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“I agree with that. We just need to be prepared for what’s involved. I’m sure Calista explained that the standard for visitation is much lower than it is for custody. Jackson will argue that your denial is unreasonable, and will push for visitation on the grounds of their past relationship with Dwayde. Specifically, being his primary caregivers until he was taken from them at age four by a mother unfit to care for him. He will assert that losing Dwayde has been hell on them and has deprived Dwayde of his loving grandparents. So, now that they’ve found him after eight long years, they should be given the opportunity to re-establish their bond.”
“Shit!” Victor shakes his head. “You make it sound like we don’t stand a chance.”
“I’m not trying to discourage you. I’m just presenting the reality of what we are up against…of what Dwayde will be up against.”
“What about how he feels?” Isabelle anxiously searches my face. “That must count for something.”
“It absolutely does,” I assure her. “That’s the other side of the argument, what Dwayde wants. He’s twelve, old enough to have a say.But for the judge to take that into consideration, Dwayde will need to explain why he is so vehemently opposed to having anything to do with his grandparents.”
“Dwayde still maintains that he doesn’t remember them.” Isabelle sighs, and sets a mug of coffee down in front of me.
“I’d like to try to get more from him.” I shift my gaze between Isabelle and Victor. “If we’re going to court, Dwayde will need to know what’s going on. He will need to know that his continued silence won’t work in his favor.”
“You can’t tell him this.” I turn to see Mick stop pacing. He looks at Isabelle and Victor, pointedly ignoring me. “All that’s going to do is shake Dwayde’s foundation when he’s just started to feel settled again. For all we know, the Franklins are calling your bluff. Let’s wait to see what they do before involving Dwayde in these legal matters.”
I’m not surprised by Mick’s overprotective response. After all, hiding the unpleasant things is the way he operates. But I won’t go along with keeping Dwayde in the dark any more than I will accept it for myself.
“Whether the Franklins file a petition for visitation or not, there is still the custody case. Pretending that everything is fine and back to normal is not going to do Dwayde any good. In addition to my personal relationship, I’m also his lawyer, and my responsibility is to be honest and straight with him. He has the right to know what’s happening. This isn’t something we should keep from him. There shouldn’t be any secrets.”
Mick flinches. My intended aim, hitting home. But that doesn’t stop his argument. “Do you really think telling Dwayde this is going to make him talk?”
“I’m not expecting miracles, but I will give it my best shot.”
He turns to Victor. “You’re going along with this?”
“I think Dee’s right. Even though Dwayde has seemed more like himself in the last couple of weeks, he jumps whenever the phone rings, and there’s an edginess to him as if he’s waiting for the other shoe to drop. As much as we all want to protect him and make him feel secure again, he doesn’t. And he’s not going to until this is over. We have to tell him. I don’t know if that will make him talk. I hope it does, for his own sake, as much as for the case.”
Victor takes his wife’s hand that she had laid on his shoulder. “What do you think, Bells?”
“I wish there was another way. I wish we could just make it all disappear, but we can’t. He should know.”
They exchange a withered look, but remain convicted. Victor’s gaze travels back to mine. “We trust you to tell him, Dee. But we want to be here as support.”
“Of course.” I can feel the heat of Mick’s disapproval. “I’ll be careful with him.”
“We know you will.” Isabelle’s voice carries an audible tremor. “I’m sorry.” She waves a hand in front of her eyes welling with tears. “I promised myself I wouldn’t do this. I try to stay positive and hopeful, but sometimes it just comes over me. The thought of losing him…”
Victor stands and pulls his wife into his arms. “We’re not going to let that happen, Bells.”
She buries her face into Victor’s chest and quietly cries. My heart breaking, I slide my gaze away, giving them privacy, and risk looking back at Mick. What I see there shreds me. Self-blame is etched in his features, guilt beating in the clench of his jaw. Instinctively, I start to go to him, but upon catching my intent, his arms lock over his chest in a gesture that couldn’t be any clearer than a bright orangeNo Trespassingsign.
I ease back down into my chair. Shaken. More than the remoteness, it’s his rejection that wounds the deepest. This Mick resembles none of the warm, loving man that I’m used to. Instead it’s as if a cold, angry stranger has invaded his body.
Rufus starts barking then, breaking through my confused hurt. The excited bulldog-mix waddles on his squat body toward the back door, his stubby tail wagging.
“It’s going to be okay,” Victor consoles as Isabelle dries her tears with a napkin.
Moments later, I hear Dwayde bound through the door that opens onto a mudroom beside the kitchen. He laughs as he greets Rufus. “Did you miss me, boy? Yeah, I missed you too.”
Then he enters the kitchen in his gray and burgundy uniform, backpack hanging off one shoulder. His cheery smile abruptly falls and he pulls up short. “How come you’re all here?”
“We need to talk to you,” Victor explains.
“Something bad’s happened.” His big eyes go bigger, rounder with fear.
“We just need to talk, sweetie.” Isabelle overcompensates her angst with an upbeat lilt and pats the cushion of the chair. “Come sit down.”
“I don’t want to sit down. Just tell me.”
