Page 6 of Finding Home

“Wait. Back up. Is Aubrey demanding money from me, like Beaumont?”

“No, I haven’t heard a word from her. I’m only aware of her whereabouts because Beaumont mentioned them in his demand letter. Apparently, he’s got lots of spies in Prairie Springs.” Her jaw tightens. “Caleb, Beaumont wants you to take the child—yourchild—away from Aubrey—the child’s only lifeline—and hand her over tohim; and then he wants you to support his custody lawsuit against Aubrey and ultimately pay him exactly what you paid his daughter. If we don’t act pre-emptively, Beaumont is going to file a petition for custody next week in Montana, against both you and Aubrey. He says he’ll spend every dime of Claudia’s savings account to get the victory he wants.”

I shift in my seat. “What, exactly, do you want me to do about that, Paula?”

“The right fucking thing!”

“Which is?”

“File a custody petition of your own, here in LA, for full custody, before Ralph Beaumont files his petition in Montana. Work directly with Aubrey, instead of Ralph!”

My stomach somersaults. By now, I’ve thought about my kid more times than I can count, wishing I’d done things differently. But I’ve never once fantasized about becoming the kid’s sole and full-time parent. I mean, Jesus, is that really what Paula’s suggesting here—that I drop everything and become Mr. Mom? If so, she’s conveniently overlooking the fact that I’d make a shitty parent. “Youtruly think it’s in the kid’s best interest to be withme, full-time?”

Paula leans back, studying me, intensely. “If you’re not willing to seek full custody, then at least meet with Aubrey and throw your money and support behindhergetting full custody, with regular visitation rights for you. Otherwise, Ralph is going to steamroll Aubrey, thanks to all the money he’s gotten his hands on, and we simply can’t let that happen.” She glares at me. “Don’t you remember the word Claudia used in relation to her father?Monster. She said not going to Prairie Springs with her baby was fine with her, because she didn’t want hermonsterof a father?—"

I exhale. “Yes, I remember.”

“I did some digging and found out, over the years, neighbors repeatedly called the police to the Beaumont home in Prairie Springs for domestic disturbances. But no matter her obvious, visible injuries, Mrs. Beaumont would never press charges against her husband. In fact, she always claimed she got those bruises and injuries by some freak accident.”

I close my eyes. It was the same thing with my own mother, until I finally got big enough to beat the shit out of my father, several times, to protect her.

I open my eyes, suddenly feeling resolved. “Okay.”

“Okay what?”

“Okay, I’ll go to Prairie Springs on the next flight out and do whatever’s necessary to keep Raine away from Claudia’s monster of a father.”

Paula’s face lights up. “I’m glad to hear you’re willing to jump in, but you’ll have to wait till your mandatoryrehab stint is over to do that. In the meantime, however, I’ll set up a Zoom call with Aubrey to?—”

“No, I’m not going to wait three weeks to meet mychild.” I stand. “Now that I know the situation, I’m going to help her, right fucking now.”

Paula rolls her eyes. “I love your enthusiasm, but you know full well this rehab was court ordered, and you’ve still got three weeks left.”

“There’s got to be a loophole for family emergencies. Especially if I handle this quickly.”

“Caleb—”

“No, listen to me. I’ll fly to Montana tonight or tomorrow, whichever we can line up; and then, I’ll bring my kid back here the following day, stow her with a nanny, and then return here to finish my rehab. On that timeline, I’ll be back here on Monday, at the latest.”

Paula snorts. “Court-ordered rehab doesn’t work like that. You’re stuck here, whether you like it or not. So, let’s please get Aubrey on the phone and?—”

“No, Paula. I’m going to Prairie Springs now to do what I should have done two years ago. Do me a favor and find me a really good nanny while I’m gone, okay?” With that, I start walking toward the door of the visitor’s lounge.

“Wait, Caleb!” Paula calls out. “Stop! If you leave without authorization, you’ll need to start rehab all over again, from day one, when you get back.”

I stop and turn around with a scowl. “I’ll be gone for three or four days.” When Paula says nothing, I throw up my arms. “We’re talking about mychild,for fuck’s sake. She’s in peril, and I’m the only one who can save her. That’s what you’ve been saying, right? That I’m the kid’s only blood relative, besides a monster of a grandfather who’s never met her and is a known wife beater?”

Paula twists her mouth, apparently conceding my point.

“How much do nannies cost? Less than thirty grand per month?”

Paula snorts. “A lot less than that. Mine costs about a hundred grand per year. So, eight or nine grand per month. But that’s for two kids.”

“That’s it? If I’d known that, maybe I would have done things differently, right out of the gate. Jesus Christ.” I start heading down the hallway again. After two years of guilt, regret, and shame, after two failed attempts at getting Claudia to bring my kid to LA for a visit, I’mfinallygoing to meet my child. My daughter.Raine.Granted, this miracle is happening after my mom’s passing, which is a gut punch. But even so, better late than never. At least, I can take comfort in the idea that Mom might be smiling down on Raine and me, as I finally do what I should have done, all along.

“Caleb, please, listen to me,” Paula calls out. She’s scurrying behind me down the hallway, her heels clacking on the linoleum. “You can’t show up in Montana, unannounced, rip your daughter out of Aubrey’s arms, and fly her off to a whole new life in a brand-new city.”

“You said my paternity is already established.”

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