Page 14 of Lies in Promises
“Sorry,” I say to her, keeping my attention on her a little longer than it needs to be.
She gives me a smile that goes straight to my heart. “Nothing to be sorry about.”
Her voice is like honey to my ears; all I want to do is stay in this lobby and hear her talk about anything and everything.
But of course, time is not on my side now because my name gets called, and I have to head back to finally meet with my lawyer.
Why couldn’t this girl have come out ten minutes ago?
“Excuse me,” I say to the literal girl of my dreams, and make my way through the door to my lawyer’s office.
When I enter the small office, I find the family lawyer who was recommended to me a few months ago by an Army recruiting officer.
“Robert,” my lawyer, Manuel, says, waving a hand to the chair in front of his desk. “I apologize for the delay. That last appointment took a little longer than I expected. What brings you in today?”
For a second, my mind goes back to the girl in the lobby. She’s no doubt Manuel’s last appointment, but I can’t help but wonder why. I know why I would be here, but why would she? Is she in a similar situation to me? Is it something else?
It’s none of your business.
Right.
“I-I-” I start, but for some reason, the words get stuck in my throat. I have to do everything in my power to force them out. “I made a decision, and I’m here to file that paperwork we talked about.”
My throat feels tight, my eyes stinging as I hand Manuel the paperwork. As soon as he takes them from me, it feels like my chest is going to cave in, and all my emotional baggage comes to the surface.
Anger.
Sadness.
Numbness.
They move through me, and for the first time in a long time, the anger I feel isn’t directed at my parents. It’s directed at me.
“Are you sure this is what you want to do?” Manuel asks, looking at me with sympathy in his eyes. He knows how much I’ve been struggling with everything that came with my parents’ death, so he knows me making this decision is one I might regret one day.
It takes me a second to respond to him, the lump forming in my throat making things impossible, but eventually, I do.
“Yes, sir. It’s for the best.” Bennett isn’t going to understand anytime soon, but he will, and I hope when he does, he thanks me for doing this.
“Okay. I will get the paperwork drafted that states you, Robert Elliot Lane are signing over guardianship of Bennett Grayson Lane to Henry Carmichael, effective today.”
Everything turns on its axis as he says those words, and the tears stinging my eyes a few seconds ago make their way out, though I make no move to stop them.
“Yes, sir,” I say through all the emotions rolling through my body.
My parents had everything set even before they died. It’s like they knew something bad was going to happen to them, so they prepared for it.
A week after I left, their will was read, stating that Henry was to become our guardian until I turned eighteen. On that day, I will gain automatic custody of Bennett.
I wasn’t there for the reading of the will, but Henry told me. When I got to Austin, I went to a library and used one of the computers to type out an email to Henry. I explained everything I was feeling and why I had to leave.
He responded right away and told me he was angry I didn’t go to him, but he understood. He told me to stay in touch, and if anything were to ever arise, to let him know, and he would be on the first flight out to get me. He told me he would take care of Bennett for me until I was ready to return.
I didn’t respond to his email.
I also didn’t respond to the second one he sent informing me of the will and everything that came with it, like the custody agreement and my inheritance.
I didn’t respond to any other emails after that.
