New Boy | Miguel Diaz

Court

Today, Dad and I were going to court along with my mom. It'll be the day my dad officially gets full custody of me.

We got there a few minutes early, surprisingly, and waited until we got called in.

Mom came in shortly after us, practically glaring at my dad. Clearly she didn't want to do this.

"Your father, Johnny, testified about your mother's months-long absence. Did her disappearance make you sad?" The judge asked me.

"Um, not really."

"Were you glad when she came back?"

"I was glad she wasn't dead."

"You miss her while she was gone?"

"Maybe a little." I glanced at my mom.

"What'd you guys do together whenever she was home?"

That's when I froze, "Um... to be honest, nothing. The only time she came home was when she needed money from me. She was never there for me when I needed her."

"Mrs. Williams, you have a special daughter." The judge looked towards my mom.

"That's why I had to leave, your honor. I couldn't stand to see her live through my battles with addiction any longer. It was my fight, not hers." My mom stated.

"So you left."

"To get help." I scoffed. "Sometimes the hardest part is admitting you need it. And I didn't wanna come home until I was clean and sober. A mother she could be proud of."

"You're not buying this, are you?"

"Mr. Lawrence." The judge warned.

"No. This woman right her basically abandoned her daughter. The man she lied about being her father also left, leaving her all alone."

"Alcohol is cruel." Mom pointed out.

"She hasn't stopped drinking and she never will." I said.

"Your honor, if I may? Ava has been hurt by my behavior too many times to believe I've changed. That's my fault, not hers. She has kept herself going in my absence and I will be forever grateful. I'm not the perfect parent. But I love my kid. She means the world to me. I don't know what I'd be if I wasn't a mom. I'd be nothing. Please don't take my daughter away from me."

Mom exhaled a shaky breath before sitting back down.

"Miss Williams, you wanna tell me why your mother should be declared unfit?"

I looked down before speaking, "I was sleeping over at my aunts once. My mom forgot to pick me up from school. I called my aunt, she picked me up and we looked around town, trying to find where my mother could be.

"I was laying down on the couch when my mom came over. Middle of the night, and she told me to get in the car with her, but we'd have to stop by somewhere. A few hours later, I'm still sitting in the car... and my head starts burning up.

"I was alone and I didn't know what to do. So, I went inside. The smell of alcohol and weed spread around as I looked for my mom. Saw her on some chair, making out with a guy. My dad had left us a couple weeks before, so she was a wreck.

"I went up to them, told my mom about my head burning up. She ignores me and shoos me off with her hand. I run off, going back to my aunts. I finally made it. My aunt comes out, looking at me all worried, she takes me to the clinic and they said I had a fever of 104.

"Another couple hours and who knows? We didn't find my mom until a couple days later. First thing she asked me... how much money I had on me. I wish I could say that was the only time, but it was just the first. She takes what she pleases and she offers nothing."

My dad squeezed my hand before interrupting, "Your honor?" The judge nods. "Ever since I took Ava under my own hands, I've done what I could to take care of her. More than her own mother has in her entire life.

"Yes, I wish I could of done more. I'm not asking for your pity or your admiration... I just wanna give my kid everything she deserves... because she is a great kid and she deserves better."

"Chambers, please." Dad followed the judge into another room, leaving my mom and I in the court room.

-

"Mrs. Williams, you've admitted it's been challenging to handle this responsibility of your own. Now if I allow you to retain your parental rights, would you consent to the father of your child becoming guardian to your child?"

"She'd still be my kid?"

"Yes."

"But he'd have all the responsibility?"

"Not all, but yes."

"Works for me."

The judge gestures for Dad to stand up, "Do you agree to be the guardian of this child?"

"Yes, I do."

"Well, that will be my order, then. Take your child home."

And I am officially Ava Lawrence.

-

I used the court scene in shameless since I had no idea how all of this stuff works.