Perfect Redemption

Thirty Two: In Which His Home Is Where His Heart Is

    Around me, dozens of family portraits and pictures are hung on the walls, all of faces boasting with relaxed, easy postures and carefree smiles. I notice Eden in most of them, along with Mrs. and Mr. Adams.

    A perfect family.

    It's a shame that Blaire never got to experience that. Perhaps she may have, but it was taken far too soon from her.

    "Sit." She gestures to the sofa situated in the middle of the living room. I oblige her, resting my arms on the back of the sofa and crossing my legs.

    Eden makes himself very comfortable beside me, his head leaning against the side of my chest while he admires the katana sword that Blaire had bought for him. His fingers run over the blade and I notice Mrs. Adams passing him a stern glare from the opposite of the room.

    "Put that away, Eden," she barks.

    He glances up and holds her gaze. Defiance sparks within his eyes. "No."

    She opens her mouth to rebuttal but her gaze flickers to me unknowingly and she decides to shut her mouth instead.

    "Where's your husband?" I ask, looking around the room for any sign of him.

    "Business trip." She says, almost quickly, like it was an automatic response. I stare at her suspiciously. I highly doubt it's a business trip and I'm guessing she knows that too.

    "Fine," I snap. "That's fine. I'm mostly here to talk to you anyway."

    "I don't understand why you should," she says. "Look, Jax-"

    "It's Jackson."

    "Fine, Jackson," she corrects herself. "I get that you're trying to help Blaire. But she was the one who got herself into this mess in the first place. She needs to pay for what she's done-"

    "Don't you think she knows that?" I cut her off irritably. "That's why she turned herself in in the first place."

    She presses her lips into a thin line. "I heard about it in the news, but I didn't think it was true."

    "You really do expect the worst from her, do you?" I say sharply.

    "Do you really want me to answer that question?" She narrows her eyes at me. "Because you damn well already know the answer."

    Eden sighs. "Mom."

    "Look, honey, I'm sorry," she turns to Eden. "He can't do anything to change my mind about that girl-"

    "I'm not here to convince you that she's a goddamned saint, Mrs. Adams," I lean forward, resting my elbows against my thighs. "We all know that she isn't. But all those crimes she committed, they were not in vain."

    "You keep saying that. But how-"

    "Did you know that all those possessions she stole, she was going to pawn them off for money? And did you know that she was going to use that money to hire herself a lawyer?"

    Mrs. Adam's eyes widen in confusion. "Why would she need to hire herself a lawyer?"

    "So she could fight for custody of Eden in court."

    She blinks at me wordlessly, refusing to let the words sink into her. She shakes her head, her lips slightly parted out of shock, and her gaze immediately cuts to Eden, who's staring back at her too. "Did you know this, Eden?"

    He shrugs. "He only told me just now."

    "And you believe him?" She asks.

    Slowly, Eden nods.