Page 38 of Heal
"Beau…" Parson shook his head, unsure how to feel about this. Sure, he was more than aware that with the right amount of money you could get anything, but these were kids Beau was all but trying to buy. That sounded worse than it was, and he was aware of that, but still, this wasn't right.
"I'm trusting you with this. You know how important it is for the kids to stay together. You've seen how we've bonded. I'll give them a happy life."
"I don't doubt that, but you work all the time. Who's going to watch them when you're at the hospital for twelve hours overnight?"
"I start interviewing nannies on Sunday."
"You're serious about this?"
"Completely. I haven't told the kids yet, because honestly, I needed to tell you first. I'm more than aware that you could turn me in and have me arrested for what I've done. I'm hoping you won't. I hope you'll understand why I did it. I wanted to get this out in the open because I knew that if you took it badly, that the date would be over and the night might have a completely different outcome than I hoped."
"You want me to lie for you?" Parson stared at Beau, stunned at what he was asking.
"Not lie. All you're doing is looking at your files on the computer and seeing that I'm approved to take the kids in and foster them. If we had never talked before, you'd have been none the wiser on this. I know it puts you in a tough position, but I was out of options. Time isn't on our side."
"Fuck, Beau. What have you done?" Parson wasn't sure what to do. Logically, he should report Beau, but he wasn't sure he could do that. Beau wasn't a bad guy, and even though he was still getting to know him, he was sure that Beau could give the kids a better home than any of the other families he had looked at. "You're talking adoption. That's a lifelong commitment. You're going from eligible bachelor to daddy in one simple signature."
"I know, and I can't wait. I really want this. I've thought about nothing else all week. I've weighed the pros and cons. I've looked at every angle. This is what I want. I'm asking you to help me get it."
"What if the kids don't want you?" It sounded rude, but the kids should have a say in this.
"Then it ends right there. I won't force them to stay with me. They are free to choose. But I'm hoping they feel the connection to me that I feel with them and will want to be a family."
Parson leaned back, bracing both hands on the sides of his head. "Fuck, Beau. Do you know how much trouble you could be in if anyone finds out about this?"
Beau nodded, but said nothing.
Parson sighed as he tried to think. This was the solution they were looking for, but he prided himself on always doing what was right. Was this right? For sure, breaking into the system and falsifying files wasn't right, but was that so wrong when it kept a family together? "Do you do this often? Use your money to influence the outcome of things?"
"Never. This is the first time. Hopefully, the last time." Beau met Parson's gaze. "I hate it as much as you do, but there was no other way. There was no one else who would do this. Not with a baby coming too."
"And if she chooses to keep the baby?"
"Then I'm a grandfather a lot earlier than I ever thought I would be." Beau smiled.
The smile was genuine, and it did something to Parson as he saw how happy the thought made Beau. "You really want this? An instant family?"
"I do," Beau assured him. "The moment the idea hit me, I knew it was what was meant to be. Remember, I told you I let myself get close to the kids when I usually don't? I think this is the reason why. Fate, God, whatever you want to call it, set it all in motion. Who better to help the kids recover than someone who has dealt with this kind of trauma for years? Lisa and Faith text each other all the time. That friendship is only going to get stronger with the kids living with me. I know it sounds rushed, maybe even creepy the way I'm begging for this, but I just feel in my gut that this is what is meant to be. Help me make it happen."
"And if I can't?" Parson asked.
"Then we drive to the police station right now and I admit what I did and you turn me in."
"You know I can't do that."
"You could. There's nothing stopping you. It's why I told you now, before this date got serious and there was even more to consider. I like you a lot, Parson. I want to see if we can make something of this, but you needed to know everything. You needed the facts before we let our emotions get any more involved. You need to know what I plan, because I know it's too soon to really think long-term, but if things work out with you and me, hopefully, I'll have a family that you'll have to include in any relationship we have. I don't know if that's even something you want."
The waiter walked up, placing salads on the table, giving Parson a minute to sort his thoughts. Beau was talking like he hoped things worked between them. That was what he'd thought he wanted too, but now… He waited until they were alone again before he looked at Beau. "You know, it's not the instant family that scares me. I can see myself with you in ten years with these kids. The idea scares me, but I can see it. What I can't handle is the fact that you'd break into a state system and create fake documents."
"What else was I supposed to do?"
"Go through the adoption process like normal?"
"Right, and by that time the kids are split up and suffering in the system. I looked into that option, even talked to a family law attorney who told me that it would take months if not longer for the whole adoption process to go through. By then, Lisa has her baby, she's decided to keep it or give it away. That's a decision that might change based on her living conditions. I don't want to wait six months to a year to have all this go through. At least this way, with me being their foster family, I can wait out the adoption process knowing they are safe. By the time the adoption happens, they'll already have adapted to life with me. We won't be pulling them from one home to another, we won't be keeping them apart."
Parson sighed. "I can't give you an answer right now, Beau. I need to think about this."
Beau nodded. "Do you want to leave?"
