Battle

BATTLE





“Hi. I was just about to go to bed.”

“I need to talk to you.”

“We’ve been talking all day, Will. Can’t it wait until tomorrow?”

“No.”

“Okay. Do you want anything? Coffee? Beer?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Carole and I talked it over, and we’ll take the kids.”

“What?”

“The kids, Rick and Casey. We’ll take them.”

“What do you mean, you’ll take them?”

“Look, Alan. You deserve a chance to have your own life. Carole and I are in a position now where we can take the kids. We can offer them everything they need.”

“No, Will. They live here. All their friends are here. I’m here. You live on the other side of the country!”

“Calm down, Al. I’m sure we can work something out.”

“I don’t want to work something out! I want them to stay here with me. Where they belong.”

“I know you want the opportunity to have a life of your own, Alan. I understand that. And you deserve it. I did a terrible thing when I walked out on all of you. I was selfish. Let me make it up to you now.”

“No. Not like this. What gives you the right to come in here after all these years and ask me this? Where have you been, Willem? Where were you Will? Where were you when Rick’s appendix burst and he almost died? Where were you when Casey’s best friend moved away and she cried for a week? Where were you when I had to tell Jason he couldn’t go to art school? Where were you when Rick got suspended from school for fighting? Where were you when Casey got beaten up by a bunch of older kids? Where were you when Jason… Where were you when Jason decided he was so miserable he didn’t want to live another day?”

“Where were you?”

“That’s not fair, Will. You can’t blame me for what happened. I talked to Jason every day. How often did you speak to him? Twice a year? If that!”

“You’re right. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry.”

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore. It’s late and it’s been a difficult day for all of us. You made a very generous offer and I thank you for it. But the kids are staying right here, with me.”

“Alan. You do realize that I am still Rick and Casey’s legal guardian?”

“Co.”

“What?”

“Co-guardian. I signed those papers too, Will. You made me do that.”

“If we were to take this to court, who do you think would win?”