Legal Prejudice 2 - Weather The Storms

Chapter 21

Michael and Allie's homestudy was about half way completed and Patricia had arranged to meet with Dan and Emmie, since she felt they were critical to how Allie and Michael's family would work. She'd spent twenty minutes playing and gently chatting with Emmie in her bedroom while Dan stayed in the living area. She came out smiling leaving Emmie playing with her Barbie collection and said, "Shall we grab a seat to chat Daniel?" He nodded saying, "I'm so sorry about the mess, I'm due to move in the next few weeks." She waved a hand dismissively, "Don't worry about it. Allie said you'd found a house closer to them?"

"Yeah, it's close to Susan and John too. I'm not too far from Max and Margie here, but everyone else is a way off so it'll be easier when we're closer. And to be honest we need more space. This was only ever supposed to be a stopgap, but the sale of the old house got caught up in the divorce so we've been here longer than I intended." Patricia couldn't help think what a nice guy Daniel was as she told him, "Well I've had a really lovely time catching up with Emmie, she's a lovely child, you must be really proud?" Daniel glowed, "I am. I know everyone thinks their kid is amazing, but she's so much fun to be around." Patricia nodded, "So Emmie tells me Allie and Michael's child will be a sister or brother; have you guys talked about that, or is it something she's just decided herself?" Daniel shrugged, "She came out with it when she first heard Michael and Allie were adopting and it just felt natural. We all spend a lot of time together, so it'll be I guess just like any other blended family where the kids have bonus parents." Patricia tilted her head, "Is that how you see Michael? And how you think you'll be with their child?" Daniel looked straight at her, "Yeah, I guess I do. Michael is great with Emmie, she loves him and I'll love any child they have."

Patricia glanced at her file, "I have to ask Daniel, I can see Emmie doesn't have any contact with her biological mom. Does the fact the person Emmie chooses to call mommy is Allie cause extra problems, or would there have been no contact anyways?" Daniel chewed his lip which didn't go unnoticed by Patricia, "I'm going to be totally honest Patricia and it's not easy to tell someone who doesn't know us all you know?" Patricia nodded, "Go on Daniel, remember I'm not here to judge, I just need to understand in the context of placing a child in your extended family." He nodded and tried to explain, "Allie and Michael are massively important to me, and after seeing her nearly die in Michael's arms, what she lost and then how sick she was afterwards, all because of Carrie, I struggle to have any positive feelings about my ex-wife. I know she was suffering with paranoid feelings and there were some people who exploited that, but there was malice and a lack of remorse I can never forgive, because Allie had done nothing apart from be a good friend." He swallowed, "That aside, the situation I was left in meant that Emmie needed female role models and Allie has been the person she gravitated to. I knew Carrie and her parents would have a massive issue with that, but I figured what Emmie needed was more important, and Allie is a great mom to her. It's the little things you know, making sure she has the right stuff for school and doesn't stand out because her Dad is clueless. Coming over when she's sick and reading a story to distract her while the Tylenol kicks in. Carrie and her parents have made it really clear they think what Carrie did was somehow justified, and since they post vicious, nasty stuff about us online I'm pretty sure they'd be negative to Emmie about her. That's why I don't let them have access to Emmie, saying horrible things or even just being negative about the person she sees as her mom, how would that help Emmie? At best she'd be confused and disrupted, and the worst I don't want to think about. She's just a little girl, she doesn't deserve that." He paused feeling emotional and added, "Does that make sense?" Patricia reached for his hand "It makes perfect sense Daniel."

She sat back, "Does Emmie know that her mom was the one who hurt Allie? And how does she feel about that?" Daniel sighed, "I hadn't told her, but other kids at pre-school heard it from their moms gossiping. They told her Carrie had hurt Allie effectively because I was in a relationship with her. I told her that wasn't true, that her mom hurt Allie because she was sick, and that's why she needs to be in a kind of hospital. She seemed to just accept that, and to be honest she never really asks about it now. She's just too busy being just about five." Patricia smiled, "I can see that for sure. Now Daniel I have to ask another question, just so I can really understand the dynamic, and again, I'm not asking so I can be judgy. Were you and Allie ever romantically involved? Daniel shook his head, "When I first met Allie I'd been separated around a year, but I was really struggling dealing with Carrie. She kicked me out because she found a new guy, but then was difficult about just about everything including arrangements for Emmie. I'm being honest with you here, I realised really quickly I was attracted to Allie, and she hadn't met Michael other than in passing at that point. The attraction was mutual. I had to tell her I couldn't take it where I wanted to because Carrie had seen her in the office when she watched Emmie for me and flipped. We knew Emmie would suffer if we started a relationship, so instead we became really close friends, and Allie started seeing Michael who I knew already. The only regret I have is that despite the sacrifice we made it still didn't keep Allie safe."

Patricia cleared her throat thinking that not much she heard in her job at this point made her feel as emotional as she did right now and said, "And Michael? What's the relationship like between you two?" Daniel couldn't help laugh but Patricia shrewdly noticed the affection in his features. "He's like my brother. We used to party when we first started work in the city, but I met Carrie and I felt like I should settle down, do couple stuff. Add to that Carrie couldn't stand Michael because he had an on off thing with a couple of her friends, so we kind of just didn't see much of one another unless it was in work for a few years. There's a lot more to Michael than a lot of people think. I swear he's the most emotionally intelligent guy I know, as well as generally really smart, the sweetest guy and he loves Allie so much. I know people can't understand how our relationship works, but we were both there in the street when Allie nearly died. We were there for one another when she was lying in ICU covered in tubes and wires to keep her alive. That changes how you see things you know?" Patricia nodded "I can only imagine, and for what it's worth, I think you guys and Emmie are all amazingly well adjusted given what you've experienced."

Emmie ran in demanding dinner and Patricia got up to leave, "Daniel, Miss Emmie, I'll leave you guys to it. It was lovely to meet you both." She grabbed her bag and walked to the door with Daniel while Emmie stayed in the kitchen. Turning to him as she walked through the apartment door she said, "Thanks for being so open Daniel, I know this can't have been easy to talk about. And for the record Michael and Allie talk about you in just the same way, which gives me comfort I'm sending a child into the most loving secure environment I think I've ever seen. You take care." Daniel closed the door unexpectedly emotional. Emmie shouted him and he hastily brushed his hand over his face to remove any evidence.

After Emmie was tucked up in bed Margie came over to watch her so Daniel could go over to Michael and Allie's, to let them know how Patricia's visit had gone. He ran them through the basics and glancing at Allie Michael came to sit next to him on the couch, "You okay Dan? Did it stir some stuff up?" Daniel glanced at him suddenly choked saying quietly, "Yeah, I guess it did." Allie thought her heart might break as Michael pulled Daniel into his arms, "I know Dan, same for us. We love you man and we're so grateful you'd do this for us." He let Daniel go and moved so Allie could comfort him."