Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
DELPHI
As I stare at the line of people waiting to get in, I think back to me throwing up this morning, my head bowed over the toilet, convinced nobody was going to come.
I pinch my arm and hiss. “Definitely real.”
Theo laughs from beside me. “Weirdo.”
“Well, yeah, but you don’t have to say it out loud. Some people won’t have noticed.”
“Everyone’s noticed. Why do you think they’re here? Crazy gravitates toward crazy.”
“Well, what does that make you then?”
“If I say your caregiver, will you ground me?”
“For sure.”
“Definitely not that then.”
“I might still ground you just for thinking it.”
“You can’t ground me for my thoughts.” He rolls his eyes at me.
I smirk at him. “Wanna test that theory?” I ask as a customer I recognize steps up to the counter. “John, you came.”
“Of course I did. Marie wanted to come too, but she’s under the impression someone will accidentally burn the place down without her there to supervise. And she’s probably right.”
“How do you burn down an ice cream parlor by accident?” Theo frowns.
John grins. “An excellent question, I really don’t want to know the answer to.”
“I’m just happy you came. And when you leave, I’ll put together a take-out order for Marie so she doesn’t miss out. What does she like?”
“Anything chocolate. You’re too kind.”
“I think she’s just kind enough,” Theo says softly.
“Quite right, young man. Now, excuse me while I go find something to read. I’ve been looking forward to this.”
“If you need any help, come let me know.”
“I’ve got it covered, Delphi.” Theo walks around the counter. After John tells him what he’s into, Theo leads him to the shelves where we house those kinds of books.
I don’t focus on them long because the next customer steps up, placing a copy of Pride and Prejudice on the counter along with an order for an English afternoon tea, which has been insanely popular.
I ring her up and give her a pager disk that will buzz when her order is ready.
It’s one of the ways I cut down on serving staff, preferring to have an extra couple of hands in the kitchen and making drinks.
“This place is wonderful and I’ve never had an English tea before, but I’ve always wanted to try one.”
“You’ll love it. Any allergies?”
“No, none.”
“Perfect. Go find a seat and curl up with your book. The food won’t be long.”
She beams at me before walking off. I turn to the next customer and smile when I see it’s Greer.
“Hey, Greer. I wasn’t expecting to see you today.”
“And miss all this? Do I look crazy?”
I bite back the yes because in the outfit she’s wearing, she looks more like someone’s eccentric grandmother than a woman in her early twenties.
“So, what do you think?”
“I think I could live and die here with no complaints.”
I offer her a wide grin, which she returns for a minute before she turns serious. “Do you have time for a quick chat?”
I look around. Even though we’re busy, I have enough staff to cover.
I nod to Mindy, one of the local high schoolers who is looking for flexible hours.
She smiles and takes the next customer as I walk around the counter and indicate for Greer to follow me.
I take Greer back to my quiet office and ask her to take a seat.
“Is everything okay?”
“I just wanted to let you know that Diane Milton has admitted herself into a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center.”
I sit down and stare at her. “I’m not sure what to say. That’s good, right?”
“It is. But…” She lets her voice drift off, and that’s when it clicks.
“But if she gets clean, a judge will probably place Theo back in her custody.”
“I won’t lie to you, Delphi. It’s likely, yes. She has no history of violence toward her son.”
“No, but she has a history of neglect. She has a history of using Theo as a shield to protect herself. And now, she’ll do what—28 days or something equally bullshit—and her slate will be wiped clean.
No consequences for her at all when she stood by and let her husband continually beat her child to a pulp and did nothing to stop it. “
“Domestic abuse is a difficult situation to navigate.”
“I’m not judging her for staying with him, Greer.
I understand that leaving is the most dangerous time for a woman.
I’m judging her for not getting her son out.
She could have called CPS herself or had him stay with a relative or friend.
But she didn’t, because she wanted him there with her.
She was selfish. It was never about Theo. It was always about her.”
“I’m not saying I disagree. I’m telling you what a judge will likely do because they try, where possible, to keep families together.”
“Funny, because I’ve only ever seen good families torn apart, and the shitty ones get chance after chance. At least until the kid is dead. Then the judge can just throw up their hands and say ‘whoops, my bad’ and carry on with their lives.”
I’m breathing heavy and taking my mood out on Greer, which I know is unfair. But fuck, I’m so damn pissed at a system that’s rigged to fail. And the ones that always get hurt are the very ones that need our protection.
“I’m sorry, Delphi.”
“Sorry, won’t make his bruises fade any faster or heal his fractured bones any quicker.” I get up so I can pace, my anger making it impossible for me to calm down. “There’s nothing I can legally do?”
“I’m not saying the judge will rule in Diane’s favor. She hasn’t completed her rehab yet. After all, she may very well fail at the first hurdle. I’m just preparing you. And yes, if a judge rules in favor of Diane, his decision will be final.”
I bite my lip so I don’t scream, but it’s so fucking hard not to. “I’m not blaming you here, Greer. I know there is nothing you can do, but I’m finding it really hard to look at you without clawing your pretty little eyes out of your head.”
She sighs, her expression turning sad as if she’s used to this outcome, but it never gets easier. She gets to her feet, wisely keeping the distance between us. “I’ll go.”
Before she can move, I stop her with my next question. “What will your recommendation be?”
Her eyes close for a second before she tilts her head and looks at me.
“I have to interview Diane when she is released and make detailed reports, but I can see how happy Theo is here with you. The last thing I want is to strip all that away from him. I can’t tell you what my recommendation will be, but I can swear I will do what I consider to be in Theo’s best interest.”
That’s it. I have to hope she thinks me and Kruger is what’s best for Theo. But even if she does, a judge is going to do whatever the fuck they want.
“If this falls through…” I don’t say “when,” but we both know that’s what I mean. “I want him back. Don’t send him anywhere else. I want to adopt him.”
“I’ll do everything I can, Delphi.”
She heads to the door, and the fear of everything that could go wrong grabs me in a chokehold. “Who’s gonna tell him?” I whisper.
“I’ll talk to him when we know for sure. Like I said, this was just a precautionary warning. It could all amount to nothing.”
“Okay, I’ll just take it one day at a time,” I tell her.
She sighs in relief, though if she knew what I was thinking, she wouldn’t find much to smile about.
“Congrats again on your grand opening. It really is a beautiful place.”
I paste on a fake smile and nod. She leaves with a soft goodbye, closing the door behind her. I pick up the empty mug from my desk and throw it at the door. I watch as it shatters, with zero remorse.
Think, Delphi, think. Every part of me wants to go to war.
I want to destroy this room before I hunt down Theo’s mother and beat the fucking shit out of her.
Only the thought of hurting Theo stops me.
Because no matter what, she’s his mom, and I think if I did that, it would break something between us.
I can’t tell Kruger, not yet. He’ll take matters into his own hands, and right now, Raven Souls would be the number one suspect. But I need to come up with some kind of plan because I’m not going down without a fight.
I wipe my hand over my face, not even realizing I’m crying until my hand comes away damp. I take a few steadying breaths and pull myself together before making my way to the restroom to get rid of any evidence that I’ve been crying.
Straightening up my outfit, I head back out into the chaos, keeping my fake smile plastered in place. When Kruger walks in, I almost crack, especially when he walks over with the biggest bouquet I’ve ever seen in my life.
A cheer goes up when he hands them off to an amused-looking Con so he can pick me up and swing me around. “You did it, chestnut. I’m so fucking proud of you.”
“We did. All of us,” I say, catching sight of Circus flirting with the Pride and Prejudice girl.
Amity, Neveah, and Legs are sitting at one of the tables, looking over with grins on their faces.
I look around for Theo and see him with a sleeping Hero in his arms. Capone is behind him, talking to Midas, who is looking around the shop like he doesn’t know what to make of it.
I can’t blame him. It’s changed a lot since it was Au.
Kruger pulls back, puts his fingers between his teeth, and whistles loudly, gaining everyone’s attention. “I want to thank everyone for coming out today. Delphi has worked her ass off to get this place ready for you all. And I have to say all the blood, sweat, and tears have paid off.”
“Here, here,” Carl, from the diner, calls out, making me blush.
“Delphi, you have anything you want to say?”
“Thanks for putting me on the spot.”
He grins, making others around us laugh, too.
“Alright, settle down. I’m not big on making speeches. I don’t even know where to start. It feels like it’s been forever since I first walked in here and left with a grenade. And now you’re all here, leaving with books.” Kruger growls, and Legs curses my name. “Still too soon? Really?”