RP Post - Custody pt. 1
ooc: Okay, everyone go with this, okay? Trying to keep true to custody laws, etc, and what's realistic to the best of my knowledge. Esp. between US vs. Canada laws. Did try to research this a bit. Will get more into details as it goes on. Also, Cora Parker used w. permission of her player.
Larry was enjoying the warmth of his bed, and the fact that he wasn't at work, when he heard his cell phone ringing from somewhere. As much as he hated getting up he was expecting a call from Sam, so he slipped out of bed and into a pair of sweats. He quietly left the room, as to not disturb Cora's sleep, and went to the living room. He picked up his phone and stole a glance at the caller ID. It was Suzanne, Jamie's mother.
“Hello,” he said warmly.
“Hello Larry,” she replied. “How are you, dear?”
“I am lovely Suz, how are you? How's Sam? Are you crazy kids having a good time?” He sat on the couch and leaned back.
“We are. It's been a wonderful visit so far.”
“I'm glad,” Larry said with a smile. “I'm sure Sam's enjoying himself. Is he around for me to talk to?”
“He is, but...I needed to speak with you first.”
“What about?”
“I'm...troubled.”
“Oh?”
She sighed. “Larry, I wanted to tell you about this myself. I thought I owed it to you.”
“To tell me...?”
“I've hired a lawyer.” Larry waited patiently for her to go on. “Stephen and I want Sam to live with us.”
Larry blinked and leaned forward. “That's ridiculous. He lives with me.”
“I know that, but I-we-don't feel like it's the best idea anymore.”
He shook his head and started a low chuckle. “You're not serious. It's not your choice to make.”
“I am very serious.”
“Let me get this straight. You've hired a lawyer so that you can sue me for custody of my own son?”
“He's not well.”
“Who are you to tell me if Sam is well or not? You don't live here.”
“We talk to him. I've spoken to your mother. His grades are down considerably, he's depressed, he's still talking about death...he doesn't sound like he's eating well, and frankly, it doesn't seem like you are around enough.”
“Around enough? Around enough?! I am there every morning and every night!” The sudden anger slamming into him, made him forget completely that he had company, and that she was asleep.
“Yes and some nights you work late, and you go out every Friday night, and from the sounds of it you have other late nights out..”
“I work! To support Sam. When I go out Fridays, I'm working. He's in perfectly capable hands, and he likes the time away from me. What is this? Why am I explaining myself to you? Do you have someone spying on me?”
“Not at all. I told you, I speak to Sam. Which apparently you don't do.”
“Suzanne, do not do this. Do not tell me how to parent my son.”
“Your son needs something more than you're giving him.”
“All he needs is me!”
“I'm sorry, Larry.”
“You're losing it. If you think this will..it's not happening. You send my son home on that flight Sunday. Send. Him. Home.”
“No. He's staying here. We've..found a judge who agrees he should stay with us temporarily, at least...until this is sorted out. Or until it can be evalu-”
He jumped up and started pacing. “Are you kidding me? What judge? What real, honest judge is gonna do something stupid like that?! He's my son! You cannot take my son!”
“I'm sorry, Larry. I don't want to hurt you, but I am looking at the best interest of my grandson. He needs help. If you were maybe willing to relocate back to Toronto-”
“No! You don't get to suggest that! Have you asked Sam about any of this? Does he want to stay with you?!”
“We're going to sit and have a talk tonight.”
“Let me know how that goes,” Larry snapped bitterly, still pacing. He picked up a book from his coffee table and threw it against the floor with a loud thud.
“Larry..”
Don't think this is going anywhere! You have a lawyer? I am a lawyer. No judge is going to take Sam away from me! I am his birth father, I provide for him, he wants to live with me. That is all the judge will care about!”
“You're sure he wants to live with you?”
“Yes! I'm his father!”
“Maybe you should ask him, then.”
“You are not taking my son away from me!” He kicked the coffee table as hard as he could, and sent it several inches across the carpet. “He is mine! My son, my responsibility!”
“Jamie would-”
“Jamie wouldn't want you doing this!”
“Don't speak about my daughter like you know what she would want!”
“You are not taking my son,” he said tightly.
“I guess this won't be a friendly dealing?”
“You tell me you want to steal my boy and expect it be friendly? You're crazy, Suzanne! I'm going to fight this. And I'm going to win. He is my son!” He hung up on her and threw the phone in some mindless direction.
He kicked the coffee table again, and once more. He refused to let it happen. He couldn't. He wasn't going to live without Sam again. He let out a long breath and ran a hand over his face. He fisted his fingers up then slowly released them flat, then fisted them again. He collapsed onto the floor in front of the couch and sat with his back to it, still clenching and unclenching his fist. He closed his eyes and counted his furious breaths in hopes of controlling them and the shakes that were coursing through his body.
He would not let it happen.
Larry was enjoying the warmth of his bed, and the fact that he wasn't at work, when he heard his cell phone ringing from somewhere. As much as he hated getting up he was expecting a call from Sam, so he slipped out of bed and into a pair of sweats. He quietly left the room, as to not disturb Cora's sleep, and went to the living room. He picked up his phone and stole a glance at the caller ID. It was Suzanne, Jamie's mother.
“Hello,” he said warmly.
“Hello Larry,” she replied. “How are you, dear?”
“I am lovely Suz, how are you? How's Sam? Are you crazy kids having a good time?” He sat on the couch and leaned back.
“We are. It's been a wonderful visit so far.”
“I'm glad,” Larry said with a smile. “I'm sure Sam's enjoying himself. Is he around for me to talk to?”
“He is, but...I needed to speak with you first.”
“What about?”
“I'm...troubled.”
“Oh?”
She sighed. “Larry, I wanted to tell you about this myself. I thought I owed it to you.”
“To tell me...?”
“I've hired a lawyer.” Larry waited patiently for her to go on. “Stephen and I want Sam to live with us.”
Larry blinked and leaned forward. “That's ridiculous. He lives with me.”
“I know that, but I-we-don't feel like it's the best idea anymore.”
He shook his head and started a low chuckle. “You're not serious. It's not your choice to make.”
“I am very serious.”
“Let me get this straight. You've hired a lawyer so that you can sue me for custody of my own son?”
“He's not well.”
“Who are you to tell me if Sam is well or not? You don't live here.”
“We talk to him. I've spoken to your mother. His grades are down considerably, he's depressed, he's still talking about death...he doesn't sound like he's eating well, and frankly, it doesn't seem like you are around enough.”
“Around enough? Around enough?! I am there every morning and every night!” The sudden anger slamming into him, made him forget completely that he had company, and that she was asleep.
“Yes and some nights you work late, and you go out every Friday night, and from the sounds of it you have other late nights out..”
“I work! To support Sam. When I go out Fridays, I'm working. He's in perfectly capable hands, and he likes the time away from me. What is this? Why am I explaining myself to you? Do you have someone spying on me?”
“Not at all. I told you, I speak to Sam. Which apparently you don't do.”
“Suzanne, do not do this. Do not tell me how to parent my son.”
“Your son needs something more than you're giving him.”
“All he needs is me!”
“I'm sorry, Larry.”
“You're losing it. If you think this will..it's not happening. You send my son home on that flight Sunday. Send. Him. Home.”
“No. He's staying here. We've..found a judge who agrees he should stay with us temporarily, at least...until this is sorted out. Or until it can be evalu-”
He jumped up and started pacing. “Are you kidding me? What judge? What real, honest judge is gonna do something stupid like that?! He's my son! You cannot take my son!”
“I'm sorry, Larry. I don't want to hurt you, but I am looking at the best interest of my grandson. He needs help. If you were maybe willing to relocate back to Toronto-”
“No! You don't get to suggest that! Have you asked Sam about any of this? Does he want to stay with you?!”
“We're going to sit and have a talk tonight.”
“Let me know how that goes,” Larry snapped bitterly, still pacing. He picked up a book from his coffee table and threw it against the floor with a loud thud.
“Larry..”
Don't think this is going anywhere! You have a lawyer? I am a lawyer. No judge is going to take Sam away from me! I am his birth father, I provide for him, he wants to live with me. That is all the judge will care about!”
“You're sure he wants to live with you?”
“Yes! I'm his father!”
“Maybe you should ask him, then.”
“You are not taking my son away from me!” He kicked the coffee table as hard as he could, and sent it several inches across the carpet. “He is mine! My son, my responsibility!”
“Jamie would-”
“Jamie wouldn't want you doing this!”
“Don't speak about my daughter like you know what she would want!”
“You are not taking my son,” he said tightly.
“I guess this won't be a friendly dealing?”
“You tell me you want to steal my boy and expect it be friendly? You're crazy, Suzanne! I'm going to fight this. And I'm going to win. He is my son!” He hung up on her and threw the phone in some mindless direction.
He kicked the coffee table again, and once more. He refused to let it happen. He couldn't. He wasn't going to live without Sam again. He let out a long breath and ran a hand over his face. He fisted his fingers up then slowly released them flat, then fisted them again. He collapsed onto the floor in front of the couch and sat with his back to it, still clenching and unclenching his fist. He closed his eyes and counted his furious breaths in hopes of controlling them and the shakes that were coursing through his body.
He would not let it happen.