Moving Forward

Sorting Out Gabriel

I am very sorry for the delay of the story. I decided to quit smoking and it is harder than I thought it would be. I didn't expect the migraines, the nausea or the ongoing mental confusion that is a part of it. I am still fighting the battle and will until I succeed. I will write when I can make sense, even though it takes a while to get a small chapter. Do yourself a favor: Never start smoking or quit now. The longer you wait to quit, the harder it is. Not starting at all is the best and don't let your peers tell you different.

Owen's POV

"We've tried talking to Mrs. Colman, she refuses to listen. Mr. Coleman doesn't help the matter with his insistence that he must take care of her." I agreed with Mr. Maguire that something needed to be done about this matter, but Sean and I were out of ideas. Both Coleman's were very stubborn and we were at a loss for other avenues to try. While we would never admit it to our younger brothers, we weren't all powerful. At nineteen, most people would not listen to us. We were kids in the eyes of many and they refused to take us seriously.

"Then we will use scare tactics," Mr. Maguire didn't seem bothered by this.

"By that he means that we will use the law to bring her in line." Mrs. Maguire explained. "Since Gabriel's father died, she has been receiving Social Security benefits for herself and Gabriel. We have obtained proof that she has wasted it on alcohol and men, never once using it to support her stepson as the law requires. Her benefits end when he turns sixteen and we will make sure that she no longer has access to his benefits. We will give her a choice. She can go to jail for fraud or she can go into detox and pay back the money she cheated her stepson out of. Playing nice with her doesn't work."

"How much in benefits are you talking about?" Sean demanded to know.

"As the widow, she receives $1200.00 a month for support. With Gabriel being a minor, she receives an extra $500+ a month for him," was the distressing reply. "She is wasting $1700.00+ a month on booze, cigarettes, and abusive drunks. She is also breaking Child Labor Laws by having him work to support them. She is abusing the system for her own personal gain while ignoring the child in her care."

"But... but... but..." Sean sounded like a motor boat. "I thought Social Security was only for retired people."

"Social Security covers retired people, the disabled and benefits for orphaned children with a single parent still living. Without Gabriel, Mrs. Coleman would not have received a dime in benefits. The child receives it until they are eighteen and their mother figure receives it until the said child turns sixteen."

"One thing the late Mr. Coleman did do right was by placing half of the settlement he received for his wife and youngest son's deaths in a trust fund for Gabriel. The trust will pay for Gabe to attend the college of his choice and he will receive the remaining when he turns thirty. Mrs. Coleman cannot touch the trust and has no claim to it even though her husband's half from the lawsuit been placed in the trust when he died."

"Mr. Coleman never informed us of having a trust fund," I frowned.

"He wasn't told about it since he was only eight when it was formed and his father kept it from his new wife. Uncle Taylor is the Executor of the trust, there is no reason for anyone else to know of it."

"As the head of this family, I am to be kept informed of all matters concerning my brothers." I reminded them.

"No," Mr. Maguire corrected me firmly. "We discussed this before. You are not the head of the family. You are all equal. The arrangements for Gabriel were arranged before you met him; they do not concern you and never will. The double standards you ran your team by are no longer permissible. There will be full disclosure at all times or there is no team. The lies, the secrets, and the manipulation are part of the past. You want to play Secret Agent, join the C.I.A. and learn to take orders instead of giving them."

I did not argue with him. It would have done me no good and while it hurt, he was right. I failed Mr. Griffin and Mr. Coleman. When I was unable to fix their home situations, I should have taken it to the High Council and asked for help. My pride and arrogance had not let me. My two youngest brothers endured more mental abuse than they needed to due to my selfishness. The changes in Mr. Griffin since he found his aunt were astounding. If the same results could be achieved for Mr. Coleman, I will do all in my power to help the Maguires make it happen for him.