Playing House

I Want My Kid

Adam carefully slid the papers out of the envelope, his heart was thudding in his and his throat was dry, he was certain he was experiencing something akin to a panic attack. As he skimmed through the legal jargon his eyes began to cross.

'Father shall be granted at minimum ten hours per week visitation with minor child, those visits may not exceed more than five hours per day, child must be returned to mother before six pm. Visitation must not exceed twenty hours per week'

He wanted to throw up, 'Father will be granted access to child for all major holidays, with preference given to mother' with each line he read it became worse. He threw the papers on the table, unable to go any further.

Her final words to him had been 'sign the papers' and right now he didn't know much but one thing he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt was that he wouldn't sign those papers.

Right now he really wanted a fucking drink...but he knew he couldn't. He couldn't provide her with any ammunition to keep his child from him.

How the fuck had this happened, how had they fallen so far apart that their unborn child was already in the midst of a custody fight.

She had to blink a few times for it to register with her, his face was the last she expected to see when she arrived home.

"Sean?"

He smiled, "Hey..Kim" he could see the tear stains on her cheeks and her eyes were red rimmed and swollen, "you've been crying..why?"

"What're you doing here? What happened to San Diego?" She asked as she fumbled with the key to her apartment, she could feel Sean's warm breath on the back of her neck and it unsettled her.

He followed her inside, "San Diego was a mistake...now tell me what's going on" he set his bag just inside the doorway and followed her into her kitchen, "I can tell you're upset"

Kim grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and quickly chugged half of it, "I'm okay. It's nothing I want to talk about" he was the last person she wanted to discuss her pregnancy with.

"So..it's been a while, huh?" He was uncomfortable in her presence, he had left her to handle the fallout with Adam. He felt pretty shitty about it too, he felt pretty shitty about a lot of things.

"Yea..it has" she snapped, "what the hell are you doing here?"

"I came back because...well, because I was running from everything. From being shot...from you...from it all. Problem is when you're running from shit it tends to follow you" he was tired of running. He'd been running for a long time and he needed to clear the air with Kim.

"Sean..I don't know what you want from me" she could feel the beginnings of  a headache, and while it was okay for her to take something she refused. It just felt wrong to fill her body with drugs of any sort.

"Nothing" he replied, "well.." He scrunched up his face, "maybe a place to crash for a few nights"

She groaned inwardly, this was the last thing she needed.

"Please..I wouldn't ask if I had another option...I just needed to get out of San Diego" he told her, "I'll get out of your hair as soon as possible"

Kim hung her head in defeat, "Yea..I guess so"

Lori was shocked at Adam's demeanor, he had practically ignored Robbie when he tried to tell him about his football game and the touchdown he had scored. Lori had sent Robbie out to play in the backyard and was now trying to get her little brother to calm down.

Adam was pacing the length of her living room, his brow furrowed and his hands clenched into tight fists at his side, he was steaming mad. That much was obvious but why he was so angry mystified her.

"Honey..,you're scaring me. Please talk to me Adam" she tried to touch him and he quickly pulled his arm away, "is it dad?" she hadn't spoken to her father in months, the two had never been close.

He shook his head no, and he finally stopped pacing, "Kim's pregnant"

"What?" Lori was shocked, "it's yours?" She was hopeful, "Adam..that's wonderful news. I know things are strained between you two but a baby is a good thing. A really good thing"

Adam went and sat down, "Yea, it's fucking great..so great she's already lawyered up and wants me to have as little contact with my kid as possible" he heard the crack in his voice and he knew he was close to losing it. The sadness he was trying to bury would soon break through, "I need a lawyer...I won't let her do this to me or my kid"

Lori went and hugged him, "I'm with you Adam...whatever you need Tom and I are here for you and that baby"

"Thanks.."

Sean watched Kim's every move as she moved about the kitchen preparing dinner for them both, she'd been quiet all afternoon and he knew something was up, something was seriously wrong with her.

He went and grabbed her wrist, "Sit down"

She yanked her arm from his grasp, "Sean..don't"

"Come on, talk to me" he pleaded with her, "forget dinner...lets just go grab a few beers and talk"

"I can't" Kim told him, "I mean I don't want to go out" she covered.

"Fine" Sean told her and went to the fridge and grabbed to bottles of beer, "let's talk here...something is bothering you."

Kim knew he wouldn't drop it and he'd find out soon enough, "I'm pregnant..and it's Adam's"

He was relieved to have gotten an appointment, his sister still had some connections from her days as a paralegal as was able to get him in with one of the best 'father's rights' attorneys in the city.

"Mr. Ruzek, hi" he extended his hand to Adam, "I'm Jacob Steinman, I hear you've been given custody papers..for an unborn child, correct?"

Adam shook his hand, "Adam. Please call me Adam." He had stopped at home to pick up the papers as soon as his sister had hung up with the attorney, "Yes, my ex fiancé just told me today, that she's pregnant and then she gave me these" he handed them over, "I want my kid" he scratched at the stubble on his cheek, "I don't want her to keep it from me..I want to be involved in everything"

"We won't let that happen, I promise you that" he smiled, "I will make sure of it"

Adam exhaled, "Thank you"

--NOTE--

As with many of my stories I've hit a bit of a block, I have it all planned out but getting together has been trying. I apologize for yet another short-ish chapter, hopefully the next one won't be so short.

Time jumps will start to occur and hopefully things will progress.