Indemnity: Book Two: Covenant of Trust Series (29 page)

“
Ms. Ravenna!” Ms. Houser broke in. “Mr. Molinsky, let’s stick to the task at hand. Obviously, there are some differences in your plans. But we need to come up with one that is in Jack’s best interests, regardless of how you feel about each other.”

“
I will not accept equal time parenting,” Tracy said. “He can forget it. He should be thankful for what he has now.”

“
Ms. Ravenna, you misunderstand the process,” Ms. Houser said. “Mr. Molinsky is not asking you for these rights. He’s asking the court, and the court, Judge Swift, will make the final decision.”

“
You just try to take Jack,” Tracy said quietly.

“
I’m not trying to take him,” Chuck said. “He needs two parents, that’s all.”

“
No, your sanctimonious presumption is that a single mother can’t provide a home as well as you can.” Tracy stood up, and leaned over Chuck. “You’re wrong. I
am
a good mother.” She threw her packet of papers in his lap and walked out, slamming the door behind her.

“
What just happened?” Chuck asked, bewildered.

“
I was hoping you knew,” Ms. Houser said. “Has her fitness ever been questioned?”

“
No. She loves Jack, and I’m sure she does the best she can for him.” He straightened his packet out, and handed Tracy’s back to Ms. Houser. “I didn’t even have a chance to absorb what she put in her plan.”

“
It’s not that far from yours. I think if you gradually increased your parenting time over the next few years, she would agree to it.”

“
I’d be amenable to that. You want to work out a schedule then?”

“
Let’s see ... you’re back with the judge on the eighteenth ... Let’s try the sixteenth.”

“
Apparently, it’s best if she and I don’t meet,” Chuck said. “You have my number. I’ll just wait to hear from you.”

Bobbi pulled the door of Ann’s room almost closed, just as Chuck rounded the corner. “Is she awake?” he asked quietly.

“
No, she’s slept fairly well while you were gone. How’d it go?”

“
She was Mr. Hyde this afternoon. She went off saying she was a good mother, and that I was self-righteous, insinuating I could provide a better home.”

“
You can.”

“
That’s beside the point. It was like she just snapped.”

“
That’s the kind of thing I worry about. Does she do this to Jack too?”

“
I don’t know,” he rubbed his eyes, and sighed. “I wonder who she’ll be when I go pick Jack up.” Chuck eased into one of the chairs in the waiting room, and yawned. “Did Joel take Abby back already?”

“
Yes, they left right after you did. Brad went to pick up Shannon at school.” Bobbi glanced at the clock on the wall. “In fact, they should be here soon.” She took a seat next to her husband, and leaned her head on his shoulder. “So what’s the plan for the weekend?”

“
Honestly, I hadn’t thought that far ahead.”

“
I can stay here with your mother tonight and tomorrow night. That way, you can be home with Jack. Rita said she’d stay if we needed her.” When Chuck didn’t immediately answer, Bobbi turned to face him. His eyes were closed and his breathing was deep and rhythmic. She kissed his cheek lightly. “I’m surprised you made it this long.”

“
I wanna see Grandma!” Shannon said as she bounced into the waiting room, leaving Brad several steps behind.

Bobbi hugged her tightly, and then kissed the top of her head. “Shhhh,” Bobbi whispered. “Daddy’s asleep.”

“
How could he be sleeping?”

“
He’s very tired. I don’t think he slept last night, and he and I were here this morning way before the sun came up.”

“
Oh,” Shannon said. “Is he gonna get Jack?”

“
It’s not quite time yet.”

“
Is Grandma’s heart all better now?”

“
I think so, but they had to operate on it, and it takes a long time to get all better from that. She’ll have to take it pretty easy for a while.”

“
So when can I see her?”

“
You can’t right now. Little kids can’t visit.”

“
I have to wait until she gets home?”

“
Yes,” Bobbi said, “But I’ll tell her that you want to see her.”

“
Did Brad and Joel get to see her?”

“
Yes.”

“
They get to do everything,” Shannon pouted.

“
Jack won’t get to see Grandma,” Bobbi offered, trying to soften the blow.

“
At least somebody else gets treated like a kid.”

“
Did you have any trouble?” Bobbi asked Brad.

“
No. I stopped in, and told Mr. Henneke how things went.”

“
Thank you. I should let him know if Grandma does well over the weekend, I’ll be back at school Monday.”

“
Yay!” Shannon said. “I missed you!” She climbed up in her mother’s lap, snuggling close. For the next hour, she recounted everything that happened in the last day, playing with Katelyn, spending the night at Aunt Rita’s, and the day’s kindergarten drama.

Finally Bobbi said, “Why don’t you go and very gently wake your Daddy up?”

“
Is it time to get Jack?” Shannon asked sitting up straight.

“
Yes,” Bobbi said, and Shannon scrambled off her lap. “Gently,” Bobbi reminded.

Shannon tiptoed over to Chuck and put a hand on his knee. “Daddy, wake up,” she whispered. When he didn’t respond, she shook his knee, and raised her voice. “Daddy!”

His eyes opened slowly, and he took a moment to orient himself. “Hi, sweetheart,” he said, pulling her into a hug. “What time is it?”

“
Time to get Jack!” Shannon exclaimed. “Can I go?”

“
No,” Chuck answered immediately. “I have to go by myself.” He stood and stretched, then said to Bobbi, “I can’t believe I fell asleep that fast.”

“
Believe it,” Bobbi said. “Are you going to bring Jack by here?”

“
I guess so. We can decide then what we’re doing tonight and tomorrow.”

“
Are you the last one standing?” Rita asked Bobbi as she and Gavin entered the family waiting room.

“
No, Brad and Shannon are on a quest for cheese puffs, and Chuck should be here with Jack soon.” She hugged her sister and brother-in-law. “How are you guys?”

“
We’re fine. How’s Ann?” Rita asked as she and Gavin took a seat.

“
She did great through the surgery. I talked to her for a minute, and Chuck saw her before he left for court.”

“
How did that go?” Gavin asked.

“
Not so well,” Bobbi said. “Tracy stormed out.”

Just then Rita’s phone rang. She quickly dug the phone out of her purse. “Oh, it’s Kelly. She had a doctor’s appointment today, and maybe an ultrasound.” She flipped the phone open. “Hey, what’d you find out? Wait, I can’t hear you in here.” Rita walked out into the hallway in an attempt to find a better cell phone signal.

Gavin watched Rita for a moment, and then he turned back to Bobbi. “You know, I never wanted Chuck to pursue this thing with Jack,” Gavin said. “I was afraid of what it would do to you, to your marriage.”

“
I believe God held it off until we were secure enough to deal with it. If we had found out Tracy was pregnant while we were separated ... I think we would have divorced over it.”

“
So you’re okay?”

“
Yeah, Chuck finally realized he was a jerk.”

“
Again.”

“
You’d think he’d catch on quicker, wouldn’t you?” Bobbi smiled. “The big revelation was that if he expects me to trust him, trust his judgment and trust him to have contact with Tracy, then he has got to take my concerns seriously.”

“
And he’s doing that?”

“
He’s improving,” Bobbi said. “He kept trying to get me to be reasonable and rational. I told him that when he had the affair with her, rationality went out the window. I will never react objectively where Tracy’s concerned. Period. And it’s not about jealousy as much as fear.”

“
The scars are deep, aren’t they?”

“
In spite of the progress we’ve made, and as much as we love each other now, yes, the scars are very deep, and the wounds are still painful.”

“
I feel kind of responsible for you, you know,” Gavin said, “since I gave you away to him and all.”

“
I know you do, and I love you for it, but I’m okay, and our marriage is okay.”

“
You’d tell me if it wasn’t, wouldn’t you?”

“
Gavin, apart from my husband, there is no one on earth I trust as much as you and Rita. I promise, we’re okay, and he has my genuine support in this. Jack needs him. It’s worth it for his sake.”

“
We’re having a boy!” Rita announced from the doorway. “Andrew Joseph Logan.”

After the exchange in the caseworker’s office, Chuck was less than anxious about seeing Tracy again. At least she was alone this time. Jack opened the front door before Chuck stepped onto the porch. “Hi Dad! Guess what?”

“
What?”

“
I lost a tooth at school today! See!” He smiled broadly, showing off the gap where his top left incisor had been. “Will the Tooth Fairy know how to find me at your house?”

“
Oh yeah,” Chuck answered. “That’s no problem for the Tooth Fairy.”

“
Great!” Jack answered, and bounced down the steps to Chuck’s car.

Chuck waited a few moments for Tracy, but then rang the bell.
She’s just jerking me around, trying to get a rise out of me. Stay cool, don’t let her bait me.

At last, she came to the front door. “Jack never tells me when you’re here,” she said, glancing past him to her son, already in Chuck’s car. She slid his suitcase out, and handed it to Chuck. “I didn’t mention your mother at all. I thought you’d want to handle that.”

“
Thanks,” Chuck said. “About this afternoon—”

“
What about it?” Tracy asked sharply.

“
I wanted to apologize. I think you’ve done a great job with Jack. I asked for more time with Jack because he’s my son, not because I want him away from you.”

“
Thanks, but I don’t believe you. Tell Jack I’ll see him Sunday.” Tracy closed her front door, leaving Chuck on the porch, shaking his head. She believed him. He knew she did, regardless of the posturing. Something else was going on. Maybe Sunday she’d open up a little.

He carried the suitcase to the car, and opened Jack’s door to check that the boy had buckled his seat belt. “Jack, we need to stop by the hospital before we go home.”

“
Who’s sick?”

“
Grandma,” Chuck answered, and immediately Jack’s eyes brimmed with tears. “Hey, she’s going to be okay. The doctors found what was making her sick, and they fixed it.”

“
Promise?”

“
As much as I can make a promise like that, yes.” He patted Jack’s knee. “Shannon’s waiting to see you.”

Chuck got in the car, and as he got ready to back out of the driveway, he caught sight of Tracy watching them through the living room window. She quickly let the curtain go and disappeared back into the house. It was killing her to let Jack go, and she was enduring it, because her son needed a dad.

Her protests were about her own pain, and not anger at him. It just made a convenient cover to blame him. Guilt washed over him almost as intense as the day Bobbi discovered his affair. He swore to Bobbi he had no feelings for Tracy. And he didn’t. But ...

“
Here’s your PJs, squirt!” Brad pulled the pair of Spiderman pajamas from Jack’s suitcase, and tossed them to the boy. “You can stay here in my room since you’re used to it. I’ll sleep in Joel’s room.”

“
How come Joel isn’t here too?” Jack asked.

“
He was here Thursday night, and stayed until he knew Grandma was okay after the operation. He had to get back to college though.”

“
Grandma’s really okay?” Jack asked. “You’re not just telling me that ’cause I’m a kid, are you?”

“
The doctor said so.”

Jack wriggled and tugged until he got his shirt off, but then furrowed his brow. “Brad, what would’ve happened if Grandma died?”

What an opening. Brad’s first instinct was to get his dad, let him handle it, but it was just one question. He could answer one question. “She’d go to heaven.”

“
That’s the place with all the clouds and everybody plays harps and stuff.” Jack pulled the pajama shirt down over his head.

“
Only in cartoons.” Okay, it was going to be more than one question. Now if he could just explain everything so the little guy could understand it. Brad sat down on the bed, and patted the spot beside him for Jack. “In real life, it’s the best place ever. Better than anything we could imagine.”

Jack bounced in beside him. “I don’t know. I can imagine a lot.”

Brad smiled. “The best thing is that God is there.”

“
The real God?” Jack asked, eyes wide.

“
Yeah,” Brad nodded, “and He wants you to be there with Him.”

“
Don’t I have to die first?”