Don't laugh at me

Chapter five

We had gotten the call. It was unnecessary after having seen the Cullen's but still we got the call. Anthony was absolutely the son of Mr. Mason Edward Cullen. That part kind of ticked me off. I was told from the start that it was grandparents who turned up, well I wasn't told this for sure but I had only assumed. Any ways it doesn't really make a difference. Along with the D.N.A. results, I had gotten the call that my stay of custody had been approved 'pending further investigation' means is that Anthony is mine up until all paper pushing government employees including myself were satisfied with the relationship and living arrangements with the Mr. Cullen. The more I thought about it the more I smiled because the fact is this granted Anthony as much time as he needed to get to know his newly discovered family and it gave me time to get to know them as well.

We are to have a meeting with the Cullen's down at the courthouse today. The meeting would take place in two different conference rooms. One would have Anthony, his guardian ad litem, myself and Anthony's lawyer. The second would hold Mr. Cullen, his mother Esme, and father Carlisle and of course their lawyer. Emmet would bounce back and forth between the two and try to nail down a schedule and limitations to that schedule. Chances are the Cullen's are going to push for a time frame pertaining to the stay of custody. Too bad for them I get to decide that and have already decided that Anthony would decide that.

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"Hey Em! Where are we headed?" I ask as me and Anthony walk up to the registrar at the front of the building. I was calm because we had the stay of custody but still frazzled because Anthony had changed about a million times before we left and it made us late. He was nervous. He had asked me a billion times if he would have to leave with them today and I had told him a billion times and one that he wouldn't. I couldn't tell if he wanted to or not. He seemed like he was a little excited. I am happy for him in that right. He finally has confirmed biological family. He was so hopeless the first few months with us. He hated not having any family. Once he learned that we were willing to be his family he calmed and fit into our lives like he had always been there.

Sunday night jewel and he had sat up in the kitchen till about midnight talking about this whole situation. I think it helped him to be more comfortable with what was going on. She is really good at comforting people and helping them see logic in seemingly impossible situations. Her positive upbeat attitude towards any situation is contagious. Her personality complements Anthony's perfect. He is quiet, reserved, and honestly sometimes broody. He tries to carry the world on his shoulders and often forgets to have fun, which is something jewel never forgets to do. So often I see Benjamin in her. His optimistic attitude was definitely left to her.

"Follow me, I'll take you down. Emmet breaks me out of my thoughts. "How ya doing big guy?" he smiles at Anthony.

"I'm good. I am actually kind of excited to meet these people. Jewel says they can't be too bad if they are related to me, so I'm hopeful that's right."

"It is Hun. She makes a great point. You are such a wonderful person. I'm sure they are too." Emmet motions for us to enter the conference room and I walk in first. The first thing I notice is that the room is full. The table sits eight and there are already four people seated. I turn to Emmet and grab his arm to usher us out to the hall. Anthony is already by my side with a curious expression on his innocent face. Emmet leans down and whispers in my ear.

"I know what you are wondering and this is how it's going to be done. Their fancy lawyer found some old case that ran this way and used it to persuade the judge that this was acceptable. My hands are tied baby sister." He leans back and hold up his hands in an 'I don't know' gesture and I want to slap him for not telling us sooner. Poor Anthony must be so upset. I turn to tell him it's going to be ok and I'm sorry for misinforming him but when I turn I see him engulfed in a hug by Mrs. Esme.

We all take our seats around the table. On the one side theirs Esme, Carlisle, their lawyer, and then Mr. Cullen. Opposite him is me, then Emmet, Angela, then Anthony who is talking and smiling at his grandma. It's so odd to think of this woman we just recently met as his grandma. He seems to like her already though and for that I am happy. She seemed nice enough at the dinner. Emmet clears his throat and begins the meeting.

Two hours later we have it all figured out. The Cullen's will come out to my house tonight for dinner and afterwards are going to hang out for the bonfire. This was Anthony's invitation. The schedule after that is very open. They may visit with Anthony whenever he feels comfortable with it. He may go on outings with them only if I attend as well. That was my suggestion. I don't want to take the chance of these strangers flying off to England or wherever and taking my son with them.

After sitting down with them I feel like they are actually genuine and decent people but you really never know if it is an act or not. The lawyer had pushed pretty hard for a timeline as to when the stay of custody would be lifted. Emmet very politely turned him down on that and I was so happy he did or else I was going to do so in a not nice way. I was still a bit ticked off that they had schemed their way into getting a joint conference. I could see that they were very determined people and was worried they would try and bully the system into releasing Anthony when he wasn't ready. I had requested a background check and housing check from the lawyer and he just handed the background check over like he knew I was going to request it. As for the housing check that was sort of a mess. These people must have a lot of money or something because the list of properties in Mr. Cullen's name was a page long. They had already purchased the house in town and now planned on buying another for Esme and Carlisle by the end of the month.

These people were very interesting. That was for sure. I couldn't wait to open up the background check file and see what they were all about. Mr. Cullen's British accent wavered here and there during the meeting and I had to wonder if it were just an act or something. His father's however was constant. As was Esme southern accent. Anthony and she had been passing notes throughout the meeting. They honestly were quite adorable. It's like they just immediately fell into their roles as grandma and grandson. Carlisle had been mostly quiet throughout the meeting. Only really whispering to the lawyer and sometimes Mr. Cullen. He would smile at me now and then and read some of the notes passed between Esme and Anthony. He seemed nice but reserved.

Mr. Cullen though was the one I spent most of the time conversing with and arguing and discussing and honestly ogling a little bit. The man is really good looking. Especially in the dark suit and red tie he was wearing. I'm pretty sure he caught me a few times. He was odd though. One minute he was sweet as could be and actually even reached out for my hand at one point to apologize for his attitude. I had pulled my hand back out of instinct before he made contact though and he didn't attempt anything else for the rest of the time. He also would become very passionate when I brought up the stay of custody and get these very sexy but very frustrating crinkles in his brow. If I am being honest, I brought it up just to see them.

When we were leaving Esme gave me and Anthony hugs and everyone else shook hands. Well everyone except Mr. Cullen. He hugged Anthony and I saw Anthony flinch a bit like he wasn't ready for it. When Mr. Cullen pulled away I saw what I thought was pain flash across his face but it was gone in an instant. When he approached me to shake my hand he had this sexy smirk on his face. Kind of like the one Anthony gets when he knows he has won at a game of scrabble or chess. Except its obviously not sexy when he does it. It's annoying because I know I have lost. Mr. Cullen shook my hand it what seemed an intimate way but I could have been exaggerating that. Although he did lean in and kiss my cheek. I assume it's one of those weird British things.

On the drive home Anthony was raving about his conversation with his grandma. Apparently she knew his mom. She said she really had liked her. They were both from Georgia and his mom had lived down the street from them when mason was growing up. When Anthony had asked how his parents had met Esme had told him it was a story for another day. I was excited for the day when that story was told. I was just as curious as Anthony to find out why these people had never met their grandson. All Esme had said to him was that it was complicated and it was his dad's story to tell.

AUTHORS NOTE: so I stayed away for a while because apparently you do have to participate in real life. Anyways I have dedicated the day to further my story. So here is a shortish chapter and the next on will be the Cullen's and everyone hanging out. Love yawl! Sorry this took so long.