Chapter Three
Erin, Derek and I were on the road early the next morning. Erin had brought Greg over to the house for Rachel to look after for the day. Hope was so excited about him coming there to play; we usually went to Erin's house. The second he got in the door she was pulling him up the stairs to her playroom.
Tyler asked me at breakfast if he could come with us. I said no right away. I didn't want him to be hurt any more than was absolutely necessary. Also I didn't want the courts to take him away from me.
Derek assured me that wouldn't happen but I couldn't help being nervous. We were all mostly quiet for the whole trip. Derek knew that both Erin and I were stressed out over this. Neither of us wanted Fred to get out of jail.
It took is a couple of hours to get the city. We stopped at a small restaurant and had a little something to eat and then we went to the courthouse.
My heart was pounding as we walked up the steps. His hearing was in less than a half and hour and I felt ready to faint.
We sat in the courtroom and just waited. I couldn't stop the thoughts from rolling around in my head.
What if he got out? What if he didn't want us here? Would he be angry?
I was clutching Derek's arm when the guard brought out my stepfather. I felt Erin stiffen beside me. I looked over at her and saw how pale she was. I grabbed her hand and squeezed. She looked me and smiled a little.
We both turned our attention back to Fred Emerson. He was wearing an orange jumpsuit that I assumed all the inmates at the prison had to wear. He looked like he had just shaved, but his black hair was starting to go gray. It was long and looked like it needed a good wash. Somehow the fact that his hands were handcuffed behind his back comforted me. Maybe I felt safe now that it was apparent he couldn't hurt Erin or me.
He spotted us sitting in the back and he narrowed his eyes a little. My grip on Derek's arm and Erin's hand tightened. He looked angry with me. He seemed to be staring only at me, as if his real daughter wasn't sitting right next to me. He sat down and his back was to us.
The judge came in and court was in session.
"Frederick Emerson, you were convicted of kidnapping one-year-old Anthony Cartwright twenty eight years ago. You were sentenced to spend ten years in jail, you have spent the last eight in the facility," Judge Manning said. The judge was a large black man with white hair and dark eyes. He looked huge at the bench. I felt a little intimidated and despite myself I actually felt sorry for Fred, standing before him.
"Yes your Honour," Fred answered.
The judge spoke to Fred about what he had done and Fred surprised me my expressing regret.
"I realize I hurt a great many people. I sincerely wish I could go back in time and change what I have done," he said. I glanced at Erin. She had a hard look on her face. She didn't look ready to forgive her father even if he did apologize profusely. I understood how she felt; Fred had been abusive towards all of us throughout our whole lives.
I used to fell guilty for leaving Tyler, Erin and Anthony alone with him. I was the oldest I should have stayed to protect them. But now I realized that if I hadn't left, Anthony never would have found out his true identity and Tyler would probably still be with Fred. I had no way of knowing what would have happened with Anthony and I.
"I truly believe that you have changed Frederick Emerson and I will grant you parole. You will be on probation for a year and you cannot leave this province. You are now free to go," he judge banged hi gavel and people started moving around.
I just sat motionless in shock. He was free. How could this happen?
Erin was shaking beside me.
"Erin, it's ok, everything will be fine," I managed to tell her even though I felt ready to break down in tears.
The police officer unlocked the handcuffs on my stepfather's wrists and he stepped away. He looked back at us and I prayed that he wouldn't come back and speak to us. My prayers were not answered; he came down the aisle between the seats slowly. He kept constant eye contact with me. I felt hypnotized by his eyes. His eyes were blue like my real father's and mine. The father I had never known.
Suddenly I became furious. It was because of this man that I never knew my real father. If he hadn't stolen my mother away from my father than they never would have left La Vie. My father would have come back eventually and I would have grown up normally with Trevor and Anthony. How different my life had been if Fred Emerson had never interfered.
"Skye." he said.
"Don't," I said.
He glanced at Erin but she wouldn't even look at him.
"Please," he pleaded.
Erin looked only at her feet, "I will never forget what you have done to Tyler and me but I can forgive if you promise to never try to contact either one of us again, you can't try to take Tyler away," Erin said.
She didn't look at him as she spoke.
"I would never do that," he said, "I have a confession to make,"
My heart started beating quickly. What could it possibly be now? Hadn't we been through enough? Or was Fate going to deliver another cruel blow to my bruised and battered self-confidence?
"It's not important what you have to say," Erin said. She wasn't cutting him any slack, but I couldn't blame her.
"It is important, you will need to know this," Fred told Erin.
"What is it?" I asked. Even if Erin didn't want to know, I did. I didn't need any deep dark family secrets snaking their way into my life ever again. I wanted to know everything.
"Before Hannah and I left La Vie, I found out that I couldn't have children," he started. That caught Erin's attention.
"That is why we took Anthony, your mother wanted a little girl and a little boy so badly, I agreed because I only wanted her to be happy," he said.
So that was why they had taken Anthony with them when they left La Vie. I never understood why they would do it. Gregory and Maxine never knew either. No one did.
"Well, in Monkton, Hannah decided she wanted more children," he said, "Of course, we couldn't do it,"
"What are you saying?" Erin asked quietly.
"You and Tyler are adopted,"
Erin, Derek and I were on the road early the next morning. Erin had brought Greg over to the house for Rachel to look after for the day. Hope was so excited about him coming there to play; we usually went to Erin's house. The second he got in the door she was pulling him up the stairs to her playroom.
Tyler asked me at breakfast if he could come with us. I said no right away. I didn't want him to be hurt any more than was absolutely necessary. Also I didn't want the courts to take him away from me.
Derek assured me that wouldn't happen but I couldn't help being nervous. We were all mostly quiet for the whole trip. Derek knew that both Erin and I were stressed out over this. Neither of us wanted Fred to get out of jail.
It took is a couple of hours to get the city. We stopped at a small restaurant and had a little something to eat and then we went to the courthouse.
My heart was pounding as we walked up the steps. His hearing was in less than a half and hour and I felt ready to faint.
We sat in the courtroom and just waited. I couldn't stop the thoughts from rolling around in my head.
What if he got out? What if he didn't want us here? Would he be angry?
I was clutching Derek's arm when the guard brought out my stepfather. I felt Erin stiffen beside me. I looked over at her and saw how pale she was. I grabbed her hand and squeezed. She looked me and smiled a little.
We both turned our attention back to Fred Emerson. He was wearing an orange jumpsuit that I assumed all the inmates at the prison had to wear. He looked like he had just shaved, but his black hair was starting to go gray. It was long and looked like it needed a good wash. Somehow the fact that his hands were handcuffed behind his back comforted me. Maybe I felt safe now that it was apparent he couldn't hurt Erin or me.
He spotted us sitting in the back and he narrowed his eyes a little. My grip on Derek's arm and Erin's hand tightened. He looked angry with me. He seemed to be staring only at me, as if his real daughter wasn't sitting right next to me. He sat down and his back was to us.
The judge came in and court was in session.
"Frederick Emerson, you were convicted of kidnapping one-year-old Anthony Cartwright twenty eight years ago. You were sentenced to spend ten years in jail, you have spent the last eight in the facility," Judge Manning said. The judge was a large black man with white hair and dark eyes. He looked huge at the bench. I felt a little intimidated and despite myself I actually felt sorry for Fred, standing before him.
"Yes your Honour," Fred answered.
The judge spoke to Fred about what he had done and Fred surprised me my expressing regret.
"I realize I hurt a great many people. I sincerely wish I could go back in time and change what I have done," he said. I glanced at Erin. She had a hard look on her face. She didn't look ready to forgive her father even if he did apologize profusely. I understood how she felt; Fred had been abusive towards all of us throughout our whole lives.
I used to fell guilty for leaving Tyler, Erin and Anthony alone with him. I was the oldest I should have stayed to protect them. But now I realized that if I hadn't left, Anthony never would have found out his true identity and Tyler would probably still be with Fred. I had no way of knowing what would have happened with Anthony and I.
"I truly believe that you have changed Frederick Emerson and I will grant you parole. You will be on probation for a year and you cannot leave this province. You are now free to go," he judge banged hi gavel and people started moving around.
I just sat motionless in shock. He was free. How could this happen?
Erin was shaking beside me.
"Erin, it's ok, everything will be fine," I managed to tell her even though I felt ready to break down in tears.
The police officer unlocked the handcuffs on my stepfather's wrists and he stepped away. He looked back at us and I prayed that he wouldn't come back and speak to us. My prayers were not answered; he came down the aisle between the seats slowly. He kept constant eye contact with me. I felt hypnotized by his eyes. His eyes were blue like my real father's and mine. The father I had never known.
Suddenly I became furious. It was because of this man that I never knew my real father. If he hadn't stolen my mother away from my father than they never would have left La Vie. My father would have come back eventually and I would have grown up normally with Trevor and Anthony. How different my life had been if Fred Emerson had never interfered.
"Skye." he said.
"Don't," I said.
He glanced at Erin but she wouldn't even look at him.
"Please," he pleaded.
Erin looked only at her feet, "I will never forget what you have done to Tyler and me but I can forgive if you promise to never try to contact either one of us again, you can't try to take Tyler away," Erin said.
She didn't look at him as she spoke.
"I would never do that," he said, "I have a confession to make,"
My heart started beating quickly. What could it possibly be now? Hadn't we been through enough? Or was Fate going to deliver another cruel blow to my bruised and battered self-confidence?
"It's not important what you have to say," Erin said. She wasn't cutting him any slack, but I couldn't blame her.
"It is important, you will need to know this," Fred told Erin.
"What is it?" I asked. Even if Erin didn't want to know, I did. I didn't need any deep dark family secrets snaking their way into my life ever again. I wanted to know everything.
"Before Hannah and I left La Vie, I found out that I couldn't have children," he started. That caught Erin's attention.
"That is why we took Anthony, your mother wanted a little girl and a little boy so badly, I agreed because I only wanted her to be happy," he said.
So that was why they had taken Anthony with them when they left La Vie. I never understood why they would do it. Gregory and Maxine never knew either. No one did.
"Well, in Monkton, Hannah decided she wanted more children," he said, "Of course, we couldn't do it,"
"What are you saying?" Erin asked quietly.
"You and Tyler are adopted,"