Page 8 of Damian & Jun, Episodes 9-12
“If she did that, she would lose her custody rights, at least for a while.”
“It only takes one night.” The look of absolute certainty in her eyes reminded Damian of his own lostness before escaping. “Look, I need to know I can have an abortion, and I need to make sure Mom and Gramps don’t get us back. What do I need to do?”
“DNA test. I expect–with or without that report–they’ll make an arrest sometime next week. If we can prove that Dalia knew our father was a predator and knowingly allowed him access to you and others, as well as abused you, we can build a case for suspending Dalia’s custody rights.”
“But they’re going to want her to do stupid classes and stuff like counseling so they can send us back.”
“That’s typically what they want, yeah.”
Armada grimaced and looked down, rocking Habibi against her chest. He truly looked like her child. “Can you take us?”
Damian pressed his lips together. Fear and a desperate desire to escape crawled up his throat. “I travel for my work. My life isn’t designed to be a parental figure right now.”
“You don’t need to be. I’m already the mom. We just need someone to sign on the dotted line and give us a place to live. I do everything else. I can get them to school, shop for food. We don’t even need that much.”
“You need a home, and you shouldn’t have to be the adult.”
“Should doesn’t matter. I am. And I’m not asking you to change that. I just need to not go back.”
Only years of training as a client-facing lawyer and etiquette training with Richard and Émeric kept Damian’s nervous tics from spreading to his hands. He kept them folded loose and still on the table. All the old habits he had as a teenager were bubbling just under the surface. Even his old accent from before he had speech coaching was trying to edge its way into his tongue. He wasn’t that boy anymore. He’d trained and disciplined that person out of himself. He’d fought too hard to not be that.
And yet he morally couldn’t turn his back on Armada and Habibi or any of the others. There was no good solution. There might not even be a solution. The life that he loved might be over—the peace and lifestyle he’d worked so hard to build—or his self-respect and his conscience might die a withering death of self-loathing.
Why did Dalia have to be such a bitch? Why did she have to keep having kids? Kids she clearly shouldn’t have. Kids she didn’t care about. At some point, individualism had to give way to the reality that one person’s fuck-ups were everyone’s problems.
“To not go back, we need to prove to a judge that Dalia is unfit and that she will remain unfit.”
“I’m guessing a black eye and some cuts and bruises aren’t going to be enough.”
Damian shook his head. “Parents can get away with a lot. There are additional things you can bring up. Does she make sure the baby eats? Does she take you all for medical? Does she make sure you all get to school? Do you have clothes? Did she know about what our father was doing?”
“She had to have known. He did it to her.”
“The case can be made that she’s suffered sufficient unmitigated trauma that she can’t be trusted with decisions.”
Armada closed her eyes and sucked on her lip. “I’ve been trying to build a case for a while. I have pictures. She’s drunk a lot around the kids. And she brings strange men around when Gramps isn’t there. Sometimes she’s gone for days. She and Gramps have been fighting for years.”
“I’ll get you a lawyer. One that works for you and the kids, not me. Not Dalia. Just you.”
“All right.”
“Welwick wants me to take all of you kids tonight. I’m not comfortable bringing you back to where I live. For one, there’s not enough space. And two, there are cameras on it all the time. We have enough news articles being written about us.”
“Your mentor. He had a husband and a boyfriend, yeah?”
“He has two partners, yes. Émeric and Collin.”
Armada sniffed, looking down at Habibi again. The baby was getting close to finishing the bottle. “But you’re not?”
“We’re family.” Damian laid the words down flatly. “The details are private. Richard and Collin are here as is my partner, Jun.”
“He’s the pop idol right, the one from Korea?”
“He’s a K-pop idol, yes.”
“He dances good. I like his choreographer. She’s fire.”
Damian smiled. “Gigi is one of a kind.”
