“I know, I’m sorry. What happened?”
Crouching down, I curl my hand around his neck in what I hope is a soothing gesture. To this day I sometimes make the wrong social moves.
“I don’t even know.” Those tears roll down his eyes, making tracks against his skin. I remember this, remember not knowing why my mom and stepdad were mad at me. What about me made me so annoying? “I was quiet,” he sobs. “Tried my best to fade into the background, not to make noise and not to need anything.”
I’ve done the same thing so many times, and I know this pain. When it fails, you’re lost. Lost because this is your last hope. Being ignored is so much better than feeling fists, belts, or even verbal assaults. “I know you did, and regardless of what you said or did, you didn’t deserve this.”
“What did you do?” he asks, his eyes big as they look into mine. “How did you get away?”
The story I’m about to tell him is truly ironic. “A police officer found me, he and his wife adopted me after I was taken from my mom’s care.”
“A police officer found you like you found me?”
God how I wish it were that simple. Nothing about this situation is simple, but I also realize I have to be the one person who will be honest with him. “Yeah, and then he adopted me.”
“Can you adopt me? I don’t want to go home anymore. I hate it there, if they send me back, I’ll really run away this time.”
His face is getting red as he gets angry. I’m sure living on the streets, not knowing where his next meal will come from is a better alternative, but for me that’s not going to work.
Kels steps in when it’s obvious I don’t have the right words. She bends down until she’s at eye level with him.
“Right now I don’t know what’s going to happen.” She speaks slowly and calmly. “But what I can promise you is that we will,” – she points to me and then herself – “do our absolute best to get you out of the situation you’re in. Does that mean it’ll happen overnight? Probably not. There are rules and laws that have to be followed. What I can tell you, and honestly tell you, is that Officer Kepler and I are worried about you, and you only. You’re our top priority.
He nods stoically, holding his trembling chin as still as he can. Something tells me he’s never been anyone’s top priority before. Kelsey and I both look at the social worker. It’s almost like a standoff until Dr. Patterson says something about going to get Darren something to eat. As soon as he leaves the room, I feel the tension rise, and I know it’s time to forget all the shit that’s happened to me in my past. My past wasn’t great, but if I could make new memories for someone in my situation. I would damn sure do it.
Kels comes to stand beside me, putting her arm in mine. The two of us make a united front as we face the social worker. She looks like she doesn’t want to face off with us, and that’s fair. Together Kels and I are unstoppable. Neither one of us take no for an answer when that situation is this important, and we’re both stubborn as hell. This woman and Darren’s father, have met their match. This won’t happen again. Not on our watch.
Thirteen
Kelsea
“So what’s the plan?” I ask, moving my hand down Nick’s arm before grabbing his hand in mine. He’s an anchor, keeping me solid when all I want to do is rage at the injustice of all of this. “There has to be a plan.” Glancing a look over at him, I can see he looks just about how I feel – like I’m going to throw up right here on the floor. Or maybe scream, just to get the nerves out. This moment is so crucial. A child’s life remains in the balance of what happens in this one set of circumstances that probably will end up being a few short seconds of his entire life. I feel the pressure as I take a deep breath, blowing it out slowly, hoping to relieve some of the tension.
“He’ll go into foster care,” Nick says, his voice monotone, his body tight. “Right?” He barks so harshly that I feel sorry for this woman. “You’ll put him in some group home, or with a couple who only take children because they get the kickbacks from the government.”
“There are many options…”
“Don’t give me that shit.” Nick jerks my hand out of his, pushing it through his hair. Pointing his finger at her. “You know there aren’t any great options for this kid, just like I do.” He looks as if he wants to say more, but he’s holding himself back.
“Then what do you suggest she do?” Ransom speaks up from where he’s been sitting. “I understand why you don’t want him in the system, and I understand where you’re coming from, Nick, but that doesn’t fix the problem. So what’s your solution?”
Nick’s dark eyes cut over to his friend. If I were on the receiving end of that stare, I might wilt and die. “I don’t know,” he admits. “Anything has to be better than what he’s been facing.”
“You got out of the situation he’s in, what was the change for you?” Ransom presses, seeming to think Nick has all the answers. “If they don’t have a solution, then it’s up to us to make one.”
Roselynn looks back and forth between all of us. “How about we sit down and discuss this like the adults we are. All we’re doing right now is getting irritated and frustrated. None of that helps Darren’s situation.”
“She’s right.” I back her up, pulling out a chair and having a seat. We must all make a defensive picture, everyone trying to fight for this kid, but ending up just getting irritated at one another.
She follows my lead, and as we stare at Nick, he finally relents.
He walks back to his seat, sitting with a huff. His body language conveys that he likes none of this, but there’s not much any of us can do. If the answers were easy, this wouldn’t be a problem in the first place.
“To answer your question,” – he looks at Ransom – “what got me out of that situation was Ryan and Whitney adopting me. I was lucky enough that they saw me, wanted me, and knew the right people to get it working fast.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but can the same thing happen for him?” he asks Roselynn.
Her body shifts in the seat, almost as if she’s uncomfortable under his gaze. I know I would be. “If extenuating circumstances are presented and the person or people want to take possession of the child, it could be fast tracked.”
“Possession of the child?” Nick makes a face. “It’s almost like you forget this is a person. It’s his life we’re talking about here.”
“I do understand that.” She raises her voice to him. “But you have to understand where I’m coming from, Officer Kepler, my hands are tied half the time.”
“So what can untie them?” I ask softly.
“If there is a couple who can provide a stable home, then the courts are more willing to fast track. Especially if that couple includes a cop and a medical assistant.” She looks at both of us.
“We’re not.” I gesture between us. “We’re not really that kind of a couple yet.”
Ransom pipes up. “But you could be, and I know both of you would do this for a child who needed the help.”
Nick and I look at one another. Would we really do this to save a child’s life? “What would be the requirements?” I can’t believe I’m asking this.
“You two have to share a residence with an expectation of marriage, if you aren’t already married. The home would need to pass inspection, there’s a list of things.”
Nick and I look at each other. There’s something in his eyes. He can’t leave Darren in the same situation he was in, and honestly, I can’t let him stay there either. Knowing what he’s endured, and most likely will endure… I just can’t. “We’ll do it,” I find myself saying before I can regret it.
“Are you sure?” His dark eyes burn into mine. “There won’t be any going back, Kels.”
“I’m positive.” I nod, glancing over at Roselynn. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
Within the last two hours, things have happened in a whirlwind. Nick and I have signed the preliminary papers that will petition the courts to have Darren p
laced with us as a foster child. A lawyer friend of Dr. Patterson’s, Taylor, who looks like she walked straight out of a New York fashion ad, is sitting with the group, pushing some more paperwork that we need to read. Darren has been taken to a group home for the next forty-eight hours to allow us time to get an emergency hearing called.
I watched him as he left; he had hope in his eyes. For the first time, he didn’t seem beaten down by the system, or a father who never cared. It’s a huge responsibility we’re undertaking and I pray Nick and I can handle it.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat this,” Taylor says. “From everything I’ve been able to read, the father will fight. Not because he wants Darren, but because he like to control Darren. The two of you will have to be able to handle him, as well as Darren.”
“I’ve handled men like him my whole life.” Nick takes a drink from a bottle of water someone gave us at some point in this long afternoon.
My throat is dry as I try to swallow around the bulge there. This is so much more than either of us thought it would be.
“The expectation of marriage…” she trails off. “We’ll need her to wear a ring. It will be imperative for the two of you to live together, have a joint checking account. Whatever happens after it’s determined who will have permanent custody of Darren is up to you, but until that point, you’ll need to be believable.”
Nick and I both voice our understanding as we sign even more paperwork.
“I’ll give you this week and the rest of next week off with pay,” Dr. Patterson is saying.
“That’s way too much.” I shake my head.
“It’s in the handbook,” he interrupts me. “If you have an adoption, then you’re eligible for the same kind of leave a woman physically having a baby is as well. After next week, we’ll discuss if you need further time off.”
“That leaves only Karsyn.” I worry my thumbnail.
“We’ll make it work, Kelsea. I can get some temp help and search for a new assistant. I never replaced Stella. It’s about time.”
This whole situation is moving so much quicker than I ever imagined it would. My head is spinning as I try to remember everything Nick and I need to do.
“That’s the end of it.” Taylor grabs up all the papers, putting them in her briefcase. When I was little, I always thought people who had briefcases were the coolest people ever. In my mind they had jobs that were so important, they needed to carry them around all the time. “My advice to the two of you is go home, get some sleep, and tomorrow will start the fight for Darren’s life.”
By this time, it’s well past closing time. Walking out into the mugginess of the night, I turn to Nick. “I’m assuming we should move into your apartment, because of the balcony.” I gently grab his hand.
“That’ll be best. I have a two-bedroom. We’ll have to share.”
Wrapping my arms around his neck, I place a chaste kiss on his lips. “Believe it or not, that won’t bother me one bit.”
But as I drive away, watching him in my rearview, I wonder if the thought bothers him.
Fourteen
Ryan (Renegade)
As soon as I see my son walk through the doors of my shop, I know something’s wrong. His shoulders are dejected, his eyes have an anger in them I haven’t seen in years. I’m worried, even though I know he’s a man now. Hell, he’s been a man since he was a teenager. I still worry though, really worry that he’ll never be able to overcome the way he was brought into this world.
“Hey, Dad.” He waves slightly before turning to shut the door.
“Hey,” I answer back, not stopping the crib I’m working on.
“Did Stella and Ransom tell you?” He nods to the piece in front of me.
I can’t help the wide smile that spreads across my face. “Yeah, shoulda known they told you first. You and Stella have always had a close relationship.”
“We have.” He walks over to the refrigerator I keep in here.
Carefully I watch him open the door, pull a beer out, then come sit down on one of the empty benches. He’s still in full gear, and no matter how badly I want to press him, I know I shouldn’t. We’re quiet for what feels like a million years. Him slowly sipping on the bottle, me sanding away at the crib that my grandchild will lay in at night. I’m waiting until they tell me if it’s a boy or a girl, then I’ll paint it.
Stealing a look at Nick, I wonder when he’ll be ready to talk. “You know,” I start off in the quietness of the room. “I remember when you first moved in. You’d come out here and watch me work all the time. This had always been such a private thing for me. While your mom and Stella love the things I’ve made for them, they’ve never watched me work. At first, I found it disconcerting that you watched me, then I got used to it. When you asked me to teach you to do all this stuff, I was so excited because I had someone else who would love what I love,” I grunt out as I turn a screw. “Then when you moved out, it was back to this solitary thing again. I have to admit – I’ve missed having you out here, watching me.”
“It fascinated me,” Nick says softly. “To watch you do something with your hands like that. You never forced a board in where it didn’t go, never got angry when you measured something wrong, and laughed if the color you painted something was completely wrong. You have to understand, I came from a home where strong hands meant bruises. Then when you started to teach me, I loved you even more, because you showed me what I could do with my frustration. There’ve been many times, even today when I’ve taken a frustrating day out on some wood working project.”
I turn around to face him. “You always used to come out here, too, because you had a lot on your mind. So why don’t you tell me what’s happening, and maybe I can help you.”
He takes another drink of his bottle before grimacing. “Not real sure you can help me with this, Dad.”
“But I can try, and sometimes that’s all you need.”
He drains the beer, throwing it in the trashcan before he runs his fingers through his hair and starts talking. “There’s this little boy, his name is Darren…”
“Do you think we’re stupid?” He finishes up the story.
I take a long drink of the beer I had to get while he was telling me about this child. “No, I don’t think you’re stupid, but you may be surprised at how much it will strain a relationship to have a kid in the mix.”
“I don’t think mine and Kels relationship can get any more strained than it was.”
A dark laugh works it’s way out of my throat. “You would be surprised. But more than anything, I want you to understand what you’re inviting into your home. I know you’ve dealt with children like this before, and you were a child like this, but it’s different when it’s in your own home. There may be emotional outbursts, he may need to be reassured more than most, scared you’re going to leave and never come back. I’m not going to lie, it’s a lot to take on.”
He lifts his head, looking straight into my eyes. “But it’s worth it, right?”
There’s a look there, and I know he’s asking me if he was worth it. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything. You completed our family, Nick. Who knows, maybe Darren and Kels, they’ll complete yours. You’re not going to know until you give it a shot.”
“What if she doesn’t want to deal with all this shit, so early in a relationship?”
“Trust me, if she didn’t want to deal with it, she wouldn’t have offered to help. Kels cares a lot about you, she always has, you’ve never wanted to see it,” I tell him all the things I’ve seen over my lifetime.
He gets up, stretching, looking out the window. “It’s late, I should go. Thank you for the talk, and I’m sure I’ll be asking you and mom so many questions, you’ll shut your phone off.”
“Not a chance, Nick,” I grab him up in a hug, holding on a little tighter than normal. “I’m proud of you. You’ve got this. You’ll make Darren’s life better, I know it.”
“Was that Nick I saw?” Whitney asks as she stands over the
stove, making dinner.
“It was, you’ll never believe what he’s doing.” I walk over to the sink, putting my hands under the faucet and soaping up.
“Dating Kelsea? It’s about time.”
A grin spreads across my face. “That’s not all he’s doing. He’s about to make one of the most adult decisions I’ve ever seen him make.”
“Now you’re starting to worry me. Adult decisions? What kind of adult decisions and why does he have to make them?”
I have a seat at the breakfast bar. It’s funny, I can remember almost every conversation she and I have had when she’s been at the stove cooking and I’ve been sitting here talking to her. We’ve done this for years, actually I can’t even remember a time when we didn’t do it anymore. It’s like my life is split into two parts before Whitney and after Whitney. I wonder if that’s how Nick thinks about us adopting him? There’s no way for me to ease into this, so I’m throwing a hail Mary like an Alabama quarterback.
“He’s trying to foster a little boy he met on a call.”
She stops what she’s doing, turning around to look at me with wide eyes. “Are you serious?”
“Wouldn’t lie to ya, babe. He’s really doing it.”
“Well, what do we need to do to help him?”
This woman, the mother of my children, she’s always amazed me by how good of a mom she truly is, by how selfless she is when it comes to the two of them. “He didn’t ask for help.”
She turns off the burner, removing the skillet from the heat, and methodically does the same to whatever’s in the oven. With the grace she’s always had and the swagger she normally puts in her hips for me, she makes her way across the kitchen, stopping on the opposite side of the bar. “He won’t ask for help. It’s up to us as his parents to give it to him, whether he asks for it or not.”
Suppression: Laurel Springs Emergency Response Team #2 Page 8