"You think he was serious?" Kate asked Hanna, grabbing some french fries
off of Hanna's plate and nibbling on them, long after their friends had
left the restaurant. "Mom always said that he was more concerned with his
career than he was with us, so..." her voice trailed off, while Hanna
loudly slurped the end of her milkshake.
"I wouldn't doubt it if he was lying. I mean, think about it," Hanna spat, long-forgotten anger boiling up inside of her once again. "He's stuck with us now!" she cried, flailing her arms in a somewhat hopeless gesture. Kate slowly nodded, thoughtfully chewing the french fries.
"But you're eighteen," Kate finally said, looking up at her older sister. "That's over the legal age to take care of a minor in this state, right?" she asked.
"It's seventeen in New York State," Hanna confirmed. "That's what Charles and I were talking about this morning when we picked you up after your morning exam." Hanna poured some more ketchup on her fries and continued. "Even though mom left him custody of us, we could take him to court and fight."
Kate sighed, tired of courts and judges and lawyers. "Couldn't we just say that you're over seventeen, thus I can stay with you?" she asked hopefully. Hanna shook her head.
"No dice there, Pete," she said, referring to their favorite Badfinger album, finally managing a smile out of Kate. "I asked Charles about that, too, and he said that because dad has a well-paying job and a place to live, etcetera, etcetera, any judge would side with him, thus denying me rights over you," Hanna finished, folding her hands and looking at her sister.
"So you're saying even if we tried to fight him in court..." Kate's voice trailed off, realizing the gravity of their situation, while Hanna nodded, a forlorn expression on her face.
Hanna sighed, propping her head up on her fist, looking Kate dead in the eyes.
"We're caught between a rock and a hard place."
"I wouldn't doubt it if he was lying. I mean, think about it," Hanna spat, long-forgotten anger boiling up inside of her once again. "He's stuck with us now!" she cried, flailing her arms in a somewhat hopeless gesture. Kate slowly nodded, thoughtfully chewing the french fries.
"But you're eighteen," Kate finally said, looking up at her older sister. "That's over the legal age to take care of a minor in this state, right?" she asked.
"It's seventeen in New York State," Hanna confirmed. "That's what Charles and I were talking about this morning when we picked you up after your morning exam." Hanna poured some more ketchup on her fries and continued. "Even though mom left him custody of us, we could take him to court and fight."
Kate sighed, tired of courts and judges and lawyers. "Couldn't we just say that you're over seventeen, thus I can stay with you?" she asked hopefully. Hanna shook her head.
"No dice there, Pete," she said, referring to their favorite Badfinger album, finally managing a smile out of Kate. "I asked Charles about that, too, and he said that because dad has a well-paying job and a place to live, etcetera, etcetera, any judge would side with him, thus denying me rights over you," Hanna finished, folding her hands and looking at her sister.
"So you're saying even if we tried to fight him in court..." Kate's voice trailed off, realizing the gravity of their situation, while Hanna nodded, a forlorn expression on her face.
Hanna sighed, propping her head up on her fist, looking Kate dead in the eyes.
"We're caught between a rock and a hard place."