Wish We Could Turn Back Time m.c

Chapter 31

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Al's POV
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Here it is, the date my family has finally been waiting for. August twenty sixth, two o'clock pm. My six brothers and I sit in the waiting room outside my mum's attorney's office at the Sydney city hall, awaiting the verdict of our parents' custody battle. So far this year, mum has struggled to make enough money to support all us kids, but she's over the regulations and all the social workers who come to my grandparents' house seem to think she's treating us well, so all of us are very hopeful that we get to stay with mum.

"Do you think mum will win, Alexander?" My seven year old brother, Xavier, turned to me and asked. He's always been the worrier.

"She's got it in the bag, buddy," I assured him, even though I wasn't so sure myself. Odds were that we get to remain in her care, especially we all said we wanted to when given the choice, but there's always that one small chance. After all, dad's got a big farm that rakes in a lot more money out in the country than my poor mum who works as a receptionist for a dental office.

"In the bag!" My youngest brother Arthur mimicked me enthusiastically whilst throwing his hands in the air and standing up.

"Shh, buddy, there's adults trying to work in this building," I reminded him and he immediately say back down, now with the most somber expression a five year old could possibly make. I tried not to smile at him.

"Sorry Alexander. I'll be puh-fesh'nal," now I did laugh with the least noise possible as Arthur folded his arms and made a 'serious' face that resembled Donald Trump, except without the orange.

"What's taking mum so long in there? Is something wrong?" Oliver stood up to go peek in the office window, but I pulled on the back of his shirt and reminded him to sit back down. We just had to wait and remember to be respectful. As of now, the court is still watching us. If they think we're acting up under mum's care, then she could lose custody.

So we waited.

I really wished she would come out soon, though. Samuel who was six and over the whole ordeal, was already laying across my lap and complaining how tired he was. Jonathan had run out of books to read (that nerd), Gregory was anxiously shaking his leg, Oliver and Xavier were laughing and causing much more noise than I would have liked, and Arthur would be running up and down the halls by now if I didn't have a firm hand on his thigh, keeping his butt glued to this bench. Finally, after an eternity, the door to the office clicked open and my mum walked out.

"Did you get it?" Asked Oliver.

"Did you win mummy?" Samuel implored.

The hallway was filled with little voices asking questions of the like and the little ones were tugging at the bottom of my mother's skirt, anxiously trying to get her attention, but they couldn't, because she was looking up at me and smiling. I grinned back at her.

"Well?" I finally said.

"I got it! We won!" The little kids started jumping up and down, shouting in celebration. At this point, I didn't care if they were loud anymore. I hugged my mum, and she hugged me back tight as mums do. Her blonde hair smelled like vanilla, like home, and it made me smile. This was the happiest I'd been in a long time.

"We did it, Alexander," she whispered in my ear as we continued to hug.

"No mom," I pulled away and looked her in the eye. "You did it. You're an amazing mum and you deserve custody of us. You've always been there for us, even when dad wasn't."

"Thank you, honey," tears of joy ran down her cheek and she smiled softly. In that moment, with her messy bun and tired eyes and loving smile, she was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.