Roberts' House
2005
12/28/2003
Something's wrong. I know something is wrong. Harm went out today while the boys were napping. He wasn't gone long but when the came back he told me we had to talk.
Of course that was the point at which the boys both woke up. Between taking care of the kids and other day to day stuff we still haven't talked and it's making me very nervous.
I think Harm knows I'm nervous because he handled getting both the boys to bed and convinced Mattie to go read in the room she's using here. He suggested I get a cup of tea and meet him in the family room. We both arrive at the same time.
"What's wrong Mac?"
"I could ask you the same thing."
"Nothing's wrong Mac. I'm just thinking about some things."
"Okay, then where did you go this afternoon?"
"JAG, I needed to make a phone call and didn't have the number with me."
"And it couldn't wait until we got back to work?" I don't believe it the squid's laughing at me!
"Well Mac, considering it was a phone call you wanted me to make before the funeral, no I don't think it could have waited."
"I called Andie."
"Andie as in your friend from law school Andie?"
"Yeah, she specializes in children's advocacy."
"Okay, I think I remember you telling me that. So you called her about the boys right?"
"Yeah." Maybe I should have been a dentist. Pulling teeth as got to be easier than getting this man to talk.
"Harm would you just tell me what she said!"
"Okay sorry Mac. She told me that we'd have a pretty good case. We're younger than the Sims and we wouldn't have to uproot the kids and we're who the parents wanted to have custody but......."
"But what?"
"We'd have a really strong case if we were living together."
"WHAT?!"
"You heard me. Andie said that as long as we could provide a two parent home for the boys it would be extremely unlikely that any judge would uproot the boys against the parents' wishes."
"But we have to be living together. Oh, my."
"Yeah, otherwise the court might decide that it would be better to go with older guardians that are together even if it does violate the parents' wishes. If you think about it Mac, we'd have to be living together to make things work."
"What do you mean?"
'Can you juggle two little boys and work by yourself? Even if it's only part of the time because I have them the rest of the week. I don't think I can plus I have Mattie to think of." I'll probably never say it out loud but he's got a point.
"But if we're all in the same house we could share the responsibility better than if we just shared custody. Is that what you're thinking Harm?"
"Something like that."
"Where would we live?"
"Here, for now anyway. I think we might need to find another house that will better fight our needs. You know someplace that would give everybody there own space. We're all going to need it. Plus it might be easier on AJ if we're not in his parents' house." Again he's got a point. I wonder when he grew up.
"But Harm living together?"
"It's the best way Mac. Unless you don't want the boys."
"NO! I do. I just need some time to process this."
"I can understand that. Just realize you don't have a lot of time. We're going to have to talk about this tomorrow so we can be ready to meet with the Sims on Tuesday."
"I know. I think I'm going to go soak in a hot bath and then go to bed."
"Okay, good night Mac."
"Good night Harm."
"Harm?"
"Yeah."
"Do your really think we can do this?"
"Do what?"
"Be a family; you, me, Mattie, AJ and Jimmy."
"Yeah, I do."
Something's wrong. I know something is wrong. Harm went out today while the boys were napping. He wasn't gone long but when the came back he told me we had to talk.
Of course that was the point at which the boys both woke up. Between taking care of the kids and other day to day stuff we still haven't talked and it's making me very nervous.
I think Harm knows I'm nervous because he handled getting both the boys to bed and convinced Mattie to go read in the room she's using here. He suggested I get a cup of tea and meet him in the family room. We both arrive at the same time.
"What's wrong Mac?"
"I could ask you the same thing."
"Nothing's wrong Mac. I'm just thinking about some things."
"Okay, then where did you go this afternoon?"
"JAG, I needed to make a phone call and didn't have the number with me."
"And it couldn't wait until we got back to work?" I don't believe it the squid's laughing at me!
"Well Mac, considering it was a phone call you wanted me to make before the funeral, no I don't think it could have waited."
"I called Andie."
"Andie as in your friend from law school Andie?"
"Yeah, she specializes in children's advocacy."
"Okay, I think I remember you telling me that. So you called her about the boys right?"
"Yeah." Maybe I should have been a dentist. Pulling teeth as got to be easier than getting this man to talk.
"Harm would you just tell me what she said!"
"Okay sorry Mac. She told me that we'd have a pretty good case. We're younger than the Sims and we wouldn't have to uproot the kids and we're who the parents wanted to have custody but......."
"But what?"
"We'd have a really strong case if we were living together."
"WHAT?!"
"You heard me. Andie said that as long as we could provide a two parent home for the boys it would be extremely unlikely that any judge would uproot the boys against the parents' wishes."
"But we have to be living together. Oh, my."
"Yeah, otherwise the court might decide that it would be better to go with older guardians that are together even if it does violate the parents' wishes. If you think about it Mac, we'd have to be living together to make things work."
"What do you mean?"
'Can you juggle two little boys and work by yourself? Even if it's only part of the time because I have them the rest of the week. I don't think I can plus I have Mattie to think of." I'll probably never say it out loud but he's got a point.
"But if we're all in the same house we could share the responsibility better than if we just shared custody. Is that what you're thinking Harm?"
"Something like that."
"Where would we live?"
"Here, for now anyway. I think we might need to find another house that will better fight our needs. You know someplace that would give everybody there own space. We're all going to need it. Plus it might be easier on AJ if we're not in his parents' house." Again he's got a point. I wonder when he grew up.
"But Harm living together?"
"It's the best way Mac. Unless you don't want the boys."
"NO! I do. I just need some time to process this."
"I can understand that. Just realize you don't have a lot of time. We're going to have to talk about this tomorrow so we can be ready to meet with the Sims on Tuesday."
"I know. I think I'm going to go soak in a hot bath and then go to bed."
"Okay, good night Mac."
"Good night Harm."
"Harm?"
"Yeah."
"Do your really think we can do this?"
"Do what?"
"Be a family; you, me, Mattie, AJ and Jimmy."
"Yeah, I do."