crossed her arms over her chest.
As I gathered Austin and his things, he began rambling about Storm and Uncle Jackson. I smiled as he shared his excitement with Stacey. She did as I asked, replacing her scowl with a forced smile.
“It sounds like you had a great time,” she told him as she knelt before him.
“I did, and Daddy said I could ride him again Saturday.” He looked back at me, and I nodded, assuring him he could do just that.
“We’ll see. I’m not sure what we’re doing yet,” Stacey said, and his smile slipped. I ground my teeth and held back from letting her have it. She wasn’t gonna keep him from me, no matter how pissed off she was.
“Hey, buddy,” I said as I placed my hand on his shoulder. “Why don’t you head inside and let Grandma give ya a bath?”
He nodded his little head as he turned and wrapped his arms around my leg. “I’ll see you Saturday,” I said as I leaned down and picked him up. Wrapping my arms around him tightly, I gave him a hug and kissed his forehead. “I love you, little man.”
“I love you, Daddy,” Austin replied as I lowered him to the ground. He ran off into the house, and as soon as the door closed behind him, Stacey started once more.
“Suing me for joint custody. Really?” she seethed, her nostrils flaring and her hands fisted. “You’re an asshole. All you had to do was ask me, and I would have allowed you to see him.”
I chuckled because I couldn’t control it. “Allowed me to see my son, how generous of you. But let me tell you something. I don’t need your damn permission. I’ve been waiting for weeks to say a few things to you, so now seems like as good a time as any.” I stepped toward her, and she took a step back.
“I don’t buy for one fucking second that you didn’t know he was mine. I think you found some sorry son of a bitch that bought your story and you sunk your claws into him. But when that shit blew up in your face, you had no other place to go. So coming back here and finally telling me I had a son was the next step.” Her eyes grew wide, but I sure as hell was not done yet.
“You won’t keep Austin from me. I will not allow you to tell me when I can and can’t see my son. You don’t get that power. I’ve put up with your shit for weeks now, thinking we had some chance of reconnecting. But I can assure you that will never happen. I despise you. You kept him from me, knowing every day you looked at him that he was, in fact, my son. I will never forgive that. I will tolerate you because you are the mother of my child, but that is the extent of our relationship.”
She looked up at me with wide eyes, and I waited for her to argue.
“We can do this outside court through our attorneys, or we can take it to court. But one way or another, you will never take him from me again.” At this point my adrenaline was pumping, and I was having a hard time maintaining my cool. I took in a deep, calming breath and hung my head to gain some control.
“Imagine what it would feel like to have him taken away from you.” I lifted my head, looking her directly in the eyes. “What it would be like to be told you could only see him one day a week. Could you do it?” I was getting more emotional with each word. “Because I can’t. He’s part of me, and not seeing him would break me. Please don’t make this hard for us. He’s our son, Stacey. I don’t want to take him away from you any more than I want you to take him from me.”
***
I stopped by Bill’s Diner and picked up two of their specials, hoping that tenderloins and fries would be okay with Alena. Every task I performed after talking to Stacey was almost robotic. I truly couldn’t remember the steps I had taken to get where I was, but there I stood in the alley outside Alena’s apartment, holding a paper bag with two Styrofoam containers tucked safely inside.
I don’t know how long I stood there, but when the porch light flipped on and the door came
As I gathered Austin and his things, he began rambling about Storm and Uncle Jackson. I smiled as he shared his excitement with Stacey. She did as I asked, replacing her scowl with a forced smile.
“It sounds like you had a great time,” she told him as she knelt before him.
“I did, and Daddy said I could ride him again Saturday.” He looked back at me, and I nodded, assuring him he could do just that.
“We’ll see. I’m not sure what we’re doing yet,” Stacey said, and his smile slipped. I ground my teeth and held back from letting her have it. She wasn’t gonna keep him from me, no matter how pissed off she was.
“Hey, buddy,” I said as I placed my hand on his shoulder. “Why don’t you head inside and let Grandma give ya a bath?”
He nodded his little head as he turned and wrapped his arms around my leg. “I’ll see you Saturday,” I said as I leaned down and picked him up. Wrapping my arms around him tightly, I gave him a hug and kissed his forehead. “I love you, little man.”
“I love you, Daddy,” Austin replied as I lowered him to the ground. He ran off into the house, and as soon as the door closed behind him, Stacey started once more.
“Suing me for joint custody. Really?” she seethed, her nostrils flaring and her hands fisted. “You’re an asshole. All you had to do was ask me, and I would have allowed you to see him.”
I chuckled because I couldn’t control it. “Allowed me to see my son, how generous of you. But let me tell you something. I don’t need your damn permission. I’ve been waiting for weeks to say a few things to you, so now seems like as good a time as any.” I stepped toward her, and she took a step back.
“I don’t buy for one fucking second that you didn’t know he was mine. I think you found some sorry son of a bitch that bought your story and you sunk your claws into him. But when that shit blew up in your face, you had no other place to go. So coming back here and finally telling me I had a son was the next step.” Her eyes grew wide, but I sure as hell was not done yet.
“You won’t keep Austin from me. I will not allow you to tell me when I can and can’t see my son. You don’t get that power. I’ve put up with your shit for weeks now, thinking we had some chance of reconnecting. But I can assure you that will never happen. I despise you. You kept him from me, knowing every day you looked at him that he was, in fact, my son. I will never forgive that. I will tolerate you because you are the mother of my child, but that is the extent of our relationship.”
She looked up at me with wide eyes, and I waited for her to argue.
“We can do this outside court through our attorneys, or we can take it to court. But one way or another, you will never take him from me again.” At this point my adrenaline was pumping, and I was having a hard time maintaining my cool. I took in a deep, calming breath and hung my head to gain some control.
“Imagine what it would feel like to have him taken away from you.” I lifted my head, looking her directly in the eyes. “What it would be like to be told you could only see him one day a week. Could you do it?” I was getting more emotional with each word. “Because I can’t. He’s part of me, and not seeing him would break me. Please don’t make this hard for us. He’s our son, Stacey. I don’t want to take him away from you any more than I want you to take him from me.”
***
I stopped by Bill’s Diner and picked up two of their specials, hoping that tenderloins and fries would be okay with Alena. Every task I performed after talking to Stacey was almost robotic. I truly couldn’t remember the steps I had taken to get where I was, but there I stood in the alley outside Alena’s apartment, holding a paper bag with two Styrofoam containers tucked safely inside.
I don’t know how long I stood there, but when the porch light flipped on and the door came
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