Chapter Twelve

Children behaving in a restaurant without a kids' menu or play area was rare so Aimee learned today. The fact that her four-year-old daughter could sit, wait and then share a rotisserie chicken dinner with her mom (to compensate for no kids' menu) without once fussing actually got them stares. Aimee guessed the other patrons were waiting for the opposite. Rachel even ate her vegetables. To be fair Cheyenna could do this as well even if she was just two. Bringing a toy along helped but that could be forgiven at her age. The challenge would be adding an infant to a family dinner out. They weren't ready for that yet.

"So the only thing you can't do is change half of your DNA. But wouldn't Aimee have to have been pregnant at 11 years old to be your mom?"

"Yes," Kyle told Haley. "But since I am not longer a minor the number of years doesn't matter. If I was still a child, there would have to be at least 18 years between her and I."

Haley said she couldn't imagine how angry he and his father must have been to find out they were intentionally deprived of a relationship for all those years. Kyle didn't deny that. Even if he did wonder what his childhood would been like if his dad had raised him from day one, the past couldn't be changed. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Put it this way, I never thought I'd say I was glad I was a troubled kid. I wouldn't found dad or the truth otherwise."

"And what's her name, Julia, can't do anything to stop you from being adopted?"

"Not a damn thing. It feels good to get back at her in this way. Still it's not the reason I want this but a bonus."

The topic of conversation was a rather personal one but a diversion from the emotion of having to euthanize three sick dogs and a cat rescued from an animal hoarding situation.

"Do your sisters understand the adoption thing? Do they realize you have a different biological mother?"

"I think Rachel does," he said thoughtfully. "But she has never asked who she is or why I don't see her. I think she only gets the notion because I had to come from somewhere and Dad only met mom five years ago. All she and Cheyenna know is that we're doing the court hearing so the world knows Aimee is my mom too. That, and after there will be a party with cake," he laughed. "Priorities, ya know?"

The family court had printouts of the entire history of Kyle and Julia's text exchanges, prior to his number. It wasn't endearing her to the judge. Julia didn't deny she sent such messages, either. Strike two.

Hunter Caine was a laid back baby even if he wasn't a good sleeper. Another trait from his dad. Sleep and Aimee were buddies. Their relationship sadly interrupted when she had children. Nights were Hunter and dad's bonding time. He and Hunter would "chat" in the living room. A lot of things could keep Horatio awake at night, like the case of a murdered ninety-something year old man murdered in his own home. A crime that occurred a day before Hunter arrived. A case that so far yielded no motives or suspects. Or the excitement of the upcoming hearing in which his wife was going to adopt his son.

"You're not even two weeks old, what do you have keeping you awake?" He asked Hunter, as if he would answer. He wasn't hungry having being fed and had a frsh diaper. The baby boy stared back at him. Horatio smiled. "Okay. How about this one? You figured out that it's one of the times you get Dad all to yourself? Is that it, huh?"

The baby cooed.

"Smart boy you are," he said kissing the baby's head. "But you have to sleep, buddy."

Hunter fell asleep on his dad's chest, his head directly over his father's heart. Horatio enjoyed a few more moments holding the baby before heading back to bed.

"Our son lawyer up on you? I heard you talking," Aimee murmured as her husband got back into bed.

Horatio laughed, kissing his wife. "Nope. I got a confession. I think we can make a deal though."