Misinterpreting Fate (Book 2)

37. Questioning

Chapter 37: Questioning

Sam

I stared at the attorney, not believing that he actually just asked me to go up there. Poppa removed his arm from around me and motioned me to stand. Obviously neither of them had expected me to be called up there to be questioned, but they didn't seem to want to keep me back either. When I looked at both of my parents, they gave me encouraging looks.

I walked up to the front of the room, feeling everyone's eyes on me, and sat in the seat Borden told me to sit in. The room looked so much different from up here - bigger, more intimidating. It was weird.

"Sam," Borden started. "Can you tell the room who raised you?"

I looked at my parents. "My dads: Allen and Mika Carr-Simmons."

"And how good of a job do you think they did raising you?"

I shrugged. "Well, I'm not into drugs or any kind of troublemaker like that, so I guess that's a good thing. I love my parents, and I know they love me. Sometimes we haven't always gotten along or whatever, but what teenager always gets along with their parents? But I know that they've always had my best interest at heart, in every decision they make. I couldn't have asked for better parents than them."

Borden nodded before asking his next question. "Do you believe your parents can give that same loving home to Regal, if given the chance?"

"Absolutely," I answered without hesitation. "Poppa has loved me unconditionally even though I'm not biologically his child. Dad did the same thing with my older sister Amy, who Poppa brought into our family. Having Regal join our family would be amazing. Not only is she my half-sister already, but I know how much she'll be loved the same way Amy and I are."

I noticed Sarah trying to hold herself back from saying anything. She was wearing that glare again as she watched me, her fist up to her mouth. I was glad she wasn't interrupting me - I didn't want to hear what she had to say.

"Thank you, Sam," Borden said, making me turn my attention back to him. "I just have one more question for you." He paused for a second before asking it. "How do you feel about the idea that your parents' lifestyle affected your own sexuality?"

I shook my head, looking over at my dads again. "Them being the same gender as each other has no impact on me liking other guys. Even if Dad and Sarah had stayed together when I was born, I would still be gay. What I saw growing up and what I see now is that my parents love each other. They have the kind of love that I aspire to have and, when I was a little kid, it didn't matter to me if I fell in love with a girl or a boy. They never pressured me into liking guys or anything like that, because they've only ever wanted me to be happy."

"Thank you, Sam. You may return to your seat."

I stood on shaky legs. For some reason, I felt even more nervous now than I did before being questioned. I couldn't help but feel like I said the wrong things.

As soon as I sat back down next to Poppa, his arm was back around me. "Good job," he whispered.

I looked up at him - and at Dad. "That was okay? Are you sure?"

"Of course," Dad answered. "You did great."

"Sarah Kline," Borden said, his voice cutting through the little moment I had been having. "Can you come up to the stand?"

She noticeably rolled her eyes, but stood up anyway. I felt like she should try to act a little nicer if she wanted to keep Regal so badly, but then again, what do I know? Sarah seemed to be a different kind of creature than the rest of us. She sat down in the seat I had just been sitting in.

"Miss Kline," Borden began. "Can you tell us your reasoning for leaving Sam with his father when he was born?"

"Why does that even matter?" she retorted. "We're not here about him, we're here so that I can keep my daughter where she belongs."

"Answer the question, Miss Kline," the judge said.

She sighed. "Fine. I was sick and I was young. I didn't know how long I was going to live and definitely didn't know how to take care of a baby back then. Allen was the father. He had money. I knew he'd be able to handle the kid."

"Is it true that you tried to murder your son when he was eight months old?"

"What?" she screeched. "Who told you that? Of course it's not true! How could you stand there and accuse me like that?"

"Ma'am," Borden said. "I have two witnesses here today who would beg to differ. The only reason I bring this up today is because if you tried to kill your son, why should you be trusted to raise your daughter?"

Sarah didn't answer for a moment, putting her head in her hands. It almost looked like she was giving up. Eventually, she lifted her head, glaring daggers at Dad.

"I realized the only way for Sam to have the life he deserved was if it wasn't with Allen. Allen, who was fucking the fucking babysitter he hired because he couldn't be bothered to take care of the kid himself. I'll admit - I was in a dark place back then. I just wished I succeeded, that way Allen wouldn't have had all these years to corrupt my little baby."

She sighed and looked back over at Regal, who was still sitting on the chair she was left in, playing with a tattered-looking doll. "I know that Regal is going to grow up to be an amazing woman," Sarah continued, "but only if I raise her. Because I've learned a lot since I had Sam, learned how to be a good parent. I can tell you for sure that I am a better parent to my daughter than Allen or his little boy toy have been towards my son."

Poppa was on his feet immediately. "What did you just call me?" he demanded.

Sarah also stood. "Allen's boy toy. That's all you are. I know you don't really love him. He doesn't love you either. Why are you even trying to take Regal from a loving home if you can't provide her with one?"

"First off," Poppa said, ignoring the judge trying to quiet them both down and Dad trying to get Poppa to sit again. "You don't know me, Sarah. You don't know Allen anymore. And you definitely don't know Sam. We tried to give you a chance to know him, but you blew it. And that's no one's fault but your own."

Poppa seemed like he was about to say more when the judge loudly slammed his gavel down again. "Order!" he shouted, effectively shutting everyone up. "We're going to take a brief recess."