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“I know this seems a little boring to go over everything again, but I don’t want a single mistake to slow this process for you.”
“I appreciate that.”
Next he went over the other items and evidence listed that included whether I was mature enough to make adult decisions and my school records, including my attendance and GPA.
“Is the fact that I’ve been home this week going to play against me?”
My leg bounced steadily as I tried to keep the rest of me still.
“I don’t believe so, you are under doctor’s orders, and you have been responsible. The police reports you filed and the questions you answered will cover any lingering concerns there. If and when you need to speak to a district attorney regarding this case, I do want you to let me know. I’ll be there to help look after your interests.”
My gut bottomed out. I was going to make a lousy witness. I didn’t remember. I had the injuries, I had what Denitra told me, as well as what I’d gleaned from the guys, but there was this blank wall. I couldn’t tell them what really happened.
“So that’s all of this. The next few paragraphs are standard legal information and then we have one last concern. Were you able to track down your birth certificate?”
Shit. “I forgot I was supposed to be looking for it. I’m sorry…”
“No worries, it’s been busy. I’ve already requested a copy of your birth certificate. It took me some time to track it down, since you were born in California.”
I had?
“It lists the father as unknown.”
Not a shock. “Okay.”
“Do you have a name for him?”
“Nope. And he’s been kind of a no show for seventeen years.” So I probably wouldn’t know him if I met him walking across the street.
I’d been born in California?
“And that plays to our advantage, but like I said earlier, I want to eliminate any surprises or delays.”
“Thank you.” Honestly, I’d had no idea what it would say. Momnevertalked about him. I’d been six or seven before I even realized I didn’t have one and that I was supposed to. There were no photos of him either.
“Do you know anything about your father?”
I shook my head. “She never talks about him. I asked her once when I was six, and she told me he’d died. That was it. Then when I was thirteen or fourteen, we had a fight ’cause I was mad that I didn’t even have pictures of him, and she wouldn’t tell me his name. She said I should be grateful she wanted me when he didn’t. So really, your guess is as good as mine.” Those words had hurt.
They still kind of stung.
“I see.” No judgment echoed in his voice, though admittedly, his stern expression said otherwise. “We’ll cite abandonment for now. We can amend it later if necessary. We’ll move for an expedited hearing, and in the meanwhile, I’ll be filing this as well…” He flipped to the second folder. “This is an emergency order to emancipate you until the time of the hearing where the final decision can be made, citing the incident at Homecoming, the inability to reach your mother, and the fact that she has moved out as key factors, with the original filing providing the necessary support. If I can get this in front of a judge today, we could possibly have the order in place by next week.”
“That fast?”
“Yes, Mr. Standish the younger requested we move with due diligence and to try and expedite this, particularly after the issues with getting authorization for your care.”
I hadn’t really thought about it or how frustrating that had to have been. Once I was awake, I answered a lot of questions and consented to some things—like the sexual assault kit—but I couldn’t authorize everything. Not even if it had to do with me.
“Then I’d very much like you to get that done.” Even if it made me heartsick to cut ties with her. She was my mom. I didn’t have anyone else. Just me and the guys.
Not that I seemed to have her anyway.
“I think that covers all the stickier issues,” Mr. Wittaker said. “If you’d call Mr. Brennen back out, we can have him witness you signing these.”
“It doesn’t really matter if they ask him whether I signed the documents.”
“No it doesn’t,” he told me with a kind smile.
