“Well, we have an appointment with my lawyer.”
21
Jaxon
The receptionist leads us straight to the conference room of the law firm, where Fredrick Dawson, who’s been my friend and lawyer for the last two years, already waits for us. He’s gotten me out of some bad situations before and has always given me good advice. More importantly, he’s well connected and for the right price he can make things happen fast. He shakes my hand.
“Hey Buddy, good to see you.”
Frederick is only in his late twenties, but even though he is young he is extremely good at what he does.
He turns to Eliza. “How are you doing? It's nice to finally meet you.” He gestures to the leather seats neatly arranged around the large table, in the center of the room. Frederick has known about Eliza for a while. I had asked him to look into her options as soon as the thing with Coleman happened and I’m now, more than ever, glad that I did. This will speed up the whole process exponentially.
She gives him a shy smile and we all take a seat.
I told Eliza on the way over here what this visit was about, but neither one of us knows what Frederick was actually going to be able to make happen and how fast he can make it happen. We sit patiently, intertwining our fingers, as Frederick gets out a stack of papers and starts rearranging them. He lays one of them in front of Eliza so we both can read it and while he explains.
“This form is a Petition for the Emancipation of a Minor. You would have to fill this out and we have to send it back to the juvenile court, along with your birth certificate and some other documents.”
He shuffles through the other documents.
“I’ve already got your birth certificate. The other documents we need are character statements from people like your teachers, your caseworker or your doctor. The judge is going to look at those and determine if it is in your best interest to be in charge of your own affairs before the age of eighteen.”
Eliza looks over the paperwork in front of her, looking unsure about all of this.
“You know you don’t have to do this?” I tell her supportively and her head snaps up.
“I want this!” She said urgently. “I just don’t think people will believe that I can do this,” she discloses more quietly.
“We’ll get a bunch of people to write something and just pick the best ones,” Frederick chimes in. “Also, I believe these are the most important documents.”
He pushes more papers in front of us. “This will tell the court that you are financially independent and that is what they are going to look for the most.”
I didn’t tell her about this part. She starts reading the paper and her mouth falls open as she sucks in a breath of air, her eyes get bigger. She turns to me.
“You can’t!”
“I can, and I will,” I tell her unwavering.
“You didn’t even read the whole thing. It says in there that I still get to make most of the decisions. It’s really not that big of a deal.”
I try to downplay it but she isn’t stupid. This is a big deal. I’m making her co-owner of the club. Something I wouldn’t let Colt or Hunter do even though they asked me multiple times, and offered me a lot of money with it. I had always given them the same answer. I told them I wanted something that was my own and only mine. Now I made it hers too. I expect Hunter to be mad at me, but he will get over it eventually and Colt, well I couldn’t care less about what he thinks right now. He can rot in jail for all that I care.
Frederick keeps explaining about the procedure and documents.
“You don’t have to read over this whole document, part of my job is to explain to you what you are signing and trust me when I say there is no document that is more in your favor than this one. If I didn’t know Jaxon and this situation so well I would never let my client sign this.”
Eliza looks at him, one eyebrow raised.
“This paper pretty much says he’s giving you half of the club, you’ll receive half of all profits, and he is asking for nothing in return. You are not even required to work there or be involved in any way.”
Eliza leans back in her chair shaking her head.
“Please, I want to do this,” I assure her. “This will give you total freedom, no more group homes or foster parents. No one will be able to move you around without your consent. You can go and live wherever you want.” I add under my breath. "Of course, I want you to stay with me, but you don't have to.”
I think the last part is actually what reassured her.
“Ok,” she finally agrees.
Frederick sends us home with copies of everything and instructions on what to do next.
“I will let you know as soon as I hear when we need to be in court.”
Eliza gives him a small wave goodbye and we are out the door.
In the car, she holds the paperwork tightly in her lap with both hands. She opens the folder and looks through all the documents again, stopping when she gets to her birth certificate.
“Did you know your parents?” She asks.
“I knew my Dad, he has been in prison for most of my life. I have no clue where my mom is; she left when I was a baby. Never heard another word from her again.”
“I just know both of my parents are dead. I never even knew their names until today.”
“What?”
“I have never seen my birth certificate before and no one ever told me.”
I look at her sideways in shock. I’ve never even thought about it. I knew her parents were dead and that she was young enough not to remember them, but I was unaware that she knew so little about them. I don’t remember my mom but at least I know her name and I have seen a picture of her. I have some memories of my dad, most of it I would rather forget.
“Now that we have their names, we can look into your family if that’s something you want to do?”
She bites her bottom lip like she is thinking about it, then she shakes her head.
I don’t ask her why, because I know the answer. There is a fine line between wanting to know where you came from and not wanting to face the people who abandoned you.
When we open the door and walk into my apartment, Hunter and Jen are sitting on the couch together watching a movie. There are Chinese food cartons scattered on the coffee table. Jen and Hunter are sitting on the opposite ends of the couch, not even close to each other but somehow, I feel like we interrupted something personal here. They both look a little nervous and embarrassed. I’m going to be drilling Hunter about this later but I don't want to embarrass Jen even more by saying something now.
We didn’t have to wait long before Fredrick called me back and I’m relieved to hear that he pulled some major strings and got us a court date right away.
“We have a hearing tomorrow morning at ten,” I announce in relief.
22
Eliza
We spend the day driving around gathering documents. When we get back to Jaxon’s apartment I am surprised to find Jen and Hunter gone.
“Where did they go?”
“I sent them shopping,” Jaxon snickers.
“Why is that so amusing?”
“You’ll see when they get back. Hunter had texted me earlier saying that Jen went a little overboard shopping. I probably shouldn’t have given her my credit card.”
The thought of Jen at the mall with someone else’s credit card is not funny, that’s scary.
They come back an hour later. Overboard was an understatement. They’re carrying so many bags that they barely fit though the apartment door. Jen is literally beaming when she starts spreading out clothes on top of the kitchen table and Hunter falls onto the couch behind us, in exhaustion. He looks like he just ran a marathon.
“Don’t worry, I got a lot on sale,” She says, handing Jaxon a credit card back.
Jaxon turns to me.
“Frederick said that it would be good for you to dress business casual in court. Makes you look more adult.”
“Well, this is the
business casual section over here.” Jen waves her hand over half the table while grinning from ear to ear. I’m not even mad, seeing Jen cheered up so much in such a short amount of time makes me more than happy.
We spent the rest of the night trying on outfits and deciding what to wear tomorrow. Jen coincidentally bought an outfit that’s too big on me but fits her perfectly.
By the time we go to bed I feel as exhausted as Hunter looked earlier. We get into our normal spooning position. Before I fall asleep I think about the possibility of this being my life now. I would never feel alone again, never be afraid or uncomfortable in a stranger’s home. The thought gives me hope of a future I never thought possible.
I’m back in the room where an unmoving body lays in front of me. This time I don’t see Sarah at all. It is the woman I don’t know. The woman that looks like me. Her eyes are open and vacant but her mouth is moving like she is trying to tell me something. I can’t hear her so I lean closer to her face. That when I realize it's not her mouth that’s moving it’s something coming out of her mouth. Bugs start crawling from her lips onto her face and her body. I jump back, scooting backward on the floor until my back hits the wall. More and more bugs crawl out of her mouth and ears. A blanket of bugs is covering the floor moving towards me. I get up trying to get away but there is nowhere to go. The door is gone, the window is gone, and the walls are starting to close in on me. Bugs are crawling up my legs, covering my body and I start shaking and screaming.
“Eliza! Wake up!”
My eyes fly open and I stare at Jaxon’s worried face. He is hovering over me with both of his hands gripping my shoulders. I start crying and he lowers his body onto mine. Covering me but still leaning on his elbows so he doesn't smother me. I concentrate on matching his breathing until it calms me down.
“I want to know about my mom,” I say when I am composed enough to talk. “Can you get your laptop?”
“Sure.” He gets up and retrieves his computer from the dresser. We sit up next to each other, our backs leaning against the headboard.
The brightness of the screen blinds us both when he flips it open. He opens the browser with a search engine, and then slides the laptop over to me.
My hands rest on the keyboard for a few seconds before I can make them move. I type in the name I read for the first time today. Rosalyn Marie Parker.
The first thing that pops up is a death announcement with a picture of a young woman with a slender face, long blond hair, and big blue eyes. I recognize her right away. It's the woman from my dream.
“I dreamed about her. I didn’t know who she was in my dream but I remembered her face.”
“Your nightmare was about your mom?” Jaxon asks while rubbing my arm in comfort.
“I think I watched her die.”
Jaxon’s hand stills on my arm before he continues moving gently up and down. I go back to the search results and scroll down when I see the news article. I read the headline and know without a doubt in my mind that this is about my mom and me.
Three-Year-Old Girl Found with Mother’s Two Day Old Corpse
Monday morning a 24-year-old woman was found dead in her apartment when police received a call from neighbors reporting the woman’s three-year-old daughter had been crying at the window for two days. The woman was identified as Rosalyn Parker, whose husband, a police officer, had passed away just last year in the line of duty, making the daughter an orphan, mere weeks before her fourth birthday. The coroner has not yet released an official cause of death but it was confirmed that Mrs. Parker suffered from a rare heart defect that may have caused cardiac arrest.
I closed the laptop, unable to read anymore. I turn to Jaxon who grabs me and holds me to his chest. I don’t know why I’m crying, why this feels like I’m losing my mom again. I knew my parents were dead, but somehow knowing how it happened is closing another door. I don’t think I was ever able to completely mourn the loss of my mother until now. I cry for so long that my eyes feel raw and I have a pounding headache. I don’t know when I stop sobbing but when I am done I somehow feel better. Maybe I just needed a good cry or maybe it’s the fact that Jaxon is still holding me. His shirt now wet with my tears, but he doesn’t seem to care. The sun is starting to rise by the time I fall back asleep and this time it is a dreamless slumber that awaits me.
My reflection in the mirror looks foreign to me this morning. I’m wearing a blouse with a matching cardigan and a pencil skirt. Jen chose to pair that with some nude high heels, which only seem to make me more unsteady. She also pulled my hair back into a neat bun and put some makeup on my face. I’m holding on to the sink with both of my hands until the small panic attack subsides. I am so close to having the life I could’ve only dreamed of. Frederick said that there should not be a problem with the hearing and that everything is in my favor and my petition for emancipation should be approved today.
Of course, I can’t help having doubts. As I know from experience, if something is too good to be true, it usually is. Another reason I am freaking out is the fact that I have to overcome my five-word rule today. If the judge asks me questions I have to answer him. The thought of doing so fills me with dread. I know I am being ridiculous; this rule is nothing more than a game I made up in my head. Nothing is going to happen if I say more than five words today. Still, I can't get this feeling of wrongness out of me.
I know I can’t hide much longer inside the juvenile court’s bathroom before someone comes looking for me. I straighten up, force in a deep breath, and walk back out into the large hallway.
Jaxon, Frederick, Jen, Brad, and Christine are all waiting for me there. Jaxon called and explained everything to my current foster parents and they were more than happy to come and support me. The big wooden door that leads into the courtroom opens and a police officer appears. “Eliza Parker?”
“Yes.” I step forward.
“We are ready for you now.” He says and leads us into the room.
Frederick and I walk all the way upfront and stand at a small podium facing the judge. Everybody else takes a seat on the bench behind us.
I nervously intertwine my fingers in front of me. The judge is an older man with a white beard and square glasses perched on the tip of his nose. He is still looking down at a folder when he starts talking.
“Miss Parker, I received your petition and read through all the documentation that you have provided. I am aware of the fact that you have recently acquired partial ownership of an establishment that allows you financial independence."
He pauses and looks up at me for the first time.
I look at him nodding when Frederick softly elbows my arm.
“Yes, your Honor.” I say quickly and loudly, just like he had taught me to say it, earlier this morning.
“Mhm,” the judge nods and flips some pages.
“I have also received a police report saying that you have recently been the victim of a kidnapping and that you witnessed the murder of one of your caregivers. Is that true, Miss Parker?”
I try to swallow but there is no spit in my mouth, making it hard for me to speak.
“Yes, your Honor.” My voice is already wavering. I know he is going to say no now. Who in the world sent him the police report? Who knew that I was even doing this?
The judge continues to shuffle through the papers a few more times before continuing.
“Taken in consideration all I have learned today, I have come to the conclusion that it would be in your best interest to stay with a foster family who can support you after you have experienced such a traumatic ordeal. Unfortunately, I have to deny your petition of emancipation at this time, but I do wish you all the best Miss Parker.”
He says the words but there is no meaning to them. He is talking in such a monotone voice I don’t think he cares at all about my wishes and what is best for me.
I'm not sure if I’m mad or just disappointed. Frederick shakes his head next to me, his mouth drawn into a tight line. When I turn around I see th
at Jen looks disappointed while Jaxon is clearly more mad than anything. Brad and Christine just look worried. We walk out of the courtroom together in silence, all of our heads down in defeat. When we are back out in the hallway I look up toward the exit and that's when I catch his eyes. Robert Coleman is about to walk out the door, but he is looking back over his shoulder right at me. He has the biggest evil smirk on his face. And all of a sudden I know who leaked information to the judge.
I tighten my grip on Jaxon's arm, who just now looked up.
“I’m going to kill him,” He says under his breath. I half expect him to go after Coleman, but to my relief he is not making an attempt to leave my side.
“So, I guess we are moving to plan B?” Frederick asks all matter of fact.
I look up at him confused. I never heard of a plan B, but I’m already discouraged, since plan A worked out so miserably.
“I probably should ask her first.” Jaxon chimes in.
“That would be preferable, there is only so much I can do legally,” he says with a wicked grin.
Jaxon turns to me grabbing hold of both of my hands into his while I stare at him confused.
“Eliza, look I didn’t tell you about this before because I didn’t want you to feel pressured into anything. Also, I didn’t want you to say yes for the wrong reason and I didn’t want you to think I’m asking you for the wrong reasons either. You got to believe me when I tell you I want this, more than anything.”
“Ok,” I tell him, still trying to figure out what he is talking about.
“So, there are other ways to get emancipated, one way in particular that is actually much easier than what we were trying to do.”
Now I’m even more confused, why didn’t we do the easy thing first?
“You would be automatically emancipated if you get married. The age of consent to get married is sixteen in this state, all we need is Brad and Christine’s signature and we already have that.”
The Quiet Game (Pushed Aside Book 1) Page 12