Page 113 of Chosen Road

“People suck. Don’t you think people suck? And women! Women are the worst!” She sliced her hand through the air. “There is nothing redeeming about women because they don’t have a magic weenie!” She looked at me. “Does Gus have a magic weenie?”

I laughed. “Yes. Gus has a truly magical weenie.”

Ruby pressed her lips together. “Yes, I’m light and you’re sound because I travel faster. I need to travel on a plane.”

After we ate, Ruby seemed much more like herself, albeit suddenly sleepy. She yawned, and again said, “I need to be able to get on a plane.”

“You will,” I assured her.

“George’s mom hits him,” she confessed as she curled up on the couch.

Minty and I stopped to stare at her, horrified.

She nodded, her face serious. “Vander flew out on Monday and stayed until last night. They got an emergency injunction for George to stay with his stepdad at his new apartment with his sisters. George wants to finish his semester at school and then he wants to move here. Vander is suing for full custody.”

“My God,” Minty breathed.

Ruby’s revelation left me reeling. I didn’t notice anything off about George. When I met him, I didn’t notice anything alarming about him at all.

“Will he get it?” I asked.

Ruby nodded. “I think so. His stepdad didn’t know. George told Vander it didn’t happen too often until after his stepdad moved out. When his stepdad picked up his girls for his visitation, he went in to talk to George. He couldn’t take him for a visit because his bitch mother forbade it. His stepdad gave him a tight hug before he left, and George yelped. His stepdad whipped off his shirt and saw the bruises. George told Vander he got really mad.” She pulled the covers up around her chin and found a pillow. “He took pictures and called the police. When the police got to the house, that bitch was screaming and ranting, completely out of control. The police gave the okay for his stepdad to take all the kids with him.” She stared off into space. “I’m heartbroken for him.”

“But he’s safe right now?” I asked.

She nodded. “Yes. And they have an appointment with a judge next week. He’ll have to tell the judge what’s been happening.” She raised her dark, luminous eyes, shiny with unshed tears. “Can you imagine how horrifying that would be?”

I swallowed hard. I didn’t have to imagine it. I’d been present for so many of those conversations over the years, I’d lost count.

In cases of obvious abuse, judges tended to decide quickly, and always in favor of the child. Considering George was thirteen, he could verbalize for himself. She probably wouldn’t even get any kind of visitation until she completed an outpatient treatment program.

I relayed all of this to Ruby, and it seemed to appease her somewhat.

“We’re going to get you on a plane, Ruby,” Minty promised.

“With a prescription this time,” I joked.

“Yeah… I probably would have tried to fly the damn plane.” She yawned again, and within minutes, drifted into sleep.

Minty and I cleaned up the leftovers and put them away.

My thoughts returned again and again to Ruby’s revelations about George.

“He’ll be okay, you know,” Minty offered softly.

I looked up, startled. “You think so? Why do you think so?”

“Lots of reasons. He’s had Vander’s love all his life, as well as his stepdad. He’ll have Ruby. She’ll give him the mother figure he needs. He’ll have you. You are so experienced. When he needs to talk to someone, and he will, you’ll be there for him. He’ll have Yiayia, and Gus, and Jace, and Alex, a whole family here for him. And, he’ll have me.”

I smiled. “You going to adopt him, too.”

“Yes. And with my history, I understand what he’ll go through as he adjusts.”

My head shot up. “What do you mean, ‘with your history’? Your parents hurt you?” I was shocked. Minty never spoke of her parents with anything less than superhero worship.

“My foster parents never laid a hand on me, but I was eleven when I went to them.”

My mouth dropped open. “How did I not know this?”

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