Page 7 of Uproot

I go inside the police department and check in with a friendly woman named Tiffany at the front desk. She escorts me back to a big office at the back of three rows of workstations that have a few officers sitting at them. She knocks on the door, and a moment later a rough voice tells us to come in.

I walk in and see a large man with sharp hazel eyes look up at me. He stands up to greet us, coming over to give me a firm handshake.

"Sheriff Vaughn, I’m Beckett Kade. Good to meet you in person," I say, shaking his hand.

"You as well. I appreciate you coming quickly on such short notice, Mr. Kade," he says. "Please, come with me."

I follow along with him back the way I came, and then down a hallway until we reach two interrogation rooms. "Charlie's Lawyer is already here. We will bring Charlie in with you two in a moment, I just wanted you to have a chance to speak with his attorney alone," Vaughn explains, motioning to the door.

"Thank you," I respond, and he opens the door to let me step inside first.

An older man wearing glasses and a baggy suit stands up and comes over to shake my hand enthusiastically, "Hello, Mr. Kade. I'm Daniel Williams, the public defender for your brother, Charlie," he greets, motioning for me to take a seat.

"Right," I murmur, looking around the musky, old, interrogation room. I sit in one of the uncomfortable metal chairs as Daniel sits back in his.

Being here feels oddly familiar seeing that this is the third time I've been sitting in this situation, speaking to a lawyer who is going to explain to me how badly my brother has now fucked up his life.

Only this time I won't be taking out a check book, or bringing in some big gun attorney to make it all go away. And it isn't Charlie that is my main concern in any of this. I'm only here to sign what I need to, and finally go get Edison so I can start sorting all of this out for him.

Sheriff Vaughn leaves Daniel and I alone to go get Charlie while we go over everything once again. Daniel explains to me the temporary guardianship I will be given for Edison that Charlie has already signed.

"Once I find his mother and make sure that she's clean, I’ll get her set up with some kind of employment, then I'll be leaving," I explain to him as I sign the last document. "It's time for her to grow up and step up to her responsibility now. There's no one else to take over. Our father is gone, and Charlie's mother has been in the wind for years now. And even if she wasn’t, I wouldn't trust my stepmother toraise a cat."

My father had an iron clad prenup when he married Charlie's mother, Angelina, two years after my own mother died. Angelina still received a fair amount of money after they divorced when Charlie and I were teenagers, but she frittered away what she received by not living within her new means. She had the nerveto come back asking for more, and when my father not so nicely declined, none of us ever heard from her again.

She doesn't have a maternal bone in her body, and she was hoping that having Charlie would be a lifetime meal ticket for her somehow. But she should have read the prenup more carefully. My father got full custody of Charlie, and she moved on to find her next victim.

Charlie ended up choosing a woman just like his mother, which sadly, isn't surprising.

I set the pen down and Daniel gives me the same sympathetic look I've become accustomed to receiving when I tell people my complicated, screwed up family tree. It's something that I'm used to, but I've never for one second felt sorry for myself like Charlie does.

I don't believe that having mommy, or daddy issues should doom you to a life full of irresponsibility, or treating others poorly. Especially when you have access to enough money for therapists, and enough connections to do anything you want with your life.

I want to make sure that when I start a family someday I don't pass down any of this generational mess to my kids. I need to make sure that Edison doesn't become another victim of it either.

"It's really a shame how things like this go," Daniel says, taking the papers from me and letting out a heavy sigh. "Unfortunately, I do think that your brother's greatest mistake among many was deciding that he could somehow sell the drugs he was usinghimself. I think he ended up being his own best customer. Which obviously is very destructive."

I listen silently, having no emotion or sympathy left to expend for Charlie. Daniel folds his hands on the table, and we sit in silence until we hear the door opening behind us.

Vaughn leads Charlie into the room and I turn to take him in.

4

Beckett

Charlie's hands are handcuffed, and he has on the standard orange jail ensemble. His brown hair is shaved close to his head, and his light blue eyes look exhausted as they stare back at me. Our eyes are the only things we really have in common, given to us from our late father.

I stare at him as he averts his gaze from mine, moving to sit down across from me. He must have aged 10 years since the last time I saw him, and at this point I think he would be mistaken for beingmyolder brother.

He rubs together his hands, finally acknowledging my presence, "Thanks for coming Beckett," he grumbles, as if it pains him to say it.

I don't respond and Daniel looks between us, realizing that things are at an awkward standstill.

"Well, Charlie. Your brother has signed the necessary paperwork for temporary custody of Edison, starting today. He is still with his teacher, Selah Lansing. She took him with her to school today, and the plan right now is for Beckett to meet them at herhome this evening. Also, he is trying to locate Edison's mother, Maria Alton, to try to reunite them and have her take over his care."

Charlie doesn't acknowledge him talking until he mentions Maria's name, "You're never gonna find her. I tried for months until I finally just realized she split for good," he grunts, looking over at me. "She's never disappeared for this long, ever. She would leave for some time here and there but it's different now. She couldn't handle being with me anymore, or being a mother."

I sit forward in my seat, resting my arms on the table, "Of all the shit she should have quit doing, motherhood is what she chose?" I ask, shaking my head. "You two are really something else."

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