Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 32824 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32824 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
She released a breath and reluctantly made eye contact. “We’re sending Teddy to my parents for a little while.”
Just listen, just listen, just listen, just listen.
I swallowed a bout of anger and nausea. I better be overreacting. Soph and Teddy went to see her parents every year, usually a couple weeks in the summer. The pregnancy had gotten in the way this year, so maybe it was more of a delay and Soph couldn’t go.
“A little while?” I asked tightly.
“Three months,” she murmured.
I dropped my hands to my lap and clenched my jaw.
“Mom and Dad have been really accommodating,” she went on. “Whenever we want and can visit, they’ll get me a ticket—or Dylan, in the beginning. It’s gonna be…so hard—” She took a break as her eyes became glassy. “But I have to do what I believe is best for Teddy in the long run.”
How the fuck would this be best for him?
“I don’t get it.” I cleared my throat and started bouncing my knee impatiently.
“I’m sorry. I’ll start from the beginning,” she said. “Dylan and I haven’t left any stone unturned. We’ve considered every option, from including you and his parents to Dylan getting an extra job, but in the end…” She took an unsteady breath. “Mom contacted a specialist and told me about a private program in Atlanta. It’s part evaluation, part preparedness, part education. And we need the preparedness. If we can’t afford to get Teddy back into the care group as much as he needs, we have to have the tools to make up for what he’ll miss out on. I also have to prepare myself for encouraging his independence. If I hold him back, he will suffer for it.”
I folded my arms over my chest and bit my tongue to keep from throwing out questions that demanded answers.
“For those three months, he will be part of a playgroup. He’ll have his own counselor assigned to him, who will basically put together a home-focused program that we can follow going forward. And it sounds more lab ratty than it is,” she hurried to add. “It’s why they recommend three months, so there’s plenty of time to understand him without exposing him to uncomfortable situations.”
“Have you thought about asking him?” I couldn’t help but ask. “Teddy deserves more credit than this. He has no problem voicing his thoughts. He communicates better and more honestly than most kids.” He just had his own ways of doing it. His language was expansive, only it included more than just speech.
Soph swallowed and dropped her gaze to the table. “I understand why you’re against this. I was too, at first. But the more I read about the program, the more I realized I need this as well. I need to be the best mom I can be for him, and I won’t be if I continually hold him back because I’m overprotective.” She lifted her gaze again. “I hate that they cut the aid, but I can’t know for certain that it was an actual bad decision. Maybe he doesn’t need the care group, maybe he doesn’t need the speech therapy. But he needs something—whatever the next step in his evolving and growing up may be—and I gotta figure out what that is.”
I despised admitting that part made sense.
“Because while he thrives on being around his friends those hours after school, he also thrives on being challenged,” she said. “Right now, a lot of things suck—so hard. We can’t afford to enroll him in a program like this here in Washington, but my parents are paying for everything if we go with Atlanta. Is that a manipulative way to be involved? Absolutely. At the same time, I’m only human, and I’m failing.”
What the fucking—that pissed me off. “What’re you talking about? You’re not failing. I don’t wanna hear you say that shit.”
But she pushed forward. “It’s the truth, Sebastian. I can’t do this on my own—”
“You’re not supposed to!” Fuck. I had to lower my voice. “He’s supposed to have a biological father to carry half the work, but that useless piece of shit bailed.”
Soph closed her eyes briefly and clasped her fingers loosely on the table. “I understand—I do. I get it. I’m not supposed to be alone. And I’m not. I have Dylan, who’s a million times better than Axel, and we still can’t pull through at the moment. Not without the aid we just lost.” She opened her eyes again and took a deep breath. “It is, however, temporary. While Teddy’s in Georgia, I will take that administrative class I have to take in order to advance at work. I’ve already talked to my boss about it. She’s been very supportive. And it’s something I can do from home while I take care of Isabella. I have six weeks of maternity leave, and I’m gonna use them as wisely as I can. Then Dylan’s mom is going to look after her for a couple months so we don’t have to worry about day care right away.”