When the Bough Breaks

Chapter 10

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Several days after the first visit with Lindsay and Brian, Eric sat in his room worried about why his Dad insisted that he get to know those people. He thought back over the last few months and couldn't remember doing anything so bad that his dad would want to get rid of him.

He worried that maybe his mom and dad didn't love him anymore. He thought about running away but was more afraid of that than staying here with his mom and dad.

He'd overheard them yelling at each other and he knew it had to do with him. Maybe they really didn't love him anymore and wanted the nice blonde lady and her husband to take him. Maybe if he was super special good they'd love him again and he could stay here.

Even though the lady was really nice and Eric liked her, he really wanted to stay with his own mom. He didn't even know if the other lady knew that he was allergic to milk or that he hated crunchy peanut butter. Did she know that he only ate apple cinnamon waffles with syrup?

He didn't want to have to teach someone all about him. All he wanted was for everything to be normal again.

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Lindsay listened to Melanie's reasoning that Gus needed more time to get to know them before he spent the night, but she didn't hear it. She wanted her son home and she was determined to get him there that weekend.

She told herself that she'd place the call to Tom this morning after she opened the gallery.

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Abby stood in the kitchen pouring Eric's soymilk and searching the freezer for his favorite waffles for breakfast when the phone rang and nearly frightened out of her skin.

Checking the caller ID it was a number she didn't recognize, but the name made her heart sink. Lindsay Peterson. Eric's biological mother. "Hello," she said shakily, hoping the other woman couldn't hear her fear.

"Abby?"

"Yes."

"It's Lindsay Peterson. I was wondering if you and I could have lunch today. I'd really like the chance to know the woman who's raised my son all these years."

"I'm not sure that's a wise idea, Ms. Peterson."

"Lindsay, please. And I think that if you and I could reach some kind of understanding, it would be good for Gus."

"I have to go get Eric ready for school now Ms. Peterson, but thank you for the invitation. Maybe some other time."

Lindsay listened to the dial tone and was more determined than ever to form a bond with Abby Garrett.

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Three hours later Lindsay sat outside the Garrett's home trying to find the courage to face Abby. She'd downloaded a map to the house using the computer at Bloom and now she sat here acting like a frightened child.

Talking herself into just doing it, she opened the door, got out and crossed the street. She rang the bell and waited for Abby.

"What are you doing here?" Abby asked opening the door only a crack.

"I just want to talk to you."

"I have nothing to say to you, Ms. Peterson."

"He's our son, Abby. Regardless of who raised him or who gave birth, he belongs to both of us."

Abby hesitated and reluctantly opened the door and stood back to let Lindsay in.

"Eric is upstairs. He wasn't feeling well today, so I let him stay home." She hated herself for feeling the need to explain to this woman why she let her son stay home from school.

"JR always has a tummy ache when she's upset. Melanie and I argue a lot because she thinks that we should force JR to go to school anyway."

"So you have other children?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, sometimes I'm a complete spaz. Melanie and I have a daughter, Jenny Rebecca. She's almost four now. Gus was still with us when we had her."

"I see."

"Abby, I'm not here to steal him away. I just want to talk to you. I just want you to know that I love him and I've missed him so much. I never gave up hope that we'd find him someday."

Abby steeled herself as best she could, but somewhere deep in her heart she knew that sooner or later this woman sitting across from her would get her son back.

"Is Mr. Kinney Jenny's father too?" Abby asked, trying to change the subject.

"No, Mel wouldn't hear of that. Let's just say that there is no love lost between my wife and my best friend. Michael is JR's dad. We've known him for many years and he's a great dad. Gus really loved his Uncle Mikey and Uncle Ben."

"So this Michael is gay as well?"

"Yes, he is. He has a partner, Ben, who's a professor. They have an adopted son, Hunter, who just started college last year at Penn State."

"Do you have any normal friends?" Abby regretted the words almost before they left her tongue.

"Do you think we aren't as good of parents as you, because we're gay? I love my children as much as any mother, Abby. That doesn't change no matter what your sexuality. We give them love, security, and try to instill good values in them, as any parent would."

"I'm sorry, I'm just not used to being around gay people."

"If you met me on the street would you think I'm gay, Abby?"

"No, you're so beautiful, and intelligent."

"I take it you're a Bush supporter."

"Excuse me?"

"Sorry, it's just only those right wing nuts have ever said something like that to me before. We're normal human beings, Abby. We just love differently. And this isn't about gay vs. straight. It's about a little boy."

"I don't know what you want from me, Ms. Peterson, but I'm not just going to hand my son over to some stranger."

"I'm not a stranger. I'm his mother."

"NO, I'm his mother. I'm the one who's been there for him all this time. I'm the one up at night worrying about whether he brushed his teeth before bed or if he'll get on the baseball team this summer. I'm the one who camps out on his floor when he's sick, and bakes his favorite cookies for after school. I'm the one who helps with homework and projects. I'm his MOTHER."

"Only because he was taken from me. Do you think I stopped worrying about him because he wasn't here? I worried more. I worried that he was safe and that his little belly was full. I worried that he was alive and happy. Just because he wasn't here didn't make him any less my son. I still want what's best for him. But I also want him to know that I'm his mother and that I love him. I want him to know that he has a family here that's always loved him."

"I think it's time for you to go, Ms. Peterson. Eric will be down for lunch any minute now and I don't want him confused any more than he already is."

"Please think about what I said, Abby. I just want the chance to know my son."

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Eric stood just at the top of the back stairs listening to the two women downstairs and worried even more that he was causing such sadness in so many people's lives.

TBC....

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