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VERA
Iopened the box right before going to court. A gorgeous night sky dress glittering with tiny stars. I could put it in the closet. I could. Really. No reason not to. I was going to the courthouse, for crying out loud. This wasn’t appropriate attire.
Unless I put a blazer over it.
Yeah. Belt and blazer. That was it. My way of celebrating another punishment life was throwing at me because no matter what happened at the courthouse, it would be a punishment, either because Sean would lose Glen and no longer need me, so I’d lose both of them, or because Sean would get Glen and no longer need me, so I’d lose both of them.
Oh, damn, I forgot to sign Sean's card.
I pulled out the red envelope and put the pen to the glossy card. Writing empty words seemed wrong. What then?
Thank you for always listening and never judging. I don't know how you do it, but you always know the right thing to say and do. You also give the best snuggles, Boo. Love you.
Done. I put the card away and got ready to go.
With my new dress on, I came downstairs to join my second little family. A temporary one, no matter how attached I had grown. Oh, hell, who was I kidding? I loved those two.
Sean grinned at me, then offered me his arm and walked me to his car. Glen trudged behind us, looking like it was his last day on earth.
We drove to the courthouse in charged silence. Sean kept one hand on my thigh, the other on the wheel. I stared out of the window because if I looked at him, if I let myself feel, I’d turn into a giant mess. I wasn’t going to cry. I was stronger than this. At least I used to be before meeting Sean and regaining some shred of a soul.
By the time we got to see the judge, I was ready to pull that soul out and rip it to shreds. It was overrated, anyway. Being cold and distant was always the better choice.
Sean and Glen’s grandparents waited inside, as were the two lawyers. We took our seats opposite them. Sean handed a folder to his lawyer, received one back, then passed another one to me. Just the game plan for all the arguments we were supposed to make. Nothing special.
The judge walked in, but before either of the lawyers could start talking, Glen said, “They’re not my grandparents.”
Everyone’s heads turned to Glen. He shrank into himself, looking a lot less sure of himself than only a moment ago.
“Little bro?” Sean said. “What are you talking about?”
“Mom cheated on Dad,” Glen mumbled. “That’s why he hates me, and that’s why they,” he waved at his grandparents, “never wanted to see me. I'm not their flesh and blood.”
The two lawyers started talking over each other, ours demanding a DNA test, the other claiming it didn’t matter. I nudged Glen on the shoulder and pointed at the door. He didn’t need to be here for this, and maybe, just maybe, he needed to talk this out.
As soon as the two of us were outside, Glen plopped on the bench, looking as grumpy as he had the first time I’d met him.
Was there the right thing to say?
“Are you sure about your dad? People say stupid things when they’re drunk and jealous.”
Glen nodded. “He did a paternity test. I never saw the results, but I heard him shout at mom about it, and then…” he shrugged. “She was pregnant again. Dad said she's too old to have another kid, so it’d come out all screwed up, like me. Said he didn’t want to raise someone else’s retard.”
I put my arm around him, hoping it would help. Glen was a smart kid, no matter what his grades said. He just needed a better home and a little time to figure it all out.
In a barely audible whisper, Glen delivered the conclusion to his story. “And then she fell down the stairs.”
My blood chilled. The kind of beating Glen had gotten. The questions about his memory. It made sense.
“Did you see it?” I asked.
Glen stayed quiet, then gave one nod.
