Page 35 of Confined Space

"His room hasn't been set up yet. We'll have all of his furniture put together tomorrow. Right now, it's still in boxes. He slept in a bassinet last night." JoAnna keeps answering the questions before I can.

Ramona looks at me. "Don't you have anything you wish to say about yourself?"

"My son slept in his bassinet, where he is now, taking his afternoon nap. JoAnna and Rowdy didn't have to help me, but they did."

"I'd like to get some other character references from you."

"Georgia Drake was my neighbor. The head of daycare where Archer goes and my supervisor could do that."

"I've already talked to your boss. How do you plan to get to and from work? There is no bus route up here."

"I have a spare car a friend keeps here for when he visits. She’ll be using it." I turn to Rowdy in shock.

"What about other family members? Archer's biological father or any friends from before you moved to Prominence Point?"

"I don't have any family. Archer's biological father has nothing to do with us, and I was in college until I got pregnant with him."

"So, you dropped out because of your promiscuity?"

"Watch it," Rowdy says.

"I'm an officer of the court. You threaten me, and I'll have your job, Mr. Murphy." She straightens her back.

"Wait. Please. Rowdy and JoAnna are just helping me, please don't threaten them. I did stop college for a while, but I plan to go back when Archer gets a bit older. I work as a technician in the ER. I wouldn't have that job without the schooling I’ve already had."

"I'm not happy with the way things went today. I'll be back next week for another inspection. You will want this attorney you say you have hired present at that time. I will be back with a court order for a hair follicle test." She stands and prepares to leave. I don't have an attorney, and I can't afford one. I need to make this right. I won't lose my son.

"If I give you a hair sample and you find out I had drugs in my system a year ago before Archer was born, would that be held against me?"

"No, don't give her a sample,” JoAnna barks as she hangs up the phone. “Her attorney said we will be in contact with your superiors.”

I turn to her, tears on the edge, my nose burning. "I can't and won't lose my son. I'll do anything to keep him."

"Would you give up Rowdy and get your own place away from him and his mother?" Ramona asks, and I can almost feel the anger burning through Rowdy. I turn to look at him with tears rolling down my face now.

"I want this, but I can't lose my son," I say.

"I'll adopt him." He stands in front of me, his hands cupping my cheeks. "They can't take him away from you if he's mine. They can't keep us apart either. This is ridiculous on their part. Why should us dating matter? I want this, but I get it. And that only makes me want you more."

"I know why." JoAnna walks over to us. "It's why I got you an attorney. I'm paying for him because this is about me and Rowdy, not you." She turns to look at Ramona. "Bring your court order. This farce will be over before then. You can't hold it against me for what happened in the past, and you can't hold it against my son that he doesn't want your daughter."

Ramona walks out the door, and Rowdy pulls me into his arms.

"Who is her daughter?" he asks as he holds me.

I cling to him. I just found him, and I would give him up. He knows it. But he's not mad at me for being willing to do that. He knows my son is the most important person in my world. I'm shocked that he'd want to adopt Archer. I just hold on and wait as JoAnna steps into the kitchen and opens the large sub-zero fridge to pull out a bottle of wine. She pours herself a glass and takes a huge sip before turning back to us.

"I'm sorry, Coral. I promised to help you. I had no clue Ramona was your caseworker. She has hated me since high school.” She takes another sip of her wine. “And Melissa is her daughter. When Char told me, she suggested an attorney who could help."

"What the fuck? How is that possible? They have different last names."

"They do. Melissa has her father's last name. Ramona's ex-husband and I dated in high school before I got together with Jared in college. Kyle and I broke up because I was going to Phoenix for college, and he was going to California for school. As soon as I broke it off with him, he got together with Ramona. She hated me before that, and I never knew why. I always thought it was just jealousy."

"But why does she hate you still?"

"Kyle divorced her after Melissa was born. He told her he never got over me and couldn't be in a loveless marriage. I told him I wouldn't ever marry again, and he ended up moving away after Melissa graduated from high school. Ramona had already moved on, but just like petty crap from high school, she won't give it up. Now it appears she's taking her daughter's side and helping her get you away from Coral."

"So, she's mad at you because her ex-husband wasn't man enough to break it off with her before he married a woman he wasn't in love with? What a pussy."

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