Chapter 9 Forced Family
Three days after Ranger and Stephanie's Wedding
Julie had her bag packed when she approached her father. " Hey, Dad, can I stay with you, please? My brother doesn't need me anymore. Mom works full-time, and Ron spends his free time with my mom or brother. It would be nice to live closer to my cousins, Angie and Mary Alice, please? I talked to mom. She said I had to ask you and Stephanie."
"Stephanie and I are going to the office and will call your mother. You watch TV until we complete our business." Ranger shook his head as they entered the office inside their apartment.
"Carlos, congrats on your marriage to Stephanie," Rachel said after exchanging pleasantries.
"Thank you, Rachel. I'm calling because Julie asked me to move in with Stephanie and me," Ranger stated, getting to the crux of the reason to call.
"Yeah, I know. I think that right now, that's what Julie needs. I am busy working full time, and Ron does not pay any attention to her. He is busy with her brother. Quite honestly, I think she would be better with you. You can give her more than we can right now."
"Okay, we will be happy to have her here, but I don't want any backlash from this. Once we do this, there is no going back Rachel," Carlos reminded her. "I don't want to receive documents from your lawyer stating I coerced her to move to Trenton."
"Promise. I will contact our lawyer and have him draw up new custody papers. I will fax them to your home office," Rachel told Carlos and Stephanie, realizing Stephanie could hear their conversation.
"Do you want to talk to her for a little bit?" Carlos asked Rachel.
"Yeah, please?" Rachel replied.
"Julie, your mom wants to talk to you," Stephanie called out the door.
"Hey, Julie, if you want to stay with your dad and Stephanie, that is fine with me. I promise I will not cause any problems if you want your dad to resume custody," Rachel told Julie.
"Yeah, I do, mom," Julie said. Julie wondered how they would work around the adoption documents.
"Okay, then you can stay with them," Rachel told Julie. "I'll ask the lawyer to overturn the adoption."
"Thanks, mom," Julie then walked out of her dad's office.
"I will take care of her, Rachel," Carlos told his ex-wife. "You don't have to reverse the adoption."
"I know you will take care of Julie. Ron and I feel overturning the adoption would help the judge rule in your favor for custody," Rachel was gone then.
"We are going to need someplace bigger," Stephanie said as she walked out of Carlos's office. She stopped a few feet outside the door before adding, "Wow, okay. I now have a pre-teen daughter and another baby on the way." Carlos shook his head.
He stepped out of his office and saw Julie sitting down with Stephanie on the couch, watching a movie. His girls were leaning into each other. Julie had her head on Stephanie's shoulder while Stephanie leaned her head against Julie.
"I am going downstairs for a few minutes. You two okay?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, we are good," Julie said as Ranger approached Stephanie. Julie moved so her dad could give Stephanie a deep kiss. Stephanie broke the kiss when she heard Julie giggling.
Ranger walked out of the apartment to talk to Tank. They had a lot to discuss and plan.