At dinner, the day was recounted for everyone and any news was given. James told everyone that he planned on getting a restraining order against Kim at the arraignment hearing in the morning. Abe had called him back to inform him that the arraignment was to be held at 10:30 the next morning. Hunter was begging to go with him. Though James thought it was a bad idea, he would allow it if Gramma and/ or Grampa would go along with them in case Hunter needed to be taken out of the court room. Of course, David and Brie were happy to go along with for moral support and to keep an eye on Hunter.
As they prepared for bed that night, there was a knock on their bedroom door. "Come in", David called softly. Brie had dozed off and was snoring softly.
Jeremiah walked in alone. "Hey Dad. I didn't wake you, did I?"
"No, 'Miah. I'm just reading a book and unwinding.after this crazy day. James' relationship falls apart; you and Jona are expecting. By the way, I did a little bit of math and there's a possibility that little Matthew will be born in my birthday."
Jeremiah laughed. "You and Mom will both have your birthday babies if all goes according to plan then, huh?"
"And our birthday babies will be children with 'M' names from two different sons who both bear 'J' names. It's fucking fascinating", David chuckled.
"You don't think our news upset anyone, do you Dad?"
"No, 'Miah. I think it was a breath of fresh air after Kim decided to go totally psychotic on everyone. Personally, I'm happy for you and Jona. James is going to have two beautiful little girls in three months. Six months later, you're going to have a son. Our family is expanding even more. Meagan and Makayla are dating seriously and I may be giving them away at their weddings soon. They'll start having children soon afterward. Malachai and Mandy have found a surrogate to have more. Jake and Delilah are trying to have more. Maddie and Colt are trying for more as soon as Asher's about two. The only two I have to worry about after that are your younger brother and sister. I'm sure by the time Meagan, Makayla, Jessi, James, and Marc all get married your mother and I will be in Jerusalem for good."
"Is that where the two of you have decided to move to? Jerusalem?"
"More than likely that's where we'll go. Your Uncle Ben still lives there. We'll be close to him. I'll get to see him perform now." David couldn't help but chuckle.
"You and Mom gonna sit still after that?" Jeremiah chuckled back.
"Fuck no. Your mother wants to travel with me and that's what we're going to do. We're going to travel. I'm going to take her to all of the fantastic places I've had the pleasure of travelling to."
"Sounds like fun. It'd be nice to go along, but I'm sure you two want to enjoy retirement without your children."
"I'll be sure that we have a place big enough to keep everyone should you all want to come to Israel for Hanukkah one year."
"That's not what I meant, Dad."
"Oh, I know", David responded with a yawn. "Now, Jeremiah, if you'll excuse me I'm going to go to sleep now. I'm well and truly exhausted."
Jeremiah smiled at his father, a man he and all of his brothers respected and idolized. "No problem, Dad. I'm heading to bed myself now. I think we're going to call her parents in the morning to let them know that she's pregnant."
David nodded as he settled into the bed with his wife and the mother of his children. "Whatever works, son. Good night. I'll see you in the morning."
"Alright, Dad. I'll see you in the morning." He turned and went back down the hall to the room he shared with his wife. She was already sleeping peacefully when he arrived so he just climbed into bed next to her, took her in his arms and drifted off to sleep.
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James was scanning one of his law books for the upcoming sememster of Law School when he heard Hunter whimpering in his sleep. He got up off of the bed and checked on the little boy. He put a hand on the little boys back and rubbed carefully. Hunter snapped awake and started freaking out. He screamed and cried, and it was all James could do to calm him down. He held to the little boy close to him as the had a panic attack. "Shh, buddy, it's ok. Dad's here. What's the matter, buddy?"
When Hunter finally calmed down enough to answer, he looked up at James with tears still in his eyes. "I thought Mama trying to touch me. That's the last thing I want. I forgot she's gone and she's not coming back."
"What do you mean you don't want Mama touching you, Hunter? What's going on?"
"I really shouldn't tell you. Mama will get mad."
"Mama can't hurt you anymore, Hunter. You can tell me what happened." Hunter's eyes flooded with tears again and he told the entire story of everything his mother had ever done to hurt him. Every time she hit him, every time she touched him in ways that were inappropriate, and everytime she did the same to his friends at the daycare he used to go to where she worked. James sat in listened in horror to the story that his son told. When he was done, he hugged Hunter close to him and kissed the top of the little boy's head. "Oh, my God, son. Why haven't you told me sooner?"
"You remember the boogeyman?" the little boy shouted in horror.
"Hunter, I hate to break it to you, son, but there isn't a boogeyman. And if there were, I wouldn't let him anywhere near you. You're my boy. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you anymore. Do you believe that?"
Hunter nodded. "Yes, Daddy."
"Good boy. Now, I need you to retell that story to Gramma and Grampa for me so that I have witnesses. Can you do that for me?" Hunter nodded. James stood and went down the hall to his parents room. He listened carefully to hear if he was interrupting anything. When he noticed there wasn't any noise coming from the other side of the door, he knocked softly.
"Come in", he heard his father groan groggily.
He opened the door cautiously. "Dad, do you and Mom mind coming down to my room for a minute? I need you to hear something that Hunter just told me."
"Let me wake your mother and we'll be there in a moment. Do you mind prefacing this for us so that we know what we're going to be hearing?"
"Let me put it like this; you won't believe me if I tell you, but you'll believe Hunter when he says it. I know you will."
David sighed. "Go back down there and we'll be there in a minute." He quietly whispered to the sleeping beauty on his arm that they needed to get up and head down to James' room for a moment.
James headed back to his room where Hunter was sitting on his toddler bed and looked at a picture book as he waited. It was the first present his Daddy had ever bought him. He clutched at the teddy bear that came along with it. "Hunter, buddy, Gramma and Grampa will be here shortly. Just relax until they get here."
"Ok, Daddy, but do I really have to tell them too?"
"Son, you may end up having to tell this story in court. I just need you to tell Gramma and Grampa so that I have witnesses when I talk to the judge about your Mama in the morning."
Before Hunter could respond, there was a gentle knocking on the door. "Come in, Mom and Dad."
When they came in, Brie and David took a seat on the edge of James' bed. "Ok, so what's going on?" Brie asked.
"Hunter, tell Gramma and Grampa what you just told me."
Hunter took a deep breath and retold the story as his grandparents listened in horror.
---------------
They couldn't go back to sleep after what they had just heard. Instead they sat in their room on the chaise lounge and drank hot tea or coffee. "What that girl did to that little boy is beyond criminal, David", Brie fumed.
"I know, baby. The best thing she ever did for that little boy was have James adopt him and become his legal father. That's just disgusting. How anyone could do those things to their own child, let alone any child, is beyond me", David said in disgust.
"She needs to have her head ripped off of her shoulders and to be thrown into the deepest region of hell for what she did. That shit is inexcusable."
"I agree. I just hope that there's some way to spare that poor child the hell of having to testify against his mother for what she did to him."
"I'll do whatever it takes to spare him that grief if we can, honey. He may be James' step son, but he's our grandchild nonetheless."
"I totally agree with you there. But, baby, there's nothing we can do about it right now. The best we can do is go to the arraignment tomorrow morning because I know you have something you want to say about her assult of you and the rest of our grandchildren that you caught her hitting."
"When Jake comes in first thing in the morning, we need to tell him to have Miri and Ira checked to see if she did to either of them what she did to Hunter."
"We should probably tell Jordan and Malachai to do the same to their children as well."
Brie sighed. "I hate it when you're right."
David reached across the space between them and took her hand. "Baby, I'm sure our other grandchildren are fine. They know to tell someone if something like that happens."
She took that hand and tucked herself against the front of her husband's body after setting her empty cup of tea on the floor. "I know, but I can't help but feel awful for that poor child. It's going to mess him up really bad."
"James will see that he gets the help he needs. Hell, we can be sure that he starts getting that help before we leave for Israel if need be. We all know he'll need counseling for all of this shit he's been through."
"You promise we'll see that he starts getting help for all of this shit?"
"Yes, baby. We'll see to it. I'm sure you have connections that can at least refer us to a child psychologist."
"I'll start making phone calls after we get back from court with James and see what I can find out."
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James finally got Hunter back to sleep after having the little boy tell his story to his parents. He hated to have to do it because he could see that it made the little boy uncomfortable, but it needed to be done. At that moment, he was drafting statements for his parents to sign in regard to the story they'd just heard. He wasn't going to take any chances. He wanted every little piece of evidence that they could get together for the custody hearing. He was going to prove that he was the better parent for Hunter and his girls that were on the way. With all of the things he was finding out, he was sure that the judge would extend the decision to the unborn babes. He couldn't help but feel confident as he sat in his room at his computer and typed the statements. All he had to do was print them in his father's office in the morning and that was it.
He saved his work and sighed as he laid down in his bed. I can't believe she would do that. And she put up such a convincing front too. She acted like she actually cared for that little boy. I'll fucking bury her if I can. No one treats a child like that and gets away with it on my watch. And the fact that she may have done it with my niece and nephews makes it all the more inexcusable. She'll pay. As God as my WITNESS she will pay if she hurt one of my nieces or nephews. And again, determined to see the girl he thought he was going to spend the rest of his life with fall, he settled into his bed and drifted off to sleep.
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