Page 75 of Heal
He wondered if the children had been part of the parties that Lisa had talked about. Had she finished going through all the photos he'd given her and led Beau and his team to more victims? And if this wasn't the kids used at the parties, that meant there were still kids out there being hurt.
He'd planned on calling Beau after work so they could talk, but his mind wasn't on his job today. Shutting down his computer, he locked his desk and stood. "I'm taking the rest of the day off as a personal day." He told Sara, who worked beside him. "Tell them to call if they need anything."
"You okay?" She looked up concerned.
"Yeah, just some personal stuff I have to take care of." He grabbed his briefcase and headed out the door.
It was three days before Thanksgiving. It wasn't like he could do much work until after the holiday anyway. Inspections and placements were on hold until next week, and now, with all the abuse cases happening, there were rumors that all placements might be on hold until an investigation was made.
Parson hated that kids would have to stay at the Center until they found them homes, but he was glad that CPS was at least starting to take these issues seriously and look into the cause and how things had been overlooked.
Once in his car, he pulled out his cell phone. He had no clue if Beau was working today. They hadn't talked at all, but it was time they did.
Dialing Beau's number, he waited patiently to see if he'd answer.
"Hello?" Just the sound of Beau's voice sent a wave of desire through him.
"Hey, sorry it's taken so long to get back to you."
"I was starting to wonder if you would." Beau was talking softly.
"I was hoping we could get together and talk." Parson didn't know what he'd do if Beau said no.
"I'm at a seminar for another hour. I'd sneak out if I could, but it's mandatory. Can I meet you at your place when I'm done?" Beau asked.
"Sure. Thanks for taking the time to meet with me."
"Thanks for finally calling," Beau said. "I have to go. I'll see you in a little over an hour."
"Bye." Parson ended the call. He leaned against the steering wheel, calmer than he'd been in weeks. The fact he'd see Beau in just a little while seemed to ease his mind and his stress.
He'd lost count of how many times he'd been tempted to call, but couldn't bring himself to do it. Talking to his parents helped, but even more so, it was seeing all the arrests being made of foster parents. He was sure Beau's team was involved somehow. If that was true, the team was saving kids, and he really had to reevaluate his feelings on what they did and how they did it.
The drive home went fast, and Parson walked into the house, glad he'd decided to take the rest of the day off. He was starting to question his job more and more. He placed children in homes, he followed up, he evaluated and inspected homes, but there wasn't any satisfaction to the job anymore. He didn't feel as he was really making a difference anymore.
Just the fact that all this abuse had been going on around him, made him worry that he'd missed something. That he'd somehow failed the children and let them down.
He wasn't sure what changes he needed to make. He could find another job, but doing what? He liked helping kids. Loved seeing them get into good homes, but it was getting harder and harder to find the good homes.
He wasn't sure what he wanted to do, but something needed to change. He was tired of seeing kids go from one home to another. He wanted stories like Lisa and Jeff's, where they found forever homes with a loving family.
With an hour to kill, he stripped off his work clothes and took a quick shower before changing into a simple pair of jeans and a t-shirt. It was good to be home. He was going to his parents' on Thursday for Thanksgiving dinner, but then had three days off, and he was considering spending it on the couch, binge-watching TV. He hadn't had a lazy weekend in a long time. Then again, if he could salvage things with Beau, he hoped they could spend some time together too.
He missed Beau, and even the kids. He'd grown attached to Lisa and Jeff. He'd sent over a few gifts a week ago, congratulating them on their new home, but he hadn't talked to them at all since he'd walked out of Beau's. It wasn't like he needed to keep tabs on Beau and make sure the kids were safe. He was sure they were. Beau was perfect for them, and they were perfect for Beau.
He sat on the couch, thinking about everything until he heard a car pull up outside. Unsure how the conversation with Beau would go, he nervously walked to the door.
His heart raced as he watched Beau climb out, making him realize just how much he missed him. He smiled as Beau approached. "Thanks for coming by."
Beau nodded. "How have you been?"
"Good, busy. How about you?" He stepped aside so Beau could come inside.
"The same. The kids keep me busy. I think we've finally settled in and formed routines that work for all of us. They're nervous about starting school, even begged me to homeschool them, but I think they need the friends and socialization." Beau walked into the living room and took a seat on the couch.
"I agree. It will do them good to get things back to normal. I'm not saying it won't be hard for them, but it's the best thing. I miss seeing them."
"You were welcome to come by any time, even if I wasn't there. Thank you for the gifts you sent them. They loved them." Beau smiled. "Jeff has hardly put down that handheld gaming thing you got him."
