"Now what?" Amita asked.
"Robin gave me the name of a good family lawyer." Charlie replied.
As they drove home in silence, Amita remembered how Charlie had made the fateful decision.
"I'm gonna do that DNA test." he told Amita, Don, and Alan "I need to get this nagging doubt out of my mind."
"I'd do the same thing." Don nodded.
"What if he is your son?What are you gonna do?" Amita asked.
"Bring him here to live with us" Charlie replied.
"Live with us?" Amita repeated
"Of course!"
A few days later, the couple went to see the lawyer, a Cuban American woman, named Gloria Martinez who has short, black hair. They met in her office on Wilshire boulevard and explained the situation to her.
"You'll have to jump through a lot of hoops."
"Why? He's my son!" Charlie demanded.
"I'm afraid that's how the system works, since you came late into the picture."
"What can we do to convince the social workers that we are fit to take care of Hugh?" Charlie asked.
"Being married helps. Do you have a spare room to give him?"
"Yes" Charlie said. "We live in a very nice house in a good neighborhood."
"So the current legal guardian won't put up a fight?"
"No" Charlie shook his head.
The lawyer gave them more advice " You'll have to present yourself in court, and Department of Children and Family Services will investigate your life and check out your home. Legal Custody will stay with them during the transition period, where they'll be making sure the child is adjusting well to living with you."
After leaving the lawyer's office, Charlie suggested, "Let's get stuff for his room."
"Sure." Amita agreed.
First, the couple went to the Home Depot to get some paint.
"What do you think?" Charlie held up a strip with a light blue paint.
"I like it."
"That's what you said about the other sample."
"They're all fine." Amita insisted.
"I can't make up my mind." Charlie complained.
"How about that one?" Amita quickly suggested a greenish blue color.
"Sure."
Then it was on to IKEA for the dresser and bed frame. They planned to put the boy in Don's old room, which was, at the moment used as a storage area.
They looked around in the kid's section of IKEA.
"So many choices." Charlie mused.
"How about that one?" Amita pointed to a plain looking bed frame.
"I don't like it." Charlie disagreed.
"It doesn't have to be fancy." Amita said. "We need something that he won't outgrow, and that's not too hard too assemble."
"How about that one?" Charlie pointed to a dark blue twin sized bed frame.
"It'll go with the paint." Amita shrugged.
"Let's get it then."
The couple got the number of the model, and went on to look for a dresser.
"This is almost like shopping for a baby." Charlie remarked.
"Well, this way we can practice." Amita agreed
"I still can't believe it," Charlie shook his head. "I've got a kid. There's so much to do."
"One step at a time." Amita said. "Let's decide on a dresser."
After a while they did, made their purchases, and went home.
90909090
That night, Charlie talked with the aunt, and arranged a visit.
"You can see him tomorrow." she promised. "I know that you'll provide him with a good home. I did my research. As I said before, I'd keep him, but I live in a bad neighborhood and just can't handle him. Having his mother in jail has caused him to act up at school. To make things worse, just two days ago, he pretended to have cancer in order to sell more lemonade. Wore a scarf over his head and everything! I made him give the money to charity, apologize to the neighbors, and go with nurse friend of mine to the children's ward at County."
"Hopefully he learned his lesson." Charlie said.
"I hope so."
Finally, with Amita at his side, drove to South Central Los Angeles. Stopping in front of the house, Charlie just sat there nervously.
"It'll be fine." Amita put his arm around him. "Like your Dad said, you're still in time to make a difference in his life."
"I don't know if I'm ready." Charlie worried.
"You'll do fine." Amita assured him. "You've got your dad to help you."
Charlie opened the car door,"Let's go."
Tentatively, he knocked on the door; Amita stood right next to him.
The door opened, and the aunt, named Sarah, opened smiled and welcomed them. "Come in. Would you like anything?."
"No thank you." Amita said as she and Charlie sat down.
"Hugh!" Sarah called. "Come to the living room."
Eventually, a little boy, with the black, curly hair, and dark eyes came into the living room.
"Hi" he said, sizing up his father.
"Hi!" Charlie said awkwardly.
"We heard that you're seven years old?" Amita asked to make conversation.
"Yeah."
"I was thinking the three of us could eat at McDonald's and see a movie?" Charlie suggested.
"I like Burger King better." the boy said.
"Hugh!" Sarah scolded.
"It's fine." Charlie assured her.
"We'd better get going, so we have enough time to eat before the movie." Amita suggested.
"Let's go." Charlie agreed, and got up.
"Behave yourself." Sarah whispered to the boy.
The trio went in the car, and Amita drove so that father and son could talk.
"What grade are you in?"
"I'm going into second grade." Hugh replied.
"Great!" Charlie smiled.
"What subject do you like?"
"None."
"None?" Charlie repeated.
"School is boring."
"Maybe it's too easy?" Charlie asked hopefully.
"Dunno."
"What do you like to do when you're not in school?"
"Play video games, watch tv, write to my mom." the boy said, "but my video games and computer got taken away."
"Taken away?" Charlie repeated.
"When they took my mom to jail." the boy complained. "And all my toys too. Aunt Sarah won't buy me any."
"I'm...sorry to hear that." Charlie commiserated.
"When people with guns came to our apartment." The boy looked away. "One of them took her away, and some mean lady picked me up."
"How was she mean?" Amita asked.
The boy explained. "She wouldn't let me visit mom, or get my stuff."
He looked out the window, and the ride to Burger king continued in silence.
TBC