Getting to Know You // Braddison

Thirty.

~ addison pov

We were about two hours into our meeting now and it felt like nothing was getting done. I was overwhelmed and felt myself being on the verge of a breakdown every time Keith spoke up. I sat here blankly, not sure if I was processing anything being said. I didn't care about the lawsuit, I didn't even care about what Keith had done to me anymore, I just wanted to know that he wouldn't pursue anything further with the custody of Jacob.

When we had him, we never went to a lawyer. We never had to.. Keith left him to me and never fought for any rights. But his name was on the birth certificate and to any judge, that was enough to give him visitation rights. I sighed as I let my lawyers deal with everything, but I wanted to ask Keith what his intentions were.. so I finally spoke up and did so.

"I just want to know why you are doing all of this. What is your end goal, what do you want from us?" I asked Keith, catching everyone off guard but I didn't care anymore. I wasn't going to sit silently when I needed to know what the purpose of all of this was for.

"I want to see my son more Addison, I want to have a relationship with him." he stated with a straight face but it was so hard for me to believe this. So much time passed and he just now decided that he wanted a relationship with his son, why.. "Why now?" I asked, Debra opening her mouth to speak but I asked her to please not do so. This was something I needed Keith to answer. He looked at me blankly though, not knowing what to say, but that was all I needed. I knew he had bad intentions, I just didn't know what they were yet. He didn't care about Jacob and it was obvious, he sadly never would..

"I don't need a reason to want to have a relationship with him." he stated, being defensive. I shook my head as I stood up, not wanting to do this anymore. My mother grabbed me, asking me to please not leave.. but I needed a moment. I looked at Keith, feeling disgusted with him and not knowing how I could had ever been in love with this man.

"When you leave for months, when you never even cared about him.. not even when you were around, but all of a sudden come around, yes I need a reason. Because I won't allow you to just come back into his life knowing that you could hurt him. He is broken. He is a broken child Keith and it is because of you. So please, whatever it is that you want, just tell me and we will get it done. But do not come in here and ask for a relationship with your child when you don't really want that.. don't hurt him more than you already have.." I pleaded, grabbing my phone and running out of the room.

I ran into Jacob's room, needing to feel him at the moment. I threw myself onto his bed as I cried into his pillow. I controlled myself enough to be able to call Bryce and be able to heard his voice. Bryce answered worried, but I told him not to, all I wanted was to hear my son's voice and I knew I didn't have much time before having to return.

Bryce called for Jacob and put him on the phone. His sweet voice was the only thing that could bring a smile to my face in that moment. I asked him if he was having fun and the joy in his voice gave me assurance that he was. I was so grateful to all of the boys for being there for him today. Jacob was just a little boy and I refused to bring him into all of this. I would fight until the end before letting anybody hurt my little baby.

"He wants to go back to playing with the boys.." Bryce said as Jacob told me goodbye and I heard him run away. I smiled as I just thanked him for being a distraction for Jacob today. "Any time baby.. are you almost done?" He asked me. I knew he wanted to be here when the meeting was done, but it was only the start.

"I told them I wouldn't go past six, if you want to come then." I told him. "Done, i'll be there baby.." he assured me, making me smile. What I really needed was a hug from Bryce, to feel his love and protection and to take all of my pain away.. even if it was just for a moment.