Manumission

Chapter 12

"And you've never missed a meeting with your PO?"

"Not a single one."

Tim scratched his beard.

"Then I'm not sure why they're giving you so much trouble about this. I've seen felons with much worse convictions than yours be granted visitation rights almost immediately."

"Exactly!" Ryan exclaimed, sitting forward.

"If you want me to, I'll write a letter of recommendation that you are fit for guardianship. I don't know what good it will do, but it might nudge them forward to at least approve a visit."

"Would you?" Ryan asked, daring to feel hopeful for the first time in weeks.

"Of course. With the stipulation that you continue to meet with me every two weeks for the foreseeable future."

Ryan rolled his eyes. "I knew there was a catch."

"Oh, please. Two hours a month is hardly a catch. And you already admitted that you need this."

"Shit..." Ryan muttered. "I guess I can suffer through your company if it means a shot at getting Maya back."

"Out of curiosity, why do you want to get her back so badly?"

Ryan's eyes narrowed.

"Not that it's a bad thing," Tim added. "Only that you don't immediately come off as a kid person."

He shrugged and thought about the question for a bit.

"I dunno... I guess, I just know what it's like. To pop in and out of people's homes like that. And there's some shitty one's, let me tell you. If you met her, you'd understand. She's really sweet and quiet and she has a good heart, which is pretty rare in our family." He shrugged again. "I guess I just want her to have a chance to be a kid. Break the cycle or whatever bullshit term you shrinks use."

Tim smiled. "I don't think she's the only person in your family with a good heart."

Ryan grimaced. "Well if Cass still has a good heart, it's pretty hard to see through all the drugs and shit. Hell, she's a shit mom even when she's sober."

"I wasn't talking about your sister," Tim said gently.

"Who, me?!" Ryan raised his eyebrows. "Don't bust my balls, man. That ship has very clearly sailed."

"Yeah, yeah. You've been to prison, you've been in a gang, you've done a lot of stuff you're not proud of. I know. We've talked about all that. But even back then, you cared about your sister. And you care about your niece. You're going to greater lengths to get her back than most people would in your situation."

"So? Even shitty people care about their own."

"Maybe. But not for the reasons you mentioned."

Ryan grunted, thinking over Tim's words.

"I think that's just the guilt talking."

"Guilt about what?"

"I mean, it's pretty much my fault Maya's in this situation."

Tim frowned. "How do you figure?"

"I basically raised Cassie and I clearly fucked that up. And I left her. She was only seventeen when I got locked up. She had to go back into the system for that last year and then she aged out and had no one, really. It's no wonder why she got into drugs and got knocked up. I wasn't there."

"I didn't know you had custody of her," Tim mentioned.

"Yeah, after I aged out. Cass was...fifteen I think."