“And you don’t think you can give him that?” Seth asked.
Anger went through me. I wondered if he was deliberately being cruel just to get back at me. “I never graduated high school. I’m a convicted felon. I bag groceries and stock shelves for a living and that’s the best I’ll ever do when it comes to a career. I’m a single, gay man with no house, no car, no money and absolutely no prospects.”
“That’s interesting, but you didn’t actually answer my question.”
I sighed in frustration. “I could have given him all the love he ever wanted, but sometimes that’s not enough, you know?”
“No, I don’t know,” Seth returned. “After I lost my parents, I had everything you just listed. Great career, more money than I’ll ever need…I would have traded every bit of it for five more minutes with my parents. Not because of how much money they had or any of that shit,” he said. “Yeah, my parents were rich and successful, but that isn’t what I miss every day. That isn’t what made me into who I am. They loved me. Even if they’d been the poorest people on earth, they would have loved me just the same.That’swhat sticks with me.That’swhat I want to give my own children.”
“Okay, yes, I thought about it for like five minutes and I thought I could give him the important stuff.”
“But?”
“But I knew no one else would see it that way. They’d look at my history, my family, my future and they’d know I wasn’t good enough to be his father.”
“So that’s all that’s stopping you?” he asked.
I laughed. “Yeah, that’s all,” I said sarcastically.
Seth studied me for a moment and then he reached for his phone. When whoever on the other end answered, he said, “You can come on up.”
I tensed as I wondered if this was all some elaborate joke to mess with me. Maybe the cops were on their way upstairs to arrest me.
As Seth got up to open the door, I forced myself to my feet. I would accept my fate, even if it was no longer the one I’d choose for myself.
But it wasn’t a police officer who walked through the door.
I didn’t recognize the man at all. Of course, I barely spared him a glance because my eyes were on one thing and one thing only.
The familiar red and black car seat with the scuffed handle.
The man turned the car seat to face me as he headed in my direction and my breath caught at the sight of Henry. The baby began thrashing his arms excitedly when he saw me, though he didn’t let go of the stuffed caterpillar in his hand.
“Henry,” I breathed as the man set the car seat on the table. I looked up at him, but couldn’t find my voice to ask the question.
“Yeah, go ahead,” the man said.
I quickly unbuckled Henry and lifted him up. He felt so good in my arms that I started to cry. I didn’t even care that both men could see me. When I’d calmed down enough so that I could breathe normally, I looked at Seth and the other man.
“Levi, this is my friend, Zane Devereaux. He’s a lawyer specializing in family law. He also acts on behalf of children in custody cases.”
“Hi, Levi,” Zane said as he stepped forward and shook my hand.
“Hi,” I croaked. I went to the kitchen to grab a dishtowel to wipe my face because I knew I was a mess.
“Do you mind if we sit?” Zane asked as he motioned to the kitchen table. I only had the two chairs, but when I looked at Seth, he motioned me to the table and then leaned back against the arm of the couch.
“Seth was telling me about your case and I wanted to let you know what your options are. As one of Henry’s only remaining living relatives, you have the right to seek custody of him.”
“But…but I’m not qualified. I was in prison.”
“I’ll get to that in just a second,” Zane said, though I had no clue what he meant. “In custody cases, the family court judge’s job is to do what is best for the child. The fact that you are Henry’s blood is a big benefit. But more importantly, you’ve been acting as Henry’s father from the time he was born, both financially and emotionally. You have been the one constant in his life and the judge will take that into consideration, more so than just about anything else. You have a stable job with health insurance and you’ve made sure Henry’s medical needs have been met…I’ve already confirmed that with his doctor. As for your felony conviction, there are a couple of things that have come to my attention.”
Hope began to bloom in my chest the more this man spoke, but I tried to tamp it down because I wouldn’t survive getting my hopes up only to have them dashed again.
“I checked out your case after Phoenix told me that the drugs were for your brother. Your court-appointed attorney pushed you towards a guilty plea when he shouldn’t have. Not only was it your first offense, but they never did a drug test. Your attorney should have had a hair follicle drug test done to prove you hadn’t used drugs in the previous ninety days. I’ve checked with the State and it turns out your lawyer is currently under investigation for a slew of infractions. That, plus the lack of a drug test, means your conviction will likely be overturned. If you’re open to it, I’d like to take on your case. I’ll have a colleague handle the family court case so there isn’t a conflict of interest. With the new facts about your lawyer and the lack of proof that you used drugs, the prosecutor will likely knockthe charge down to a misdemeanor, if he doesn’t drop the case altogether. No matter which route he takes, the family court judge will likely rule in your favor once he sees the evidence.”
I was completely overwhelmed by what he was telling me. “I…I can’t afford to pay for a lawyer,” I said as I cuddled Henry against my chest, afraid that they’d suddenly snatch him from me just because I didn’t have the money all this would cost. “But I can get it…I can make payments,” I added quickly.
