Eva Pt. 17

Marty and Cassie Andretta were both ne'er do well types. They lived in a bad part of the city, he had numerous run-ins with the law, though never convicted, and only sporadically worked. How they found out about Eva and I was simple: our old 'friend' Don Carroll actually got off his ass and did a little research and found them. I guess he wasn't happy that I gave him only 25 grand when he wanted 50. So this was his revenge. He found Marty and Cassie and worked out a scheme to challenge us for custody. They didn't want those kids; they hadn't seen them since Maria was an infant. When we were served with papers- at work for goodness sake!- Eva nearly fell to pieces and I wasn't that much better. Before we even left school that day we called Ben Walsh, the lawyer for their interests.

After he filled us in as to what he knew about the cousins, Ben spoke to us honestly. "I knew about those two lowlifes" he told us over the speaker phone in Eva's office. "They told Charles Reed they wanted nothing to do with children when he contacted them. They were the only even somewhat close relations. And they're unfit parents. If Reed had investigated them, he almost certainly wouldn't have approved them for custody. But I have to tell you, Jon, Eva, you never can say for certain what a judge in Family Court will do. I'd say it's 95% in your favor. But that 5% is enough to concern me. If Marty had one of those arrests turn into a conviction, you'd be golden. But the charges were dropped each time. As far as the court is concerned, the arrests never happened. If he holds onto a full time job while this goes through the system, keeps his nose clean.....I can't promise a judge won't laugh them out of court."

"Ben, what do we do? We can't turn them over to those...creatures" I said with contempt. "We just can't. We were getting ready to ask you to draw up a petition for adoption."

"Well, first I'm going to send you to a family law specialist. I don't do that and I don't have the background. We don't even have anyone in our practice who does. But I know a few excellent lawyers who can help with everything. Certainly a hell of a lot better than Don Carroll. And I'm going to tell you informally, this feels like they're looking to extort you into offering money for them to go away. I can't advise you to do that, especially if they ask you for a bribe. Carroll will make sure that doesn't happen; even a bush league lawyer knows better than that. But they may hint around it. If so...just make sure you get them to relinquish their claims to custody in writing. I can help with that. And I can make it ironclad. As long as the document doesn't mention money paid and you don't tell me about it. I don't want to know if you do."

I could read between the lines and so could Eva. He couldn't recommend paying them off, but he was saying it was the best way out. I was sure Carroll, when he approached the Andretta's he told them Eva and I were rich. We were, I can't say otherwise. We were worth over seven million dollars by then. But paying those two even a dime, not to mention that shyster Carroll...."

Ben gave us the names of two family lawyers he knew, we got off the phone and Eva and I tried to go back to work. We had a lot of talking to do before we responded to the summons in five weeks. Needless to say, we didn't get much done the rest of the day.

We picked up Vince and Maria at 4 like always from the after school program, and they could tell we were both upset. Vince asked what was wrong and Eva told them nothing, that it was nothing they did or had nothing to do with them. It was a half a lie, but it was nothing that was their fault. They were going to be victimized if we didn't find a way to stop this.

We put on a brave face when we walked in the door, where Rosa had a snack for them of milk with a few cookies. Eva asked Rosa not to make dinner and I asked them if they wanted to go out for really good burgers for dinner at the town diner.

Both said yes enthusiastically. They also knew this was unusual; we rarely went out for dinner during the week. Eva took Maria for her dance lesson at 5 and we agreed to meet at the restaurant at 7. We hugged extra tight in the foyer before the kids saw us, then I gave Vince a guitar lesson while Maria went dancing.

When we met for dinner, we ordered three cheeseburger plates (I don't like cheese on my burger) and four unsweetened Ice Teas and we had an atypical quiet dinner. Eva and I were watching the kids almost non-stop and they knew something was up. But since they knew we weren't telling them, Vince changed the subject. "Jon, Eva, could you tell me how you met? I'd like to know."

"Me too" Maria chimed in enthusiastically. "Please tell us?"

Eva started the story, talking between bites of her cheeseburger deluxe and fries (they had delicious fries), of the day she was feeling sad at school and the nicest, most wonderful man sat next to her to let her talk to someone. (Her words, not mine. Promise) How we started dating and how dating turned to love and love to marriage. We skipped over the part about my mother and then what happened to my father. I hoped to hold those stories off until they were much older, and hoped they'd be a part of our lives still.

"And now, forty two years later, Jon and I are still together. We've been happy almost every day, with a few bad times, like every family goes through. We have a wonderful family and now we have two new members of that family. Two beautiful children who we love like we love Rachel and Connor. And Ollie and your Aunt Cammy. And her family, and my mother and my brothers and their families. We've been very lucky, Vince, Maria. We've always been surrounded by the most loving people, and that includes you. When we applied to take in a child, we were thinking one child. When Mr. Reed asked us about taking a brother and sister who needed help, we didn't even have to think about it. We said yes right away. And when we saw you both we just knew we wanted to take care of you. We wanted to make sure you didn't get split up. You deserve to grow up as brother and sister."

They stopped eating and they looked at each other. Then Vince said "Mr. Reed told us he didn't know if we would be able to stay together. Before we met you. He said it was hard to find a place for us both together." They both started crying a little as Vince kept talking, as always in the role of the protective big brother. I could relate to that easily. "We told him we would rather stay in the group house they had us in, and that was a bad place. But then he found you and you took us. We were scared and sometimes we still are. But we like living with you. We love you and Rachel and Connor. We REALLY love Rachel. All your family."

Eva took his hand and I held Maria's. Then she said "Do you remember meeting a cousin of your fathers', Marty, and his wife Cassie?" Both children shook their heads no, which was what we expected. "We got a letter today and they want to have you live with them. Now they are actually related to you. But Jon and I want you to stay with us. We love you both, very, very much." We were all crying there in the restaurant, making fools of ourselves and not giving a damn who saw us, including a few of our students and their parents. "Vincent, Maria, what if we wanted you both to be a permanent part of our family? You'd be as much our children as Rachel and Connor are, you'd be our family and we'd be yours."

Maria, wiping her face, said "Would we be your step-children?"

I answered quickly. "No, sweetheart. You'd be our children. No 'steps'. We'd treat you the same as we treat Connor and Rachel, with the same responsibilities and affection. We'd be your parents. You could call us mom and dad if you want to. Your other parents would always be a part of your hearts and we'll do everything we can to keep their memories alive. But we'll love you like we are the people who gave birth to you. Like we do now."

"You don't have to decide right now, sweethearts" Eva added. Take your time, you can talk to Mr. Reed or anyone you want. But if you want this, for us to be your parents from now on, we'll do everything we can to fight for you. If you want to meet your cousins first before you decide who you want to live with, then we'll arrange for that to happen. Jon and I want you to be happy and loved. That's the most important thing."

We said our piece and we were prepared for this to take a while. We expected them to want to meet their cousins. Legally, they probably were going to have to anyway unless they withdrew their petition. What we weren't prepared for was what happened when we got home. The two of them went to Maria's room and they talked alone. Eva and I sat in the family room, not getting any work done, not doing anything, we didn't even play any music. We just cuddled on the couch feeling both frightened and hopeful. An hour or so later, just before their bedtimes, They came downstairs in their pajamas and sat between us. Vince, as usual as the elder sibling, spoke for both.

"We decided we want to stay with you....Mom and Dad. If you want us." Our hearts sang out and we cuddled them in our arms, Vince in mine and Maria in Eva's, then we switched.

"You can think about it some more, if you want" I offered again. "And we told you, if you want to meet your cousins, that's fine. You may have to anyways. But if this is really what you want, then we'll be so happy to make it happen."

"We're happy here with you, Daddy, you and Mommy. We love you and we know you love us." Maria cried into my chest as Eva cuddled Vince and we looked at each other and we knew we'd do everything we possibly could to make this happen. Thankfully it was a Friday night, because no one was really in the mood to go to sleep then. We all just cried together, for a long while, then I picked up the guitar and Eva and I taught them the song Our House by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and we sang it a few times over, saccharine sweet but completely appropriate.

After a while they got tired and we carried them to bed. First I sang to Maria, You Are the Sunshine of My Life, slower than usual, making it more of a lullaby. As soon as she was sound asleep, I went into Vince's room and was about to sing to him when he asked me "You don't mind if we call you Mom and Dad, do you?"

"Not at all, Champ (what I had started to call him a few months before). We're thrilled to be your Mom and Dad, but you'll always remember your other Mom and Dad. We're thrilled to be able to be your parents. We love you, Vince. You're our son and daughter." I kissed his head before I sang Beautiful Boy, like I used to sing to Connor twenty five years before. Vince liked it and was soon asleep soundly.

In our bedroom, Eva was crying again. There were a lot of tears of late. I sat next to her as she turned her head to me, laying on her tummy. I stroked my hand down her back, through her hair, and I said "We're not going to let those parasites take those children, Angel. If we have to pay them off, we will. I don't care. I want to keep them as safe as Rachel and Connor."

"I know, Bear. But I'm scared. I haven't felt this scared since you were shot."

I curled next to her and spooned my wife as she kept crying. But I was scared too. You never know what a judge in family court could do. We had to meet with the cousins, and that bastard Don Carroll, too. He still wanted his payday.

A few weeks later, Ben Walsh arranged a sit down at his offices in one of the conference rooms with Marty and Cassie Andretta, along with Carroll as well as the family law expert we hired, Lorraine Waller. We all signed the forms Walsh's firm required to enter the offices. and we sat on opposite sides of the table.

Marty and Cassie were distinctly unimpressive. I didn't expect them to be dressed in high end clothing; we knew they had little money. But he was in a truckers hat with a baseball jersey and wrinkled jeans while Cassie was in a too tight top and snug pants. Think Peggy Bundy without the looks and class. The thought of them even meeting those kids made my skin crawl. Eva felt it as well, though she was better at hiding her contempt.

Things were tense from the start and Don Carroll was smirking as he looked at me, thinking he was going to have his revenge for me 'shortchanging' him. Eva looked uncomfortable while I scowled. I couldn't believe that Michael and Linda, who must have been fine people to raise such good kids could be related to these two.

Carroll spoke first. "So, here we are. My clients are interested in seeing their little cousins and petitioning for temporary custody. I'm ready to file papers with Family Court challenging your adoption petition, Mr. and Mrs. Grossman. Now, maybe you'll beat us, but maybe you won't. Judges try to keep children with blood relatives when they can."

Lorraine Waller spoke up, since this was her area of expertise. "True enough, Mr. Carroll. When the family members are deemed fit custodians. Looking at your clients, and at their backgrounds and credit reports, employment history, they hardly seem like they're suitable to be given even visitation. But we agree, you never know exactly what a judge can do. But I have to wonder why you're clients are so eager for custody now, when they said they weren't interested in helping over a year ago when their parents died. The children are settled and happy, doing well in school and in their social lives. They love the Grossmans and they don't even know your clients. They haven't even seen the children in five years."

The meeting got hot and angry right away. Marty and Cassie were rude and crude, as the saying goes. And honestly, I let my temper flare as well. After an hour and a half, we all decided to take a half hour break and consult separately.

"I can't take this, Jon" Eva said with anguish in her voice. "Can't we just pay them to go away?"

Lorraine spoke to us. "It's not that simple, Mrs. Grossman. You can't just bribe them. We have to show they aren't fit to have custody or that they really have no interest in raising the children. I still think they have a slim chance, but you just never know." She looked at her watch. "Let's go back inside. Maybe they'll show their cards. I know they don't want to raise Vince and Maria. It's just a question of how good or bad a lawyer Don Carroll really is."

We went back in and sat back down. A half hour later, after more shouting and ugly words, I got fed up. "What is it you two really want? I know you couldn't care less about what's best for Vince and Maria. You haven't even used their names once during this meeting. So what is it?" I was careful not to offer money.

Marty sneered at me. "You think you're so high and mighty. Rich people raising my cousins kids. You think you're better than us because you got money. You and your little kewpie doll wife there, Miss High Tits." I wanted to leap across the table and tear his fucking heart out, but Ben held out his arm, keeping me in my seat. "Well, there's more than one way to get money in this world, and you are gonna pay us, big shot. You're going to pay plenty if you want us to go away. I was thinking about two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. PLUS Mr. Carroll's fee." He looked very pleased with himself.

But my lawyers were even more pleased. Ben spoke then. "That's an interesting proposal, Mr. Andretta. Very interesting. But I had a different number in mind. Zero. Nothing. Not a cent." I didn't understand what was going on, but I didn't want this to get even worse. Eva looked even more upset. But our lawyers kept smiling.

"Ben," I whispered as low as I could, "what are you doing?"

Carroll looked uncomfortable, like he suspected a problem but he didn't know what it was. Walsh closed the trap. "Don't worry, Jon. This meeting just ended. See, Mr. Andretta, you just were recorded soliciting a bribe and demonstrating being not only uninterested in actually taking custody of the children, but also being unfit."

Carroll was furious. "You recorded this meeting? Pennsylvania is a two party consent state! Both sides have to consent to having a conversation recorded!"

"Very true, Mr. Carroll. Too bad you're not a better lawyer. When you and your clients signed the forms to enter my offices, you consented to being recorded in any and all manner of conversation." He handed out copies of the forms, all with their signatures. "You consented, all three of you. Ms. Waller can easily demonstrate to a judge that you were just here to shake our clients down. You have no interest in the children. And now the court will know about it as well. If you pursue this matter. I doubt that you will. And I'm sure Mr. Carroll won't want to waste any more time on this matter, will you?"

Don Carroll just fumed as he sat there. Cassie spoke for the first time. "You idiot! You fucked us out of all that money! Fucking moron I married!" Marty looked like he wanted to belt her, but at least he had enough sense to constrain himself.

"Fucking shit!" he muttered. "This ain't legal, is it?" He was pleading with his lawyer.

"I'm afraid it is. We signed the forms. It's legal."

"Fucking dumbass of a lawyer I got! Promised us a big payday!"

I decided to end things. "You want money, Marty? I'll get you money. Twenty five thousand. I'll get you a cashiers check by the end of the week. Two conditions. You both sign away any and all possible interest in custody of Maria and Vincent. Forever. You leave us alone, you don't even get a minute of a visit. And two: You don't pay a cent to your shyster of a lawyer. Keep it all. Carroll, I'll pay you five grand. That's it. I'm done with you. The three of you can take it or leave it."

Walsh and Waller both tried to plead with me, saying this wasn't necessary, I didn't have to pay any of them anything. Eva nodded her head, agreeing with me. We wanted this over and done. The three of them talked angrily for a minute before agreeing to my terms. I was certainly more generous than either Ben or Lorraine wanted me to be. I figured thirty grand was a small price to pay to get them out of our lives and, more importantly, out of Vince and Maria's lives. It also removed the only real obstacle to me and Eva's adopting them. We could now move forward.

When we got home, Eva and I picked up the kids from school and we told them in a few months we'd all be a real family, as soon as Lorraine Waller could get the appointments with Family Court. We called Rachel, who said she was coming home for the weekend to celebrate with us, then we called Leigh and we flew her and Ollie down also for the weekend. Connor was on sea duty and we couldn't even give him the good news for five weeks yet. Then I called Cammy at her office and thanked her with all my heart. Her help and her recommendation of Ben Walsh really made the difference.

"Jon, as you always tell me, you never have to thank me for anything. It was my pleasure to help you and help those sweet children. You and Eva are still the best people I've ever known. And when you go to court to finalize the adoption, make sure you let us know in advance. Kyle, Anna and I would love to be there."

She couldn't come for Thanksgiving that year, but Eva and I again went to California for Christmas with Rachel and Vince and Maria, and that time we were joined by Phyllis, Connor and his family and even Aunt Annette and Uncle Phil and their kids. Kyle and Cammy squeezed us all in somehow and it was an amazing Chanukah/Christmas/New Years. And the best was yet to come.

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Monday, March 4th, 2013. It was like that July day 26 years earlier. Except instead of Cammy, we had Vincent and Maria getting all dressed up as did Eva and I, in our best suits. Rachel was there as well, after getting permission from Julliard to miss a few days for a good purpose. We met in the hallway upstairs. Maria was in a pretty white with pink trim dress, and Vince in a dark suit, white shirt and a bow tie. We gave them the once over and they looked perfect to meet the judge. Eva, with a huge smile on her face said "Who's excited today? Raise your hand!" All five of us raised our hands high in the air and we hugged warmly. "Come on, gang. Let's become a family!" We hurried downstairs and, while we ate a very light breakfast (we were all too nervous for anything more) the bell rang and I answered it. It was Cammy, Kyle and Anna, who had come in Friday night for a long weekend; they had to return the next morning so Anna, smart as she was, didn't miss too much time at school.