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“Is there any chance that Travis wasn’t notified? That he didn’t know when his visits were?”
She doesn’t look exactly pleased when she nods her head. “If it happened with you, it’s likely it happened with him.”
“Are they purposely trying to make me look like a horrible mother so they can take him away from me permanently?”
“That’s unlikely,” Faith says. “Despite what many people believe, the courts and family services work very hard toward reunification, and that will also include Travis.”
“As long as he’s still drinking—”
“He has many more hoops to jump through than you do, Sunshine, but we need to fill in the blanks. We have to have an answer to every question they ask. I don’t know isn’t sufficient, and I’ll work it out doesn’t exactly lend a lot of faith either.”
“I’ve never been in this situation before.”
She gives me another nod of understanding.
“Who will he stay with while you’re at work?”
“He goes to Tiny Tots daycare. They’re open from six in the morning until six at night. My shifts at the care facility are from seven to three.”
“Very good,” she says, writing this information down.
“And where will he go when you’re working for Cerberus?”
I freeze, my only response one of the ones she just said won’t cut it.
“The response to that is one of two things or a combination of both.” She holds up her hand. “The Cerberus daycare is open all hours of the day and night as needed.”
I tilt my head.
“Ryder would actually stay with someone who works at the daycare, but it will be in their home. Before you get nervous, all the homes there are certified for in-home childcare. Or the other option is that Ryder will be with you while you’re working for Cerberus. Either answer is appropriate.”
I nod, not knowing which one I’m more okay with. I don’t want my personal life and my work life getting any more complicated than it already is. The two are starting to tangle together and that is going to make things more difficult when it comes to an end.
“I’m practically homeless,” I remind her.
She shakes her head. “You’re renting a two-bedroom house in a nice neighborhood. What school will Ryder be attending?”
“I haven’t even looked. I didn’t plan on staying there very long. Brent, I mean, Bishop, won’t need my help much longer.”
Faith looks from me back down to her notes. “I was under the impression that the job with Cerberus was indefinite and that the house was yours once Bishop returned to work.”
I blink at her, stupidly wishing that was true.
“Bishop would more than likely be fine with keeping an eye on Ryder when he’s home in the evenings.”
I feel like I’m in an alternate universe right now.
“No.”
She tilts her head, confusion drawing her brows closer together.
“I assure you that Ryder is safe with Bishop, and neither family services nor the courts will have an issue with him keeping an eye on Ryder if you want to pick up an extra shift or need to run to the grocery store after work. School starts in less than two weeks and there will be days you’re late getting off work in time to pick him up. There has to be an alternate plan. The judge will ask for it.”
“Does the Cerberus daycare offer pick up services?”
Faith shakes her head. “I know it sounds a little barbaric, but no one transports the children except their fathers. Not after Lana’s death anyway.”
“You know a lot about the club.”
“I’m in a relationship with Legend.”
I slow blink at her. “Really?”
She chuckles. “Yes. If you want Ryder to come to the daycare at the clubhouse, then you’d need to have Bishop bring him after school.”
“I’m capable of taking him where he needs to go.” My tone isn’t exactly pleasant.
“Of course.”
“Bishop isn’t his father,” I continue.
She nods, that soft calm look back on her face that was there the second I stepped into her office.
“I’m not trying to imply that he is. What I’m saying is if you’re stuck at work, Bishop could pick Ryder up from school and bring him to the clubhouse if that’s where you wanted him to be.”
I take a deep breath. I was confused, thinking she meant the only way Ryder could go to the clubhouse at any point is if one of the members brought him there.
“The courts would consider Bishop or any of the members a positive role model for Ryder.”
“You’re speaking like I’m in a relationship with the man. I’m not.”
She’s silent for a few minutes, but eventually she nods in understanding.
Why have these very important wires gotten crossed?
Did Brent tell someone about the way he held me the other night?
How do a few kisses to my lower belly somehow translate into a relationship that looks good for the courts?
I pull my eyes from hers, dropping them down to my hands.
