Found by Love (18 page)

It really was but I don't think the frame of mind that she's in could handle what I need to talk about. The only other person that I could talk to about this would be Cash but it sounds like he's just as busy at the moment.

"Claud? Never think that I'm not here for you and I so want to talk about anything besides my problems. Please talk to me. I could use an intelligent conversation right now."

This might bring up some stuff that she doesn't want to talk about which is why I'm not so sure that I should even bring it up. Caleb pretty much blew me off with an ‘oh well we will figure something out’ response which really irritated me. I might as well just tell her what it is.

"Okay... Here goes and I really hope that this doesn't upset you but... I think that the reason Grayson doesn't want to move to Oregon with Caleb and I is because he's waiting for his dead parents to show him somehow that it's what they want him to do." There! I said it out loud. I can hear her brain working through the phone and I could tell that she was also trying to figure out how to respond to what I blurted out.

"I can completely understand where he's coming from. He hasn't had closure yet and it sounds like he's not physically able to move on and tell them goodbye either. Has he mentioned if he's seen them? I'm assuming you've taken him to visit their graves?" Whoa! She really does get it. I guess I can start calling her the
‘ghost whisperer’
instead of Bessie the Cow.

"Uh yes... I took him Sunday and he was really upset that they didn't... Well... Appear. You really get it don't you? His apprehension about moving and who to live with, you get it? I mean... I know that you and Cash had well... Visits from Derek and Vanessa and I never once thought that you two were crazy but honestly I just thought it could have been in your heads." I hear her giggle under her breath and then laugh her butt off.

"Oh I thought I was ready for the insane asylum for sure the first few times I saw them but then it was comforting. Ya know? But then it became like an addiction and for Cash as well. That is until we decided
we had to move forward. I have a question... Has he had any nightmares? I can't imagine after what he went through him NOT having any." I can't believe I didn't think about him having nightmares. I bet he has and probably still is. What a lousy mother I am for not asking him.

"Olivia! I have no idea. I can't believe I haven't even thought of that. Of course he is! I'm just so lost at what to do. Mattie had him going to a therapist and I met the witch last night. Grrrr! I wanted to beat her ass after what she said about my son!"

"Oh no! What did she say? She's not making him feel like he's crazy is she? About seeing his parents? I'm not saying that it's not all in his head because I've often wondered the same thing. Subconsciously maybe our mind wanders and sees what we want to see but she shouldn't make him feel like he's crazy, did she?"

"That's pretty much what she said. She told me that he was delusional in thinking that his parents are waiting for him at the cemetery so that they could tell him what he should do. She told me that my coddling him was the wrong thing to do and that I should just put him on the plane and take him home with me and that he would eventually move on. I can't do it O. I just can't."

"I don't know that I would be able to either. What does Caleb say about it? What about Mattie? How does he feel about it?"

"Caleb pretty much agrees with me and thinks that we should play it by ear and not pressure him. I think Mattie agrees with the therapist because Gray told me that Mattie didn't believe him when he told him that he saw his parents."

I let out a long sigh of relief because it feels good to get a third party's opinion in the matter. I do need to talk to Gray and ask him if he's had any nightmares because after dealing with Olivia for over a year with hers I can only imagine that he has had plenty of them.

"Ya know Claud... Thanksgiving is next week. Why don't you bring Grayson home to meet the family and maybe the not knowing how things might go is bothering him as well. He would be able to see where he'll live. Meet all of us and the kids and maybe you could show him the school that he's going to go to. By the way? Where is he going to go to school? Have you thought about that?"

“No! No I haven't! I am so sucking at this mother crap! I would love for him to go where Gideon and Eden go but we would have to move closer to where you live. Right now I'm just trying to give him some time to get used to Caleb and I and get to know us better."

"Claud... You're doing a wonderful job and all moms worry about everything under the sun. Right now the main priority is getting his head straight...mentally that is, haha... I'm assuming his head is straight. Aligned with his neck? Haha... Okay, okay. Bad joke! I was just trying to lighten the mood."

"Haha… Yeah... he has a gorgeous little head that is aligned with his neck. I can't wait for you to meet him O! He's so beautiful... and smart... and funny and oh my God you're not going to believe this but he takes after me personality wise. He will tell you whatever he's thinking and I can't believe Caleb hasn't run away yet! Haha."

"Oh no! I don't think the world can handle TWO of you! Haha... I can't wait to meet him either Claud. Aside from your crazy thoughts I don't think that I've ever heard you smile as big as you are right now."

"You can hear me smiling? Wow! You're good! Hehe."

"Oh shut up! You knew what I meant. I can tell that you're smiling by the way your voice sounds dummy!" Oh I knew what she meant. I love giving her a hard time. I hear that I'm getting a call and I don't recognize the number but it has a California area code.

"Olivia? Hold on a second. I have another call on the other line." I didn't even wait for a reply and clicked over.

"Hello, Claudia speaking." I hear a deep voice on the other end.

"Hello there. Is this Claudia Porter?"

"Yes it is. May I help you?"

"Yes, Ms. Porter. This is Mr. Jacobs, the principal at Grayson Brown's school. Mr. Jackson alerted us to the fact that he was out of town and that if anything came up with Grayson that we were to give you a call to inform you of anything that came up and that you were now his legal guardian."

Oh my God! My heart has literally dropped and fallen into my stomach!

"Yes, yes that's right. Is he okay? Has he been hurt?"

"He's quite fine now and he does have a couple of scrapes and bruises but he is fine." Oh Thank God! "It seems that he has been in some sort of an altercation with his cousin and they got into a fist fight. He has been suspended for a few days, along with his cousin but I need someone to pick him up. It seems that his cousins that have had temporary custody of him seem to think that it is alright for him to go with them and Grayson is throwing a blue nosed fit and said to call his mother to come pick him up. I'm sorry but if I'm not mistaken, I was told that both of his parents were dead."

"His adoptive parents did die Mr. Jacobs. I'm his birth mother and his legal guardian. DO NOT and I repeat DO NOT let him go with his cousins! I am on my way there to pick him up!"

I don't know who the hell they think they are but they are about to meet Miss Crazy White Trash Twit Claudia Porter! Try to take my son home with them? After knowing that he doesn't want to go with them? I don't freaking think so!

"Yes ma'am. I will be waiting in my office with Grayson for you to arrive."

"Thank you for calling me Mr. Jacobs. Goodbye." I hang up and switch over to Olivia and grab my purse and start yelling at Caleb.

"Claud? What's going on? Why are you screaming at Caleb?"

"Because my son has gotten into a fight with his cousin and those evil people are trying to take him home with them and THAT is NOT happening!"

"Oh boy! Okay, calm down and don't do anything crazy. Call me when you get back to the house."

"Okay. I've got to go… Bye." I hung up and walked into the living room and looked at Caleb who is standing there with a confused look on his face.

"Come on! Get in the truck! We have to go pick Gray up at school because he got into a fight. Come on Caleb! Let’s go, let’s go!!"

"I'm driving... Just so you know. You look like you're planning on killing somebody!" I glared at him and seethed through my teeth which made him cringe.

"Don't tempt me! The fight was with his cousin and the kids parents are already up there trying to take BOTH of them home and Grayson is throwing a fit. You can drive but you better drive fast!"

"I can already tell that this isn't going to end well. I hope I have enough bail money on me to bail you out of jail!"

"Oh shut up and drive!"

I kept looking at him and maybe I do look like I might kill someone because he looked away and dropped his chin against his chest with an apologetic look on his face.

"Yes ma'am!"

*****************

Caleb and I pull up to the school and the truck hadn't even stopped before I jumped out and started heading for the main entrance of the school.

"Claudia! Slow down! Don't you dare walk in there without me. Calm down a little bit baby."

I turn around and he is glaring at me and I see him gritting his teeth and his body is all tensed up.

"Then hurry up and don't you dare tell me to calm down."

I turn around and patiently wait for him to catch up. When he did he grabbed my hand and encircled our fingers and raised my hand up and kissed the top of my hand.

"We have to go in there as a united front Cru... They're going to try to goad you and don't let them. Be calm because our main objective is to take Grayson home as peacefully as possible. Okay sweetheart?"

That's code for don't go in there acting like a bull in a china shop Cruella, which was exactly what I was about to do. I hate when he's right sometimes but he's right. My way was not the way to go when all that I want to do is go inside and strangle Meredith and Roger Stevens.

"Okay... You're right. Maybe you should be the one to talk to everyone. I just want to knock someone's teeth out and make sure that my boy is okay because the principal said he has some scrapes and bruises." I see the look of shock on his face and realize that I hadn't told him about what the principal said about his appearance. "Can we please go in? I'm dying to hold my son."

"Geez Claud! Why didn't you tell me he might be hurt? Come on! I'm going to kill somebody!” So much for calm, cool and collected. Which one of us was supposed to be calm now?

We walk into the school and I hear screaming and yelling coming from the office area to the right. I didn't even stop at the receptionist area and walked straight up to the principal’s office and opened the door. What I saw when I walked into the room about ripped my heart out. My 10 year old son was standing in the corner of the room with his back to the wall with tears running down his cheeks.

A woman that I am assuming is Meredith is standing over him with her finger in his face and screaming at him and unaware that I've entered the room.

The principal takes one look at me and motions for the crazy woman to shut up. Roger comes up and stands next to Caleb sizing him up and one look from Caleb had him walking away and cowering on the couch next to his son the bully.

Grayson finally realized that I was in the room and I could see the relief in his eyes as I walked towards him getting between him and Meredith. I pulled him into my arms and held him and turned around and faced the evil woman with Grayson behind me.

This is who called me a white trashed twit? The same woman with her overly bleached blonde hair that looks so brittle that fried would be the best term? I don't think I've ever seen anyone as tan as this woman and if I were her doctor I would tell her to stop. I was about to tell her just that but she got up into my face.

"Well looky here... If it's not the white trash twit that changed her mind about tossing out the trash. You do realize that when you throw things away you're not supposed to ask for them back right?"

Grayson wrapped his arms around me as tight as he could and that was the only thing keeping me from throttling this woman. I can't be immature about this in front of my son. I look over at the principal and smile as I walk around Meredith while still holding onto Grayson.

"Hello Mr. Jacobs, thank you so much for calling me. Is there anything that I need to sign so that we can leave?"

He started to answer me but then he paused and looked behind me. I turned around and Roger wasn't cowering over by the couch anymore. He's right behind me and Caleb has moved in between us with anger in his eyes while staring Roger down.

"You need to get back over there by your son Mr. Stevens."

Caleb's back is to me but I didn't have to look at his face to know that he was on the verge of hurting Roger because I could tell by the growl in his voice. I look around him to see if Roger is going to do what he said but he's not budging.

"I'm sorry but this is none of your business and I don’t know who you seem to think you are. You’re nobody to Grayson and he’s our family. Not yours." He tried to move past Caleb but Caleb stopped him by putting his hand on his chest but Roger still wasn’t budging.  "You best move your hand or I'm going to call the police. I want to talk to Grayson and there's nothing either of you can do about it!"