~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
For the thousandth time JC looked over his shoulder toward the doors of the
courtroom. They remained shut and still as
they had for the last ten minutes. Where
is she? JC whispered as he leaned over
to George. His lawyer just shook his head and
tapped his pen on the desk in front of him. Its
after nine. JC had checked his watch
every thirty seconds since he sat down and was growing increasingly nervous.
Just wait.
How long will he sit up there? JC
whispered back as he looked up at the unhappy judge.
Until hes ready. George
turned to glance at JC and gave him a look to tell him to be quiet.
JC sighed and tried to keep his nervousness at bay.
He drew squares on the waxed table with his finger and kept his head down to force
himself not to look back again. He sang
nonsense songs in his mind and mouthed the words silently as his feet tapped out the beat.
Counselor? The judge spoke
up, breaking the silence of the courtroom. Loris
lawyer looked up suddenly with an expression of defeat.
Your client has held up my courtroom long enough."
"Yes your honor." Mr. Foley
nodded slowly.
"Mr. Chasez, is the child in your custody?" The judge turned to JC.
"Y-yes sir. Your honor." JC stumbled over his words.
"How long has he been in your custody?"
The judge flipped through the papers on his desk, then looked down through his
bifocals at them.
"Four months. A little longer
than four months." JC stood up slowly,
unsure of what he was supposed to do.
"The child was abandoned with you four months ago here in Los Angeles?" The judge asked, though he of course knew that was
the case.
"Yes."
"In that four months how many times did the mother contact you?"
"Um, she didn't contact me at all until a few weeks ago when she showed up at
the arena where I was - where we were playing. Since
then she's contacted me a couple times."
"Have you been the primary caregiver for the child for the last four
months?"
"Yes." JC nodded. "I've
uh, I've had some help though. From my
friends and my security team. But that's only
because we weren't prepared to have a kid
a uh, child on the tour with us."
"I understand you're planning on leaving the country on tour?"
"Yes your honor." JC blushed
and wanted to explain that they'd cancel the tour if they had to. "We will be leaving in about three months to
spend eight weeks in Europe."
"Who will care for him during that time?"
"I will." JC nodded. "And for the times when I'm performing I will
have one other person who will care for him. Now
that we have time to plan him into the tour, it'll go a lot smoother."
"Where are you going on your tour?"
The judge asked with a smile as he set the papers down.
"Oh, um
we're going to London, Paris, Hamburg
I'm sorry I don't
have the dates in front of me, I - "
"That's fine." The judge
held up his hand and turned to Mr. Foley. "Mr.
Foley, in a case like this I need to weigh the pros and cons of each household and
generally try to accommodate the child as best as we can.
I don't see how this is possible in this case.
Your client has filed for custody of the child in this case and has proven herself
unreliable. I would be remiss if I granted
custody to someone who was not here." He
paused to let that sink in for a moment. "I
am a firm believer that children should remain in the care of one or both parents if it is
at all possible. While Mr. Chasez' lifestyle
and celebrity status may not be the best suited for a child, I'd have to say that in this
city I have seen celebrity parents do far worse. I
see no evidence or accusations against Mr. Chasez' for wrongful behavior or child
endangerment so at this time I find it appropriate to release the child to the present
parent."
"Yes your honor." Mr.
Foley's chin dropped to his chest in defeat.
"I am forfeiting this judgment to the defendant, Mr. Joshua Scott Chasez for
the time being. The judge spoke loudly.
JC looked up as his heart soared, What
does that He began to ask
George.
Where is the child now? The
judge asked.
He is with my clients security team at their hotel your honor. George
spoke up and held out his hand to silence JC.
I am relinquishing physical and legal custody of the minor to Mr. Chasez, the
father in this case. Without objection or
argument from the mother in this case I see no alternative.
Should she magically reappear she may file an appeal and hope she doesn't land in
my courtroom again. He leaned forward
across his desk, Mr. Foley? Your client will be held responsible for the court
fees today as well. He tapped his
gavel, Adjourned. He stood and left the courtroom without making a
sound.
Wh-what just happened?
Youve been awarded legal and physical custody. George said with a surprised look.
I what? JC asked in disbelief.
Thats what she was suing you for, he forfeited the judgment to
you
you got what she was asking for.
So I dont
thats it?
Thats it. George
nodded with a smile.
No more court?
Well
she could always appeal. If
she ever shows up she most certainly will. George
shrugged, Shell have to go
through the courts to arrange a visitation schedule.
But for right now
?
Right now? Kyle is all
yours.
Hes
really?
Really. George nodded and
extended his hand to JC. Its been
a pleasure JC, congratulations.
Holy shit. JC said under
his breath. Where are I need
documentation. I want to see this on paper,
this is too good to be true. JC ran his
hands through his hair as they began to shake.
Ill wait here until the papers are drawn up. You can go ahead and head on back to the
hotel.
No way man, Im not leaving here until its official. Just my luck Id leave and shed show
up.
It would be too late. George
shook his head, but he knew where JC was coming from.
Mr. Foley collected his things on the small table in front of him and headed for
the back of the courtroom without so much as a glance at JC or his lawyer.
JC could hardly contain his excitement as his feet tapped under the table, Im gonna wake up soon. He said softly.
What?
This is all a dream man, theres no way this can be happening. JC shook his head as he leaned forward onto the
table. Theres just no way. All of this man.
Im gonna wake up and this is all going to have been a dream. Seriously, all of this.
The court? George laughed.
The court, Lori
heck
even Kyle.
Its all just too unreal. JC
started to laugh and worried he may never stop. Stuff
like this just doesnt happen to me.
Its real. George
nodded. But like I said, if and when
she shows up she can
and probably will sue you for visitation rights, if not shared
custody.
I dont even care. JC
laughed again as all of the stress from the last couple weeks vanished. He felt a case of the giggles coming on and there
was no way to stop it. Right now is all
Im worried about. As soon as I get
those papers man, Im on the next plane to Florida.
I want to take Kyle home. To
our home. Im not even kidding, thats the first
call Im gonna make. United Airlines or
whatever, two first class tickets to Orlando.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Les tapped on Jessica's door and waited patiently for her to answer, "Hey Jessica." He smiled as she pulled the door open mid-laugh.
"Hi Les, what's up? You didn't go
with JC?"
"Nah, he's cool." He smiled. "Hey, you've got Kyle right?"
"Yep." She laughed and
looked over her shoulder as Kyle jumped off the bed with a pillowcase pinned to his shirt.
"I have cape!" He shouted as
he ran over to the door.
"Yeah you do buddy!" Les
laughed and gave him a hi-five. "Well
uh, he has some visitors here that would like to see him."
"No." Jessica shook her head
as she suddenly became serious. "He's
not supposed to see anyone without JC's consent."
Jessica's heart picked up the pace as she tried to remember if JC was expecting
anyone.
"It's cool." Les smiled and
leaned into the room. "It's his parents. JC's parents I mean." He said quietly.
"Oh!" Jessica's eyes flew
open. "Oh my God, wow
they're
here?"
"Yeah, they flew in to see JC and Kyle
it was supposed to be a
surprise." Les laughed and picked Kyle
up to toss him in the air.
"Well it is a surprise."
Jessica smiled, "But should we
wait for JC to be back? Have they met Kyle at
all yet?"
"No, they haven't met him yet." Les
shook his head. "You think we should
wait for JC?"
"I don't know. I mean, if they
haven't met him yet they might want to talk to JC, or JC might want to see their faces or
something."
"On the other hand
they have never met the cutest grandson ever in the
world." Les tossed Kyle in the air
again. "I think we should take him down
there."
"Do you
want to?" Jessica suddenly felt
uncomfortable. As if introducing JC's parents
to Kyle might be over stepping her boundaries, when none were ever really set.
"He might be more comfortable with you."
Les shrugged.
"O-okay." She nodded as her
stomach toppled. "Let me at least get
him cleaned up a little
and dressed." She
reached for Kyle who was still lounging around in his pajamas. "You need a bath Mr. Stinko."
"I sink?" Kyle asked as he
squished up his nose.
"You sure do, peee eww." Jessica
made a face. "What room are they
in?" She asked Les.
"Room 559, just down the hall a couple doors." Les pointed toward the far end of the hall. "If you want some back up or whatever, give
me a call."
"Thanks Les." Jessica smiled
and tried to think of ways to stall, for purely selfish reasons. She shut her door and looked down at Kyle, "Okay buddy, you need a bath."
"Yeah." Kyle sighed and
walked into the bathroom where he tugged on his pajamas.
She started the water in the tub and added a capful of bubbles to make the bath
time a little more fun. Jessica pulled Kyle's
shirt over his head and helped him shimmy out of his bottoms and socks. "My cape?"
"It'll be right here when you get out of the tub. I promise."
"And I fye?"
"Yep, you can pretend to fly with your cape."
"Yeah I ten." He nodded and
looked into the tub. "Wow!"
"Check out the bubbles dude."
"I see." Kyle laughed. "Is hot?"
"It's warm." Jessica nodded
and stuck her fingers in the water. "In
fact, it's perfect."
"Yeah." Kyle nodded and
leaned into the tub to touch the water. "I
in?"
"Sure thing." Jessica lifted
him into the tub and tossed his big plastic cup in there with him. She took her time soaping him up with the baby
wash stuff that smelled heavenly, then washed his hair and let him play for a little
while.
"Cawin Laaaance?"
"Oh, uh
no. No we're not
going to call Lance I don't think." Jessica
thought for a minute. Lance and Chris
definitely knew JC's parents; maybe she could call them and have them take Kyle down to
meet his parents. Kyle was just as
comfortable with Chris and Lance as he was with her,
"Actually honey, I'll go call them now."
She ran from the room and grabbed her cell phone then ran back into the bathroom
where she sat on the floor by the tub.
She didnt know the hotel's number off the top of her head so she called 411
and got the number, then asked for Chris' room number causing twice as much hassle than
necessary. She let it ring through until the
operator came back on to say the guest was not answering.
Jessica sighed and tried Lance's room number and waited as his line rang through as
well. "Dangit, okay thank you
anyway." She sighed as she turned her
phone off. If she'd had thought to bring her
tour book with her she'd have their cell and pager numbers, but she didn't. "Okay kiddo, bath time is over." She pushed herself off the floor and put the
phone on the counter.
"Kay." Kyle laughed and
splashed in the bubbles, sending them floating into the air.
Jessica removed Kyle from the bath and dried him off with the thick hotel towel and
carried him to the bedroom to dress him in the clothes JC sent over with him. "Let's see what your daddy picked out for
you." Jessica unzipped the bag and
pulled out the little pair of blue jeans and a dark green t-shirt with matching socks and
hiking boots. "Not bad." She smiled and set the clothes out.
"Is my shirt." Kyle giggled
and held his towel tight.
"Yep, let's see about putting it on huh?"
Butterflies took off in Jessica's stomach and she really didn't want to take Kyle
to see his grandparents. That was so far from
her job description, she'd never met them herself and she felt completely out of place
even pondering introducing them to Kyle. She
sighed then reached for a diaper and laid Kyle on the bed; if she stalled long enough
maybe she'd think of a convincing argument to make Les take him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
JC waited in the empty courtroom for George to come back with the official papers stating that he was the custodial parent of Kyle. Until he had those papers in his hand it didn't feel real, and as soon as he got them he read them over word for word. "I don't know what all this lawyer speak means, but this is good right? This is legit?"
"It's legit." George smiled.
"Sweet, then get me the hell outta here."
JC reached into his pocket for his cell phone, then true to his word he dialed the
airlines to buy two tickets to Orlando. He
still had to get things settled at the hotel and pack everything up so he arranged for
them to be on the morning flight the next day. Two
first class tickets, worth their weight in gold.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
JC practically danced through the lobby as he walked rapidly toward the elevators. He hit the call button repeatedly, as if that
might make the elevator arrive any faster, all he wanted to do was get up to his room to
get Kyle in his arms. When he finally got to
his floor he ran down the hall to Jessica's room and prayed that they hadn't left for the
day yet.
JC tapped a wild beat on the door and could barely keep his feet still. He had picked up the phone to call her a dozen
times but he didnt want to say anything over the phone, he wanted to have Kyle in
his arms.
Who do you think it is? He
heard Jessica ask through the closed door.
Daddy? Kyle asked as the
door opened slowly.
Thats right. JC
scooped him up in his arms and squeezed him until Kyle gasped for air. Im sorry, is that too tight? He laughed and spun around in circles in the
hallway as Jessica leaned against the wall.
No way
She said
softly as a slow smile creeped across her lips.
Way. JC laughed and
tossed Kyle up in the air. Way, way, way. He laughed.
Hes yours?
Signed sealed and delivered. JC
stopped spinning long enough to include Jessica in their embrace. Thank you.
Youre welcome. She
mumbled into his chest. Its so
early
She didnt show. JC
frowned for a split second before smiling again, She
flaked again so the judge forfeited the judgment to me.
Sole legal and physical custody.
Jessicas jaw hit the floor, Sole
custody? She whispered. Youre kidding.
Nope.
Wow
She laughed and
covered her mouth with her hand. Oh my
God, thats crazy!
I know! JC laughed and
hugged her again with Kyle in between them.
I go ouside? Kyle asked.
You bet we can go outside. JC
nodded. How about swimming, do you want
to go in the pool?
Yeah. Kyle smiled and
pulled at his t-shirt.
Would you like to join us?
I think youd better go say hi to your company first. Jessica nodded down the hall back toward the elevators.
What? Who?
Youll see, room 559. Jessica
smiled, knowing who hed find when he knocked on the door.
Is it the guys?
Nope, go see. Jessica
shook her head. Just go knock on the
door. I'm sure they werent expecting
you this soon but theyll be thrilled to see you guys.
JC gave her a confused look, but he couldnt wipe the smile off his face, Okay
me? Or me and Kyle?"
"You and Kyle." Jessica
nodded. "I'll see you a little
later."
"Okay." JC kind of half
smiled as he picked up Kyle and bounced him on his hip.
"Do you know who our visitor is?"
"I doe no." Kyle shrugged
and giggled. "Is Laaaance?"
"No, it's not Lance I don't think. Should
we go see?"
"Kay." Kyle smiled and
shrugged again, he was up for anything.
JC walked down the hall and did all he could to contain himself. He wanted to dance down the hall and toss Kyle in
the air, shout at the top of his voice and laugh until his stomach hurt. He found the right room and knocked on the door as
he smiled down at Kyle, "Wow, I wonder
who it is?"
"Is Emo?" Kyle giggled and
buried his face in JC's shoulder.
"Coming!" He heard a female
voice call from inside.
JC frowned for a second as he tried to place the voice, then his jaw hit the floor
as his mother pulled the door open, "Mom?!"
"Hi babe!" She smiled and
pulled him into the room for a hug. "Oh
my goodness, who is this precious little boy? Is
this Kyle?" She had the perfect grandma
voice already.
"I Ky." Kyle nodded.
"Well hello there." Her
smile broadened as she kissed JC's cheek, "Surprise."
"Wow
I just
you're here."
JC stumbled over his words as he looked around at his father sitting on the corner
of the bed. "Oh man." Tears welled up in his eyes as he laughed and set
Kyle on the floor. "Oh man
I can't
believe you guys are here." He hugged
his mom tightly again, then reached for his dad.
"We didn't expect you until this afternoon, are you on a break?" His dad asked.
"No I
courts over." JC
shook his head. "Lori didn't show up so
the judge defaulted the judgment to me and
"
JC sighed and wiped at his eyes. "I
can't believe you guys are here."
"So you won custody?" His
mom asked.
"Yeah, completely." JC
nodded as a fresh bout of tears rolled down his cheeks.
"Man, look at me." He
laughed and sniffed as he reached for a kleenex. "I
don't know what's wrong with me." He
smiled and sat on the edge of the bed to pull Kyle onto his lap.
"You've been emotionally peaked for a long time babe, this is a big relief to
you." Karen smiled.
"I know." JC smiled and wiped his eyes again.
"Daddy kay?" Kyle asked
softly.
"Yeah, I'm okay buddy." JC
nodded. "This is my mommy and daddy. They're your grandparents."
"Daddy you."
"I'm your daddy, and this is my daddy."
JC nodded toward his own father. "Pretty
cool huh?"
"Yeah." Kyle nodded and
scooted closer to JC.
"He's kind of shy sometimes." JC
explained apologetically. "But wait till
he gets to know you, then you won't be able to get rid of him." JC laughed lightly as he wrapped his arm around
Kyle's shoulders.
"Are the boys here?"
"Um, Chris and Lance are
yeah. Joey's
in Mexico, I still need to call him. Justin
was planning on coming out next week so
" JC
shrugged. "I need to call him too, tell
him to cancel him plane tickets or whatever."
"Well we'd like to take you out to celebrate." JC's dad smiled.
"Why don't you call everyone you need to and we'll make plans to go out?"
"Lance and Chris are here
and Jessica.
Plus Les and Frank." JC half
frowned. "If we go out I'd like them to
be able to come to, they're a huge part of this."
"Of course." His parents
said in unison.
"We'll make reservations for dinner for everyone, then if you'd like the four
of us can take off for the day." Karen
smiled. "That way we can get to know
Kyle a little better."
"Okay
that sounds like fun." JC
smiled, he still couldn't believe his parents were there in LA with him. "It sucks that you're only here for the day
though. It seems like a waste of money." He frowned.
"Not at all." His mom
smiled, "We were set to stay as long as
you needed, and personally? I'm glad it's
over sooner than later."
"Me too." JC sighed with a
content smile, "Me too."
Kyle slowly worked his way off of JC's lap as Roy made a few calls and set up
reservations for the whole group that evening at a local restaurant. Kyle wandered over to the mini refrigerator stuck
beside the table, replacing the full mini kitchen they had in their room.
"Wassat?" Kyle asked as he
squatted in front of it.
"That's a refrigerator
a small one.
We have one just like it in our room." JC
said from the bed.
"I see?"
"I don't think there's anything in it."
JC shook his head.
"Is mine?"
"No, it's not yours." JC laughed. "It
belongs to the hotel."
"Oh." Kyle looked up at
Karen standing nearby. "I have
Lello." He said softly.
"You do? What's that?" She smiled and knelt down to his level.
"Is doggie. Fye agator." Kyle mumbled as he looked down at his shoes.
"It's his dog, they find alligators together sometimes." JC explained.
"Oh that's right, I saw that on that TV show you guys did." She nodded.
"You saw that?"
"Of course." She laughed, as
if she'd miss her own baby on a show.
"Daddy we go?"
"Nope, we're going to hang out here for a little bit, then maybe we'll go
outside and take a walk or something." JC
explained.
"Ina sroller?"
"Yep, in the stroller with Frank." JC
nodded.
"And Laaaaance?"
"Nope, Lance and Chris went to the beach this morning, they'll be back
later." JC smiled. "I think today we'll just hang out with my
mom and dad."
"And Jessi?"
"Nope, I think we'll give Jessica the day off."
"Refresh my memory, who's Jessica?"
Roy asked as he stood up and stretched.
"She's
well she does our wardrobe on the tour, but she's helped out with
Kyle since the beginning." JC blushed
quickly, "She's actually done more than
just help, she's been a lifesaver."
"She stayed with you out here for this whole time?"
"No, she went home for a while, but
George said that we might need her out here to testify or whatever because she basically
raised him for the first couple months and because she saw how pitiful I was at the
beginning and how much I've changed." JC
took a deep breath, "Also I wanted
someone here to watch Kyle
someone he knew and would be comfortable with."
That makes sense. Karen
smiled.
So, anyway
JC
cleared his throat. What did you guys
have in mind for today?
I dont know really, we were
just going to hit the tourist spots because we werent expecting you back until later
this afternoon. His mom shrugged.
Well thats cool, we can do that.
JC nodded.
Are you sure?
Absolutely, thats what strollers are made for. JC laughed and looked down at Kyle, Lets go get your stroller buddy.
Go bye?
Yep, were going bye. JC
nodded. He took Kyles hand and they
went to their room to get the stroller and to let Frank know that they were going out with
his parents. They met up in the lobby and
rode over to Hollywood Boulevard to park and walk the strip.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
JC and Kyle spent the afternoon with his parents doing the tourist thing in
Hollywood. Karen pushed Kyle in his stroller
up and down the street with Frank by their side for security if it became necessary. Mann's Chinese Theater, Ripleys believe it
or not, the stars on the walk of fame, all of the tourist traps like that were hit by the
family as they chatted and got caught up on everything that had been going on for the past
couple months.
JC's mom let him know that she'd stopped by his house at least once a month just to
air it out and dust a little so that it wouldn't be full of cobwebs and stale air when he
finally got home. He was grateful for her
taking the time to do something he hadn't even considered.
"Are you going to use the guestroom downstairs for Kyle?" She asked.
"No, I'm going to transform the office I think." JC nodded. "I'll
move that downstairs or into my room or something, it's not like I use it much."
"Are you sure you want him using the stairs that much?" She asked.
"I just want him nearby." JC
smiled. Now that he was able to take him home
he wasn't going to let him out of his sight.
They finished up their walk and headed back to the hotel as the sun began to set
into the ocean. JC called everyone on their
way back to let them know about the dinner plans, then called Justin in Florida and Joey
in Mexico to share the good news. Both Justin
and Joey were just as excited as JC was and Joey promised to stop by JC's Florida home as
soon as he got back from Mexico.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The entire group got together for a celebration dinner at a nice little restaurant
on Via Rodeo, not far from the hotel. They
shared wine and some of their favorite Kyle stories.
In such a short time they each had a few stories that they loved to tell which
helped Karen and Roy feel like they knew Kyle a little better.
Karen sat back and watched JC interacting with Kyle, cutting his food and making
sure he ate what he was supposed to, and she was amazed.
Her little boy was a daddy, and a good one at that.
Kyle was an amazingly well behaved little boy and while she waited for the fa�ade
to wear off and the little terrible two terror to come out, she completely fell in love
with his "scary" face and the way he spoke so animatedly with his whole face.
"JC, I can't believe how good he's being."
She said as she laced her arm through his while Lance balanced Kyle on his
shoulders for the walk back to the hotel. "Are
you sure he's yours? You were a holy terror
at two."
"I was not. I was and always will
be, a little angel." JC batted his
eyelashes at his mother while everyone around him cracked up laughing.
"For the record, Kyle has had his moments.
Joey has a scar or two to prove it." Chris
laughed.
"Oh yeah!" JC's hand flew to
his mouth. "Oh man I forgot about that. Yeah, Kyle has his moments. He went off on Joey a couple months ago I guess
and bit him."
"Uh oh." Roy raised his
eyebrow.
"Yeah but he doesn't do that any more, right Kyle?' JC turned around and looked up at Kyle as he sat
tall on Lance's shoulders. "We don't
bite, right?"
"No bye." Kyle shook his
hand. "Only shark."
"Yeah sharks sometimes bite." JC
nodded.
"And I bye noodo."
"Yeah." JC laughed. "You can bite noodles. You can bite your food but that's all,
right?"
"No bye." Kyle shook his
finger. "Is no no."
"That's right." JC nodded
and high fived the little boy. "He's
learned what flies and what doesn't around here."
"I ten fye." Kyle nodded.
"Hmm?" Chris looked up at
Kyle.
"I ten I fye." Kyle
repeated.
"He pretends he flies." Jessica
said with a smile. "When he wears his
cape he likes to fly around the room."
"Oh right on." Chris
laughed. "You know who else has a
cape?"
"Supman." Kyle giggled and
grabbed onto Lance's hair as he almost lost his balance.
"So does Joey." Chris said
as he positioned himself behind Lance, just in case.
"No." Kyle laughed and shook
his head. "Joey no fye."
"He pretends with his cape."
"No Joey big."
"Yeah he's big, but he still pretends."
JC laughed.
Kyle sighed, "Joey silly
fye." He shook his head.
"Yeah, Joey's pretty silly."
"I dow?" Kyle leaned down to
talk directly into Lance's ear. "I
tire."
"You're tired?" Lance
stopped walking and reached up to bring Kyle down. It
was almost ten; it was no wonder the little boy was tired out.
"Here, I'll take him." Roy
reached out for Kyle and rested him on his shoulder.
Kyle didn't object at all to the warm body and secure arms holding him close. He rested his head on his grandfather's shoulder
and let his eyes blink slowly.
They walked back to the hotel and rode up to their floor where everyone said
goodnight to each other and headed for their own rooms.
Roy handed Kyle off to JC in the hallway, but Kyle slept through it all. "See you guys in the morning." JC smiled as he leaned in to kiss his mom. "I'm gonna go put this little dude
down."
"Congratulations Jace." Lance
smiled and patted his back as he took his own room key out.
"Thanks." JC continued to
smile until he thought his face would crack. He
unlocked his door as everyone in the hall went to their own rooms to rest up for their
flights home the next day. JC dropped Kyle's
backpack just inside the door then turned on the mini kitchen light to brighten his way to
the bed.
He turned the bedside light on and laid Kyle in the center of his bed. He carefully removed his tiny shoes and pants,
leaving Kyle in his t-shirt and diaper, suitable pajamas by anyone's standards. The cell phone in JC's back pocket played a high
pitched melody as Kyle fidgeted against the pillow. JC
quickly pulled the phone from his pocket and flipped it open, Hello?
JC whispered as he pulled Kyles blanket up to his chin. Kyle squished up his face in a deep frown then
flopped over onto his back as he relaxed and began to snore. JC yawned and thought about climbing into bed
himself in a few minutes. The excitement of
the day was still coursing through his body, but he could feel himself winding down
slowly.
After a few seconds no one responded, so JC repeated himself a little louder, "Hello?"
JC? Loris voice was
the last he expected to hear right then.
L-Lori? JC stood up
straight and switched the bedside light off.
Im sorry. She said
quickly.
What what
what are you doing?
Where are you? JC asked before
his thoughts could be figured out. He headed
for the door of the hotel room, just wanting to get away from Kyle, knowing that this
could be explosive.
Im at a friends house. She
said softly.
Hang on. JC dropped his
hand to his side and propped the door open with Kyles backpack. He stepped across the hall and tapped on
Jessicas door, hoping that she was still awake.
He heard her shuffling around in her room for a second before the door opened a
crack, JC? She asked as she squinted at the bright lights in
the hall.
Hey. He nodded. Can I use your room?
Wheres Kyle? She
asked as she rubbed her tired eyes.
Hes asleep. JC
looked toward his room. Loris on
the phone and uh
this may get heated. I
dont want to
No
no dont worry about it. Of
course
" Jessica pulled her robe tighter around her waist and stepped out into
the hall, noticing the cell phone in JCs hand as she pushed his door open. My rooms a mess.
Its okay. JC mumbled
as he stepped into her room and brought the phone to his ear. Okay.
He said to Lori. Still
here?
Yeah. She said softly.
So
?
JC, I dont know where to start.
Her voice sounded as though she was on the verge of tears.
I dont see why you think you have to.
Your skipping out on court spoke volumes, I dont think theres much more
to say. If he took the time to think
about what he was saying he might have used a more gentle tone.
JC I didnt stand a chance. Loris
voice wobbled. Youve got all this
money and a big powerful lawyer. All
Ive got is this court appointed guy who doesnt know his ass from a hole in the
ground.
Thats not my problem. His
hands began to shake slowly as his lips turned cold and his heart raced.
I couldnt go in there and have you tear me apart JC.
I wasnt going to tear you apart.
JC sighed and sat on Jessicas rumpled bed.
He rested his head in his hands and closed his eyes trying to calm his nerves. He knew this was all too good to be true.
Yes you were. She
insisted.
Lori, all I want is whats best for Kyle.
You were the one going for the big guns taking me to court. We might have been able to work something out
before, but as soon as you started throwing lawyers and subpoenas around it stopped being
friendly. Yes, I wanted custody. I honestly believe I can give Kyle a more stable
home than you can, and youve proven my case beautifully.
I have a stable home now.
You have an apartment with a friend, and youve been there for two
months. JC rolled his eyes.
I have to start somewhere. Lori
cried. You havent helped at
all.
If youd have come to me at the beginning, I could have helped you. I cant help you at all
when you drop a two year old in my lap then take off for four months. He tried to keep his cool.
Can I see him? Lori asked
softly.
Not right now. JC
whispered.
Its late
I know.
No, I mean not now. I
dont know when.
You cant do this to me.
I was granted legal and physical custody.
What? Loris voice
was so soft he barely heard her.
The judgment defaulted to me. I
got what you were asking for because you didnt show up. JC explained.
"The case you were bringing to the court protested me having custody. Without you there to protest, the judge didn't
really have a choice but to leave Kyle with me."
No
Lori cried. You cant do this, JC please.
Lori
He sighed. If the judgment had gone the other way,
youd be the one with custody and I doubt youd have been complaining
then.
This all got so out of hand. All
I wanted was to see
him.
Then thats what you should have asked for. JC shook his head.
I was willing to work something out. If
we could have sat down and talked about this before maybe we could have worked out some
sort of visitation schedule. But before we
could even talk
about it you slapped me with a custody case saying you wanted full custody. What was I supposed to think?
I was just mad. Lori
sniffed through her tears.
Well so was I.
C-can we work something out now?
Now that youve lost the judgment?
JC I didnt stand a chance in there! She practically shouted, stating her case again. I told you, you were going to tear me apart. Youve got the two-parent style home life,
the cars, the toys, and the big house with his own room, the big shot lawyer. JC, all I had was this asshole of a lawyer, one
room in this shoddy apartment and a friend who could watch Kyle while I worked if she
wasnt working herself.
Lori. Stop. I wasnt going to tear you apart. Sheesh, I didnt know enough about you to use
it against you. All I wanted was to keep
Kyle, just like you. JC stood up and
paced back and forth at the foot of Jessicas bed.
Hed forgotten that Lori thought he and Jessica were raising Kyle together. My lawyer told me that if I went in
there asking for everything I could end up with nothing.
We both took that chance and I got lucky.
All I wanted was to have Kyle back, I didnt want to make it so you
couldnt see him. Why would you do that
to me? She started to sound hysterical.
You asked for sole legal and physical custody, which means I would have to
fight for visitation Lori. And I would have,
believe me. But if we could have talked about
this maybe we could have shared custody or something.
My lawyer was a prick, he told me that I would definitely
get full custody though. I dont know
anything about the system so I let him decide and he screwed me over.
JC shook his head; he had to agree with her there.
But thats not my fault. JC
sighed as she continued to sob. I tried
to talk to you before and you pulled out the big guns, the only way to get through to you
was to do the same. But you made it easy; you
made it real
easy when you didnt show up at all. Thats
what I dont understand Lori. You say
you just want him back or just want to see him or whatever
but you didnt even
show up. Your lawyer didnt tell you not
to, you cant blame that on him.
Lori cried quietly on the other end of the phone as JCs heart and mind
collided. Mentally he knew that Lori had
essentially screwed herself by not showing up for court, by not even trying to
get her son. Thats what pissed JC off
the most, the fact that shed given up so easily.
He would have fought to the death for Kyle and she hadnt even bothered to
show up.
But his heart broke hearing her cry over her son.
JC knew that she had to love Kyle just as much as he did. She raised him for two years, they went through
hard times together and through all of that Kyle had turned out just fine.
I just
I cant see you right now.
I need to have some time alone with Kyle, to take him home with me and to just be
us. JC sighed deeply and pressed the
heel of his hand against his forehead to try to stop the pounding.
JC please
No. Lori, not now. JC tried to sound assertive without flying off the
handle at her. Unless you have an
apology for Kyle in there somewhere, I dont want to talk to you right now.
JC I
Bye. JC pressed the
off button and sat heavily on the bed again.
Fuck. He whispered under
his breath as he inhaled deeply. He took
several more deep breaths before he stood up and crossed the dark room to head back to his
own.
He crossed the narrow hall and searched the pockets of his pants for his room key
but he didnt have it. He knocked softly
and waited for Jessica to pull the door open, I
forgot my key. He said softly.
Its okay. She shook
her head. I
is everything
okay?
That was Lori.
Yeah. Jessica nodded as
she held the door open for him. JC stepped
back into his room and let the door close gently behind him, Is she okay?
Shes fine. JC
whispered and leaned against the wall. I
mean I guess she is. She was crying.
Well
Jessica
shrugged. Of course she was crying,
shed just lost her son because of her own stupidity.
Yeah, I know. JC closed
his eyes and let his head fall back. Is
he still sleeping?
Yeah, hes out like a light.
Jessica nodded. She wanted so badly
to sit down and find out what was said and why she didnt show up at court for two
days, but she knew it would be out of line for her to ask.
God
she wants to see him and I
I dont even want her
to. JC grumbled in a whisper.
JC I
I understand that youre upset and everything. He looked up quickly, And you have every right to be mad. Jessica held out her hand to calm him, But youre going to have to let her see
him eventually.
Not unless she takes me back to court.
He shook his head. But judging
by her actions, I dont see that happening.
What about when Kyle is older? What
happens when hes twelve and asks why his mom isnt around? Will you be able to tell him that she wanted to
see him but you kept them apart?
JC took a deep breath, as his frown deepened, No.
It might be hard to let her see him now
but JC
in the long run I
think itll be better. She
couldnt believe that those words were coming out of her mouth. She couldnt stand Lori and honestly thought
the world would be a better place if the woman just disappeared, but she was Kyles
mom.
I just need some time alone with him.
Then let her know that.
I did. JC nodded.
You told her shed be able to see him again?
I told her she couldnt see him right now, but I didnt say
shed never see him again. JC
sighed and wished he could go back in time six months to when his life was normal. Shit.
He sighed and slid down the wall so that he was sitting on the floor. This is supposed to be a happy day.
Im sorry. Jessica
shook her head slowly.
No one should be given this power. I
mean, I could say that he and I are moving to Spain and she pretty much couldnt do
anything.
Well, I dont think you can leave the country.
Yeah I can. I checked. JC pinched the bridge of his nose as he squeezed
his eyes shut. But I just
I
cant see doing that to someone. No
matter how upset I got.
This is tough.
Tougher than you know. He
nodded.
Can you call her?
Can
I? Yeah.
I just dont want to. Why
do I need to? He glanced up at her as
he lowered his voice.
Just to let her know that youll let her see him again in a few weeks or
whatever.
I cant call her right now, I just hung up on her.
Well not now
but maybe when you get to Florida? Jessica knelt beside him and placed her hand on
his arm. He didnt respond or look up at
her and she knew shed crossed a line, Im
sorry, I shouldnt be telling you what to do.
She blushed and removed her hand.
This sucks.
I know. Jessica nodded, But youre doing good.
You think so?
Of course I do.
I feel like Ive let everything fall apart.
You havent. She
laughed lightly. Just work through this
crap, get Kyle home and settled and into the flow of things. Youll be back to normal before you know
it.
I wouldnt recognize normal if it came up and bit me in the
ass. JC shook his head and stood up. Thanks Jess.
You're welcome.
For everything, really
He
bit his lip nervously and reached down to help her up.
I definitely couldnt have done any of this without your help.
No problem. She blushed
quickly. Of course, Id like
visitation rights too. She joked.
You can come by whenever you want.
JC smiled, and hoped that she would.
Ill let you guys get settled. Besides,
Ive got my own life Ive got to figure out when I get home. She rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her
hips.
Itll be so much better once we get home I think. JC nodded.
When do you leave?
Tomorrow morning, ten fifteen. JC
yawned and looked over at Kyle still sound asleep on the bed. How about you?
Im on the eleven oclock flight to Hartford. Jessica smiled.
JC sighed and shoved is hands into his pockets;
I guess Ill see you in the morning then.
Okay. She smiled and
cleared her throat, If you need
anything once you get home though, dont think twice about calling.
I wont. JC laughed. Ive gotten better about that you
know.
What? Admitting that you
dont know everything?
Yeah. He laughed
Thats a good thing. Jessica smiled, then covered her mouth as she yawned. Im gonna go back to bed now.
Thanks Jessica.
Youre welcome. She
nodded as he pulled her in for a tight hug. He
held her longer than normal and that fact didnt go unnoticed. It would be so easy to just turn her chin up and
kiss him right then, but she stopped herself. This isnt
the time or place. She
thought to herself. "Good night." Jessica took a step back and reached to rub her
lower lip. "I'll uh
I'll see you
in the morning."