Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Emiko
I got a weird email from a law firm back in Illinois. They’re claiming they’re representing Seth’s parents. It doesn’t tell me what it’s about so I don’t know if it’s a scam. There’s so many going around nowdays. I’m reading it again as I head to the kitchen to make breakfast for the twins.
“Can we have pancakes today?” Miyuki asks.
“Sure. Just regular pancakes?”
“Yes, please.” She smiles.
“And sausages!” Kaito adds from the bathroom.
I laugh as I prepare to make breakfast. We’ve got a breakfast routine that’s been working, finally. Living with my parents definitely spoiled us when it came to meals. My mom always made sure we had all our meals. Having to cook and do all of it myself has been an adjustment. I’ve been seeing Rhett everyday, he’s even offered to help me with things. Sometimes I feel like Seth sent Rhett to me. They’re similar in some ways, especially in the way that Rhett is with the twins. It’s like he’s been with us for years, but it’s only been a couple of weeks.
“Mama? Is Rhett going to be our daddy?” Kaito asks.
His question throws me off and I stop what I’m doing.
“I don’t know, Kai. We’re still figuring out how to spend time together. What do the two of you think of him?”
“I like him. I miss Daddy a lot, but Rhett is a lot of fun and I think Daddy would like him.”
“I think he would too. Maybe one day we can all sit down and talk about Daddy with him. So he knows how you feel.”
“Do you think Rhett likes us?” Miyuki asks.
“I do, baby. I think he likes all of us.”
She smiles at me. “I like him too. At first he scared me because he’s so big. But now I like him.”
I chuckle. “He is a big guy. Okay, brush your teeth and let’s get going to school.”
I watch both of them run off and I get my stuff together. I’m glad that the twins like Rhett, I don’t know what I would do if they didn’t. I just hope he doesn’t change his mind about being with me. Because it’s not just me that I have to worry about.
When I get to my class, I check emails before the students start to come in. Again I see an email from that lawyer in Springfield. I read it twice to make sure I’m not going crazy.
Dear Ms. Yamaguchi,
We are writing you to inform you that Mr. and Mrs. Mark Summers are petitioning the Springfield custody court for custody of Kaito Seth Yamaguchi-Summers and Miyuki Keiko Yamaguchi-Summers. You will receive the court documents with clarification in the next few days. It will be sent certified mail and you will need to sign for it. If you have any questions, please feel free to call our office at (217) 555-1900. If you have an attorney, they are free to call as well.
Thank you for your time.
I’m in shock as I read that email over again. What the fuck kind of twilight zone have I fallen into? Seth’s parents haven’t spoken to us in seven years. They kicked him out and he got emaciated at seventeen so that he could live with us. And now they want to take my babies from me? I need to figure out if it’s real. When I google the attorney’s name, it comes up. So I know that’s real. Just as I’m about to start panicking and call my parents, my students start coming in. I need to get through my day first. I won’t lose my babies to those assholes.
Rhett
It’s been a week and Felicity still won’t tell me why she asked our Lake Renegade family to come and help. It’s driving me crazy. Having our extended family with us has been really nice. Domenico, Declan and Cillian are here for a week. They don’t usually get to come to Wintervale because of their hockey schedule.
I didn’t know that my Emiko was such a big hockey fan. And she’s a Panthers fan too, wait till she meets Gianluca. He’s the third baseman for the Chicago Panthers and he’s coming here in a few days. I told the guys to keep it a secret. I can’t wait to see her face.
“Are you going to finally tell me why our Lake Renegade family is here?” I ask Felicity.
“Nope,” she says as she heads to the kitchen.
I hear the guys laughing in the other room. They’ve all said they don’t know what’s up. Just that she asked them to come help her with something. All they do know is that they’re here for a week or two. My sister is a pain in my ass sometimes.
Today I’m interviewing a few people for an assistant position. I just need help with the cashier part of the pharmacy. I do all the medication distribution. Maybe one day I’ll hire another pharmacist. But for now, I’m able to handle all of it myself. I can’t wait to see Emiko for lunch.
“So when are Dom, Declan and Cillian arriving?” I ask.
“They should be here around ten or eleven this morning.”
“Do you think they’d be willing to come with me to the high school? I’d love to surprise Emiko.”
“I’m sure they’ll go, Gianluca will be with them too.”
“Awesome. That’s even better. If any of the kids are fans, it’s gonna be a lot of fun.”
“Maybe we can all go. I want to see her face.” Schuyler chuckles.
“Definitely. I was thinking we could get there around eleven-thirty. That’s right about the time they break for lunch.”
“I’ll call them and see when they’ll be here,” Sebastiano says as he calls his twin.
“I can’t wait to take Emiko and the twins to Lake Renegade. They’re going to love the otters and all the other animals.”
“They said they’ll be here by ten-thirty. So when they get here, we can head to the school if you want.”
“Thanks. It’s going to be an awesome day.”
* * *
We get to the high school at eleven. I called the principal to let him know about my plan. We get to Emiko’s classroom and I poke my head inside. All her students turn to look at me, and some wave.
“Rhett.” Emiko smiles. “We have about fifteen minutes before the lunch bell will ring.”
“I know, I have a surprise for you.” I walk into her classroom. “I also have a question for your class. Are any of you Chicago Redhawks or Chicago Panthers fans?”
Over half the class raise their hands.
“That’s what I was hoping to see. Maybe you’ll know these guys,” I say as they walk in.
“Oh my god. That’s Declan O’Reilly.”
“Holy shit. Domenico Mancini?”
“CILLIAN MURPHY.”
“Rawr,” some of them say to Gianluca who smiles and roars back at them.
“You did this for me?” Emiko whispers to me.
“Of course. I told you I’ll do anything for you.”
“Thank you.” She smiles as she hugs me and kisses my cheek.
The kids spend the next fifteen minutes talking to the guys as I stand back and watch. I love the smile on my girl’s face. Everyone heads to the cafeteria while Emiko and I stay back in her classroom. I can feel that something’s wrong.
“Are you okay?” I ask her as I pull out the sandwiches I brought for lunch.
“I’m okay.”
“You don’t seem okay. You know you can talk to me, right?”
“I-I got a weird email from a lawyer back in Springfield,.” she says as she hands me a paper.
I read the email and am instantly angry. Who the fuck thinks they can threaten my family?
“Are those Seth’s parents’ names? Have you heard from them?”
She shakes her head no. “The last time I saw them was when Seth and I told them I was pregnant. They told him it was me or them. He walked out with me and never looked back. My parents helped him get emancipated and he lived with us from then on.”
“Is it possible that they contacted him without you knowing?”
“No. Seth would’ve told me if they did. He hated them for abandoning him. He never thought that would be their reaction to us being pregnant. When we were on our way to tell them, he was scared. But he was sure that they would help us, just like my parents did. I mean my parents weren’t happy with us, but they never told us to terminate the pregnancy.”
“Is that what his parents did too?”
“Yeah, they told him he had three choices. Me, them or get an abortion. But they’d never support us if we chose to keep the babies. He asked them to think about it. That these were their grandchildren. And they said no. That we were too young and we’d never make it.”
“You proved them wrong. You and Seth made it, you created a beautiful family. I know you miss him still and that’s okay,” I say as I hold her. “I want to call Lorenzo Mancini. He’s a lawyer and he will help us. No one is taking the twins from you ever. But I’ll need to tell him what you’ve been through. Is that okay?”
“Yes, you can tell him everything. Thank you.” Emiko sniffles as she holds onto me.
I don’t care what I have to do, I’m going to fix this for her. I’ll spend every last dime I have to keep the three of them safe.