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However, there wasn’t one of them standing in The Barn that wondered how Sig raising three young children would work out. He had a lot of issues and Red still occasionally disappeared inside her head.
Were they both better than three years ago? Fuck yeah.
But suddenly taking on three children under five might push their mental health to the breaking point. Easy hoped to fuck not and they did have a good support system surrounding them, but still…
“Takin’ those three kids in ain’t gonna be a problem,” Trip assured Rook. “We’re gonna come up with a damn good story. Better yet, no proof of them even exists on paper since they’re home-birthed and got no birth certificates. The same place we got Jude’s documentation is where we’re gonna get theirs. Once we get birth certificates made, we can get their social security cards, then we can get Ezrah into kindergarten.”
“You sure puttin’ him in school so soon after the clan plan went down is smart?” Deacon asked.
“Wanna give those kids a normal life and future,” Sig said. “One they wouldn’t have had with… them.” He practically spat out the last word.
Easy wasn’t so sure they’d have a normal life with Sig, but the “village” Trip always went on about would be there to help.
“He’s five. Believe me, they come up with crazy fuckin’ stories that most adults just nod and say ‘uh huh’ to, not believin’ one fuckin’ word,” Judge assured them. “They think the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny are real.”
“Yeah, well, that fuckin’ mountain was real. Their parents were real,” Rook said. “He starts spoutin’ off about his parents or what happened up there, it could mean trouble.”
“Yeah, get that,” Trip said, ripping off his baseball cap. He didn’t even rake his fingers through his hair as was his habit, instead he immediately slapped it back on his head. “We got time to figure it all out. Don’t gotta do it in a day. Willin’ to hear any better ideas. We’re a village, remember? We’re all raisin’ these kids. We all gotta be involved. Even down to the smallest details.”
“This ain’t a small detail,” Rev said next. “Who’s goin’ on their birth certificates? Nobody in this town’s gonna believe that Red and Sig are their birth parents. That shit would be a huge red flag.”
Trip scrubbed a hand over his mouth. “You’re right, we can’t put Sig or Red down on the birth certificate. Like I said, we’re gonna figure it all out. Ain’t gonna be tonight. Wanna get them settled into their trailer for now. Ezrah’s the one who’s askin’ the questions and who still cries at night, right, brother?”
Sig nodded. “Yeah, a lotta shit went down and he was scared and, yeah, he’s gonna be cryin’ for his mom and dad for a while. Red’s doin’ the best she can with them. Like the prez said, we’ll figure it the fuck out.”
Trip nodded. “Shit will smooth out. Just gotta give it time.”
Easy wondered if Ezrah would ever resent all the shit that happened up on that mountain. At almost five, he was old enough to have lots of memories, good and bad. Not only of his parents, but of that night where within a few hours he went from having two parents to suddenly having his older sister raise him. A sister he didn’t know.
“Speakin’ of kids, we got one more to discuss,” Trip brought up next. “Another victim of that clan.”
“And fuckin’ Scar,” Cage said under his breath next to Easy.
Trip continued. “We need to figure out what we’re doin’ with Gabi.”
“She keeps insistin’ she don’t got family. I can’t find shit about her anywhere. No Amber Alert, no news articles on a missin’ fourteen-year-old girl. Nothin’,” Deke said, shaking his head. “Either she’s lyin’ or the Shirleys pulled off some kinda magic trick when they took her from whatever group home they found her.”
“Or whoever was supposed to be her guardian just didn’t give a fuck about her disappearin’,” Judge said. “One less kid to take care of.”
“Probably still collectin’ that monthly fuckin’ check for her, though,” Deke added. “As long as the green’s comin’ in, why would they give a fuck if she’s actually there or not?”
Easy figured New York State might care since they were the ones sending those damn checks. They had to have some sort of system in place where those types of kids were checked on.
He didn’t have any fucking clue, though. His parents didn’t desert him until after he was arrested at seventeen.
When he got out at twenty-one, he was told not to come home. But he already had guessed that was how it would go when they only visited him once that first month.
Then after that? Never again.
He had only defended himself. He hadn’t gone looking for trouble. That fucking bitch tricked him and brought trouble upon him. He hoped she was having a miserable goddamn life because she certainly fucked up his in her selfishness. She also permanently fucked up her boyfriend’s football career.
