The woman blows out a breath, sounding both exasperated and exhausted.“I can’t tell you that. But if you really want to get him a new phone, you can drop it off at my office in city hall. I’m almost never there, but I’ll swing by as soon as I can and make sure he gets it. That’s the best I can do. Now, if that’s all…”
“No! Wait. I spent all night on my computer last night figuring out how to become a legal guardian. I’ve filled out the form on the website and now I need to wait for someone to contact me. I was hoping you could help me speed that along? I’m sure you’re incredibly busy, but I thought maybe you could send me the application to fill out and then we could set up a meeting for when you have a little free time?”
Silence greets me from the other end of the phone.“You want to become Carson’s legal guardian? Because he works for you?”
“Well, not only that, no. He works for me because my friend, Wade Biddescombe, found him eating out of my dumpster and brought him in for a meal. I hired him so I could make sure he ate regularly, and so we could keep an eye on him. I want to become his guardian because he’s a great kid who deserves a better shake than life has given him so far. And because I would hate for him to have to move away from everything he’s ever known when he’s so close to finishing high school, you know?” I know I’m rambling, but I can’t seem to stop myself. The moreI say these things out loud, the more I realize I need Carson to stay in Tuft Swallow, the more I need to be the one who makes sure he’s okay. “And he has that basketball camp this summer that he’s been so excited for, too. It would be so unfair if he had to leave before he had the chance to do it. He’s been saving up for it. And the basketball shoes he’s been drooling over should be here any day. I ordered them as soon as he told me about them.”
“Tina, slow down. Take a breath. I understand your feelings of urgency, but there are legal ways to go about this, and I have to follow the law. So how about this? When we hang up, you text your email address to this number. I’ll send you that application. I’ll come by the restaurant when I have some time over the next couple of days, and we can have our meeting then. In the meantime, you make sure you have everything you need to be eligible to take custody of Carson. I’ll send the list of requirements along with the application, okay?”
My heart beats a giddy rhythm as excitement takes over. She’ll help me!
“Yes! Oh my God. Thank you so much, Gloria. You do not know how much this means to me.”
“Don’t get too excited. I can’t make any promises. But I happen to have a soft spot for this kid, and I’m willing to wait to find him the best possible placement. And you’re right; keeping him in Tuft Swallow is a priority. He’s been through a lot in his life, and I’ll do everything in my power to make sure he has a great head start as he moves into adulthood.”
“I completely understand. That’s what I want for him, too.”
“Good. I hope you do. Send me that email address and I’ll talk to you soon.”
She hangs up without saying goodbye, and as soon as the call disconnects, I text her my email address.
So far, things are going better than I planned. I just hope I can maintain this momentum. For Carson’s sake.
Dippy Eggs and Toast Soldiers
Nick
The first night withtwo boys in the house passes more quietly than I would have expected.
Jared went to bed immediately after our chat. I’m guessing to hide the evidence of his tears from Carson. I don’t know of any teenage boy who’d want to be seen crying by another teenage boy, no matter the circumstance. With the way most kids are, that’s like asking to be mocked. Hopefully, I can set them straight while they’re here with me. Being in touch with your emotions is the only way to be a strong man. You can’t expect anyone to feel safe around you if you’re constantly pushing everything down until one day you can’t handle your emotionsand you explode in anger all over the ones you love. Handling your shit starts with handling your own feelings.
Carson kept his feelings locked up pretty tight last night. When he came back from his shower, I helped him apply the burn ointment to his hands, then wrapped them in gauze. Even when I offered to talk, he begged off, claiming he was too tired to do much more than collapse into bed and fall asleep. I wasn’t about to force him to talk to me about what he went through, so I said goodnight and left him to it. The lights went out as soon as I closed the door, and I heard him falling into bed like he’d said he would.
Now, it’s after noon, and both boys are still sleeping. I figure after such an emotional night, they both needed the extra sleep, so I’ve been tiptoeing around the house, finishing up some chores and trying to keep the noise to a minimum. For Carson especially, today is will be hard.
He lost his parents last night, and I’m sure that knowledge didn’t fully sink in with everything that happened after the fire. Running into a burning house and needing to be rescued would make it hard to focus on anything, I would imagine. Never mind that, Gloria has already called to let me know the coroner has already released Carson’s parents, and as their only living relative, Carson is now in charge of arranging for their funeral. I’ve already called the funeral home to have them collect the bodies, and now I’m waiting to see how Carson wants to move forward.
So yeah, I expect today to be pretty shitty, overall.
But I know one thing that can make it a little better. A home cooked meal from the best chef I know. Even though her last day of catering has already passed, I doubt she’ll have a problem doing one more dinner, especially since there will be fewer people to feed. Before I can talk myself out of it, I send her a message.
Nick
Hi Tina, sorry about bailing on you so suddenly last night. There was an emergency at home that I had to deal with, and by the time I was done, it was so late I didn’t want to wake you.
Not exactly a lie, but not the full truth, either. I can’t tell her about the boys in a text message, though. Partly because it’s not the kind of information that you tell someone over text, and partly because I know she’ll want nothing more to do with me once she knows. If I insist on telling her in person, at least I’ll get to see her one more time. At least she can break my heart to my face.
Nick
Anyway, I was hoping I could order a meal from you for dinner tonight? And maybe you could deliver it to my house, instead of the gym? I need to see you, but I can’t leave home for the next while. I promise I’ll explain everything when you come over.
I linger over my phone for a few minutes, waiting for the dots to show me she’s writing her response. When nothing happens, I slide my phone into my pocket and head into the kitchen to make lunch. I may not be as talented in the kitchen as Tina, but I know my way around a plate of bacon and eggs, so that’s whatI make. When the bacon is crispy, I turn to get eggs from the fridge to find two teenage boys lurching into the room, eyes half closed, rumpled pajamas hanging from their bodies.
“Is that bacon?” Jared asks.
“And eggs?” Carson adds.
They grin at each other and each take a seat at the table, swiping the plate of bacon from the counter on their way by.
