The world wasn't safe like the way it was when he was growing up, and children were allowed to run wild, only coming home to sleep. There were people, strangers, even those close to them, who could hurt them. He needed to make sure they understood that what he asked of them was for their safety.
He also needed to explain to them the threats made by Dean. Whether they were aware of their former stepdad trying to gain custody of them and threatening him, he couldn't take the chance that one of them would get hurt in the process.
He'd tried to keep their mother's struggles with drugs from them, and while they were little, he believed they remained unaware of her addictions. As they grew older, Claudia stayed away from the house more when she was using but the kids knew something was wrong with her. It wouldn't surprise him to know they were aware of her being an addict.
"Not long after your mom died, Dean threatened to take me to court," he said.
"Why?" Jess sneered.
"Because he was married to your mom, he believes he has a right to see both of you. To have visitations."
"No way." Jess crossed her arms and sulked on the couch. "I don't want to see him or stay with him. He never liked us when mom was alive. Why would he want to spend time with us now?"
"He can't do that, can he?" Travis leaned forward, his elbows planted on his knees. "I mean, he's not our dad."
"I wouldn't think he could, but I don't know what a court would decide. Over the years, I've tried to go to court to get full custody of both of you, and the judge always believed you should stay with your mom." Uncomfortable talking about the time in his life when he'd been pressed into a corner with no ability to help his kids, he had never told them of his fight to gain custody. At the least, he would've gotten their hopes up and disappointed them.
"That's stupid." Jess scoffed. "Couldn't Travis and I tell the judge who we want to live with?"
"It's possible. You're old enough, and you might be able to if it comes to that." He looked at Travis. "While Dean was making his threats, you were running away. Son, I don't know what Dean will do. He could be blowing smoke, or he could have a lawyer and going through with his threats. The fact that he picked you up at school and there have been sightings of him around the apartments, I will not chance him thinking he has a right to take my kids from me. Got it?"
Travis nodded. He hoped his son had come to understand the seriousness of him running off over the last two days.
"I don't know how much you know about Dean's marriage to your mom, but there are reasons why I believe he's not a good person to be around," he said.
"Because he's a jerk." Jess's lip curled. "He was always leaving her, and then coming back, and mom would disappear. I think he made her leave most of the time. He'd yell that she had a job to do. I don't know what, because she never acted like she went to work."
His jaw cramped for how hard he gritted his teeth. Being the oldest and a girl, Jess would be more attuned to what happened around her. If she hadn't known about her mom's drug problems, it wouldn't take her long to figure it all out. He rather she and Travis hear the truth from him.
"Your mom loved you guys, but she had..." Fuck, it was a hard conversation to have. "She had an addiction to drugs. That's why she would leave the house for days and why you'd come to me when you weren't scheduled for visitation."
Jess swiped her cheek with her hand. "I thought so. I heard Dean yell at her about being stoned."
If only it'd been marijuana Claudia used. He looked to Travis. His son sat watching him and Jess, not adding anything to the conversation.
He sat down on the coffee table in front of his family. "Now is the time to come clean. I've let you get away with not talking about your reasons for running away. But I need to know why. Are you unhappy here? Is there someone you're running to? A friend?"
Travis leaned back and gazed at him. He wiped every bit of frustration from his face.
"I just..." Travis exhaled loudly. "I don't know why."
"You can talk to me. If you don't want to do it here, we can go for a ride or up on the mountain. Wherever you want to go, I'll go, and I'll listen."
"I won't go anywhere alone." Travis swallowed. "I promise."
"Part of being a man is making sure your word is good. I'll take your promise. Don't disappoint me." Wyatt squeezed his son's knee and turned to the others. "Any questions?"
Jess leaned forward. "Uh, duh. I don't want Dean to bother you. I don't want to live with him again. I don't—"
"I will never let that happen." He stood. "Now, you two need to gather your laundry off the floor of your rooms, and then I need to hit the store. Travis, you're riding with me. Joey is going to hang with Jess here. Be ready in fifteen minutes."
When the kids were gone from the room, he sat down beside Joey. The truth hung heavily in the air. It felt a lot like he'd stolen his kids' innocence.
"You did the right thing." Joey leaned against his shoulder. "You've got good kids."
"I don't know. Years ago, when I left Claudia, I swore never to say a bad thing about her in front of the kids. It feels a lot like I ruined any of the good memories they had
