Royce (22 page)

Judge Ramirez looked them over, from one side to the other and began questioning, “Where is Mrs. Harrington, why isn’t she in court today?”  Joy perked up at that question; she wanted to know the answer to that too. “She couldn’t be here today your honor,” and “Where is she on this issue?”  “She is coming around your honor, but it is something she has had to get use too,” she nodded and moved on, “Mr. Harrington why is it important to be in the life of a child born of your mistress?”  And Joy almost screamed of shock at that and wanted to yell out,
I was not his mistress, it was a sex club that caused all this!

“He is my son your honor and no matter how he came to be, he is my son,” and Joy could hear the passion in Royce’s voice as he said those words.

“Mr. Abrams why do you feel the color of Justin’s skin matters?  Isn’t it more important that his father even though he is white be present in his life?” “Justin will be treated as a black man in this society and I being black am better suited in helping him with the pains and pitfalls of that more so than Mr. Harrington.”  “So do you think he would benefit from having both you and Mr. Harrington in his life,” and Royce winced at that.  He saw Michael reluctantly agree to that, “Yes your honor,” he didn’t want Michael to be a father figure to Justin, he wanted to be his father. “But I will be the one raising him your honor,” Michael added, and Royce felt the anger rise in his gut.

When the judge was satisfied with her questioning she took a moment to scan back and forth between them and then she spoke, “This is an unusual case.  We have a plaintiff who is suing for the rights to be a father to a child he conceived with a woman who was not his wife on one side and on the other we have the husband of the woman fighting to be the father the child deserves.  This is very unusual and I must say Mrs. Abrams you should count yourself lucky that both men want to be a father to a child you conceived in a relationship outside of your marriage, an adulterous relationship I do not approve of…,” and Royce winced, why does everybody blame Joy, but Joy sat strong, “But that is not the reason we are here.  We are here to do what is best for the child born of that relationship, and this is a tough case on the one hand to decide who will be the better father and give the child the best possible outcome in life, but on the other the law is clear.  Unless there are extenuating circumstances that prevent Mr. Harrington from being a father to the child and none were presented today a father does have rights and Mr. Harrington is the child’s father, he has shown proof and provided the evidence. 

Mr. Harrington is willing and able to be a strong father figure to the minor child, so the court rules in favor of the father Mr. Harrington, he will have joint custody and receive equal visitation as stated in the court documents.  The child’s name will be changed to reflect his surname of Harrington and he will provide financial support to the minor child until he reaches the age of eighteen,” she then looked over at Michael, “And Mr. Abrams it is commendable what you are trying to do and I hope you will remain a loving strong male influence in this child’s life as he will be in your home and he will need that from the African American point of view, do not turn your back on him.  Mr. Harrington is only doing what he feels he should as a father, and that is fight to be in his child’s life which is also commendable, it takes a village Mr. Abrams and I hope you will be a part of that village and do what’s best for the child,” she banged her gavel, her decision final, “Case closed!”

After his stunning victory Royce was preparing for his first visit to pick up Justin.  Justin was six months old now and he went straight over to Joy’s from the office.  It had been hard to tell the children.  After he’d won he told Tammy who almost hit the roof, “No Royce, no, you mean the court said you could do this!  The court said you could bring a child you had with another woman to this house!”  “Yes, why would they not, he’s my son,” he said evenly and then he sat the kids down. “Daddy has something to tell you,” he tried to make light of it, “Remember how you always wanted another brother or sister,” he smiled as they looked at him like he was crazy, “Well now you have one, you have a little brother. I have a son, he is just a baby now, only six months old and he will be coming into our lives and visiting with us from here on out.”

Karen and Dillon looked at him as if he’d lost his mind.  “How do you have a son, I don’t understand?” Karen said, and this was the hard part; he didn’t know how to describe his and Joy’s relationship.  He knew it wasn’t really an affair, it was consensual with the knowledge and agreement of all spouses, but he couldn’t tell them about the club they belonged too. “I had a relationship with another woman.  Your mother is aware of it and of the child, she knows about all of it…,” “While you were married to mom?”  Karen asked. “Yes, but she was aware of it and agreed to it at the time,” he stressed and he knew that sounded crazy, but it was as close to the truth as he was willing to go, and he could see the questions as the kids worked out what he was saying. “So we have a little brother?” Karen said. “Yes, and I’ll be bringing him here every other weekend,” the kids just looked at him not knowing what to say.

Now he was outside Joy’s front door.  He knocked and Lindsey answered, “Mr. Royce is here!”  She yelled and he walked in.  Joy was in the kitchen and Michael spoke then ignored him from the family room.  He sat in his chair and acted as if he hadn’t shown up.  He didn’t look at him or acknowledge him after his initial hello,
good Michael, way to be mature,
he was thinking.

“In here Royce,” Joy called as he made his way into the house and into the kitchen. 

The table was laden with baby stuff.  Justin was in the family room and he heard Lindsey calling cooingly to him, “Come here Justin, come here,” then he saw Justin come crawling into the kitchen.  Royce’s eyes registered his delight, “He’s crawling now Joy,” he said excited. “Oh yeah a week or so now,” and he looked at her and saw her wiping tears. “Oh Joy it’ll be okay,” he went to pick up Justin.  He had to do something with his hands or he would’ve taken her in his arms and cried with her saying
Joy Joy Joy.
“Hey buddy,” he cooed to Justin, who looked at him with his blue eyes, and he pulled him closer and hugged him and Justin grabbed a baby handful of his shirt and rubbed his face against his chest and he loved feeling his little body in his arms. 

Joy was getting his stuff together, “This is so hard Royce, he’s just a baby,” she said and wiped her tears, “Please watch out for him.  Make sure he doesn’t get hurt, he’s all over the place and getting into everything so make sure the house is baby proofed,” she cried.

“Oh Joy of course I will. I’ll make sure he’s well cared for okay.”

“I hope so Royce, but you said yourself Tammy wasn’t accepting of this, what about her Royce?”  She asked concerned.

“She’ll come around okay, don’t worry,” and he believed that. Tammy was pissed yes, but once she held this beautiful baby boy in her arms he knew she’d fall in love with him.

“Okay, just watch him okay,” he agreed and she wiped tears, “Okay, here’s his bottles. I put in extra, in case you need them, but give him one every three hours and make sure you put them in the refrigerator as soon as you get home, it’s breast milk, it goes bad fast,” she said looking at him for emphasis.

“Okay,” he assured her, “Everything will be alright, he’s with his father okay,” and finally she smiled at him.

Royce walked into his house with Justin in his arms, the diaper bag slung over his shoulder and everyone in his family paused as he came in.  He took Justin’s blanket out of his diaper bag and spread it out on the floor the way he’d seen Joy do and he laid Justin down with a few of his toys.  He went into the kitchen, Tammy was standing there giving him the eye, and the kids were in the family room.  Dillon was playing a video game on the TV and he was deep into it, working the controller and Karen was laying crosswise on a stuffed chair her headphones in listening to music. 

He placed the bottles in the refrigerator just like Joy asked him too, he then walked over to the pantry and found all the jars of baby food and boxes of baby cereal and placed them in the pantry.  Then he stood in the kitchen by the counter and watched Justin crawling around. 

He watched as Justin crawled over to Dillon and pulled up on him. Dillon ignored him and acted as if he wasn’t even in the room.  Justin soon left him and then he crawled over to Karen, one of her legs was down on the floor the other across the chair arm. Justin touched her leg she moved it away and onto the chair arm. Justin pulled up using the chair, he smiled and said baby gibberish at her and Karen glared at him.  Justin moved from the chair and plopped down on his bottom.  Royce could see his confusion and he saw his face scrunch up about to cry and he ran to him and picked him up, “It’s okay buddy, it’s okay,” he held him in his arms and he saw Tammy in the kitchen a little smile on her face, “He’s a baby, just a baby,” he said to Dillon and Karen, he was shocked at their behavior and Tammy’s reaction to it. 

His family had disappointed him. 
Damn, h
e thought,
This might be tougher than I thought,
he needed to get out of the house.  He held Justin and went to the back door and let Duke in, “Hey Dukey, you want to go for a walk?”  Duke was looking up at Justin and Royce knew he wanted to see what he was holding. “Okay Duke I’ll let you meet him,” he said, “Lay down boy,” and Duke went down on his belly and Royce knelt down.  Duke reached his head up and sniffed Justin, and Justin let out this loud baby laugh and Royce saw Duke’s tail wag and wag.   Justin reached down and touched Duke’s fur and squealed. Duke’s wet nose seemed to intrigue him and Duke licked his little bare feet and Justin again giggled and laughed and laughed a loud little baby laugh. 

Royce was so tickled by this he laughed too, then Duke rolled over on his back and Royce knew for Duke it was love at first sight, he was crazy about Justin.  Royce placed Justin on Duke’s belly and Justin just squealed and laughed and grabbed handfuls of fur and Duke seemed to love it.   Justin laid his head down on Duke and put his little arms around him and Duke licked him and licked him across his little face and Royce let him, but he thought of Joy too. “Your mother would have a fit if she knew I let the dog lick you like this,” he said softly to Justin.  After the introduction he put on Duke’s leash and Justin in his snuggly against his chest.

This is going to be tough
, he walked and thought.  The first day hadn’t gone too well,
they’ll get use to him..
  He walked for a long time, “Man you’re heavy.” Justin had fallen asleep and his baby weight felt like a ton after a while.  “Ready to go home Dukey boy,” he said and they turned at the next block and headed home.

He went in through the garage and as he opened the door he could smell it before he saw it, it smelt heavy with a familiar scent but he couldn’t place it.  He walked into the kitchen and to his horror all of Justin’s bottles and food were trashed on the floor.  In front of the refrigerator his milk was spilt in a big liquid puddle, his bottles trampled on, the plastic smashed and crumpled and by the pantry he saw his baby food, jars broken, his baby cereal poured out, food mixed and splattered on the floor, “What the fuck?” 

He put Duke out back.  He was furious, he went into Justin’s room, he’d fixed up a nursery for Justin anticipating his visits, it was a room across the hall from the guest room and he’d done everything himself.  He’d bought a crib, a rocking chair, and a dresser with a changing table from the little boutique Joy recommended and he’d painted the room blue.  Now he was mad as hell he laid Justin in his bed and pulled the cover up over him, the house was quiet, but he knew everyone was home.  He strode into his bedroom, Tammy was sitting propped up on the bed reading a magazine with the TV on.

“What the fuck Tammy, what is that all about and who would do such a thing?” “I told you not to bring him here, I told you!  I want him gone, I want him out of here Royce!”  She yelled at him.  “You did that?  You did that Tammy!”  “I don’t want him here!”  Royce was exasperated and frustrated, “He’s a baby Tammy, my baby!  He’s not some random baby I picked up off the street and brought home and said 'Here Tammy take care of him!'
 
He’s my son, mine!  Remember that!” He yelled furiously at her.

Tammy felt her heart crack in two at his words.  Royce didn’t know that’s what hurt the most.  It was his child that hurt so bad. “If you want to hate someone, hate me!  I did this!  Take your anger out on me, not him!”  He continued angrily and Tammy knew she couldn’t do that, she couldn’t hate him.  She’d fallen in love with Royce the moment she saw him walk into Winchesters, her heart belonged to him always, but the evil bitch Joy and her spawn she could hate them and she did, she hated them with everything in her being.

“Fuck Tammy, this is insane that’s you’d do that to a child!  Fucking insane!”  He said angrily and walked out of the room running his hands through his hair. “Fuck!”  He said under his breath.  “Take him home Royce!”  Tammy yelled after him tears rolling down her face.  “He is home!” He yelled back and she screamed. 

What am I going to tell Joy?
  He went into Justin’s room; he was sound asleep and he gently picked him up.  He wouldn’t think of leaving him here alone, he didn’t know what might happen while he was gone.  He grabbed the snuggly, picked up his car keys and left.  He eased Justin in his car seat trying desperately not to wake him and he wasn’t going to let Joy know he failed.  He drove to Marichelli’s, it was a super store that catered to the wealthy, it sold everything from wine to furniture to caviar.  He went straight to the baby aisle, he picked up every jar of food and baby cereal he could remember Joy had given him, the brand was different but he hoped it was the same, he bought all new bottles.  Justin was still asleep in his snuggly and he thought that was the only thing that went well today, that he hadn’t woken up crying.

This is bad, I have to tell Joy, he needs her milk, this is so bad
, he thought as he walked around the store.  The store was huge, like a large upscale warehouse,
I’m buying him a stroller, damn he’s heavy
, he thought to himself.  He looked over the strollers and picked out one from Sweden with all the latest gadgets, cup holders, a top with a clear plastic opening at the top, heavy duty wheels, it could lay back at three different levels.  You could zip the baby up completely like a cocoon, and it’s tag said it was easy to open and close whatever that meant.

Once he was loaded in the car Justin woke up.  He opened one of the boxes of teething cookies and gave him one, and now he had to call Joy.  He had no other choice, Justin needed her milk.  He dialed her number and hoped she was up, it was after ten o’clock.

Joy was up and dreading going to bed, she knew what was going to happen, she’d seen Michael glaring at her every since Royce came by.  She was biding her time when the phone rang and she knew it was Royce, and she thought she’d hear Justin screaming in the background, that Royce was having a hard time putting him to sleep, but when she answered it was quiet.

“Hey Joy”

“Hey Royce, what’s going on?”  She said concerned. “Oh everything is fine, he’s been great, but I messed up Joy.”

“What did you do?”  He could hear the fear in her voice, “I forgot to put the bottles in the refrigerator like you told me,” he lied. “Oh that’s not so bad Royce, the milk should be fine, just put them in now okay.” 

Shit!
He thought, “Oh well I thought they were bad so I threw it out,” he said, and he hated doing this, he was so pissed at Tammy. “All of it!”  Joy said shocked. “Yeah, I’m sorry I thought it was bad,” he said apologetically. “Okay, well you’re lucky, I’ve got plenty,” she said, “You want to come get more, you’ll need it tonight.” 

“Yes, that’s why I called I’m on my way,” he said. “Okay, we’ll have to wash those bottles though before we put more in,” she said. “Oh shit, I don’t have the bottles,” he said. “Royce, this is major, you’re worrying me now,” he could hear the concern. “Don’t worry Joy I’m okay, it won’t happen again, okay” and he thought
it better not
. Tammy was on his shit list now and she’d better not do anything to hurt this child again. “You promise,” she asked, “I can’t take it if something happened to my baby Royce.” “I know, don’t worry he’s my baby too,” he said. “I know, and you’re lucky I’ve got bags of milk in the freezer.  When you get here I’ll show you how to put it in the bottles,” she said and Royce felt himself relax, the disaster of this evening was going to be alright. 

Joy gave him the code to get into the gate, and before long he was at her door.  She opened the door dressed for bed in a short light blue silk nightgown and matching robe.  Justin was awake but looking sleepy. “I’m surprised he’s up this late; he’s usually knocked out by now,” she took him in her arms, “God he’s smelly Royce,” she said with a little chuckle, “What have you been doing with him?”  He didn’t have the heart to tell her it was dog drool all over him, “Oh we’ve been playing and outside walking the dog,” he said.