Page 110 of Catching Our Moment
“It’s nothing, Mom.”
Kelcie turned her attention to James’s mom. “He is taking me to court for primary custody.”
“He’s what?”
Amber stepped in, saccharine-sweet sugar lacing her words. “We believe we can give Aaron a better, morally sound home life. I’m a stay-at-home mom, and he would have the two boys as brothers.”
James jumped in and added, “It would be better for him to have stability.”
I stepped up next to Kelcie, and she grabbed my arm to hold me back. “That’s rich. You cheat on me?—”
Mama Byron clutched her pearls again. “What? James?”
“He didn’t cheat,” Amber said
“I never slept with her!” James yelled.
There was a pause. We all stared at Mama Byron, who was obviously gobsmacked. She probably hadn’t known about that piece of information. Then she straightened. “Oh, my word. The one day your father decides to play sick so he doesn’t have to come down here, and I have this dropped in my lap.”
She reached for Kelcie’s hand and walked her to the swing on the other side of the porch. “Tell me.”
“Mom!” James whined.
Mama Byron held up her hand. “You had your chance to tell me and didn’t. Now I want to hear from my daughter-in-law.”
“But I’m your daughter-in-law!” Amber squealed, pouting.
Kelcie sat down beside her. “I went to Charlotte to see Shaw’s first game back since being injured. You know Shaw and I?—”
“Oh, yes. James’s father was watching the game.”
Kelcie gave her former mother-in-law her side of the story and then added, “I didn’t know where it came from. It was out of nowhere. James was supposed to have Aaron that weekend but backed out—like he always does,” I couldn’t help but drop in.
“You stay out of this!” James sneered. “If it wasn’t for you, my son wouldn’t be so difficult to deal with.”
I’d had enough of sitting on the sidelines.
“What is The Tucker School, James?” I said.
He froze.
Amber went pale.
“I don’t know,” he said and turned to his mom. “I have no idea what he’s talking about.”
“It’s a boarding school in Connecticut. They were planning to send Aaron there,” Kelcie said quietly and then pierced Amber and James with her gaze. “If you knew your son, James, you’d remember that Aaron hears everything. He heard you two discussing your plans. Tell me, where were you going to find the tuition for that?”
And then Kelcie spilled all the tea. “It’s going to be difficult since you just spent so much on the house renovations and all the trips you and Amber have been taking, isn’t it?”
“My finances aren’t any of your business, but you know what is? Aaron. He’s mine, not yours.”
“Cutting my child support wasn’t going to put a dent in that amount,” Kelcie said, standing next to me.
“I know where it was going to come from,” I said, scanning the group. “The offer for Smitty’s podcast. A few appearances on his show would’ve paid for the tuition with a fair amount of money left over. Plus, if you didn’t have to pay child support, you’d be sitting pretty…at least until you found yourselves in debt again. But then, Aaron could just do a few more podcasts, and you’d be set.”
“You shouldn’t even be here! Get off my property!” James yelled loud enough that the man in the Explorer across the street definitely caught it.
Amber held him back. “He needs to be in a structured environment. Tucker is a great school for autistic kids,” Amber piped in, justifying their actions.
