Mitch and Noah

Mitch~Processing

Numbness radiated through Mitch's body as he hung up the phone and sat hard in his car to process the life-altering information.

A cousin he'd barely even known of had somehow picked HIM as legal guardian to her 14 month old son, Rowan. Blinking away the disbelief, he rushed to open his glove compartment to find his mini, black phone book.

It took him forever to find a valid number to anyone on his father's side of the family, and finally he was able to contact his Aunt Rose, who had been apparently rotting away for years in some dilapidated nursing home a few states away.

She was sweet, but couldn't even remember her daughter or grandson anymore, and Mitch felt panic setting in as he ended the call and thought everything through.

He knew there was no other choice but to go and deal with it all in person, but the thought of driving that many hours to take charge of a child, even if only temporarily, was more than he could bear alone.

On top of all that, he knew he would also be having to figure out a better solution for his aunt, now that he knew of her terrible living conditions on top of everything.

His mind wandered suddenly to Ash, as they had been much closer as of late, and with his knowledge and skills with kids, he could be an excellent road trip buddy. He knew it would also give him a chance to talk over his recent departure from Holly, Pente, and Main.

It was the professional thing to do, and even though he still had his lawyering skills, he knew the extra help of legal aids and volunteers would be lost, and so he would have to be much more limited in his future case load.

Hopefully Ash had the time, as Mitch couldn't think of anyone else.

Mitch sent as general a text as possible to Ash, resolving to call him later, should he have questions. Knowing Ash, he WOULD have questions.

Sitting in his car, he started it and drove home on autopilot, his mind completely gone with the thought of even temporarily caring for a toddler, when he couldn't even get his OWN life in order.

The fact that he had just quit a client-rich firm was not lost on him as he made it to his apartment and parked.

He knew Gregory and Ash would still continue to be his clients, even without the fancy firm backing his skills, but he wasn't sure how Ms. Amelia might react or feel, considering most high profile clients preferred a firm to represent them.

He had ample savings that he could live comfortably on for a year, at least, by himself.

He felt his chest tighten at the thought of a child in his immaculately clean home, of changing diapers and dealing with screaming. He knew it would NEVER work. Not in the long run.

He knew once he was back with Rowan, he would be searching through his entire family tree to find the perfect home, one that could offer a little one the care and comfort they needed.

Walking into his house, he took in the room an acquaintance of his had decorated at a discount not even a year prior. It was just how he liked it. Neat and clean and minimal.

Unlike his chaotic brain and the rest of his life it seemed.

Mitch got into the shower, washing away the last stink of Jacob's place and calming his mind some with huge breaths of steam to his lungs.

Hearing his phone chiming incessantly from his living room charger, he rushed to finish washing his hair. He quickly dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before heading back to his phone as he dried his hair.

Two missed calls. One from Ash, the other Amelia.

Even though he knew he SHOULDN'T be surprised that Ms. Amelia was calling, he still was, as Ash would have had to talk to her pretty quickly for her to know the situation.

Curiosity got the better of him, and he called Amelia back first, who answered on the first ring.

"Ah, there you are Mitchell. I knew you'd call back promptly."

"Hey Ms. Amelia, I was going to call, but it's been just one thing after another."

"No need for explanations, dear. I've gotten the run-down from Ash, and would love to hear about it in your own words when you're ready. I just wanted to firstly call and thank you for the property management company referral, and secondly, to tell you I fully support your decision."

"Uh, thank you. I appreciate that."

"I would still prefer to be exclusively your client, if you choose to continue practicing, as long as it doesn't present you with too much trouble."

"Nothing you do could ever cause me trouble Ms. Amelia."

"Ah, Flattery. So, what's this I may have heard about a baby? Ash is sitting here with me, eating a light brunch, and naturally I may have overheard some tidbits of juicy gossip."

"Naturally."

Mitch couldn't stop himself from laughing, amazed that with everything Amelia still could get him to feel lighthearted about a stressful situation, even if just for a second. Having support even if just verbal, was more than he could ever have asked for, and he was grateful to have such a wide array of good friends so quickly in life.

"I just wanted to apologize on bealf of Ash, as I have him running some errands for me in the next few days, and he won't be able to accompany you on your road trip!"

"Yeah, road trip."

Mitch felt dread seeping. Alone again.

"I don't want you to worry though, as I have someone perfect for the job all set up. They'll be at your door in an hour or so, so be ready."

"Well, that's not mysterious, is it?"

"Being mysterious is what keeps me young, my dear Mitchell. Once you've returned, promise me you will pay me a visit, as I would adore to meet your new, little one."

"Oh, he's not...I mean...I probably won't..."

"What, dear?"

Mitch smacked his forehead.

"Never mind, Ms. Amelia. I appreciate you so much, but I don't want to have to drag a stranger into the drama of my life."

"Oh, nonsense. We ALL love the drama.Better get going my dear, I've some boring meeting or another coming up, and I have a little more to discuss with Ash here."

"All righty. Well, thank you again for everything."

"Of course, and dear, please keep your mind open these next few days. Sometimes life throws things at us we don't necessarily think we're ready for, but can ultimately handle with the right mindset."

"I gotcha. Have a good day Ms. Amelia."

"Thank you. Call me soon, I hate to have to hear through the grapevine on how my favorite lawyer is doing."

"I will, I promise."

"I'll hold you to it."

Chuckling as he shook his head and hung up the phone, Mitch hoped the mystery person was Grace heading to his door.

Packing took almost no time, and he anxiously awaited the knock that finally came 20 minutes later.

The peephole revealed a sexy, red-faced Noah, and Mitch's heart jumped in his chest.