Letting Lox In

by S. M. Donaldson

  I hear my dad clear his throat and shift uncomfortably in his seat. I glance up at him. “Sorry, Dad.”

  “No, sweetie, you’re right.” My dad looks at me with pity in his eyes. “I know this is tough on you. You have every right to feel angry with him.”

  My mom clears her throat. “So you said Doc was helping you with an attorney?”

  “Yes, ma’am. It’s one of our clients and Doc’s friend.”

  She touches my hand. “You feel comfortable with this?”

  I nod. “Thanks for coming over tonight. I’m not sure I could’ve handled it without your support.”

  My dad stands up from the chair and pulls me up from the couch in a hug. “Anytime, sweetie. Anytime.”

  My mom gets to her feet. “Well, honey, we better be heading back unless you need me to stay.”

  I shake my head. “No. I’ll handle this.”

  My mom pulls me in tight. “It doesn’t hurt to lean on someone when you need to.”

  I just nod as they step down the hall to say goodbye to Sage before leaving.

  As they are walking out the door, my dad says, “Make sure to let us know about what your attorney says and everything else.”

  “Yes, sir, y’all be careful.”

  I walk down the hall to Sage’s door. “Bud, it’s time for a bath and bed.”

  He steps to the door where I’m standing. “I love you, Momma.”

  “I love you too, Bud.”

  That right there is the only love I need. It’s a lot similar and unconditional. He needs me and I need him, that’s all.

  CHAPTER 34

  LOX

  Taking out my aggression on the speed bag, Marco walks by me. “Son, you need to calm down.”

  “I haven’t heard from her in two days, Marco. I’ve tried texting her and I get short answers back. I just want to know how she’s doing, how Slick is.”

  He puts his hand on my shoulder. “I know, son, she’s just dealing with a lot right now. She’s got a full plate and you have a fight this weekend. You need to take a step back and get your head in the game.”

  “That’s another thing. I told Slick that the next fight we had local, I would try to talk her into bringing him. I don’t want to break a promise to him.”

  He nods. “Lox, I understand that. I really do. I never wanted to break promises to you boys, because I felt like that’d been done enough in your lifetime.” He gets a smirk on his face. “You know one way you can get her to talk to you? Get a massage.”

  I start laughing. “You know, old man, you’re right.” I throw my towel over my shoulder. “I’m gonna go call the office right now and get Kara to make me an appointment.”

  “Good, then maybe you’ll get some damn work done,” he says gruffly.

  I shake my head, knowing that he’s trying to act like he’s a hard ass. Taking out my phone¸ I call Doc’s office.

  “Good morning, Dr. Beck’s office. This is Kara, how can I help you?”

  “Hey, Kara, it’s Lox. I need to make an appointment to see Sloan.”

  “Hmm. Have you talked to her this week?” She speaks really low.

  “No, her texts are short and she’s not answering her phone when I call. I’m trying to figure out what I’ve done.”

  She sighs. “Sweetie, you haven’t done anything. She’s just being an ass to herself. She’s got all this crap coming up with the big douche and she’s drowning in her own head. Her parents are worried about her, but she won’t let them come stay with her.”

  “I wish she would just let me in.”

  “She’s probably going to kill me, but can you come in at eleven? Get your massage and then make her go to lunch with you. She’s so down about all of this.”

  I glance at the clock. That’s an hour and a half from now. “Yeah, I can be there. Are you going to tell her I’m coming?”

  “No, I’ll tell her you called in. Don’t you have a fight this weekend?”

  “Yeah, so I probably do actually need a massage. Thanks, Kara. I’ll see you in a little bit.”

  “Bye.”

  At a few minutes until eleven, I walk in the lobby of Sloan’s office.

  She’s standing behind the counter and looks up when the door chimes. She nods and glances down at her schedule. As soon as I sign in, she steps around the counter. “Lox, the room is ready. Go on in, I’ll be there in a minute.”

  She sounds so sad and lonely. I chance a look to Kara as I walk by and she shakes her head.

  After I’ve made my way in the treatment room, I undress and get on the table. There is as tap on the door. “Lox, are you ready?”

  “Yes.”

  She comes in and grabs her lotion. “So are we just working the normal areas before a fight?”

  “Yeah. Hey, I’ve got a few tickets for you guys. I promised Slick, remember?”

  I hear her sigh. “I know you did, but I just don’t feel like right now is the best time to be taking him to a fight.”

  “Sloan, what did I do? Why are you so mad with me?”

  “Lox, it’s not you. It’s just all of this crap going on. I’m so worried about it. I had to take Sage yesterday to get the cheek swab done. I still haven’t told him Lucas’s name yet, I just can’t add more to it right now. You’ve got the gym, fights and your deal with Bellator. You don’t need to be dealing with my bullshit.” I hear the crack in her voice.

  So she’s trying to be a freakin martyr. I raise my head and turn to see her. “Sloan, don’t. Just don’t. Don’t push me away. Don’t push everyone else away. Don’t worry about what else I have going on. I’ll always have room for you and that little guy. My deal with Bellator is done. I’m signed. I tried to call you to tell you the other night, but you didn’t answer.”

  Her hand flies to her mouth. “I’m so sorry, Lox. Congratulations.” I see the tears rolling out of her eyes.

  I sit up, wrapping the sheet around my waist. I pull her to me and sit her on my leg. “Pretty girl, don’t cry. I hate seeing you cry.” I pull her face back from my chest and wipe her tears. “I know you’re stressed, but trying to punish yourself isn’t doing you any good. You look tired, you’ve lost weight and you’re an emotional wreck. When are you meeting with the lawyers?”

  “Monday morning. My attorney thinks I’ll have a good shot, but I don’t even know what I really want anymore.”

  I motion for her to stand up. I slide off the table with the sheet still wrapped around me. “I’m getting dressed and then we’re going to go to lunch so I can make sure you eat something.”

  She shakes her head. “Lox, you need a massage. You have a fight coming up.”

  “I’m also your friend and as someone who really hopes to be more one day, I hope to get through all of those walls you’ve had to build up and get you to let me in.”

  She finally nods and turns to her worktop while I quickly dress.

  Kara nods with a smile as we walk out the door. “Where do you want to go?”

  She shrugs. “I normally just eat at the office. Gilly’s is just around the corner, they’re just a little café we go to sometimes.”

  I place my hand on the small of her back. “Yeah, I’ve been to Gilly’s before. That sounds great.”

  We make the short walk around the block and find an empty booth. A few minutes later, an older lady comes by and takes our order.

  “You and Slick should come to the fight.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I just don’t want to break a promise to him. I told him that I would get him to one of my fights. I know he’s got so much going on in his little mind right now, I just want to give him something.”

  She looks up calmly, as if she’s had an epiphany. “Okay. We’ll be there.”

  I seem to be chipping away at that wall. Maybe, just maybe, this will work.

  CHAPTER 35

  SLOAN

  Lox was right. The fight Friday night made Sage so happy. He wore his shirt from the gym, even though I had to make him
wear a long sleeved Under Armor shirt under it. He had such a great time. We made signs to take so he could cheer the guys on. Elizabeth sat with us, she and Sage ate their weight in popcorn and Mike and Ike’s. She even cheered for Huck. It was his first night actually getting to fight in his new class. He did great. He’s still dying to get a rematch against Sergio, but Elizabeth says that’ll be another fight for a larger arena.

  Now, I’m sitting with my attorney in the lobby of some over the top law firm in the nicest suit I could afford from Dillards. Waiting to deal with an asshole, who I wish I never had to see again.

  A blonde lady steps out in the lobby. “Mr. Roberts, Ms. Foster?” We nod. “Right this way.”

  We follow her to a conference room with a huge table. Mr. Ashby is standing at the head. Obviously he’s overcompensating. He motions to us. “Please have a seat.” He points to a balding man sitting further down the table. “This is John Scott. He’s a mediator. Hopefully using him will keep us from going to court.” I glance around the room and see Lucas with his tall blonde wife. She’s dressed in an ivory suit accented in gold with matching shoes. Her outfit probably cost more than my entire wardrobe. He speaks again. “Of course you know Mr. Smith, and this is his wife, Megan.”

  I slide into the chair next to my attorney. “Okay, Ms. Foster, as I’m sure you’re aware, the DNA test came back 99.9% match for Mr. Smith.”

  I nod. “I never denied that Lucas was his father.”

  “No, but you did, however, keep him and his family from his son.” Ashby glares at me.

  I look to my attorney and he responds. “No, sir, she didn’t. She made Mr. Smith aware of her pregnancy. His response was to hand her this check for five hundred dollars,” he holds out the check that I’ve kept for so long, “and tell her to have an abortion, that he never wanted to hear from her again. Then he left to go be a star in the NFL. She’s never contacted him or asked for a penny, even though his former attorney contacted her and basically offered to pay for her silence.”

  I can see that his wife is caught off guard by these details and almost looks disgusted. I’m not sure if it’s with me or him.

  “Well, let’s move beyond this. Mr. Smith would like Full or Shared custody of the child. His family has the right to have a relationship with this minor child.”

  I can tell I’m about to lose it. Mr. Roberts, my attorney, speaks. “Ms. Foster has said that she has no problem with his family being a part of Sage’s life. The problem she has is that Mr. Smith openly admitted to her and witnesses that he’s only pursuing this to save face with the public, his wife and his mother. She doesn’t feel that her son would feel accepted in his home. Also, the fact that she and her family are the only home the child has ever known. She moved to keep her child from the scrutiny he would get by living in the same town as Mr. Smith. Now you’re suggesting that she just let him go stay with a stranger for extended periods of time? He’s in a loving, well cared for home. She takes the time to ensure that he’s loved and safe.”

  “So by safe she means taking the child to MMA matches? Hanging out with MMA fighters who like to start brawls at black tie events when he could be in a happy home with a father and step-mother?” Mr. Ashby throws back. That bastard has been having me followed. That is the only way he could know Sage went to the fight Friday night.

  I look to my attorney and whisper, “May I speak?”

  He nods. “Look, Mr. Ashby, what is the difference in me taking him to a MMA fight or taking him to a WWE match or a football game at a pro stadium? He had a good time and he was at my side the entire time. Yes, we are friends with a group of fighters. It’s no different than Lucas having a bunch of football friends. Those men teach him to respect people and that violence is a last option. They also teach women’s self-defense classes and classes for kids about what to do if they’re abducted or attempted to be abducted. And the incident in question was a black tie event for those fighters. Lucas verbally assaulted me first and slandered me in front of many people. The men in question were just standing up for me. Plus, how could he be happy in a home with a father he doesn’t know and has made no effort until now to know him?”

  Questions and answers are lobbed back and forth for the next two hours. Lucas makes snarky comments about how his money could do so many things for his child and that Sage deserves more than I can give him. He also made a point to talk about his poor family not knowing their only grandchild. Finally, the mediator asks us all to step out so he can go over his notes.

  Back in the lobby, Mr. Roberts and I take a seat while Megan sits across from us. Lucas and Mr. Ashby go into his office.

  Megan stands up and walks nervously around the room. Finally, she stops in front of me and nervously sticks her hand out. “I know we were introduced in there. I’m Megan, and I’m sorry we are meeting like this, Sloan.” She seems like she either is genuine or trying to be.

  I cautiously shake her hand and nod. “I’m sorry, too.”

  She fidgets. “Look,” she glances around the room. “I asked Lucas not to do this. Not that I don’t want him to be involved in his child’s life, but he chose to walk away years ago. I worked in a law office as a paralegal and I’ve watched these things play out. How it makes the children feel, how nasty they get. I don’t approve of what he’s doing and I surely didn’t know about several of the things that were brought up in there. I’m sorry. I just don’t know what else to say. He and I have had fights over this since I found out. I never knew about any of this until a few weeks ago.”

  I nod. “When my mom ran into his? Look, I don’t have a problem with them knowing Sage, but Lucas made this decision. Now everyone is just supposed to change everything for him. It’s not fair to my child.”

  We hear a door and she scoots back across to her chair.

  “Mr. Scott asked us to come back in now,” Mr. Ashby announces, giving myself and Megan an annoyed look. Like he caught us with our hands in the cookie jar when we are the ones being adults.

  Once we are all back inside and have taken a seat, Mr. Scott starts to speak. “I’ve looked over all of the paper work and to me it seems that Mr. Smith has known about this child the entire time. Only now, after it has leaked out, is he worried about it. I do agree that a child should know his father and that part of his family, but I’m going to say that he should not go for overnight stays or anything of that nature until the child feels comfortable.” He looks hard at Lucas. “The child is the most important person here, not Mr. Smith or Ms. Foster. I think supervised visits where the child feels safe and secure will be good for the time being.” Lucas rolls his eyes like a pissy child. “You can decide not to go with my opinion, Mr. Smith, but I don’t see a judge giving you more than I have. Without the child being in danger you are not going to get full custody. There was no malicious intent on Ms. Foster’s part, you chose to walk away. It also seems to me that if you push this, you will open yourself up to five years of back child support and medical payments. With your salary that looks like a pretty hefty amount. Now Ms. Foster, I think you should be awarded some type of child support.”

  I shake my head. “No, sir. I don’t want any of his money. I take care of my child just fine.”

  Megan looks at Lucas, waiting for him to speak. When he doesn’t, she does. “Sloan, what would you say about a college fund?”

  I don’t want to accept his money, but what I want isn’t important. It’s about what’s best for my child, not my pride. “I would agree to that, and if he gets scholarships, the money would be paid to him at a certain time after college.”

  Mr. Scott looks up. “That sounds like a very good plan to me. Education is very important and he would have some funds to start out in life if he’s awarded scholarships.”

  Lucas looks like he’s about to explode. His lawyer whispers in his ear. Lucas glares at Megan, as if they are having a silent conversation. She glares right back at him and then turns to me. “I also think you should be awarded some kind of back support. I me
an if you won’t accept future payments, how about a settlement amount? I think it’s only fair, you’ve done a wonderful job of raising this child on your own for five years. What would you say to fifty thousand dollars?”

  Lucas and his lawyer spin to her. My lawyer actually chuckles. Lucas grinds his teeth. “Honey, what are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about the fact that if Sloan wanted to push it, she could. I’ve looked at the child support calculator, you would owe her a grand total of around one hundred and eighty thousand dollars for the past five years and you would be paying out twenty-five hundred dollars a month in child support with your current salary. Not to mention what it could be if you get bonuses and bigger contracts. I’m looking out for your child and you, you idiot.”

  His high dollar attorney is just sitting there like a knot on a log. Yep, definitely overcompensating with the big table.

  Mr. Scott looks to me and I can see Megan wants me to agree and this would help with my child. “Ms. Foster, do you agree to these terms and monetary amounts?”

  I look at my attorney and he nods. “Yes. I’ll agree to set up supervised visitation with his father and his father’s family. I’ll agree to the college fund and the one time back pay. But I want it written in the papers that I’ll never ask for another penny. I don’t want him to think I’m just going to come back for more money.”

  His attorney whispers in his ear.

  Lucas snatches the papers to sign his name and snorts. “Yeah, you aren’t after my money. Everyone is after my money.” Then he glares again at Megan.

  Megan bolts up out of her chair and walks around their attorney to slap him in the face. “You really are a selfish, self-centered son of a bitch, Lucas Smith. I’ve never wanted your damn money. Obviously Sloan hasn’t ever wanted your money or else she would have taken the hush money your last attorneys offered her.” She exhales loudly. “How in the world your mother gave birth to you, I don’t know because she is a sweet woman. I’ve looked the other way about so many things that you’ve done while we were married. I mean you took this trade so that we could get away from the hooker scandal back home and the fact that your team couldn’t stand your arrogant ass.” She shakes her head violently. “But acting like your money is so much more important than your child is beyond the lowest of lows I could imagine from you. Now I know why you’ve always told me you never want children, because you refuse to grow up yourself.”