Chapter 8 #3
Kahana said that she wasn’t a bad mother because she needed help. She was a smart woman and knew that she couldn’t do it on her own. And raising three children under the age of five was hard enough on the strongest of people. And unlike some people, they could afford it.
Also, she was going to make sure that, if nothing else, every day she was going to get herself up and cleaned up before starting her day.
It was the least she could do for herself that made her feel good.
Even if she only got to brush her teeth, she was going to do something for herself daily so she’d feel better than she did a few days ago.
At seven the next morning, her dad called to see if he could come by and have breakfast with her.
Since she was just getting in the shower, she told him that it would be wonderful.
As soon as he arrived at seven-thirty, not only was she dressed for the day, but she’d put on a bit of makeup and done her hair.
She felt positively wonderful. Charlie commented on her beauty as they were sitting down to breakfast with the Booths.
“My goodness, child. You looked beautiful. Who would know you’ve just given birth two weeks ago?
If your mother could see you now…well, she’d not have anything nice to say to you, that’s for sure.
But that’s her loss.” After kissing her dad on the cheek, he joined them for their first meal of the day.
She loved this time of the morning. The girls were fed and cleaned up, and Charles was playing with his blocks.
It was quiet in the house as well. Something that she loved more than anything.
“I think that she’s coming to see you today.
She was up when I left, and that never bodes well for people.
I don’t know what her plans are for the day, but I’d expect her soon.
She’s on the warpath, and I’m going to avoid her for the rest of the week if I can. ”
“I don’t blame you, Wilbur. I’d stay clear of her, too, if I could.” Charlie sat down next to her and kissed her on the cheek. “Doesn’t she look beautiful? I can’t believe how lucky I am to have such a beautiful wife.”
They mostly talked about her mom and what she might be up to.
At eight, not only did her mother show up, but she had the police with her.
She said she was here to take her children back.
All hell was about to break loose, and she wasn’t sure how to handle it right now.
She did the only thing that she could and called the Hathaways.
Debra was her lawyer, and Axel was going to help her with the trial.
Because as surely as she was sitting here, she was going to press charges against her mother.
“What are you doing here? I thought you were going to the club or something.” Mom looked at Dad when he didn’t answer her.
“Nothing to say? I told you I was going to do this, and you should have listened to me. I want to raise the children right, and there is no way that you’re going to keep me from doing so. ”
“Isn’t there? I filed for divorce this morning before coming here to have breakfast with my family.
” She called him a liar. “Believe what you wish, but it’s a done deal.
I told you that if you went through with this, I was going to do it.
Now that you have, the locks have been changed on the house, and your accounts have been closed as of seven-thirty. You’re broke. And homeless to boot.”
“You can’t leave me out in the cold. I have three of our grandbabies to raise.
What will your friends say when they find out that you divorced me rather than seeing that your grandbabies are raised well?
” He told her what he said he’d told her yesterday, they’d wonder why it took him so long.
“I will not allow you to do this to me, Daddy. I’m going to go back to the house with my children, and you’re not going to do a thing about it. ”
“My name is Wilbur. I have been telling you that for so long that I’m sure that the furniture knows my name.
I haven’t ever been your daddy ever, and I don’t like you calling me that anymore.
It’s Wilbur Stanford.” Her dad stood up and asked her mom to leave.
“We were having a nice breakfast until you came here. Whatever are the police for? I’m sure they have things to do that are more important than an old woman trying to kidnap babies from their parents. ”
“How dare you?” Mom turned and looked at her. “Where are my children? I want to show these people how you treat them like you did things when you were a child.”
She didn’t so much as look in the living room where they were sleeping in their cribs.
Even Charles was playing quietly while in the same room with them.
As soon as her mom turned on her heel and headed toward them, she grabbed Charles by the arm and jerked him up from the floor.
Standing in front of the cribs, she told the police to get the babies as she was leaving with them right now.
“You’re hurting my arm.” The slap to Charles’ face was so sudden that she didn’t react at first. Before she could get to her son and comfort him, her mother was flipping over the back of the couch and onto the floor between the two cribs.
No one said a word until Charles came to her.
“Mommy, she hit me in the face. And she hurt my arm.”
“I’ll make sure you’re all right. Uncle Kahana will have a look at you, and he’ll make sure you’re not hurt.” Millie looked at her husband when he asked if they were all right. “Did you hit her?”
“I did, and I’d do it again if she tries to hurt one of mine.
” He turned to the police and said he was pressing charges against Yolanda for abuse of his son.
And for attempting to kidnap his daughters.
“I want her out of this house now and in jail before I call my attorney. You’ll do that for me, won’t you? ”
“Yes, sir. When we came here, we didn’t know what to expect.
She said that you were abusing your children in a sexual way.
Not that we believed her, but we had to come with her to see.
We had no idea that she was going to hurt anyone.
We even called special services to take the children away if necessary.
I can see that it was all in her head.” Charlie said that was right, and her dad vouched for him.
“We’ll take her in now. I would imagine that she’s been planning this for some time.
She had notes on the things that you were both doing to your children while you were living here. ”
“Whatever she said is untrue, officers. She came here to kidnap my children and hurt one of them. I want to press charges against her, and I’ll be downtown as soon as I’m finished having my breakfast.” The officer said he could see that.
As soon as she came around, Mom was put in the back of a cruiser and taken away.
“Dad, are you really going to divorce her over this?”
“It’s been a long time coming, and I’m glad that she’s shown herself to be a nutball with others around.
She’s been driving me crazy for the last twenty years, but with these children, I just don’t know what to think.
She had it in her head that she was going to raise them better than you could.
I don’t know how that was possible. She never had a thing to do with you when you were a child.
And just look at you with your babies right here.
I couldn’t have been more proud than I am of Charlie.
Damn, but I wish I could have been the one to hit her.
You did a good thing in protecting your family, young man, and I am happy to call you son. ”
The breakfast was a good time, and they all had their fill.
Dad got to hold the babies, and she thought he looked his happiest doing it.
As soon as he left, too, telling them that he had his will to change, they all decided to go into town and have a morning of it.
There were charges to press, too, and she was looking forward to her mom being in jail for a while.
It would certainly be something that she could live with, her not being around much.