3rd Wheel

Instant Family

After Liz's funeral there was a huge family meeting in the presence of a family judge, court reporter, two lawyers, a psychologist, and a social worker. The children's father's family was also present. Let me just say, they were 'ghettofabulous' as Jay's mother would say.

One of the sisters came dressed like she was on her way to the club. His brother nearly tripped on his pants because they were hanging down to his ass. Their grandmother, let's just not even go there. I looked at Jay in surprise. Liz was a college graduate and had a good paying job. They had a nice house in the suburbs. Why she had been with this violent, drug kingpin, wannabe was baffling.

And those bitches showed their asses. Cussing, yelling, interrupting people when they were talking – the whole nine. Jay nearly jumped over the table at the brother at one point when he tried to insinuate because we were gay we were pedophiles. Three hours in, I wanted to take the children and leave the country to get them as far away from those barbarians as possible. I haven't smoked in years but when Terrance stepped out, I went wth him. I'd face my punishment later.

I closed my eyes as the nicotine coursed through my veins and I felt the tingling of menthol on my lips and tongue. Calm washed over me as my thoughts began to refocus. For a minute I'd been thinking maybe we weren't cut out to be parents. I mean, look at all the shit we've been through.

Candon was still drinking although not as heavily. Jaeger was still a little insecure and me, I wasn't even sure if I had the qualities to be a good parent. I could be impulsive, emotional, and indecisive at times. My upbringing wasn't the best and I still had mommy issues even though I'd put them aside ot focus on her in whatever little time she had left. My dad ran off with a co-worker at some point in my elementary years.

The last six months my mother had been giing me sound advice. She was being the mother I alwys wanted her to be. Soon enough, she'd be gone. Another thing for us to deal with. They say God doesn't give us more than we can handle.

I say God has way too much faith in humans.

I flicked the cigarette and ran a hand through my hair. No matter what, those kids needed a stable home. It wouldn't alwys be roses but we'd put them first, that much I knew for fact. Those kids would never worry about love, security, or money. Hell, we'd probably spoil and smother them to death. Jaeger's parents were excellent parenting models and Candon's father had been amazing from what I'm told. Where would that leave me? What could I do for them?

"Paul."

By reflex, I put up my hands up in defense mode. Jaeger laughed at my Karate Kid stance as Candon smiled and shook his head. I sucked my teeth and fixed my suit as my cheeks burned in embarrassment.  It's times like these I envied Jay's dark skin.

"Okay, okay. It's not that damn funny."

"You're right. It's hilarious!" Jay leaned against the wall for support.

I rolled my eyes. My husbands are such children.

Jaeger wrapped his arms around my neck and pulled me down for a kiss.

"Don't be mad, hubby."

I gave him an Eskimo kiss as Candon wrapped an arm around my neck and pulled me close. He kissed the top of my head. "Relax. Stress is no good."

"I know. I just...is this really okay?"

"What's that?" Jay asked.

"Me trying to adopt them with you?" I looked back and forth between Jay and Candon. They were the main unit. I was an addition. " With just the two of you – "

Candon cupped my face in his large warm hands and looked into my blues. "Don't do that."

"What?"

"Second guess and put yourself down. You are part of us. Part of our family. The three of us. Bettre or worse. We're in this. We'll work out whatever comes. Right now, it's getting these kids from that cracked out family."

Jay nodded, his face solemn. "I would seriously worry if they went home with any of his family."

I nodded in agreement. "No shit." I could imagine Liz's little son with skinny jeans somehow sagging on his ass with gold chains and talking like he came straight out of a gangster movie.  Or her daughter wearing booty shorts and cropped tops fighting or throwing herself at men.  I sighed.

"We're a much better choice. We have stable income, a home with space for kids to grow, there are three of us to take care of them. We don't smoke-well, not all the time and only one of us drinks...socially." Jay didn't sound like he believed his last sentence.

Candon and I looked at each other and blushed. Jay's the only pure body in our relationship. He's so health conscious and he really did try to keep us on the straight and narrow. But, you know...stress. Throat punching people is frowned upon so yeah.

I sighed. I'd been doing that a lot lately. "Im tired of hearing them call us perverts, sluts, and pedophiles." Why do those stereotypes keep living and breathing aobu t gays anyway? Who the hell started that?

Jay flicked his wrist and scoffed. "Ignore them. We know the truth. That's all that matters."

Our lawyer popped her head around the corner. "They're ready for us."

Candon massaged my shoulders and I took a deep breath as Jay laced his fingers through mine.

"Let's do this."

We battled it out another fifteen minutes then the judge said he was ready to give his ruling. Jay sat between Candon and I and the three of us held hands under the table. My heart was racing in my chest and it was hard to breathe. Candon had that blank look he has when conducting business, carefully hiding away his emotions. You could see the muscles twitching in Jay's jaw as he ground his teeth with his brows furrowed. Terrance had come in support of us and was sitting with his hands folded on top of the table. His full lips were pursed into a tight thin line. I don't think any of us were breathing.

The judge, an older man maybe in his fifties, had this air about him that made me feel he was fair and objective and had the best interest of the children at heart.  His hazelnut eyes looked down both sides of the table before he spoke. 

"I've listened to both sides of the family.  I've taken everyone's wishes and concerns regarding the children into consideration. I've also listened to the opinions of the child psychologist and the social worker handling their case."  He looked at all of us again as if gauging our reactions before continuing.    

"It is my opinion, that the children would be better off in a financially and emotionally stable environment that their current guardians have been providing. The children will remain where they are. The paternal family can have supervised visitation arranged through the court mediation department twice a month. This meeting is adjourned." He banged his gavel and stood to leave.

I was dumbfounded. We won!