Finding Lost Dog Tags

Chapter 3

After I finished my statement, I sat and watched the judge's facial expressions, hoping he would give away what he was thinking.

"And where will you live Ms. James?" He asked.

"Tyler and I will live in an apartment close to his school. My friends and I have recently remodeled it, making it an appropriate home to raise a child." Remodeled is one word you can use to describe what we did to the apartment. When I rented it, I wasn't prepared for the horrors taking place inside. There was mold and dust and bugs everywhere. Cassie screamed when we walked inside, making a rat run across the floor from inside of the fireplace. I did what any logical person would have done in my situation – I laughed hysterically and then broke into sobs. Michael and Patrick came over and we got to work immediately.

"Very Well. As of right now, I have no reason to believe you wouldn't be an appropriate guardian for your brother. In a couple months, I will send over a social worker to check on the conditions of your home and Tyler's adaptation to his new life. Please don't let me down Ms. James."

The tears that I have been fighting back fall in relief. "Thank you Judge Moore! You wont regret this."

After signing multiple documents, Tyler and I were able to leave the suffocating courthouse hand in hand. This was one of the best moments of my life, knowing that I fulfilled my mother's wishes. Not being able to be with Tyler the last 6 months tore me apart mentally and physically. I lost about 20 pounds from not eating which resulted in me looking a little sick. But all that doesn't matter now, because I have everything under control.

"Where did you park the car, Alice?" Tyler asks.

Oh. Shit. Why didn't I think of a car? I rode my motorcycle here, forgetting about the fact that I would need to bring back Tyler. Great! My first day on the job, and I can't even bring the kid home.

Tyler chuckled at my horrified expression and ran over to the side of the sidewalk. After waving down a taxi, he stepped in, and I sighed in relief. "Now, why didn't I think of that?" I ruffled his perfectly combed hair after climbing in myself. I will just have Michael or Patrick bring my baby home.

"Honestly, I've always wanted to call a taxi over like in the movies. But when you pick me up from school, bring the car." Tyler smileed one of his signature grins, the kind that makes you forget all your troubles. He's going to need to teach me a lot about this parenting business.

~

The first smell that hit me when I stepped into the apartment was garlic, but then I started to small things like cinnamon and chocolate. What an interesting combination. Pots and pans clanged in the kitchen, and Tyler looked over at me in question. "Cassie," I mummer, and he nodded in understanding.

I walked into the kitchen, watching Cassie while she cooked. Her hair was caked with flour, and the apron was twisted around her waist. "T'es son île, sa papaye ou tout autre objet exotique il t'aime il t'aime il t'aime, mais là il ne peut pas rester." A french song played in the background, Cassie singing along softly.

"Cassie what exactly is going on in here?" I asked, laughing at the scene in front of me. Spaghetti, cinnamon buns, and chocolate cake all sat on the table.

"Oh, your home! Tyler!" My best friend squealed, grabbing Tyler in an arm-crushing hug. "I just thought that you would be exhausted to cook anything so I used your spare key to come in and cook for you. I wanted to make you pasta because, well, that's the only meal I can cook. The chocolate cake and cinnamon buns were just because I'm craving dessert." After her long-winded explanation, she grabs a chair and sits down. Tyler and I follow her lead in amusement.