“Okay. He’s expecting you, so follow me.”
She came from behind the desk and escorted us to a room.
When the door of a large conference room opened, we were greeted by a tall, dark, and fine man. He wore a navy-blue suit with black shoes. His hair was cut low like Arsel’s, and he had waves for days. If I wasn’t still in love with my husband, I might have tried to shoot my shot.
“Hello. Welcome. You must be Arsel and Janiyah.” He held his hand out and shook Arsel’s hand, then mine.
“Yes.”
“Thanks for coming in. You can call me Faris, by the way.”
He led us over to a table where there were a folder and two bottles of water. He stood to the side while Arsel pulled the chair out for me. Once we were seated, Faris sat across from us.
I glanced over at Arsel when I felt his hand on my thigh underneath the table. He soothingly rubbed my thigh, and the motion calmed me.
“First, let me say that I’m sorry for your loss. Second, I don’t want to hold you two up, so we’ll get right to it.” Faris opened the folder and pulled out two small stacks of papers. He passed one to me, then the other to Arsel.
I looked down at the paper and tried to read it, but I was confused by the words.
“What exactly is this?” Arsel asked, taking the words from my mouth.
“This paperwork states that in the event of something happening to Monica and Trevor, you two will assume full custody of Mikayla Jones. There’s also information about a life insurance policy for both of them. The money will be broken up into increments from now until Mikayla is twenty-one, and then she will receive a lump sum of money.”
I listened to what he said and tried to wrap my head around everything that I read in the paper. Monica and Trevor had an insurance policy that would increase by a small amount each year. It seemed like the older she got, the more the money wouldincrease. I assumed it was because kids tended to cost more as they grew.
I didn’t hesitate to sign my name on all the required spots. I knew we were the only safe and stable place for her.
Arsel removed his hand from my leg and flipped through the papers. There was a look of unease on his face, and it made my heart sink.
This was too much for him, and I had a feeling he wouldn’t sign. The one thing we argued about was now being dropped in our laps. I wasn’t sure what this would mean for our marriage, but there was no way I could turn my back on that little girl.
I knew my wife was mad at me for not signing the papers right away, but I couldn’t. I told her I wasn’t ready to have a child, but now we were practically being forced into it. It wasn’t the same as someone abandoning their kids, but still. There was no time to prepare for it, and it kind of freaked me out. I thought we had more time before we brought a child into our lives, but apparently, that time was up.
For two days, I went back and forth with the decision to sign, and I still wasn’t sure what to do. I knew the right thing to do, but for some reason, I couldn’t pull that trigger. I still called or texted Janiyah to see how things were, or if she needed anything, but we hadn’t addressed the important things. She assured meshe was fine and that she didn’t need anything, but that hadn’t stopped me from sending them food. It was the least I could do.
I’d been off work since the meeting at the lawyer’s office, and the only thing I could think about was my wife and how our lives would drastically change. If I were being honest with myself, I wasn’t sure if we were ready for that. Janiyah didn’t hesitate to sign, and it made me feel a little indifferent. I felt like we should have had a conversation about it, but I knew my wife’s heart. It was her opportunity to have a child, even if it didn’t come directly from her.
I hadn’t seen my parents in over a week, and I was due for a home-cooked meal, so I drove to their house. I knew they could help me wrap my head around this whole thing and help me come to a decision that made sense for everyone.
I didn’t tell them I was coming over, but I knew my mom cooked because she made sure my dad had a hot meal every single night except Saturdays. It had been the same way since I was a child. She stressed that Saturdays were her day, and we were on our own. She would get her hair and nails done, then hang out with her friends. My dad and I would watch college football during the season. In the off-season, we would find other stuff to do. I liked spending time with my dad. He showed me how to treat women and showed me I could be a good father when I was ready to be.
I parked my car in their driveway and grabbed the plant I’d gotten for my mom. For my dad, I stopped and got him a bottle of his favorite scotch.
I wasn’t sure what they were doing, so I rang the doorbell, even though it was a little cold outside.
“What a pleasant surprise,” my dad said when he opened the door.
“I know I didn’t call, but I needed to come by,” I told him as I stepped through the front door.
“You know you don’t have to call.” My father took the plant and the bag from my hand so I could take my coat off.
Immediately, the smell of food hit my nostrils, and my stomach growled.
“Who was at the door?” my mother questioned as she came around the corner.
She squealed as soon as she spotted me.
I chuckled as she threw herself in my arms.
