Hold Me Close & Don't Let Me Fall ✓

Chapter 19

"I'm not sure I know what you mean."

"You're really going to try and lawyer lie your way out of this one? I found the court documents in your office before I moved out. My biological father and his lawyer tried to use this same maneuver and you had it thrown out. Said that since he wasn't listed on the birth certificate he had no right to try and get custody now. Which, after extensive research, I found was absolute bullshit. He should've been the one granted custody and you had the judge look the other way. What I want to know now is why?"

"He was unfit to be a parent. He had a little apartment and a job that was barely enough to support himself."

"But he wanted me! And other parents make it work. Do you think Frank and I are rolling in the dough? You didn't get to make that decision and then keep it from me." He doesn't say anything, just stares at me. "You both need to drop this and leave. You're a hypocritical asshole and she's no better." I say before turning around and leaving.

...

I'm standing by the locked bathroom door. "Mary, come on honey. Open the door. Please."

"No." I hear her little voice say. She's been crying.

"Come on out, honey." Roberta tries to coax her.

"No."

"Why did you have to tell her that deadbeat was testifying?" Roberta asks Frank.

"Because it's the truth. And if I didn't, Evelyn would've."

"If I was the dad of a little girl and I never saw her and I was in the same town, I would visit her." I feel a tear run down my cheek.

"Well, I hope you're happy." Roberta whispers.

"He didn't even need directions. He could've followed you here."

"I'm going to kill them." I whisper.

"Speaking of men who aren't worth a damn." Roberta says, looking at Frank.

"We're trying here Roberta. We weren't prepared for them to pull this shit. And I've already had plenty of words with her lawyer and the skeezebag that Mary shares half of her DNA with." I whisper.

"Doesn't even wanna see what I look like." I watch as Frank contemplates something before placing his hands down by his side.

"All right. Hey, put your shoes on. We're going for a ride. You too." He says to Roberta before grabbing my hand and pulling me along with him.

"A ride?" Roberta asks.

"So you wanna tell me where we're going?" I ask him as we sit in my car and wait for Mary and Roberta.

"I think it's time for Mary to know about the night she was born." Frank says before we're joined by the others and we get in and drive off.

"What are we doing here?" Mary asks, rather rudely, after we've been sitting in the hospital for a half hour.

"Waiting." Frank says as he flips through a magazine while I read the book I keep in my car.

"We can see that. Why?" Roberta asks.

"Because I said so." Frank answers, still not looking up from the magazine.

Mary sighs before settling in, with an angry look on her face. "How long do we have to stay here?" She asks.

"As long as it takes. And keep your voice down. It's a hospital." Frank warns her.

"And watch that face. Both of you." I say, flipping to the next page in my book. "It's going to get stuck like that and then we wont' be able to go out in public anymore because everyone will be too busy laughing at you guys."

We've been there for a couple hours now and Mary is laying across the seats in between Frank and Roberta and I have my head on Franks' shoulder with his arm wrapped around me, holding me to him. There's movement coming from behind the door that leads back to labor and delivery. Frank nudges Mary, who is asleep on Roberta's lap. Frank points towards the door for her to watch.

"It's a boy." The dad announces and his family freaks out, jumping up and hugging him.

"That's exactly how it was when you were born." Frank tells Mary, who has a smile on her face for the first time all day.

"This happy?" She asks.

"This happy." I say, tears in my eyes as I recall that night. Roberta looks at the both of us fondly.

"Who came out and told everybody?"

"I did." Frank answers, moving a piece of hair behind her ear.

"And how they just reacted; just a fraction of the ruckus I raised when he told me." I tell her. She comes over and hugs me and I hold onto her for dear life. "You were so loved from the very beginning baby girl. The very beginning." I whisper into her hair. She pulls back and looks from me to Frank.

"Can we stay for another?" The three of us adults smile at each other before nodding. Another dad comes out and Mary jumps up and runs over to them, eager to join in their celebration.

"Today... Today we're doing good. Today, Diane would be proud of us." I tell Frank.

"You should be proud of yourself too Georgia," Roberta tells me. "That little girl's ability to feel deeply, that's all on you. Lord knows Frank's swimming in the shallow end of the sensitivity pool." She jokes, pushing his leg.

"Hilarious. You're both hilarious." He laughs. We both watch as Roberta goes to join Mary.

"We're doing good Frank. Whatever may come with this fucking trial, we're doing what Diane wanted for Mary." I say, taking his hand in mine. We would get through this, together. Just like we had gotten through every other shitty thing life had thrown at us.