God, I hated what I had to say right now. She truly cared about Grace, and it was going to crush her to see her leave.
I nodded like I was listening to anything about what leaf picking meant and pulled out the chair from the table to sit down. After I took a deep breath, I let it out slowly. Christ, I didn’t want to do this. I needed to, though. She deserved to know what was going on.
Better to just say what I had to say and get it out.
“The woman from child services called today. Grace’s father wants to take her while her mother is in jail. It looks like it’s a done deal because he has parental rights.”
Tia’s eyes filled with tears and she shook her head. “No! Don’t let them do that to her, Nico. She’s had a hard time being separated from her mother and then coming here to a place filled with people she didn’t know. Tell them she cried for a week straight. Tell them she’s just now getting used to the idea that she’s safe and can be happy.”
“I told the lawyer that. The courts don’t care. Parental rights seems to be some impenetrable suit of goddamned armor.”
“Don’t let them send her off with her father. She’s never even met him, has she? She’s never said a single word about her father to me, and trust me, she talks about her mother all the time so if she knew about her father, she would have said something in all the time I’ve been here.”
Seeing her so upset made me feel like a complete failure. I wanted to do exactly what she was telling me to do, but ridiculous laws made that impossible.
“I can’t do anything about it. I have no real rights in this situation, unfortunately.”
She continued to shake her head as tears rolled down her cheeks. “No, Nico. Don’t let this happen. Use that money you told me you’d use to make any problem disappear. She doesn’t even know her father. Rights mean nothing when a little girl is in danger of feeling like she’s just a football to be passed around from house to house. She’s happy now. She even thinks you like her.”
“I do like her, Tia, and not because she’s blood. She’s a cute kid. You’ve really brought out the best in her.”
Tia reached across the table and grabbed my hand. Staring up into my eyes, she pleaded, “Then tell them that. Tell them whatever you have to so she doesn’t have to leave. I’m afraid if you let them take her away that she’s going to be the saddest little girl in the world.”
“His rights as her father are too much to overcome. There’s nothing I can do.”
“Then force them to do it slowly, like he can come to visit for an hour at first and then build up to earning her trust. It’s not right to just shuttle a little girl around from person to person and expect her to not feel anything. Nico, please! At least give her some time to get to know this man she’s never met. You have no idea about this man. He could be a pedophile or worse. Don’t let this happen. Please don’t.”
I hung my head and slowly nodded. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank you. It’s only right. Grace deserves some sense of permanence in her life. I mean, I know she won’t be living here forever, but she should be able to be around people she trusts.”
“She trusts you, Tia. I think if child services could see you two together they’d understand. I feel like I’m talking to a wall when I try to convince anyone to let her stay here.”
“Then bring them all here!” she said excitedly. “Let them watch us playing outside in the leaves or making arts and crafts while we drink hot cocoa. She’s happy here, Nico. That should count for something, right?”
“I’ll do what I can, Tia. I promise.”
“Thank you, Nico. It will mean the world to her. You watch.”
As I walked out of the kitchen, I looked back and saw Tia looking at me like she had all the confidence in the world that I’d be able to fix this problem. I didn’t have that level of confidence at all, sadly.
Chapter Ten
Tia
While Graceand I colored pages in her alphabet coloring book, I kept watching for Nico to come tell me everything would be okay. I imagined the nasty attitude he’d be giving to anyone who got in his way. Having seen it firsthand, I had a feeling it would sway some minds, for sure.
“Look, Tia. I finished my F. Isn’t it nice?”
I turned to look at her and saw a wonderful blue F wearing a smiley face. “I love it. It’s a happy F. Do you know what the word is at the top?”
She shook her head and frowned. “No.”
“It says F is for friend. Like you and I are friends.”
Grace looked down at her picture and smiled. “F is for friend.”
“Do you know what people call their close friends? They call them best friends. Can we be best friends?”