Green Day Baby
Police Buisness
I wake up to the sound of knocking. I open my eyes to find I'm on the couch and Rosie is sitting on my chest watching television. Last night she learnt how to turn it on by herself.
"I'll get it!" Tre calls as I see him jog past me. He opens the door and I see a cop standing there. I move Rosie off of me and get up.
"Hello, I was wondering if you knew the woman who lived across the hall, Adeena Salvador?" the officer asks, Tre looks uneasy.
"Yeah we knew her." Mike says going up to the door.
"Do you know anything about her daughter?" he asks and just then, like a stroke of fate being against us.
"Juice!" Rosie exclaims as she runs up to Tre. "Tay, juice!" she catches glimpse of the officer and points to herself. "Oh-see!"
"Is that her?" the officer asks, "Rosie Salvador?"
"Uh, uh yeah." Mike says weakly, I see Tre clench his fist.
"Adeena left her in our care."
"Oh really?" the officer says scratching the back of his neck, "You are aware of her passing?"
"Yes," I say calmly, "But earlier this week she was drugging up, so she left her in our care."
"Well I have to take her into custody, we'll try to find some family, if not she's be going to a foster home."
"That won't be necessary," Mike interrupts.
"Yes, it is," the officer contradicts.
"No it isn't." Mike pauses, "I'm her father." I see him cross his index and middle finger behind his back.
"Yes its true," I say nodding, "He and Adeena had a thing going on a while back. She only told him a few months ago that he was the father."
The cop looks him over, then looks at Rosie, she's so young it could be plausible.
"Alright," he says taking out his notepad, "Your name?"
"Michael Pritchard."
"Okay Mr. Pritchard, come to the police station tomorrow morning, with Rosie and present this." He hands him a paper, "We're going to need a paternity test." Mike looks over the paper.
"Alright," Mike says nodding. The officer turns around and heads out. Mike shuts the door and Tre jumps him.
Tre starts punching Mike in the face.
"She's your fucking daughter!" he yells, "you let her live like that!" I pull Tre off and sit on his chest. "Why didn't you guys fucking tell me?!" Rosie starts to cry. Mike goes over to her and scoops her up.
"No, of course not," Mike says rolling his eyes. I find it safe to remove my ass from Tre's chest, so I do.
"Then what was that all about?!"
"Did you want them to just take Rosie away?" Mike demands.
"No," Tre murmurs, barely audible.
"What about tomorrow, when you go in for the paternity test?" I ask, Mike goes over to the sofa and puts Rosie down.
"I'll say that Adeena told me I was the father and I've been raising Rosie as my own so far. I'll try to guilt them into giving me custody in absence of her real father."
"That might actually work." I say thinking it over.
The next morning, its silent as Tre carefully dresses Rosie in a green dress with pink flowers. Mike is pacing back and forth working out every detail of his story. I can barely move from where I'm standing, my mind is in a daze.
"Okay well we should get going," Mike says finally, we all know this could very well be the last time we see Rosie. Tre picks up the toddler and hugs her tight.
"Bye-bye Rosie," he says so softly, it doesn't even sound like him. I think I hear him mumble the words I love you before I take her in my arms.
"Bye Rosie," I say calmly, I can feel my eyes welling up, I can't even choke up any more words. Mike takes her from my arms and heads out the door.
Like an instant, as soon as Mike closes the door, Tre and I go to our rooms. I sit on my bed for while, thinking about every "what if" in the book. What if we did get to keep her, would we bring her touring with us this spring, and what about when she gets older, when we get older. Personally I know that I want to move in with Adie when she moves here, Mike will probably end up being in some long term relationship eventually. And if we don't get custody of her, then it'll be like our hearts were ripped from our chests, that kid really took a number on us.
I end up lying on my bed with only my thoughts for a good hour when I hear the door open. I run out of my room to here the most beautiful sound.
"Bew! Tay!" Rosie yelps. My face lights up, I turn to Mike.
"They let you keep her?"
"For now anyway,." He sighs, "They haven't found any of her family."
"So if they find any family members, she goes?" Tre asks slowly as he picks up the toddler.
"Yeah," Mike whispers.
"Look!" Rosie exclaims pointing at the bandage on her arm from where they drew blood, "Tay, Bew look!"
Tre crouches down to her level and kisses her arm, she giggles and kisses his cheek. I look at Tre, he was so happy. Like a five year being given every toy he ever wanted. I couldn't get over how happy I was, I didn't even want to imagine the thought of the cops finding her family.
"I'll get it!" Tre calls as I see him jog past me. He opens the door and I see a cop standing there. I move Rosie off of me and get up.
"Hello, I was wondering if you knew the woman who lived across the hall, Adeena Salvador?" the officer asks, Tre looks uneasy.
"Yeah we knew her." Mike says going up to the door.
"Do you know anything about her daughter?" he asks and just then, like a stroke of fate being against us.
"Juice!" Rosie exclaims as she runs up to Tre. "Tay, juice!" she catches glimpse of the officer and points to herself. "Oh-see!"
"Is that her?" the officer asks, "Rosie Salvador?"
"Uh, uh yeah." Mike says weakly, I see Tre clench his fist.
"Adeena left her in our care."
"Oh really?" the officer says scratching the back of his neck, "You are aware of her passing?"
"Yes," I say calmly, "But earlier this week she was drugging up, so she left her in our care."
"Well I have to take her into custody, we'll try to find some family, if not she's be going to a foster home."
"That won't be necessary," Mike interrupts.
"Yes, it is," the officer contradicts.
"No it isn't." Mike pauses, "I'm her father." I see him cross his index and middle finger behind his back.
"Yes its true," I say nodding, "He and Adeena had a thing going on a while back. She only told him a few months ago that he was the father."
The cop looks him over, then looks at Rosie, she's so young it could be plausible.
"Alright," he says taking out his notepad, "Your name?"
"Michael Pritchard."
"Okay Mr. Pritchard, come to the police station tomorrow morning, with Rosie and present this." He hands him a paper, "We're going to need a paternity test." Mike looks over the paper.
"Alright," Mike says nodding. The officer turns around and heads out. Mike shuts the door and Tre jumps him.
Tre starts punching Mike in the face.
"She's your fucking daughter!" he yells, "you let her live like that!" I pull Tre off and sit on his chest. "Why didn't you guys fucking tell me?!" Rosie starts to cry. Mike goes over to her and scoops her up.
"No, of course not," Mike says rolling his eyes. I find it safe to remove my ass from Tre's chest, so I do.
"Then what was that all about?!"
"Did you want them to just take Rosie away?" Mike demands.
"No," Tre murmurs, barely audible.
"What about tomorrow, when you go in for the paternity test?" I ask, Mike goes over to the sofa and puts Rosie down.
"I'll say that Adeena told me I was the father and I've been raising Rosie as my own so far. I'll try to guilt them into giving me custody in absence of her real father."
"That might actually work." I say thinking it over.
The next morning, its silent as Tre carefully dresses Rosie in a green dress with pink flowers. Mike is pacing back and forth working out every detail of his story. I can barely move from where I'm standing, my mind is in a daze.
"Okay well we should get going," Mike says finally, we all know this could very well be the last time we see Rosie. Tre picks up the toddler and hugs her tight.
"Bye-bye Rosie," he says so softly, it doesn't even sound like him. I think I hear him mumble the words I love you before I take her in my arms.
"Bye Rosie," I say calmly, I can feel my eyes welling up, I can't even choke up any more words. Mike takes her from my arms and heads out the door.
Like an instant, as soon as Mike closes the door, Tre and I go to our rooms. I sit on my bed for while, thinking about every "what if" in the book. What if we did get to keep her, would we bring her touring with us this spring, and what about when she gets older, when we get older. Personally I know that I want to move in with Adie when she moves here, Mike will probably end up being in some long term relationship eventually. And if we don't get custody of her, then it'll be like our hearts were ripped from our chests, that kid really took a number on us.
I end up lying on my bed with only my thoughts for a good hour when I hear the door open. I run out of my room to here the most beautiful sound.
"Bew! Tay!" Rosie yelps. My face lights up, I turn to Mike.
"They let you keep her?"
"For now anyway,." He sighs, "They haven't found any of her family."
"So if they find any family members, she goes?" Tre asks slowly as he picks up the toddler.
"Yeah," Mike whispers.
"Look!" Rosie exclaims pointing at the bandage on her arm from where they drew blood, "Tay, Bew look!"
Tre crouches down to her level and kisses her arm, she giggles and kisses his cheek. I look at Tre, he was so happy. Like a five year being given every toy he ever wanted. I couldn't get over how happy I was, I didn't even want to imagine the thought of the cops finding her family.