Chapter 3
It had been a week since the Buckley siblings had become part of the Grant-Nash household. It was going to be a regular calm day other than the fact that a social worker was coming to see how they were settling in and see if there was anything they could do to further help the children or even if they could help the investigation. Athena and Bobby had kept diaries of both children full of notes of behaviors and conversations had over the last 7 days. It didn't trouble them as much as it would another couple seeing how Maddie's entries have gotten more detailed with what went on. It was their way of knowing Maddie and Evan felt comfortable enough to share what had been going on.
Evan was still non-verbal, but he wasn't afraid to cry or laugh around them. He'd communicate in his own way with playing with his Lego toys or trying his best to point to what he wanted and things like that. He had started drawing pictures which often depicted his birth father yelling at him for something that no child should be yelled at for. The drawings had been kept with the intent of showing them to the social worker during their next meeting and making sure they know where Evan is at since he is still not talking. It didn't matter to Bobby or Athena that he was still not talking; they would continue to offer the safe space and time he needed to open up.
Athena had assured Maddie that they soon wouldn't be able to stop him from talking. He was going to be their favorite little chatterbox soon enough. Right now it was a beautiful sunny morning in Los Angeles and not too hot though they knew that 100 degree weather would be on it's way soon. Athena had the back doors wide open and allowed Evan to freely explore the backyard as and when he pleased. He was a lot more confident now than he was when she first opened the doors only a couple of days before. He didn't want to go past the threshold unless Athena, Bobby, or Maddie were with him. Now he was running around by himself whilst Maddie had slept in, and Bobby had gone to get a couple more groceries.
Athena liked being up early with Evan. It made her morning watching him play outside on the grass with his Ninja Turtles making all kinds of adventures in his mind. One day he would be telling Athena and Bobby all kinds of stories and they'd listen to every word he had to say. For now though Athena was enjoying trying to guess what he was up to by the movement of the characters in his hands. He was showing his determination and stubbornness because he was using both hands to play even though he still had the bulky cast on. There was something she noticed that she had seen as a recuring theme during the diary and watching him play. He'd never be aggressive with the toys; he'd never make them fight like a typical boy his age would.
The superhero teddy would fly around rescuing people but never take out the bad guys. The Lego family was a happy family mostly and his dinosaurs never ate each other. His Lion teddy bear never ate the Lego people no matter how hard Maddie tried, and the Turtles never fought the Shredder even though that happened plenty of times on the show. Evan didn't like conflict; he'd often shy away when the fight scenes would come up on television. It might have been the biggest way he could tell them what had been going on at home with his parents. Athena hasn't asked a lot about them, but she couldn't promise the social worker wouldn't bring it up.
They had both been honest with the kids about the social workers impending visit. They don't want to hid anything from them and the more honest with them that the couple is the more they feel like the children will feel confident and comfortable revealing things to them that they could pass along to the social worker if they felt too uncomfortable to do so. They had only met their social worker once before today and that was at the police station after they had spent their morning in their local emergency room. It was one of those situations where they will take it at the kids pace. Evan wasn't going to say anything, but he was going to be supported.
Athena made sure the place was tidy but still allowed Evan to play during their morning. Maddie got up at around 10 am and the social worker was due to come at 1 pm which gave them plenty of time to have a normal chill morning. Evan came running in with his toys and instantly went to put them away in his toybox. He was never asked to, but it wasn't something they wanted to change. They know he still plays with them and plays with them for as long as his ADHD brain allows him to. There was no question in Bobby or Athena's mind that Evan had ADHD. They just need to get the diagnosis as they noticed that he struggled concentrating, was very hyperactive and often acted on impulse from what Maddie had told them.
The impulsivity often ended up with him being injured, which would get him attention from his parents and then a telling off from his father and probably worse behind closed doors. Maddie could only tell them so much because it was hard for her to know for sure what went on when she wasn't around even though she tried to protect him as best as she could. She shouldn't have had to take care of her brother in that way, they should have just been allowed to be kids. Evan was definitely aware of the situation because he was a smart kid and Bobby and Athena never tried hiding anything from him. When it was approaching one o'clock he was starting to get a little bit clingy to Bobby and Athena by staying very close by when they were walking around the kitchen no matter how many times he was encouraged to go outside.
When the social worker came Evan was hiding behind Bobby's leg holding onto it tightly whilst he had his Lion stuffy resting on his cast. Athena had gone to open the door whilst Bobby had done his best to try and keep the kid calm. "Evan you're not going anywhere don't worry. She just wants to make sure that you and Maddie are safe and happy in your new home," Bobby says. He made sure he was at eye level with Evan in the hopes that he could at least feel a little better. Evan was still scared and clung onto his leg even tighter as the social worker approached them. The social worker and Bobby shook hands then she went over to the couch away from Evan.
"I see Evan trusts you two a lot then," she comments. From where she was she could see him looking between the couple to see how they were reacting to the situation and how they felt about it. If they trust her that she was going to keep them where they were then he was going to feel a lot better about it. Maddie came in and sat next to Athena and was hoping she could maybe encourage her brother to go and play with her until the social worker needed to talk to them. "Yeah, we have made sure that they have plenty of space to adjust and everything but they both want to spent a lot of time with us so we're happy with whatever. Not sure how that will change once we both go back to work, but we will make it work so that the children's best interests are at the center of our decision making," Bobby explains.
Another thing the first week coming to an end brought was there was only one more week before both Bobby and Athena had to go back to their jobs and the children would be starting school. Athena was going on just day shifts to begin with, and Bobby was staying with his current pattern which did give him some days off but in return he'd be working 12-24 hours most days. Athena had a really good friend, her ex-husband Michael Grant, who she was going to be introducing to the youngsters in the next few days so that he would babysit if needed. He offered once he heard of the kid's arrival as he always wanted a family but didn't realize until after he married Athena that he was gay.
They decided to stay friends after their divorce was finalized. They had both moved on but hung out often. Michael was one of the only ones in the group that could work around the kids and could look after them on the occasions when Athena and Bobby couldn't get home until after the children would have been in bed. They both trust Michael with the kids and will just see how the meeting goes. Evan was still very anxious, so Bobby had him sit on his lap whilst they spoke with the social worker. Nothing else they had tried so far had worked on the boy. For now the social worker didn't mind as they were just talking about how they had been doing over the last week.
The more she could prove that their lives weren't about to be uprooted by her again maybe the more relaxed the young boy would feel. The more relaxed he feels maybe they could get him and Maddie to go and play outside so the adults could talk about the ongoing case without upsetting the children too much. They would eventually have to talk to the children about what they have been through but not today. It was more of a get to know them properly situation and make sure that they were in the right placement for their needs at this time. If Maddie felt like she wanted or needed to talk to the social worker about what went on then she could.
Eventually they did manage to encourage Evan and Maddie to go outside though Evan was very reluctant. "Don't worry kiddo we will be right here, we just have to have a word with Heather quickly," Bobby assures him. There might have been a small chocolate bribe which he took as well. The social worker had noted it all down but only so that they could have a clear picture of how the abuse had affected the children and how it can be used to help them with their case against Margret and Philip. Bobby watches as Maddie has Evan sit on the porch swing to eat the packet of chocolate buttons before they carry on with the game of Superheroes she promised him.
"How's the investigation going so far?" Athena asks. It has only been a week since they were arrested but she was curious to find out how much they were allowed to know at this stage. There was every possibility that they could be needed during the trial to provide evidence. Heather looked at her notes and what the police had told her she was allowed to tell both them and the children involved. They knew Maddie would want to ask questions as she was more aware of what was going on than Evan was to their current knowledge. They did know he was afraid of being separated from people he trusted though. "It's going as well as a child abuse case could go. They are definitely looking at losing their rights as parents and jail time though only time will tell how long their sentences will be," Heather says.
That was good to know that they were looking at possibly being the long term placement and even adoptive parents. Some would say it was too soon to make the decision right away, but they can't imagine their life without the two Buckley children in it anymore. They loved waking up with Evan who had in the last couple of days decided to climb into their bed and snuggle in between them and Maddie who would help Bobby in the kitchen making breakfast when she was up early enough. They were also glad that both children were going to be getting justice. The mother might not have participated in the physical abuse, but she didn't stop it and she contributed to the mental abuse they went through.
It was definitely one of the most messed up cases Athena had heard of in her 9 year career in the Los Angeles Police Department. Cancer was a cruel thing, no doubt about that. However, it didn't excuse their cruelty to the kids that they still had. They had Evan purely for the reason that they thought it would cure their son's cancer and it did but unfortunately not much is known about Juvenile Leukemia at this point, so he relapsed and passed away. He was 8 years old, and Evan was only 2 short years away from turning the same age he was, which was probably going to cause a bigger issue which is good that they were taken when they were.
"Any idea on a time frame for that or are you still collecting evidence?" Bobby asks. The more they can prepare themselves for it the more they can support the kids. From the sounds of it both of the parents were either willing to admit what they had done, or they had gotten plenty of evidence up until this point. It could be a combination of both, who knows at this point. "Well at some point we want to talk to Maddie about what she knows but it is trickier when it comes to Evan. As you know he has a hard time trusting adults he doesn't feel safe around," Heather says. It was true, Evan trusted Athena and Bobby a lot more than any other adult that he had met so far this week. Maddie told them how they nearly had to sedate him in order to get the broken arm sorted.
As the adults went through the diary entries for Evan this week the small child in question was finally playing with his Lion stuffie outside with Maddie. Maddie had brought out the teddy bear he was given a week ago and he was being the superhero trying to rescue the Lion who was stuck on a rock in the middle of the river. "Oh no, that lion needs rescuing. That's no trouble for me I am super Ted," Maddie says, trying her best to do the voices and to cheer him up a little. She could tell her brother was anxious and kept looking to make sure that Bobby and Athena weren't going anywhere. He was also anxious that they were going to separate Maddie from him because their father had told them horror stories.
He had said that if they were ever taken into care then they would be sent to a group home and be separated because nobody else could possibly want them. Well that was what Maddie was aware of and it definitely was what was giving Evan huge separation anxiety at the moment even if he couldn't voice that it was bothering him. When it was Maddie's turn to talk to the social worker Evan ran up to Athena and hugged her legs as tightly as he could. "See baby, we're not going anywhere," She said, picking him up for a proper cuddle. Bobby puts his hand on Evan's back and watches as he smiles. He knew Maddie would be back too because right before she got up she pinky promised him.
Athena sat down on the porch swing with Evan and started gently swinging back and forth. They had no idea he was going to be this emotional, but they were happy that the social worker confirmed they were the best placement and that he wasn't going to be moved. If only he could let them know what was on his mind. He looked like he had so much to say but every time he opened his mouth to speak he'd quickly shut it again with fear in his eyes. Bobby was glad that Philip was behind bars otherwise he might have broken the law. They really felt anger towards him for what he did to both of the children. The fact that it had only been a week and Evan was still scared to talk wasn't a huge shock to them.
It had only been a week, so they weren't expecting miracles or for him to suddenly start talking. They just wished he would feel comfortable enough just to say maybe even one word to them. That poor child deserves to have a voice and to feel heard and for now until he can speak on his own Athena and Bobby were going to be his voice. The social worker had looked at his drawings and heard about the playing he did especially the no fighting and how the Lego family always staying inside the house. It did help him paint a picture which was backed up by what the parents had already admitted to in integration. The first year of his life was probably the best as Daniel hadn't passed away during that time. However he was too young to remember it.
All he can remember is growing up in the aftermath of Daniel's death and how the grief changed their parents for the worst. Maddie could testify to how they had changed for the worst in court if they needed her to. They were protective over baby Evan as he was precious for providing what they hoped would be the cure to the cancer that was killing their son Daniel. They were equally protective of Daniel if not more so. They wouldn't take him to the beach because he needed his rest and excuses like that when they should have focused on making a bucket list and making all of the best memories. More photographs of happier times to look back on.
There wasn't even a baby box for Evan, the police searched the house for evidence and took whatever social workers asked for in terms of belongings for the children. Maddie had a baby box, so did Daniel but there wasn't one for Evan. There wasn't even many if any baby photos of Evan. There was one of a newborn baby and a few up until it must have been the time that they had found out that Daniel's cancer had returned then there was nothing else for the next 5 years. He did have hand me down clothes from Daniel, but they were ones that were rarely worn as it made the parents uncomfortable, and they'd said they couldn't look at him in Daniel's clothes.
Athena needed the bathroom after a little while and Evan still had a tight grip on her t-shirt. He hadn't really moved since she started rocking him on the swing to calm him down again and to let him know that he was okay. They might take them on a day out tomorrow to the zoo or something fun to take their minds off today's events. He panicked as Athena shifted him to put him on the swing seat, but Bobby took him into his arms and let him cling on whilst Athena got up. "I'm just going to the bathroom baby, I will be right back I promise," she tells the youngster who looked like he was about to burst into tears. Bobby kept up the rocking whilst Athena walked into the house and to the bathroom. Today must have triggered something inside of him.
There was one thing Bobby knew for sure as Evan clung to his t-shirt like his little life depended on it, there was going to be a lot of therapy for both kids to help them get through whatever they had been through for the last 6 years. "One day you'll be able to tell us all those little thoughts inside of your head and we'll be here to listen to them," Bobby says. The more Bobby thought about Evan's reactions to today it was like he was showing all the signs of selective mutism. He could shake his head for "no" and nod his head for "yes" so he was a bit more confident but that was all his communication at this point. He couldn't write letters yet, but he was working on it with Athena. She had bought those books with letters and numbers you could write in whiteboard pen.
There was probably post-traumatic stress involved for them as well, but Bobby was no psychologist. He was just using his knowledge of what several firehouse hired therapists have told him before. He had also done his research on selective mutism in children the day they brought Evan home last week. He figured the research wasn't going to do any harm and that if he were right the earlier they could treat it the better the outcome would be for the kid. It was something that was going to have to bring up at the meeting in a couple of days to discuss what support the children were going to need going into school. As for the moment they will still be Buckley by surname it would draw attention to them more than being the new kid in the middle of the school year would.
Bobby noted they were already following some of the steps, they weren't surprised when Evan laughed around them for the first time but reacted how they would if they had heard any other kid his age laugh. He was certainly getting more praise than he was probably ever used to in his little life, he was very good at sharing with them and interacting in whatever way he could, and they had been having fun. No signs of anxiety either from the parents, knowing his heightened anxiety would just feed off it and thrive. He was doing amazingly well all things considered. Bobby smiled when he saw Evan's face light up when Athena walked back outside.
"Look at that beautiful smile, it's okay to be anxious it has been a very worrying day for you hasn't it?" Athena says, sitting down. Evan nods but stays where he was on Bobby's lap. Bobby had noticed he didn't have such a death tight grip anymore. He wasn't even sure that he knew that a kid with a cast on could hold on as tightly as Evan had been. It just goes to show how strong of a kid Evan was proving to be. "We will be with you every step of the way," Bobby says. There was nothing that was going to stand in their way to provide the best life for the kids. Maddie was done with her chat with the social worker who came out to speak with Bobby and Athena one more time before she left. Maddie had placed herself in between Bobby and Athena so she could be close to them and Evan.
"Well, as I said earlier I have absolutely no concerns with Evan and Maddie continuing to stay here. Our next step will be the meeting on Monday about school possibilities and the next steps after that in terms of the ongoing situation," she says and then they say their goodbyes once they had agreed to the meeting on Monday. It was currently Thursday afternoon, so they had four days to get all of their notes prepared for how they wanted to approach the situation. They definitely were going to mention the possibility of Evan having selective mutism and the support he needed there. They were also going to focus on the happiness of the children involved.
"I say we go out for dinner tonight and then go and get ice cream," Bobby says. It turns out this would be another first for Evan as they hadn't been to a restaurant during the last week as Bobby didn't mind the cooking. He had a mini chef too as Evan had been eagerly watching him and Bobby had let him help wash or carefully grate the cheese or any other task he could think of a six year old could safely do under supervision. He loved how Evan was the first child to really take an interest in his cooking and how it all worked. It was the only way they could get him still other than his own fears and anxieties. Both children seemed up for the idea, Evan especially by the sound of ice cream.
Everyone was already dressed and had shoes on, so it was just a matter of getting a last minute booking. Bobby already knew where to go which was closest to the best ice cream place in town. It was close enough to their usual dinner time and by the time their food got to the table it would be just a little bit later than usual. Athena, Maddie, and Evan started walking towards the car. Bobby wasn't too far behind them as Evan had finally let go and was getting back to his usual self. He had noticed that the Lion stuffie was on the floor, so he grabbed it and did a light jog to catch up. Evan might need it for comfort whilst they were out. He gave it to Evan in the car and it was like Evan knew it had been left behind and he wanted it.
"You're welcome little buddy," he replied. This time Evan had mouthed the words thank you. Their patience was paying off even though Bobby had really loved the cute little bits of sign language Evan had picked up and used often during the first few days. He still used it most of the time when he didn't need to point for things or use his head to answer yes or no questions. The car ride went pretty smoothly, and Athena watched as Evan spent it looking out of the window and taking in the sights as they drove through Los Angeles. Athena loved how he was curious about everything and wanted to know as much as they could tell him about the world around him.
This was probably the biggest challenge they've face so far as well as it being a cute first. They have no idea how he was going to react in the busy restaurant and the anxiety he had been dealing with throughout the day was still very much there. Bobby took Evan's hand, and they walked through the car park and through the main doors of the restaurant. Athena and Maddie were not far behind the boys. They quickly got shown to their seats and Evan was given a children's menu. The staff were incredibly friendly, and Bobby was confident that this was going to be going well. Then all of a sudden there was panic in Evan's eyes, and they had to try to figure out what was going on.
"Oh you've left Lion in the car, it's okay buddy I'll go and get him I will be two minutes," Bobby says, as he realizes the familiar Lion stuffie wasn't hanging on his cast like it had been every day for the last 6 days. It had surpassed Super Ted in the favoritism factor. As Bobby got up he thought about it without voicing his thoughts out loud, which would have sent the six year old in a further panic. He had the Lion when they had gotten out the car. He saw it on the cast when they were walking. It was okay though because it just meant he had to retrace their steps to where the toy was dropped, and he could be even quicker getting back to the panicking child.
He didn't have to go too far when a woman approached him with the precious stuffed animal in her hands. "Are you looking for this?" she asks, and she must have seen the look of relief wash over his face as she handed it over to him "Yes thank you, my little boy dropped it on the way in and he got quite panicked over it," Bobby replied. It felt so natural for him to say my little boy. It had rolled off his tongue before he could even think twice about what he was about to say. She smiled and then Bobby felt a small hand grab his. Evan had come looking for him. Bobby scooped him up into his arms and handed him the precious stuffie which was hugged quite tightly.
A little aw escaped the woman's mouth as she witnessed the cute reunion. "Evan, this kind lady found your lion for you," Bobby tells him. The second he said that there was a twinge of guilt at the situation he found himself in. This woman wouldn't have known about Evan's history and his selective mutism and would have expected him to say something. However, Evan was very good at stealing people's hearts. He looked at her with the biggest grin he could and signed thank you and she knew exactly what he had said even though there was no words spoken. It had melted away any of the remaining guilt Bobby had felt as the woman grinned.
"You are very welcome Evan," she said, and he even gave her a little wave as they decided to go back to their table so they could have dinner. Bobby kept hold of Evan who didn't even wiggle once as he was carried back to their table. The stuffie was in a death grip in his good arm so there wouldn't be another opportunity for it to potentially get lost or dropped by accident. "I'm so proud of you kiddo, you did really well back there," Bobby said. He couldn't be mad at him for leaving the table and coming to find him. Bobby really hadn't gone that far and was in eyesight of Athena the whole time so there was no need to worry or panic about it.
Bobby put him down on the chair and laughed at how Evan put Lion on the table next to him. Bobby was fully expecting Evan to keep hold of him still, but he was doing what he normally does and make him part of the meal. It was a good distraction as he was having a little bit of a hard time sitting still but he was trying his best and that was all that matters. They got their food and as promised once they were finished in the restaurant they went to Bobby's favorite ice cream place. Lion wasn't left behind this time as Evan made sure that his stuffie was coming with him everywhere they went for the rest of the evening. On the way out he held onto Athena's hand and Maddie walked with Bobby.
When they got to the store Bobby once again effortlessly picked Evan up. "You point to what flavor you want kiddo," he says. It was definitely unconventional, but it worked for them, and it was all that mattered. Everyone they had come across had been so kind and patient with Evan it gave both Athena and Bobby a little bit of hope in humanity. The man behind the counter at the ice cream store gave both kids an extra scoop for free and as Evan wanted M&Ms on top of his a few extra. They sat outside in the Los Angeles sunshine and watched as the kids enjoyed their ice cream. Evan ate his a little too fast and got his first brain freeze.
Maddie instantly told him how to soothe it and he was soon back to eating his ice cream, a bit slower this time though. Bobby and Athena were happy with how well everything is going. They felt like a proper family for the first time. People came up to them and said how beautiful their daughter is and how handsome their son is, and they said thank you and didn't question it. Maddie didn't object and Evan seemed happy. It had only been a week, but they seemed to work well together as if it had always been that way. It didn't seem like it had only been 7 days since that fateful meeting at the police station. Evan had almost fallen asleep on the way home. His sugar high had come crashing down.
Bobby had carried the barely awake six year old into his room when they had gotten home. Athena went into the living room where Maddie wanted to talk to her. Something had been on her mind since the social worker had arrived on the scene. "What do you want to talk about sweetheart?" Athena asks. She knew that she wanted to make sure that she could be someone Maddie could confide in and feel safe talking to her about anything that was troubling her whether it would be about how Evan was doing or anything she was worried about when it comes to herself and her health and things that teenagers worry about. Maddie sat down next to her.
"Heather told me that it is likely that we are never going to be back with our parents. I really hope we can stay with you because we have never felt safer. I have literally never seen Evan so happy. When Bobby was carrying him at dinner it just felt right, like this was meant to be you know," Maddie says, and Athena was stunned. Obviously, she knew that it would be something that she was going to talk about with Maddie. With the way the parents had behaved there was no chance they would willingly want to go back. What Athena wasn't expecting was that they would feel so strongly about how Bobby and Athena were their parents so soon.
"It was mentioned to us that they are most likely to lose their rights to be your parents and will have some jail time, especially your dad after breaking Evan's arm. Whatever happens next will be done with your best interests at heart and they will take whatever you need or want to say into consideration," Athena tells her. With Maddie being 14 there was no need to sugarcoat anything, she understands everything that has been going on. They are going to be having a lot of conversations like this over the coming days and weeks as things progress with the investigation and the fate of the children. These things could change in a moment, but they are taking things day by day for now.
"I know people would say it is too soon, but I know that Evan and I want you to be our parents. It has been the best seven days of our lives ever. We don't need fancy things to be happy we finally have a mom and dad who love us for who we are. Evan hasn't really had anyone but me since he was about six months old," Maddie says, it makes Athena's heart break, but she knew they were going to keep on providing the safest home they could. It felt nice that by doing what they felt best that they had two children who wanted to call them mom and dad. This was the first time that Athena has been a mother because she didn't know Bobby's children and she had no children of her own to date. Well, not counting Evan and Maddie as there was no adoption on the cards yet.
It was good to know that if it did come to that the children wouldn't be opposed to Bobby and Athena becoming Mother and Father legally. Bobby joined them after a while. "Evan was startled when I put him down, so I had to stay with him for a while until he settled enough to sleep. I got him in his pjs and got his teeth brushed," Bobby explains. Athena filled Bobby in whilst Maddie stayed sat down between them. She didn't mind that they were talking about it because it was important for Bobby to be aware of what Maddie was thinking when it came to her own future. When Evan was able to talk they would be able to get his opinion on this even though they had a good idea.
Athena starts messaging Michael to arrange the first meeting of the children. They were still going to go through with their plan to go to the zoo tomorrow. They have the meeting on Monday where they talk about the schooling options, so maybe Tuesday or Wednesday would be best. Athena didn't feel comfortable leaving them with Michael for the meeting without them knowing him first. Once they did know him a little more then she would feel comfortable leaving them with him on his own. Michael was happy with this as he knew a little bit about their background so they knew it wouldn't be straight away that the children would bond with their friend.
Even though Evan had said thank you to the lady who rescued his Lion stuffie for him he was still overwhelmed and anxious about the strangers around him. It still went very well for them though as Evan was well behaved the entire time. They had gotten a lot of compliments on how well both children were and how polite they seemed. After a while of talking about how they felt about the social worker visit had been Maddie decided she was ready for bed and said goodnight. They said goodnight and Bobby went to go and get him and Athena a drink. It wasn't anything alcoholic as Bobby was trying his best to stay sober. Athena was here to support him one hundred percent.
"I still can't wrap my head around how Maddie wants to call us Mom and Dad already. We have been their foster parents for only a week," Bobby says. In the back of his head there was that longing to be called Dad once more. He loved the smiles and the laughter Evan had when he picked him up and being silly with the little games they played. He had a moment in the restaurant where he had Evan's shirt in a gentle grip and said, "I'm not stopping you from going to Maddie." It had caused Evan to giggle away as he tried to walk over to his sister only to be pulled back a step. He was eventually allowed to sit with his sister, and they had a great mealtime.
"Well it is because we're doing a great job. They feel happy and secure here and it is all that matters. We can take them to the zoo tomorrow, they can meet Michael next week and all the pieces fall into place," Athena tells him. Athena had that way about her that she could calm him down and make him feel better about himself. She knows the last ten years have been hard, but he has made great progress and that couldn't be ignored. 10 years of being sober have had a lot of ups and downs but in the end she could prove to him that he had stuck with it and now had two beautiful children once again. Nothing or nobody could ever replace Robert Jr or Brook but the fact that he was so close to becoming a father again was too warm to ignore.
"I know, it is just hard to ignore that little voice inside your head which is telling you that you're not good enough to be a father again. I know I have been sober for the last ten years but it is not easy. I feel like I might fail," Bobby says, there has been a lot of vulnerabilities shared by everyone over the last few days and Athena was sure that there was going to be more challenges ahead. She wasn't sure how they were going to deal with or cope with the fact that they were going to learn all the gruesome details of what the children went through during the inevitable trial. Athena put her hand on his shoulder, hoping that she could calm his insecurities.
"It will be hard; I am not going to deny it. However, we have gotten through the last ten years together and we are going to continue doing so," she tells him. She knew that he had chosen her as his reason stay sober for the last ten years and could easily see that the Buckley siblings were going to be his reason this time. They were going to have children of their own, but the years of abusing drugs and alcohol had taken their toll on Bobby's fertility. That was why they had gone for fostering and adoption to begin with. It had felt too awkward to ask Michael to be a sperm donor at his stage. They didn't know how he felt about possibly having kids and they'd want him to stay in the kid's lives.
Bobby felt better after that conversation and decided to make sandwiches for their trip to the zoo tomorrow. They would also need to go to bed soon as they were going to be greeted by a very excited Evan once he found out they were going to the zoo. Over the last week he had been fascinated by anything and everything to do with zoos or wild animals and facts he could learn about them. He was definitely hyper fixated on the big cats though; he loved his lion stuffie and was glued to the screen whenever a Cheetah would race past the camera. He loved watching the Tigers, though he was a little hesitant when he saw them hunting. Bobby has one thought in his head as he follows Athena to their bedroom. Everything is going to be alright.
And that is the end of the third chapter. I promise the Buckley kiddos are going to have the best time moving forward. Next time will be the zoo trip and stuff. Also I always had the thought what would happen to someone's fertility having drug and alcohol problems as there have been many studies on it so I will try and approach it as factually accurate as I can.
10 | Page