Wild Ambition

Chapter 7

Charlotte didn't give any direct answers like I knew she wouldn't. She just danced around the subject to avoid talking about it as much as she could and changing it when she couldn't bear to talk about the subject anymore. Along with those talents that she used often, she also liked playing the victim whenever she could, which was pretty much every minute of the day. It was probably one of her favorite things to do because she had always felt like nothing was her fault and there was always someone else she could blame for whatever was going on in her life. Charlotte could never own up to all the problems that she created herself.

"Charlotte, if you're not going to answer any of our questions with the actual truth, then I think you should leave. We don't have anything else further to say to you. Especially when you're not willing to help us out and explain the choices you've made that have affected your daughter's life," her father said to her. My grandfather looked defeated and disappointed. So did my grandmother. I think they were finally giving up on Charlotte.

I think he and my grandmother were slowly accepting that Charlotte was never going to give them what they wanted or be who they wanted her to be. Charlotte's parents had probably hoped that when Charlotte had gone off into the adult world and actually had to be an adult that she would grow up, but she was the same as she was when she left, just seventeen years older than she had been when she left home.

If Charlotte could change, then I think the only way that was going to happen if something drastic happened that made Charlotte rethink her life and how she's been living it.

I was now to the point where I didn't care if Charlotte changed or not and I had enough of Charlotte where I no longer wanted to ever see her again if that was possible, which it wasn't because Charlotte was always going to come around. If she changed in the future, I still wouldn't want to see her because of all the things she's done to me.

It would take a whole lot of time for me ever to trust Charlotte or want her back in my life. And hopefully my grandparents would adopt those feelings as well. Because if they didn't cut her out of their lives, then I knew I was going to see her again when I didn't want to.

***

Charlotte left without giving us any answers or the reason why she had come to see us. I don't know what she was hoping the accomplish when she had showed up. Maybe she had hoped that I would be begging to come home with her after hanging out with my grandparents for a couple of days. Or maybe she had hoped that her parents had changed their minds about getting custody of me and would let me come home with her.

Whatever her reason was for showing up at our hotel, I knew we weren't going to find it out and I hoped that it was going to be the last time I saw her. I wanted a fresh start and that included not having Charlotte in my life so I was going to hope as much as I could even though I knew what was really going to happen.

We spent the rest of the time here, which was over two weeks, making sure we had a good solid case so my grandparents could get custody of me. And once that was done we headed off to California without Charlotte, who had looked pissed off when the judge had announced that he was giving custody to her parents. She shouldn't really have been that surprised though with her history and all the things my grandparents' lawyer had presented to the judge to show why Charlotte was no longer a fit parent for me.

The judge didn't take very long to decide who was getting custody of me. He said he had decided after the first piece of evidence had been presented. That evidence had been enough to make he decide that I was better off with my grandparents than with Charlotte. He had just wished this had happened sooner, which my grandparents, their lawyer, and I had agreed with.

When we arrived in California two days later after my grandparents had gotten custody of me, I followed my grandparents over to baggage claim so they could get their luggage. Since I had only two bags that I brought with me, I was able to take them onto the airplane and not have to check them in. One of them sat underneath the seat in front of me and the other sat above my head.