“Yeah, I do,” I nodded. “I looked into these people. They’re good people, like really fucking good people. How the hell his mom ended up with that prick senator, I’ll never understand. But she did, and now she’s dead. But that kid’s real dad had family that wanted him and still do. How can I stand in the way of that?”
“So, you’re just going to let that kid get taken away from you? After Florrie’s come to love him?”
“Look, I don’t like it either-”
“Sounds to me like you’re just giving up.”
“Maybe I am,” I said sadly. “Or maybe I’m just seeing what Florrie can’t.”
“She’s going to hate you if you don’t fight for him.”
I nodded, because I already knew that, and I knew that my relationship with Florrie could be over in just a very short time. This had the potential to ruin our lives, but for different reasons. I would always keep fighting for Florrie, but I had a feeling that she would give up on me very quickly if she knew where my head was.
“Are you prepared to lose her?”
“I’m not prepared to lose anyone, but you don’t always get what you want in life.”
✯✯✯✯✯
I walked into Cap’s office later that day, needing some clarity on my situation. Cap usually had a pretty level head about things, and I needed to know if I was doing the right thing or not. I trusted his judgement more than I trusted my own.
“How’s it going?” Cap asked.
“I need some advice.” I sat down across for him and just let it fly. “I don’t think we’re going to win custody of Reid. I’m prepared for that, but I don’t think Florrie is.”
“So, what advice do you need?”
“I guess, I need to know that I’m doing the right thing.”
He sighed and tossed his pen down on his desk. “You know, it would help if you gave me a little context into what the hell you’re talking about.”
“I…I’m not planning on fighting the custody suit.”
He stared at me in shock. “Why?”
“I looked into the family. They’re good people.”
“But you’ve been raising him.”
“I know, but he’s not mine. He never has been.”
He looked so confused, and I imagined that anyone else I talked to would think the exact same way. “Alec, I don’t get it. When you brought him home, you said that you would do anything for this kid. You were ready to go to war over this kid, and now you’re gonna walk away?”
“Look, I know it probably looks really shitty of me, but imagine you were that family. What if you had a niece out there that you knew needed a home. Would you walk away?”
“Well, no, but Reid doesn’t need a new home.”
“Would that matter to you? Really think about this, Cap. You have a kid out there that lost his family, and you’re all that remains. Would you give up that kid just because someone had picked him up off the streets?”
“Probably not,” he said after a minute. “But this is a totally different circumstance. Why didn’t they come after him sooner? Is this all about the money?”
“I don’t think so. Cap, I looked into these people. I would bet my left nut that the senator pushed all her family away. I’m guessing they didn’t even know what was going on with Reid until recently.”
He still didn’t look convinced. I knew how it fucking looked. It looked like I was giving up on my kid.
“Cap, this is his last remaining family. I can’t take that away from him.”
“Family isn’t always a blood relative.”
“I fucking know that. Look, maybe I’m not saying this very well. Maybe I’m fucking wrong about the whole thing. Hell, nothing over the past year has been what I thought it would be. All I know is that Reid has family out there, and I can’t hold him back from knowing who he is and where he came from. He grew up in a shit environment, but that’s not always the way it was for him. If these people are serious and really want to take him in and tell him about his family and raise him, who am I to stop them?”
“You’re his father.”
“No, I’m not. I’m a man that loves that kid enough to give him what he’s been missing out on for years. And if that doesn’t happen to be with me, so be it. But I won’t rip him away from the only family he has left to make myself feel better.”
Cap sighed, not saying anything for a minute. I couldn’t get a read on him. I didn’t know if he was going to tell me I was a fucking idiot or if I was right. All I knew was that my gut was screaming at me that I had to give these people a chance.
“She’s gonna hate you,” he finally said.
“I already know that.”
“And you’re prepared to lose her over this?”
“I won’t lose her. I can’t. I have to believe that Florrie and I are more than what Reid has given us since he came into our lives. If we can’t get past this, then we never should have been together to begin with.”
“Well, you came to me for advice. You want to know what I think?”
“Of course.”
“I think you’re fucking crazy. I think that when you love someone you fight for them with everything you have. And I think that deciding not to fight for Reid is going to tear you and Florrie apart. I don’t think she’s going to be able to forgive you, and you know better than anyone that getting Florrie to trust you is nearly impossible.”
I nodded, hating what he was saying, but knowing that it was absolutely true.
“But I also think that you’re making the right decision. He deserves to know his family, and if you’ve checked them out and think they’re good people, then I don’t see how you can try and keep Reid from them. But you need to
