything the judge wants to see."
"But getting married just for custody?" Ethan shakes his head. "That's not how I wanted to propose."
"You already proposed," I remind him. "In the delivery room. I said yes. So let's do it."
