Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 115706 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115706 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
“Doesn’t matter.” I hang my head. Tears are unexpectedly pricking my eyes, and I don’t want Paula to notice. Thinking about Raine losing her mother is making me think about me losing mine. I can’t even imagine how fucked up I’d be right now, if I lost my mother at age two.
Paula touches my forearm and whispers, “We have some time-sensitive things to talk about, Caleb; but if you need a few minutes to collect yourself, I’ll take a walk and come back in fifteen.”
I take a deep breath, wipe my eyes, and look up. “No, I’m fine. What’s the emergency, as it pertains to me?”
“We need to stop Ralph Beaumont, Claudia’s father. I’ve received a demand letter from his attorney, demanding you support his claim for custody and start paying him child support, immediately. As next of kin, he’s already swooped in and taken control of all Claudia bank accounts, including the substantial sum she’d set aside for Raine’s college fund. But apparently, that’s not enough for him. In fact, that’s just the tip of the iceberg of what he wants, as Raine’s only living blood relative.” She levels me with dark, intense eyes. “Other than you, of course.”
I sigh. “I signed my parental rights away, remember?”
“Jesus, Caleb, did you not listen to me at all back then? No, you didn’t. Like I told you at the time, a private custody and support agreement isn’t the same thing as a legal relinquishment of parental rights. Luckily, with that positive paternity test on the books, we’ve already got indisputable proof you’re the child’s father, so we’re ready to roll without delay.”
“Ready to roll . . . how?”
Paula shrugs. “Based on that paternity test alone, you’d almost certainly win custody over Beaumont. Against Aubrey Capshaw, I’m not as sure, given that she’s been in a co-parenting role for most of the child’s life. But at the very least, you’d most certainly be able to win regular visitation rights until—”
“Wait. Back up. Is Aubrey demanding money from me, like Beaumont?”
“No, I haven’t heard a word from her. I’m only aware of her whereabouts because Beaumont mentioned them in his demand letter. Apparently, he’s got lots of spies in Prairie Springs.” Her jaw tightens. “Caleb, Beaumont wants you to take the child—your child—away from Aubrey—the child’s only lifeline—and hand her over to him; and then he wants you to support his custody lawsuit against Aubrey and ultimately pay him exactly what you paid his daughter. If we don’t act pre-emptively, Beaumont is going to file a petition for custody next week in Montana, against both you and Aubrey. He says he’ll spend every dime of Claudia’s savings account to get the victory he wants.”
I shift in my seat. “What, exactly, do you want me to do about that, Paula?”
“The right fucking thing!”
“Which is?”
“File a custody petition of your own, here in LA, for full custody, before Ralph Beaumont files his petition in Montana. Work directly with Aubrey, instead of Ralph!”
My stomach somersaults. By now, I’ve thought about my kid more times than I can count, wishing I’d done things differently. But I’ve never once fantasized about becoming the kid’s sole and full-time parent. I mean, Jesus, is that really what Paula’s suggesting here—that I drop everything and become Mr. Mom? If so, she’s conveniently overlooking the fact that I’d make a shitty parent. “You truly think it’s in the kid’s best interest to be with me, full-time?”
Paula leans back, studying me, intensely. “If you’re not willing to seek full custody, then at least meet with Aubrey and throw your money and support behind her getting full custody, with regular visitation rights for you. Otherwise, Ralph is going to steamroll Aubrey, thanks to all the money he’s gotten his hands on, and we simply can’t let that happen.” She glares at me. “Don’t you remember the word Claudia used in relation to her father? Monster. She said not going to Prairie Springs with her baby was fine with her, because she didn’t want her monster of a father—"
I exhale. “Yes, I remember.”
“I did some digging and found out, over the years, neighbors repeatedly called the police to the Beaumont home in Prairie Springs for domestic disturbances. But no matter her obvious, visible injuries, Mrs. Beaumont would never press charges against her husband. In fact, she always claimed she got those bruises and injuries by some freak accident.”
I close my eyes. It was the same thing with my own mother, until I finally got big enough to beat the shit out of my father, several times, to protect her.
I open my eyes, suddenly feeling resolved. “Okay.”
“Okay what?”
“Okay, I’ll go to Prairie Springs on the next flight out and do whatever’s necessary to keep Raine away from Claudia’s monster of a father.”
Paula’s face lights up. “I’m glad to hear you’re willing to jump in, but you’ll have to wait till your mandatory rehab stint is over to do that. In the meantime, however, I’ll set up a Zoom call with Aubrey to—”