Married, on paper.

75. What now...

We had just read Stacy's goodbye note... Mya is sitting next to me at the kitchen table... It was emotional to read... It was heartbreaking and draining... It was the note of a desperate woman in pain who saw no way out anymore... Who thought her death was what was best for her boy... Oh i wish i could have told her she was wrong... We were going to do what she had asked of us... Of this i was sure... Mya and i did not have to talk about that, to know we were going to do that... But i wished i could have told her that Kevin needed his mother... Mya would have helped her... I would have. We could have helped... But it was too late... She was too far gone...

Mya had changed clothes as she was covered in blood from attempting to safe Stacy... The police had done what they had to... Her body had been taken away for autopsy. I was not happy to have them in my home... Especially after reading the note... The note was heartbreaking... It was making my blood boil... To think that she asked for help, and they just disregarded her because of the profession of her husband... We are both numb... Going on automatic pilot right now. 

I look out in the yard where the boys are still playing with ma by their side watching over them... She had taken them under her wing to keep them out of the chaos until it was time... Until it was time to tell Kevin what had happened... The boys are still blissfully unaware. "How are we going to tell him this..." Mya whispers... "How are we going to tell him that the only constant factor in his life... Left him... That the only one who ever gave a damn about him saw no other way out... How are we going to tell him that we were too late to help her... How are we going to keep him safe... CPS is going to come into play... His father has rights until it is proven beyond a doubt what he did..." Mya mumbles... I put my arm around her and i pull her into me... 

"We can't let Stacy down Chris... We were too late to help her... But Kevin..." She whispers... "We won't... We will honor her request... We will take him in... We will give him a good life as she asked of us..." I whisper kissing the top of her head... She looks up at me... "Really?" She asks and i nod. "We will do everything we can to honor her wish..." I murmur again. 

"Mr. Evans... This is Ms. Tina from CPS..." An officer says interrupting us and i sigh... "You are not taking him... You had your chance to help the woman and her son... You failed her... I won't let you fail him again..." Is the first thing i say to the lady who gives me a forced smile... "Can i sit?" She asks and i point to a chair... "I heard there was a note..." She says and i scoff and nod... I push the piece of paper in a plastic evidence bag towards her still holding Mya who is tired cuddled into me... Tina reads the note and sighs and for a moment i think i see sadness in her eyes... 

She sighs... And pushes the note away... "You two are willing to grant her, her last wish... To take him in?" She asks and both Mya and i nod. I am surprised by this question because i had geared up for a fight... She gives me a sullen smile... "Mr. Evans... I get that you think we are the bad guys... Maybe in this case i even agree... We failed..." She says and she looks sad... "It was not my case... But i read the files on my way here... One of the officers caught me up on what had happened and the state of Mrs. Kennedy body and injuries... The extent of what she had gone through..." She says and Mya sighs... "Can we call her Stacy... Please... I hate calling her by her married name..." Mya mumbles and the woman gives her a pained smile and nods... "Of course... Stacy..." She says...  "Does anyone know what her maiden name was?" I ask and Tina looks at her papers... "Jones..." She says and i nod... "Let's refer to her as Stacy Jones from now on... I think she would have appreciated that..." I say and everyone nods... It is the only thing we can do to give her dignity back in a way. The only thing we can do to separate him from her after death. 

"Okay... I have to be honest... I can only grant you temporarily custody right now... We are not going to take him away for now... It was Ms. Jones's wish to have him with you and i think the best thing we can do is honor her wish if you are up for it... We have failed her enough... Besides it would be hard to place him so if you are willing to take him that is great... But there are some things i have to tell you before we sign the temporary papers. From what i understood there will be an investigation into Kevin's father... If convicted... Well then it would be easy... If he is not... Well then, he has rights... He can petition to have Kevin come life with him again... It could become a long legal battle... I need you to know this going in... I need you to know this because even if we would do everything right after this... He could end up back at his father's..." She says looking sad at the idea, but she continues...

"Being a foster parent comes with home visits... I dont foresee problems... I mean you are a successful man... Your work with Christophers Haven works in your favor and well your wife is a doctor... You both are like a foster parent dream couple..." Tina says and i sigh normally i would have proudly smiled at this but there is nothing to smile about today... "Not married yet..." I mumble and Tina looks confused... "My apologies..." She says and shake my head.... "Engaged planning on getting married soon..." I say and she nods... 

I look at Mya who is awfully quiet... "There are also some requirements. You need to follow a class for foster parents... Kevin has to go to therapy... And for the case he needs to talk to the police, and he has to be examined by a doctor in the hospital... I am sorry Dr. Walsh. This cannot be you..." Tina says and Mya nods... "I understand... But can one of us be present... I dont want him to be scared..." Mya says and Tina nods... "Of course..." She says and we both take a deep breath... "Anything else?" I ask and she nods... "Are you both okay...? It must have been quite the shock..." She says and we both shake our heads... "We will be okay... We are just gearing up to tell Kevin... He is still playing outside in the yard with our son Oliver, the dogs and grandma..." I say and she nods... "We didn't want him to see any police officers... We are afraid this will only traumatize him more..." Mya says and Tina takes a deep breath... "I understand..." Tina says and we take a deep breath as she pulls papers out of her bag... 

She explains everything on the papers, and we sign... Right now, Kevin in is our care... He is our responsibility... It is our job to tell him now... To tell him his mother is gone... That he is staying here for now... If it was up to me alone, he would stay forever... And i will make sure of that... I will hire the best lawyers... To make sure he never has to go back to hell...

"Can we take him to stay with my mother? We dont want to stay here tonight... Our new place is not done yet and until the room is scrubbed clean, we dont want to stay here... We dont want the boys to see all that..." I say and Tina nods... "That is fine... Just make sure we can contact you..." She says and i nod... 

"I have one more question..." Mya all of a sudden says and Tina looks at her... "His father can't show up here, right?  He can't come in and demand visitation or take him..." She says and Tina shakes her head... "If he shows up call 911..." The officer says clenching his jaw and fists...

Then it was time... Everyone was leaving... Mya and i watch the boys playing in the yard with my mother.... The dogs jumping around them... Not a care in the world... And we are about to shatter Kevin's world and turn Oliver's upside down telling him it would no longer be just him anymore...