Well, hypothetically speaking, the parent would ask for visitation rights. And pay child support if they want to get to know the kid, of course.
James
I’m with Noah on this one, tips. Shouldn’t you know this?
Maybe I do know, but I wanted to ask you guys. Maybe there’s something other than the usual response? Maybe this person now has to parent and doesn’t know how the fuck to…
James
Theo??
Yeah?
James
Breathe
Hmmm, that would probably be a good idea.
Caleb
I’m still not sure what’s happening here. Are you trying to tell us there’s a kid of yours walking around youdidn’t know about?
Noah
Now that seems more of a plausible reason as to why he’s asking. Why didn’t you just say that, fuckface?
I don’t like you, grumpy asshole.
Noah
Tell me something I don’t know *eye roll emoji*
I have a kid I didn’t know about.
Iquickly close down my messages when my anxieties kick into overdrive. My phone keeps vibrating in my pocket, but I ignore it. I need to take a shower and figure out what the fuck I’m going to do because this sure as shit wasn’t on my bingo card for this year.
How the fuck do I even parent a child anyway? They don’t come with instruction manuals. Jesus, would he be better off without me? Surely I’d only fuck him up more with my neediness? He’ll end up hating me, and then it’ll be another reason not to feel good enough about myself.
Striding down the hallway to my room, I strip out of my clothes and then turn the shower on, not even waiting for it to warm up before I step under the cold spray. I squeal when the icy pellets hit my skin, but I need it. I need the reminder that I'm alive, that I’m at one of the hardest points in my life, and I’ll get through it just like I’ve gotten through everything else… sort of.
I lose track of how long I stand there, gazing at the tiled wall like it has all of the answers to life’s questions. Eventually, I shut off thewater, grab a towel from the rack, and dry off. Heading into my room, I put on a pair of gray sweatpants and a black T-shirt. It’s late at night, so it’s not like I’m going anywhere. I have work tomorrow and still have tons to do on this case.
The elevator dinging has my ears perking up. There’s only three people who have access to my apartment. I groan loudly, knowing what’s about to happen.
“Three… two… one…” I mutter.
“You better have a good reason for dropping a bombshell like that on us and then fucking off, dickwad!” James’s voice echoes throughout my apartment. If I didn’t know him so well, I’d think he was messing around. Unfortunately for me, I know him too well, which means I can hear the underlying anger in his words.
Great.
“Please tell me you’re on your own,” I whine as he walks around the corner, beers in hand.
“The fuck I am,” he snaps, storming past me and into the kitchen. “They’re on their way. Caleb’s picking Noah up on his way through.”
The elevator dings for the second time, and I groan, throwing my hands in the air. “Party time at Theo’s tonight, then?”
“I’ll give youparty timeif you don’t tell us what the fuck is going on,” Caleb says, sauntering into the room like he’s not about to kill me with his death eyes.
