All I Wanted

(Vince.)

“Hey, can you pretty please, possibly watch Micah today? I’ll pay you,” I asked into my cell phone.

“Umm…I’m not so sure. I might have plans.”

The ass was gonna make me beg.

“Fine. Please Please Please. Cherries and everything.”

He laughed. “Okay. You have to pick me up though.”

“I’ll be over in about 30. Kay?”

“Yup.”

I packed up Micah in his coat and put him in the car seat. My court case was rescheduled and I didn’t know about it till that morning. I was fighting for full custody of Micah.

I desperately needed someone to watch him. So I called his favorite person, Deano. He really likes Deano. And I can tell Deano likes him too. Even if Deano doesn’t like me much.

But Micah is a nice excuse for him to be around. Is it bad that I use my own kid to get a guy? …Yea. Probably.

Anyway, Micah seemed to know who he was going to see, so he was giggling the whole way to Deano’s house.

I parked in the driveway and honked the horn. A minute later the sexy Deano strutted out of the door and to the passenger side of my little SUV.

“Hey,” he greeted.

“Hello Mr. Baby-Sitter,” I replied.

He turned face the backseat. “And hello little guy. How are you?”

Micah giggled.

“So what do you have to do at such short notice?” he asked during the ride home.

“The trial was rescheduled and I was just told about it this morning,” I growled.

This was just a ploy of Lizzy’s to keep me from getting custody of Micah. She’ll do anything to keep him just so I have to keep paying child support. I’d never let her have him though. She never takes care of him.

I could see him give me a sympathetic look out of the corner of my eye.

“You’ll get custody. I know it,” he said, “she’s a horrible mother. I can attest to that.”

“I know. I hope you’re right,” I sighed. “Is it bad if I’m scared?”

“No. Anyone would be nervous in this situation. It’s normal.”

“Once again, I hope you’re right.”

“I am.”

I smiled at his assurance.

When we got back I dropped the two off at my apartment. Deano wished me luck again and I set off for the courthouse.

Once I got there I went through the metal detectors and signed in and all that jazz. I sat in the back of the room until my name was called.

“Connor vs. Smith concerning the custody of Micah Connor.” the bailiff called.

The judge looked to me and my attorney. “Vincent Connor, you’re requesting full custody of your son, Micah. Is that correct?”

“Yes, Sir,” I replied.

“So. Why do you want custody?”

“I feel that Micah is in danger under his mother’s supervision. Half of the time she brings him back to me when it’s her turn to watch him. She’s usually drunk and has guys over all the time,” I explained.

“I see.” Then he turned to Lizzy. “And what do you say about this Miss Smith?”

She just grimaced. She knew there was no way she was keeping Micah. Then her eyes struck fire. “Well, when I was over to drop off Micah a few weeks ago, you were fucking some guy I don’t even know.”

“Language Miss,” the judge reprimanded.

He looked to me for response. I answered with “Deano Sweet is a friend of mine. He was over because we’d been out with friends the night before and it started to storm. I was letting him stay instead of going out in the rain.”

The judge looked confused. “So it was raining?”

“Yes,” I concurred.

“And she had brought your son to you in a storm? How bad was the storm?”

“Yes. It was raining and thundering. And hailing just a little.”

He nodded. I knew I’d got her trapped in a corner.

“So what time did she arrive?”

“Midnight, Sir,” I smiled to myself.

He scowled at Lizzy. “You took your son out in hail at midnight? Why?”

I laughed when she replied, “I’d gotten sick and didn’t want Micah to catch it.”

The judge caught my laugh. “What’s so funny?”

“That’s a lie.”

“Really? Then what’s the truth?”

“She came over to my house drunk. She said that she’d met a guy and Micah was getting in the way. So she left him with me, after saying I was lucky she didn’t throw him in a dumpster.”

The judge shook his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“Miss Smith,” he scoffed, “Just from your attitude in this courtroom, I’d have to grant Mr. Conner custody. But hearing all of this, I just can’t let this child stay with you.”

I smiled so wide my lips split.

“In the case of the custody of Micah Connor, Mr. Vincent Connor is granted full custody.”

The gavel hit the stand and it rang through my ears.

I got custody of Micah!

I hugged my attorney and signed a shit load of papers. I couldn’t really think about any of it. I was just so happy.

I ran out of the building as soon as I could and sped home.

I burst through the door, which shocked Deano. He fell off of the couch and squeaked.

“I won!” I screamed.

He jumped off the floor and ran into my arms.

He screamed back, “I told you!”

His legs and arms locked around me when I started swinging us around in a circle.

He laughed and squealed until I set him down.

“You know, now that I have full custody, I’m gonna need a babysitter. I’ll pay you and everything,” I suggested.

He pondered. “Mm…okay.”

I jumped up and down. “Yes!”

I settled down and collapsed on the couch. It wasn’t and accident that I landed on Deano.

He just chuckled and combed through my hair with his fingers.

To say I was in heaven would be an understatement.

“You and Micah should go celebrate. When he wakes up though. He was a booger to put down today.”

I looked up at him. He wasn’t looking at me though. “Come with us?”

“Hmm?”

“Come celebrate with us. You are his new official babysitter.”

He contemplated it for a second, “I guess I could.”

“Good cause you don’t have a choice.”

“Let’s wait though. Let Micah sleep for a bit.”

I nodded and yawned. Deano’s hands were putting me to sleep.

“You’re a really good dad, Vince.”

I smiled. “Thank you.”

“Vince, can I ask you a question?” he mumbled.

“Yea,” As long as those hands were still moving, he could ask anything he wanted.

“You’re gay, right?”

“Mhmm.”

“Then, how is Micah yours?”

“Lizzy is fucking crazy. Let me just say that. She had this huge crush on me. We met a little over a year and a half ago. After about four months of her nonstop asking, I agreed to just hang out with her. Well, we went to a party and she got me plastered. I ended up having sex with her and she got pregnant. But after that she completely changed. She wanted nothing to do with me. Now she wants nothing to do with her son.”

“Oh. She scared me a tad. Just saying.”

I laughed. “She’s a nut alright.”

I think I fell asleep because something was shaking me and when I opened my eyes it was darker.

The heavenly sight of Deano holding Micah greeted me.

“He’s up if you want to go out now. It’s been a few hours, so I thought you’d want me to wake you,” he explained.

“Thanks. I scratched my head. “I need to change.”

“Kay. We’ll be waiting.”

I changed into a simple black t-shirt and grey skinnys. I put on basic Vans and a black jacket.

When I got back downstairs, Deano had bundled up Micah and they were ready to go.

“Where to Daddy-O?”

“The Coffee shop down the street? Then maybe go to the mall?”

He smiled. “Okay.”

A day with my two favorite people. This should be fun.