When I woke up and went downstairs, Dad was crying about something. I thought it was weird at first that he didn't wake me up, but this seemed to semi explain it.
"Dad what's wrong?" I went and sat on the other side of him, Ryland was on the other side and Morgan was sitting on the chair.
"Nothing." He quickly wiped his face off and sat up all the way when he noticed I was there. "I love you." He gave me a full hug which I wasn't expecting, and I noticed Ryland crying too.
"What happened?" I asked again, still confused.
"Umm, I need to go to some work for a little bit. I want you to go do your homework, but bring it downstairs." Dad said, his mind clearly all over the place.
"Why do I have to do it downstairs?" I asked.
"I just need to make sure... I just need you to be close to me right now. Nothing's immediately wrong, but just I need you close to me right now."
I went upstairs and grabbed my laptop, running downstairs quickly because I was scared. Dad made me do my homework in the sitting room while he watched me from the kitchen, talking in hushed tones on the phone.
Ryland made me a grilled cheese and fries for lunch and when he brought them out to me I tried to get something out of him.
"Ryland what happened?" I asked him, hoping the begging tone in my voice would be enough.
"Your dad has to call a couple people and work a few things out first. Then we can talk about it okay? I promise." I nodded in response.
"Wheres Morgan?" I asked.
"She went to sleep. We were up late last night." He replied simply.
"Can you sit with me please?"
He didn't answer, but he sat with me on the couch on his phone as I did my math work and ate.
"Ok." Dad eventually joined us on the couch. "So, Laneyley." He brought up the nickname that he last called me when I was 13 and I knew it was probably worse than I could've thought. "Last night, at like midnight I opened the mail. And there was a letter in there from a lawyer, and the lawyer represents your biological mom."
"But wait, why would she need to talk to you. I thought they weren't allowed to give her my stuff. That's what they told me they told me that she wasn't gonna be allowed to-"
"Shhh- Lane I know I know." Dad cut me off, and played with the ends of my hair. "But pretty much she said that she's clean from drugs and thinks she is now fit to be a parent."
"But that's not fair!" I protested, starting to cry. "She doesn't get to choose when she's a parent and when she's not. I had to live pretty much by myself in foster care for years and then go to therapy for like 3 years because of her all for her to decide she's ready!" I didn't realize I was yelling until I stopped talking and my throat burned.
"I know."
Dad held me for a minute and let me cry into his chest. When I sat up, Ryland wiped my tears.
"Do I have to?" I asked and dad took a deep breath.
"That's the thing. I don't know. And I don't want to get to it hopes up or down but nothing is certain right now. It's going to be a court case, so it's up to a judge." He explained. "We do have good standings. I mean, obviously she had issues in the past that they probably would take into account. And you've been with me for long enough and you've shown like improvement or whatever since."
"When do I have to go?"
"We have to go in a week, but I've called like my lawyer and stuff. I don't want you freaking out right now, okay?" I nodded as he talked, but really I was just more freaked out than if he didn't tell me not to freak out.
I stayed in the couch for a little bit, still upset and mad.
It wasn't fair. Why should I have to do that when I already dealt with all of her stuff before. I already had to spend years of my life pretty much alone and went to therapy for 3 years. I just stopped like a year ago. I've been fine with my dad and I don't know why she wants to come in and mess with me again now.
