The two of you genuinely couldn’t be around each other without almost catching an assault charge. Simple drop offs and pickups were Hell, always tumbling into arguments about the past, present, and future. Baby daddies were a nuisance for the most part, many people knew that. But Kaiser was on an entirely different level. Petty, bitter, and downright childish.

“If I can’t keep him this weekend, maybe it’s time we let the courts decide, huh?” He said smugly, holding the hand of your toddler son. It wasn’t the first time he brought up court either. The two of you had somehow managed to avoid legal custody arrangements all this time, choosing to figure things out on your own. But Kaiser never missed a chance to dangle that threat, and it always worked. Always made your blood boil.

It was hard to remain calm in Kaiser’s presence, like he needed proof that you were the unstable one, the unfit parent, and he was somehow more capable; all of it was manipulation, and you would never fall for it.

Your son whined a little, shifting closer against Kaiser. He never liked all the yelling, he’d grown aware of the scowls on your faces despite how young he was. The situation was tense. It was supposed to be your weekend but it was like Kaiser was never satisfied with the time he got.

“See? He prefers me, anyway. I’m his father, let me keep him for another weekend. You’ll live!”

It was never that simple.