Kelly woke up from a deep sleep and wondered why his alarm was going off. It took a few seconds before he realized it was his cell phone ringing. He sat up on his elbow and reached for his phone to look at who could be calling him. The number registered for his ex-wife's cell number and then was really confused. The call rolled over to voice mail before Kelly pushed the button to answer the call. He wondered what Brittany would be calling him since they had not contact since the divorce had been final. It had been almost 3 years since the divorce was final and Kelly hadn't gotten so much as a Christmas card from Brittany since she moved back to Florida to live close to her mom. Finally, his curiosity got the best of Kelly and he checked his voice mail.
The voice was not from his ex-wife but Kelly continued to listen. Mr. Severide this is Miss Blanche Fenton from the Florida Department of Children's services. This call is regarding a child your ex-wife had two years ago. Please give me a call at the following number. It is extremely important that I get in touch with you today.
Kelly frowned as he listened to his message for a third time. He walked to the kitchen and pressed the button to make coffee while trying to decipher the meaning of the message. Kelly sat at his kitchen table and dialed the number and waited expectantly as the phone rang.
"Hello, this is Miss Fenton from the Florida Department of Children's Services. How may I help you?"
Kelly cleared his throat and replied quietly to the inquiry, "Miss Fenton, this is Kelly Severide returning your call regarding a child that my ex-wife has."
"Mr. Severide, thank you for getting back to me so quickly." Miss Fenton replied.
"I am a little confused and surprised by your voice mail. Brittany and I haven't had contact since our divorce was finalized. So can you tell me what this call is about?" Kelly tried to be polite but really wanted to know what Miss Fenton wanted.
"A week ago your ex-wife and her mother were killed in a head on collision. I am sorry to deliver this news so abruptly." Miss Fenton paused as she gave Kelly the chance to absorb the news.
"Oh God, that is horrible. I had no idea. But you mentioned a child in your custody. Brittany didn't have kids that I know of so what does this have to do with me? Kelly's memories flashed with her smile and how Brittany had helped him to get over the death of Shay.
"Mr. Severide, Brittany left behind a two year old son named Jack. Your name is on the birth certificate as the father." Miss Fenton replied in a matter of fact manner.
The room spun for a second as the words that changed Kelly's entire world soaked in. Kelly who had been taking a sip of coffee spilled it down the front of him and cursed. "Damn it! Miss Fenton hold on a second, I just spilled a cup of coffee. I will be with in in a second." Kelly sat his phone down and reached for a dish towel to wipe the hot coffee off his boxers and t shirt.
"Sorry about that now what did you say again?" Kelly asked wanting to make sure that he heard the social worker correctly.
"Mr. Severide, I said according to the birth certificate you have a son Jack. Are you saying that you had no idea that Brittany had named you with as the father of Jack?" Miss Fenton asked with a note of shock in her voice.
"No, I signed our dissolution papers and never heard from her again. I called her a few times but Brittany never returned by calls. I just figured she wanted to put me and the marriage as far behind her as possible. I had no idea that she had a baby or that she had named me as the father." Kelly felt the breath leave his chest at the possibility that he was actually a father.
There was a long pause at the end of the phone as the social worker tried to figure out what was next. "Jack has been in our custody for the past week and has been placed with a good foster family. We have been searching for the nearest living relative to see if we can place him with the biological family. Children's services have procedures we have to follow before we put Jack into the foster system as an orphan for adoption." Miss Foster laid out the facts with little emotion in her voice.
Kelly listened intently then responded, "I don't want my son being raised by people I don't know. If he is my son I want him here."
Miss Fenton responded quickly, "We have no proof that Jack is your son at this point. Two minutes ago you were telling me that you have had no knowledge of him.
Kelly responded firmly, "That's right but now I do know about him. He just lost his mother and grandmother I am not about to walk away from him now if I am his dad."
Miss Fenton paused and then asked Kelly, "Are you willing to take a DNA test to prove that you are Jack's father? If you are we would arrange for you to go to a clinic in Chicago and have you take a paternity test. That would be the first step to establishing parental rights in Florida.
"Absolutely, you give me the time and place to be and I will be there." Kelly replied without hesitation to the paternity test suggestion.
"Ok Mister Severide I will have my office contact you within two business days to get you scheduled for a paternity test. Do you have any other questions for me?" Miss Fenton asked Kelly.
"Yeah, Is he doing ok? I mean he is safe right?, Kelly asked with concern.
Miss Fenton's voice softened, "Jack has asked for Mommy a few times but is being looked after by a very experienced foster family. He is a normal happy little boy. The one thing I will tell you is that he has the most incredible blue eyes that light up when he smiles. I know it's not much but that is all I can tell you right now until we find out if you are his father."
All Kelly could manage at that point was, "Thank you for that I know you are protecting him."
Miss Fenton ended the call with this,"Mr. Severide I know this has to be shock for you but I will work to get the DNA test scheduled. My office will call you tomorrow to give you information on the paternity test.
Kelly was left to his own thoughts when his phone rang again and he saw it was Erin Lindsey returning his call that he had made to her earlier after leaving the hospital. Kelly was still reeling from the last phone call but he picked up the phone anyway.
"Hey Erin." Kelly said as he answered the phone and tried to keep the mood light.
"Kel, I got your message that you wanted to meet at Molly's." Erin's voice sounded tired and distracted.
"Yeah, Casey told me you were leaving town so I thought I would give you a call to meet up before you go." Kelly said as he took a sip of the new cup of coffee he had made himself.
"I'd like that but it will have to be tonight. I have so much to wrap up before I leave Chicago. I can meet you at Molly's at 8 tonight. Would that be ok?" Erin's voice sounded more cheerful now.
Kelly replied quickly, "Sounds good see you then. Look I hate to cut you short but there is something I have to do before we meet. I'll see you at Molly's around eight."
Erin replied briefly but with emotion in her voice, "Ok Kel, I will see you then. I am glad you called."
The phone went dead and Kelly was left to ponder the fact that he had a two year old son named Jack sitting in Florida. He poured the rest of the contents of the coffee cup in the sink and decided to head over to the hospital to see Matt and Gabby who had experience with the foster system in Chicago. Somehow knowing that he could be a dad put an extra spring in his step as he went to take a shower and get dressed. Kelly whispered to himself, "I have a son. I am a dad. Maybe…..