Chapter 2: Parental Rights

She’s dead...

As those words pass his lips, I fall to the floor, my gaze fixed on her lifeless corpse, so empty, so alone. I wasn't here when she got back. I could have helped her. I could have stopped this. She wouldn't be dead. That's all my fault.

I crawl up into myself on the floor, hugging my knees to my chest and rocking myself to soothe the ache in every part of my body. I want to throw up, but I can't even move to do that. I hear the sirens, and I still can't move. She's left me. She left me too. Why would she? Did she want to go? Did she want to leave? Just like my dad, and my twin brother. He left me too. He ran away, wanting something else, something better, his dad back. He knew I wouldn't leave mom, so he left on his own. My twin brother.

"Cade," I hear Roland call out, but I can't move, I can't. She... Why? I want my mom. I want her here. She can't be dead. I... I can't breathe. I can't think. I just want it all to stop. I just want people to stop leaving me. I just want a normal life, a happy life where people care about me and people don't leave.

I feel myself being lifted from the ground and I snuggle into his chest, hiding my face in his shirt.

"I need to take you to the station. I'm sorry, Cade. You'll be okay. I'm right here. I'll take care of you." I don't reply. I don't do anything. I just let him move me, into a car, I think and soon enough, we find our way to the station.

I hear the bustling around us, the loud shouts of drunkards, the chuckles of officers to one another in conversations, the footsteps plodding against the floor.

"Cade, I called DCFS. They're sending someone over here." My eyes widen at his words when he sets me down in a chair and he senses my alarm, kneeling down and grabbing my hands. "It's protocol. But I want to take you in. I'm going to file for the adoption of you, but that's going to take time. I know this is a lot to handle right now, but you need somewhere to stay, and you deserve to know what's going on. I love you as if you were my own daughter, you know that." I squeeze his hands tightly so he doesn't let go and he just waits, patiently, holding my hands, supporting me, comforting me by just being there. He doesn't need to say anything, I just need someone who cares. He's the last one left. I'm grateful for him.

"Officer Roland?" a small woman asks, a kind sympathetic smile sent towards me as she takes a seat in front of me. Roland doesn't let go of my hands, keeping me close to him. "You must be Cadence," she says, looking straight at me with sad eyes.

"It's Cade," I mutter.

"Sorry, Cade. I'm very sorry for your loss. I always hate talking to children who have lost their guardians so soon. But, we have to sort out a place for you to stay tonight. It is to my understanding that Officer Roland, here, is filing for adoption of you. In the meantime, we're contacting your father."

"My father?" I question, furrowing my brows in confusion.

"Yes, we have contact information for him. We're getting a hold of him now. For adoption, your father would have to give away parental rights."

"Did he not give that away when he walked out? If he won't do that, it would be harder for Roland to adopt me?"

"Well, yes, it would. I don't see why he wouldn't, that's if we can contact him. If we can't, then his parental rights have been terminated. If we can, and he chooses he doesn't want to sign his rights away, he would be responsible for you. Of course, you can take him to court if you don't want to stay with him. But it would take a long time and we would place you in foster care."

"So it's better if you can't contact him?"

"Yes, if you want Officer Roland to adopt you," she replies.

"I do," I say quickly, sounding a little worried and agitated. It's been the worst fucking day and she's telling me that my estranged dickhead of a father could stop my life from getting better. She nods in understanding and leaves with Roland to discuss something.

I bring my legs up on the chair and rest my cheek against my knees, falling asleep from the sheer energy all of this has taken from me. My mom is dead. My brother is missing. My father could stop me from having a good life with a man who has actually been there for me, who actually cares. He wants to adopt me, he said it himself. He'll fight for me.

In the daze of mellow sleep, I listen to Roland's voice on the phone with someone.

"I understand that, but she's happy here... She doesn't want to move, she doesn't even know you. You can't be selfish... I'm thinking about her... She may not be my daughter by blood but I care about her more than you ever have, clearly... Please, you have to..." He throws the phone to the ground and harshly takes a seat on the chair as I open my eyes. "Did you hear that?"

"Who was that?" I ask.

"Your father," he states.

"They got a hold of him? What did he say?" I question.

"You heard it. You already know. But he said that he wouldn't give away his parental rights. He wants you to go live with him in Michigan."

"That's another state. I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving you," I exclaim, shooting out of my chair out of rage. I can't stand this. All of this. My mom just died and now everyone is telling me my entire life has to change. They're telling me a man I haven't seen in eight years has complete control over me, that I have to move away if that's what he wants. I can't take this.

"Cade, I'm fighting for you. But I found out your father actually has money, and a family. He can provide for you," Roland explains.

"So what?" I begin to yell. "So that means you don't want to fight anymore. I don't care about that stuff. He doesn't care about me. It's just about... Well I don't even know what the **** it's about."

"Language," he scolds almost silently, knowing that I deserve to swear in my rage. But he says it anyway, like a good responsible guardian would. He cares, even about the smallest things. He would support me. I want to stay with him. "Cade, it's not that. He has money, he can get lawyers, he can make it seem like he can provide better for you than me. I don't know why he's doing this, maybe to save face or reach out-"

"Reach out now that he's remembered I exist, I guess. Too busy with a new family."

"I don't know what to say. I'll fight if you want me to fight. But whilst I'm fighting, you'll be stuck in foster care, and I won't be able to see you. I don't want that to happen to you."

"I'll talk to him then. I tell him I want to stay here."

"He seemed pretty adamant that there is no way he'll give up rights. Cade, if he won't, I want you to go live with him," he states.

"What?!" I cry, my mouth gaping at him. "Why would you say that? You don't want to fight!"

"You know I love you. I want to fight for you, but I need to think about what's best for you, even if you don't like it. I'll fight to the end, but if we don't win, you'll end up with him, and in foster care during court dates for nothing. I'm a cop, I don't have the money to afford the lawyers he can. The courts will see that, that if I win, I won't have the money to support you. I just want you to be safe and healthy, Cade."

"I don't want to lose you," I say, falling into his arms for a hug. He squeezes me tightly and doesn't let me go.

"You won't lose me, not ever. If you do go, I'll call you every day. If he does anything to hurt you, I'll be there immediately. On birthdays and thanksgiving and Christmas, I'll be there. You can call me with any problems, at any time. And when you're 18 and your dad no longer has a say and you want to come back here, you can live with me." He pulls away from me and hands me the phone that he picked up from the ground, the screen a little cracked. "His number is the last one on there. Call him."

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