Trouble-Maker

"I'll see you later," I said as I kissed Ronnie goodbye in the morning.

"Bye," Ronnie said, waving to Arch who stood by the door waiting. Then Ronnie turned to me and smiled. "Call me later."

I nodded my head. "Let me know what you find out about tour."

Ronnie told me he would so I grabbed my things and Arch's hand before leading him towards the car.

"Is my mom coming back?" Arch asked.

I shrugged my shoulders and strapped him into his car seat. "I hope so," I told him.

Arch furrowed his little eyebrows. "You don't want me?"

I smiled and shook my head. "Of course I do," I told him, "But your mom wants you even more than I do."

Arch gave me a weird look as I shut the back door. I got in and started the car, letting music fill the vehicle. When we pulled up to the daycare I instantly noticed a police vehicle parked off to the side. I sighed and helped Arch out.

Arch hurried towards the building and ran through the automatic door, towards the playroom.

"Stop running!" I shouted after him.

He stopped and walked into the room. I let a small smile come on my lips.

"Hey Jamie," I greeted the receptionist, "I'm going to go talk to the officer, you'll keep an eye on him, won't you?"

Jamie nodded her head. "Of course. Take your time."

"Thanks." I turned and headed back out of the door. The cop was parked to the right of the door so I moved over to him and watched as he stepped out of the vehicle.

"Ms. Gurewitz," he greeted simply.

I nodded once. "Officer Dugan."

"How was your night?" he asked as he took his hat off of his head and tossed it back into his cruiser.

I shrugged. "It was good."

"That's good to hear," he said, continuing with the small talk.

I nodded and folded my arms over my chest, not rudely, just in a way that stated I was ready to hear the news. "I'm assuming that since you didn't contact me that you didn't find his mother."

The officer ran his palm over his head. "We did locate Mrs. Drewry late last night."

I furrowed my eyes brows. "Why was I not contacted?"

The cop rung his fingers. "We didn't want to startle her child," he said, giving me a sympathetic look.

"Well where is she?"

"Mrs. Drewry is fine," he told me, "But she does not wish to have Arch Drewry back in her custody."

As his words hit my ears, my jaw dropped slightly. "She's abandoning him?" I asked loudly.

The officer shook his head. "She's not abandoning her son, Ms. Gurewitz," he corrected, "She is making him a ward of the state."

"As of when?" I questioned quickly. My heart was pounding a hundred miles and hour.

Officer Dugan had a sympathetic look on his face. "As of 4 AM this morning."

I was baffled. I stood in front of him with shock written on my face. "Are you here to take him?"

The cop shook his head. "I am waiting for Child Welfare Services to come. They will be collecting Arch Drewry."

I shook my head. "What? Is he some kind of donation?"

"No ma'am. He's a ward of the state until someone finds him a permanent home."

My brain kicked in to over-drive. "Would I be acceptable to take him? Long term?"

That is were Officer Dugan faltered. "Well ma'am," he said, "We had asked Ms. Drewry what she wanted for her child and she does not feel like you would be a safe environment for the child."

"What?" I asked. I was dumbfounded. I shook it off and looked up to him. "She gave him up!" I shouted, "She has no say in what happens to him now." I turned around and headed back into the daycare, ignoring the officer as he called out for me.

"Arch!" I yelled when I was inside, "Arch get out here!"

Arch came scampering out from the play room a minute later. "What?"

"We're leaving," I said, reaching out for his hand, "We're going to go home, okay?"

Arch looked up to me with confusion. "My mom is home?"

I shook my head. "No, we're going back to my house."

Arch didn't reply as I tugged him out of the building. He just moved his gaze to the officer as he called out to us.

"Ms. Gurewitz, you can not remove the child from this property! Child Welfare is on its way!"

I wanted to shout back and tell them to go to hell. "Tell them to come to my residence," I shouted back at him. I told him my address as he told me that they could not.

"Well that is where we will be," I called out to him as I pulled open the backseat and tossed Arch into the car-seat quickly.

"Ms. Gurewitz, this is kidnapping!"

I stopped and sighed. The officer was walking over to us now and the only way I could've got out of the parking lot was if I were to run him over. I sighed and pulled Arch's door back open.

"Come on, buddy," I said as I undid his buckles and helped him out.

The cop was standing in front of my car now. He had a very displeased look on his face.

"What's wrong?" Arch asked.

I shook my head and took his hand.

"Smart decision," the officer said. He reached out for Arch's free hand.

Arch would not grab his hand. "I don't want to go with him," Arch said and looked up to me.

I bit my bottom lip as I tried to get Arch to release my hand. A silver car pulled into the empty spot next to mine. I looked up and saw Sven watching us with interest.

I sighed and kneeled down next to Arch. "Honey, there are going to be some people coming to meet you," I told him. I tried to make it sound as pleasant as possible. "They're going to want you to go with them, understand?"

Arch nodded his head. "I don't want to go," he added.

I sighed and nodded. "I know you don't," I told him, "But that's not up to me."

Arch nodded his head again. Then he looked over my shoulder as Sven walked up to us.

"What's going on?"

I shook my head and stood up. "Nothing," I told the man.

Sven gave me a look. "Okay."

It took twenty minutes for Child Welfare to show up. By now parents were showing up with their children and watching with curious looks. I walked Arch to the vehicle as a woman got out.

"I'm Nadia Summers," she said. Then offered me her hand to shake. "I'm going to be Arch's case worker."

"His name is pronounced 'ark'," I told her first hand, "Like Noah's boat."

Arch nodded his head. He stood next to me, his hand clasped in mine.

"Excuse me," Nadia Summers said, "Hello Arch."

Arch just stared up to her.

"Say hello," I told him.

Then he just looked up to me and shook his head.

I sighed. "I'm Atticus Gurewitz," I told her, "His daycare provider and his friend."

Nadia Summers nodded her head. "Yes, he stayed with you last night, correct?"

"Yes."

Nadia nodded again. "Well then," she turned to Arch," Should be on our way?"

Ark shook his head and hid half of his body behind my legs.

"You have to go," I said to the little boy.

Arch stared up at me with wide blue eyes. "Where?"

Before I could reply, Nadia Summers did. "We're going to meet some new people," she said. She had a kind smile on her face. "They have two sons. Like you."

Arch shook his head. "I want my mom."

"I'm sorry, but you can not see your mother right now."

Arch wrapped his arms around my legs. "Then I want to stay with Atticus and Ronnie."

I grabbed onto his little wrists and pulled him around so that he wasn't behind me. He ended up wrapping his arms around my legs in front then. I sighed and picked him up.

"We talked about this, Arch," I said, "You have to go with Nadia."

"No."

Nadia Summers reached out and wrapped her arms around his torso. "Come on, it's time to go." She tried to tug him away from me but the little boy had his arms wrapped tightly around neck.

"No!" he shouted loudly when she continued to pry him away from me.

"You have to go, Arch," I told him, "I'll come see you soon. I promise."

Now tears were crashing against Arch's rosy cheeks. His hands slipped and the case worker pulled him off of me before he could get a better grasp. She set him down on the ground and took his hand.

"We're leaving now, Arch," she told him. She started pulling him towards her black hair.

"No!" Arch screamed.

Many people were watching us now as they walked their children into the daycare.

"Atticus!" Arch screamed.

I bit my lip hard and started walking after him. This child's life was about to be entirely flipped inside out and there was nothing I could do to help him.

"I think you better stay back," Nadia Summers demanded. She pulled open the back door of her car and set Arch down in it. He was struggling against her. He was shouting for me to help him.

"I'll come check on you, Arch," I called out to him from where I stood.

"Help me, Atticus!"

"I'm sorry," I called, trying not to cry, "I promise I'll come see you."

His cries were quieting. Tears were still pouring from his crystal eyes but his screams were turning to whimpers as the case worker told him to stop crying slammed the door closed.

"No!" Arch screamed, kicking his feet and pulling against the restraints of the car-seat.

I wiped tears off of my cheek as the officer walked over to the driver's side of the car and spoke with Nadia Summers. I shook my head and held my hand out to Arch who was screaming and crying.

"No," I said as I moved towards the car, "No, stop. Let him out!" I shouted.

The officer looked up as I moved towards the back door of the vehicle. Before I could pull it open, Officer Dugan wrapped his arms around my torso and pulled me away.

"Let him go," he commanded, "You're just making this harder."

"He's just a child!" I shouted, trying to force him off of me.

Nadia Summers started the car. "I'll be in touch," she called out to Officer Dugan.

"Atticus, no!" Arch screamed, tears cascading down his face as he banged against the window.

I shoved the officer off of me as Arch drove out of sight, still screaming for me. "You're fucking heartless," I screamed at Officer Dugan, "Do you see what you did?!"

"I'm just doing my job, ma'am."

I glared at him as I wiped my eyeliner off of my cheeks. "It's not just a job," I yelled, "It's that child's whole world!"

"I'm sorry."

I scoffed and shook my head. "You're not sorry. You just do it to get paid."