The fatherhood mandate, p.14
The Fatherhood Mandate, page 14
“You were supposed to be on the fucking pill, Rylee!” he yelled back.
“You know why I stopped taking the Pill,” she whispered. “How many times do I have to tell you that I wasn’t supposed to be able to get pregnant without medical intervention.”
“Bullshit!”
“So, what, you’re a gynecologist now?” she demanded. “You know everything about how women’s bodies work?”
Sam stood, swaying as he tried to maintain his balance. “I’m out of here,” he told her. “I can’t deal with you right now!”
He grabbed his coat and headed for the door. Putting up with his mother for the evening was a small price to pay for the privilege of sleeping in his own bed for a change.
The next evening, complaints gave way to groans of relief as the group shed the extra weight of their simulation vests. Sam plopped his vest on the table that had been set up to sort, clean, and repackage the devices.
Theo walked across the room to help Mike as he struggled to shrug off the vest. “Great job, everyone,” he told the group. “If you can all get back to your seats, we can get started.”
Sam walked back to his seat, almost feeling lighter than air. He had barely slept last night. Between the extra weight that made him sleep on his side, the sudden poke against his bladder when he shifted his weight, and the general feeling of doom, it was almost impossible to get comfortable.
“I know it’s been a struggle to stay on top of things, but you’re doing a great job, guys,” Theo told them. “I got the final update from social services. Everyone has passed the home inspections.” He smiled, a rarity for the old biker.
There was a bit of rustling. “Hey, you’re almost to the finish line. You did it!” Theo told them enthusiastically.
Max leaned forward. “It doesn’t feel like it, Theo.”
“What do you mean?”
“I still have a couple of classes to get through,” Max reminded him. “Julia has been nagging me about them for weeks now.”
Theo nodded. “Just a couple more online classes, Max,” he told him. “And, no, you don’t have to watch someone actually give birth. I promise!”
A chuckle went around the room. “Yeah, well, that breastfeeding class was a waste of time,” Mike offered. “Jen wants nothing to do with it!”
“Oh, man!” Jacob exclaimed. “You are so lucky, man! Emily is so psyched up for it. She wants to co-sleep, so neither of us are going to get any sleep at all!”
“Babies are like that,” Theo told them, a droll grin on his face. “Co-sleeping means that you have a shorter walk to pick them up when they’re crying.”
Jacob raked his hands across his face. “Dude,” he said. “I’m so not ready for this.”
“No one ever is,” Theo reminded them. “Is everyone signed up for the postpartum support class?”
“Yup.”
“Done.”
“It’s on my list, Theo!”
“Make sure that you sign into the Parenting Course portal and validate that you received credit for your work, including in-person classes,” Theo told them. “I don’t want to have to explain to a judge that you didn’t log in and track your attendance! Deadline is next week.” He looked around at the group. “Alright, break down your chairs and get outta here. We’re done for the day.”
As the rest of the group folded up their chairs and placed them in the rack before heading out of the door, Sam found himself standing in the back of the room, waiting for Theo to gather his things.
“Can I talk to you for a moment?” he asked.
“Sure,” Theo said as he shrugged on his heavy leather jacket.
“I’m not sure how to talk about this, Theo,” Sam admitted. He rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s embarrassing and I honestly don’t know what to do about it.”
“Spit it out,” Theo ordered. “Maybe I can help.”
Before long, Sam found himself unloading everything on Theo. That Rylee didn’t tell him she had stopped taking her birth control pill. That she’d broken up with him twice but demanded that they get back together. He even shared his suspicion that she secretly wanted to get pregnant so that he’d have to move to the East Coast with her.
Theo folded his arms against his chest, looking down at him like a judgmental parent. “Really?” he drawled. “That’s the best you’ve got? She secretly wanted to get pregnant so you couldn’t break up with her?”
“Seriously, if she had told me that she wanted to stop taking the Pill, I’d have worn a condom. It’s not a big deal!”
Theo shook his head, his lips pursed with a small smile. “You know how many times I’ve heard that?” he asked.
“But it’s true!” Sam threw back his head in frustration. “She claims that her sister had problems getting pregnant, and her mom did, too. She’s trying to get me to buy into the idea that she can’t ovulate because of some . . . medical disorder . . . and she thought that she couldn’t get pregnant, so why bother taking the Pill? That has to be a lie! No one goes off birth control because they can’t get pregnant. It’s hard enough to get prescribed in the first place!”
“Or . . . ” Theo held up a hand to stop Sam from interrupting him. “She stopped taking the Pill because it was causing other medical problems that are probably none of your business.”
“But why didn’t she tell me? Huh?” Sam demanded. “She hated how condoms felt and that we had to stop just so that I could put one on. She told me to stop buying them!”
“Did she?” Theo asked, his jaw jutting out with impatience. “Or did she say that to make you happy?”
What the hell, dude! Sam raked his fingers through his hair, pulling at it to keep from yelling. “Look, I only know what she told me!” he blurted out.
Much easier if we don’t leave behind any evidence, she’d whispered at him the first time.
“Look, Sam, it sounds like the two of you need to talk this out,” Theo said. “The state provides up to ten couple counseling sessions to help new parents adjust. I can get you on the calendar with one of them for next week. You know, someone who could act as a mediator and help you talk this out.”
“And if she admits on record that she wanted to get pregnant?” Sam retorted. “Can I take it to the lawyer and get out of this?”
Theo looked at him closely. “Sam, any way you look at this, you’re going to be a father. What’s done is done. So, it’s time to man up and stop looking for excuses, alright?”
Sam looked down. “Fine,” he said. “See you next week.”
He stomped away, barely listening as Theo called after him. He needed a drink.
The parking in the Third Ward was tight that evening, but Sam eventually found a place to park a few blocks from Deuces. The night was chilly, and he could feel the damp air through his jacket, but tonight he just didn’t care. He couldn’t take another moment.
He couldn’t believe Theo wouldn’t listen to him. Wasn’t he supposed to be their mentor, their go-to guy who was supposed to help him sort this shit out?
He crossed the street, running the last few steps to beat the car that refused to slow down as it came around the corner. Maybe I should talk to Dad, Sam thought. If Rylee got pregnant on purpose, wasn’t that entrapment and something the Court needed to know?
A distorted mix of guitar riffs, pounding drums, and intense vocals called to him as he got closer. Maybe he was in luck and a live band was playing. He quickened his steps, waving to the bouncer as he started to duck into the entrance. He really needed that beer.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” A hand came up and stopped him just past the vestibule. A tall, thin bouncer stood in his way. “I need to see some ID.”
This was new. “Where’s Bill?” Sam asked. “He knows me. I come here a lot.”
The bouncer brushed his platinum and bright orange hair from his eyes. “He’s off tonight,” he replied. “Look, I don’t care how often you come down here. I need to see your ID or I can’t let you in.”
Sam glared at the bouncer and then dug his wallet out of his pocket. “This is bullshit. I come here all the time. I just want to get a beer.” He flipped his license up to show it to the bouncer. “See? I’m legal. Are we done here?”
The bouncer grabbed Sam’s wallet in both hands to take a closer look in the dim light. “Hang on, let me see that. The birthday looks right, but that doesn’t look like a normal driver’s license to me . . . ”
Sam grabbed his wallet back and shoved it into his back pocket. “I just got it. They changed the layout. Are you going to let me in or what?”
The bouncer lifted his hand and beckoned one of the servers over. “Can you watch the door, Jim? I need a minute.”
“Sure.” The server came over and settled on the stool in the corner of the vestibule. “Don’t be too long, though. Stacy is running late, and orders are stacking up,” he told the new guy.
The bouncer nodded. “I’m new here, so why don’t we go back and talk to one of the owners. If he clears you, we’re good.” Sam nodded, and the bouncer casually grabbed Sam’s upper arm as they pushed through the crowd.
“Steve!” the bouncer yelled, waving his other arm to get the bartender’s attention. “Need a bit of help with an ID here!”
A dark-haired bartender that Sam had never seen before peered around the crowd. “Go ahead and take him to the office. I’ll be right there,” he yelled back, his voice almost drowned out by the band. Steve jerked his thumb to the right of the bar, then turned back to pull some microbrews from the ice bin.
The bouncer half-led, half-dragged Sam through the crowd to a small hallway. Bathrooms were on the right, an unmarked door on the left. A couple of girls spilled out of the bathroom, giggling, and almost ran into them before they flowed down the hall and back into the bar.
The bouncer opened the unmarked door, flipped on the light, and gestured to the guest chair on one side of the office. “Have a seat. I’m sure that Steve will get this sorted out. I gotta get back to work.” He closed the door as he left.
Sam looked around, then had a seat. An oversized wooden desk dominated the small room. Two large black metal file cabinets were crowded into the far corner, random clutter and paperwork piled on top. The walls were covered with random posters of bands that had retired long before Sam had been born.
He sat in the room for a good five minutes, alternating between staring uneasily at his phone and at the closed door. He thought about just leaving, but couldn’t make himself go. He was of legal age, he told himself repeatedly. Maybe the driver’s license had a slightly different layout than a regular driver’s license but, so what?
It didn’t matter. He didn’t care what that judge said. There was nothing wrong with him grabbing a drink. He’d been down to Deuces, what, three or four times now?
Finally, Steve came into the office, apologizing profusely for the delay. He was an older man, maybe his dad’s age, wearing a white apron over his jeans. "You know how Friday nights are!” he said. “Short-staffed with Greg out of town. So, can I see your driver’s license?”
“Sure,” Sam said as he stood and pulled his wallet out of his back pocket. He pulled the license out and handed it to the older man. “Look, I’m over twenty-one and I’ve been down here several times. I don’t understand what the problem is!”
Steve took the license and looked it over with a careful eye, brushing the license with a careful finger. “It says it’s ‘provisional’. Do you know what that means?” he asked so quietly that Sam could barely hear him over the band playing in the background.
Sam swallowed, acid starting to gnaw at his gut. “No, I don’t know what that means,” he replied. “I just came down here for a beer.”
Steve looked a bit tired as he sat down on the edge of the old wooden desk. “It means that you’re not allowed to legally buy alcohol,” he slowly said.
“It has to be some kind of mistake,” Sam told him, squirming a bit. “They must have given me the wrong kind of license. I’ll have to go down to the DMV tomorrow and get it fixed.” He stood up. Maybe it was time to leave.
Steve nodded, lips pursed like he wanted to say something. “Sure, that makes sense,” he eventually said.
There was a knock on the door and a police officer poked his head in. Steve stood, but didn’t give Sam his license back.
“What the hell?” Sam snarled. “You called the police?” Acid poured into the pit of his stomach. Dammit, this could not be happening!
Steve ignored Sam as he handed the license to the officer. “This might be a genuine mistake, officer, but I need to be sure.”
The officer nodded. “Happens sometimes.” He took the license, gave it a quick glance, and then used his shoulder radio to ask for officer assistance before pocketing Sam’s license. “Good catch, sir,” he told him. “That’s a provisional license issued to those in the Wisconsin Individual Family Education program. He’s not allowed to visit bars or buy alcohol.” Another officer appeared behind him.
Steve hung his head for a moment. “Okay, then,” he said. “I need to get back out there, officer.” He moved past the officers and back toward the bar.
“Sir, please put your hands on the wall,” he said as he took a pair of handcuffs out of his waist holder. “You have the right to remain silent. Everything you say . . . ”
Chapter Twelve
It had been a very long weekend. Footsteps outside of his holding cell echoed in the hallway, slowly approaching with rhythmic, almost judgmental precision that made him want to flinch. He stood up, defiantly facing the cell bars. All he’d wanted was a fucking beer. That didn’t make him a criminal, did it?
His attorney appeared, her dour face glaring at him from across the cell. “Did you have fun at the bar, Sam?” Olivia asked.
“I didn’t get very far before the cops showed up,” he spat. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
She took a step closer to the bars, fingernails tapping the tablet she held against her waist. “Really?” she said. “Then why were you arrested for violating the terms of your probation?”
Sam glared back. “Probation for what? Getting a girl pregnant? That’s not illegal—yet!” He moved closer to the bars. “It’s a stupid rule and you know it! I’m twenty-one now and, if I want to go down to the bar and have a drink, I’m going to have a fucking drink!”
Olivia slowly shook her head, rolling her eyes as if he were a child that just got caught lying. “That’s not what the law says, Sam,” she told him. “According to the GPS log, this is not your first time going down to that bar. Four times, Sam.”
“So?”
“So, there are consequences, Sam,” she told him. “Not just for the bar, which faces a considerable fine.” Sam winced. He hadn’t thought of that. “At this rate, I don’t know if we can avoid you doing some serious jail time.”
“For what?” Sam demanded. “Look, I know my rights. At most, I could get a small fine, have my driver’s license suspended, or maybe have to do some community service. It’s not like I was pulled over for drunk driving!”
“This is different,” Olivia told him firmly. “You violated the terms of your probation. The State of Wisconsin calls that a felony and is punishable by imprisonment up to two years in jail. Per offense.”
Sam found himself backing up until he was sitting on the bed, feeling like he’d been sucker punched. “Two years per offense?” he breathed. This was unreal.
“Two years behind bars for each and every night out,” Olivia repeated. “With supervised release for the birth and care of your child. I’m not here to bail you out. I’m here to represent you at today’s hearing.”
“Oh,” Sam said, struggling to find the words. “What did my dad say?”
Olivia snorted. “He was livid, but it’s your mom that you have to worry about.”
Sam looked up, horrified. Wendy. She’d have worked her way into an absolute meltdown. “What—what did she say?” he asked, trying to stay calm.
“She said, and I quote, ‘He can rot in hell, for all I care,’’’ Olivia told him. She shook her head. “You’re lucky that she can’t come down and yell at you in person, though. This will be a private hearing. That means you, me, the prosecutor, your mentor, and the guardian ad litem. Maybe a witness or two. No one else is allowed.”
“Not even my dad?” he breathed.
Olivia shook her head. “You’re an adult now, Sam. No parents.”
Sam took a deep breath and blew it out. “Okay, so what do I do?”
“Try to stay out of trouble until they come to get you,” Olivia told him. “Your dad sent a change of clothes for you.”
“Okay,” Sam said, hanging his head.
“Good,” Olivia told him as she turned away. “I have some paperwork to file. I’ll see you at the hearing.”
“Wait!” Sam called.
Olivia turned, tapping her index finger against the tablet. “Something I need to know?”
Sam swallowed. “I think Rylee got pregnant on purpose,” he admitted. “She told me that she stopped taking her birth control pills. On purpose,” he repeated.
Olivia stepped closer to the bars, studying his face for a long moment. “Sam, that’s a serious allegation to make.”
Sam held his breath. Maybe Theo was wrong, and this was his way out.
“That being said, there’s nothing in the current law that specifically addresses this,” she told him. “The Court will look at domestic violence, incest, emotional abuse, all forms of rape, including sexual coercion, but unless Rylee made you have sex with her . . . ”
Sam shook his head. “No. She didn’t.”
Olivia pursed her lips and thought for a moment. “Then, until the state legislature provides additional guidance, this may only apply to the financial and placement negotiations. I can’t be certain, but the guardian ad litem might be open to reducing your commitments based on this information.” She paused for a moment. “Or, maybe not,” she told him. “I’m not sure how much wiggle room he’ll have.”
