Period of Adjustment

Chapter 7

After Clementine and I dropped Rian off at the airport, we went home to pick Brenton up. We're heading back to Alabama for a few days so he can pick up his stuff, and Clementine can meet her grandparents. He decided he's staying in North Carolina with me and our daughter, so we're helping him move his stuff from his house to ours. He's been living with a couple friends since me, Connor and Shayla left, and dealt with his parents on rare occasions. He told his parents he was bringing them a surprise, but they have no idea what they're in for. Believe me when I say it won't be a good one either.

"You ready to head home?" Connor asked me as I walked out of the house.

"Not really. Mainly because it's not like any other trip we've been on. We're not going there to see family. We're helping Brenton move. And we're introducing a kid that he didn't know he had to his parents, which he didn't know existed. Trust me when I say they're not gonna be happy that me and their son are now biologically linked."

"That's too bad. They can't just say he can't have anything to do with you or your kid because they'd basically be taking away an innocent child's parent just because they don't like their son's kid's mother."

"Pretty much. He's a a grown man, who's taking responsibility and stepping up to the plate to be a father to a father to their daughter. Most dads would've been good by now. I'll even tell them that. If they're not okay with their son taking on the responsibility, then they're pretty much not wanting him to be a man. They don't have to have anything to do with their granddaughter, but he has rights, and he can be a father if he wants to be. It's better to step up instead of running away. They should be proud of him for wanting to be there for his daughter."

"Exactly. But you did give him permission to walk if he wants to."

"Yeah. If he wants to. Not if his parents want him to. His parents can't terminate his parental rights. Only me and him can." I took a breath for a moment. "I don't think I'm ready for this."

"You'll be fine, little sister." He hugged me. "You're really strong, and you're a great mother."

"Thanks, big brother."

Brenton and Clementine walked out of the house with their bags. Brenton's wearing a pair of shorts, a tie-dye T-shirt and sneakers. His light brown hair was spiked up like he just woke up. Clementine decided to look like her father by wearing a tie-dye shirt and her overall shorts thing and her boots. Her braids looks like knots, so I'm guessing Brenton attempted to braid her hair again.

"Ready?" I asked them.

"Yep." They said in unison.

I strapped Clementine in the front seat of my truck as she waved goodbye to Connor. Brenton looked at me before getting in his own. He had a red Dodge Ram with yellow flames on the sides. Brenton and I waved to each other as we headed to Alabama.

💕💖

Making a trip like ours from North Carolina to Alabama isn't exactly easy with a two year old. It took us an extra day to make the trip. It was as easy as the move from Wetumpka to Charlotte because it was just me, Connor and Shayla, but it's easier than all the trips we made since Clementine was still in diapers all those times. Brenton's staying with his friends while Clementine and I stay at my parents. They've been pestering me about seeing their granddaughter, so I wasn't gonna deny them while we're in town.

"So, how's you and Rian, Piper?" My step-dad asked me.

"Fine. She was acting weird while she was home because of Brenton being there, even though she knew that would probably be happening at some point in the future."