Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty Caleb Madeline's on her way up to my place from the parking garage. I knew this was coming. She's been texting me for the past week threatening me that if I don't get my shit together she's going to come over and make me. Brandon or Ben must have told her how much work I've been missing. Traitors. When the elevator doors open, her face squishes and I imagine it has something to do with the way my place must smell. Sitting up, I take in my apartment. Beer bottles and old pizza cover every counter top I can see. Perhaps it's time for a little intervention. "Gross, Caleb. What the hell?" she laughs as she starts to gather up all the trash and pile it in the kitchen. "Go get in the shower. We have some stuff to get done today." Groaning, I stand up and stretch before heading down the hall. She may be my little sister, but she has the power to make me do anything.. I grab a pair of jeans from my dresser and a shirt from my closet before making my way into the bathroom. Hope's note is still sitting on the nightstand and I have to look away when I pass it. It doesn't do me any good to read it again; I think the hundred times I've read it already is enough. It doesn't tell me where she was headed, or why she couldn't trust me to fix this for her. The hot water feels incredible as it runs over my body. I start to wake up and feel like maybe I can get out of the house today. I'll need to shave and maybe eat something that doesn't come in a greasy box. I can hear Madeline complaining out loud about the state of my place and it makes me laugh a little. She's such a little mother. When I'm cleaned up, shaved and dressed for the day, I step back into my much cleaner living room and find Madeline on the couch sorting through some paperwork. "What's up, Madeline? Where do we need to go?" I take a seat next to her and pick up a sheet of paper that's drifted away from the others. It's a petition for legal guardianship. The thought of Hope pierces through me and I'm instantly back to feeling like I need to kick Madeline out and resume my position of defeat on the couch. "While you have been spending time in your black hole, I have been doing research into how to fix this Hope situation. I have a plan and we need to act on right now." I look at her face and see the determination there but it still feels so hopeless to me. "I thought you said there was no chance, Madeline. She's gone now anyway. I have no idea how to find her. All I know is that her name is Hope Turner and she's traveling with a six-year-old boy. Don't think I haven't thought of how to find her a million times. It's all I think about." "Well, big brother, that right there's your problem. Stop thinking about how to find her and bring her back to the same situation, it doesn't do her any good. Don't be selfish; she did what she needed to do. Let's start thinking of how to fix this so that she can come back." I nod my head and let her words sink in. She's right. I've been coming at this from the wrong direction. "Ok, you're right. What do we need to do?" I gather up a few more of the sheets and read the titles. It's all legal documentation that I know very little about. "Here's the loophole: we need to get her mother to sign over temporary guardianship to Hope. Social workers will get involved and make sure it's ok to place him with her so we'll need to line up a few things. I'll tell you more on that later. Then once she signs over guardianship we need to convince her to sign away her rights to Nathan. He'll already be placed with Hope and she can start the adoption process. It's not going to be easy, but I think her mother's drug use will come as a great benefit to us when approaching her mom about all of this." I nod my head and watch as she takes the papers from me and sorts them out into some kind of order. I listen as she continues, "We need to have something else to help persuade her mother to give him up. Right now he funds her drug habit and that she isn't going to give up very easily. "I'll give her whatever amount of money she wants," I say and I mean every word of it. "Let's just ask her how much it'll take." My eyes meet hers and I can see the empathy she feels for me. She reaches out and puts her hand on top of mine. "Caleb, for someone in the business world, you sure lack a lot of finesse. We can't just go to her and offer her money. We need her to think that signing these papers are her only option. I would feel terrible about doing this to a good mother, but she is not a good mother. If Nathan goes back to live with her, he's going to see the same terrible things that Hope has." She's right again. Being impulsive isn't going to help anyone. I need to clear my head and start thinking like a businessman instead of some lovesick puppy. "Let's get Jack on her. He could watch her and maybe get some pictures. If we can get some good evidence of her lifestyle we can use it to get her to sign the papers." Madeline's smile reassures me and I lean forward on the couch to grab my cell and call Jack, a private investigator my family always uses. "Now you're thinking," Madeline says and she makes a small note on a notepad in the pile of all the papers. "This is going to take some time, Caleb. In the mean time we need to get Hope established as a good caretaker. They'll want to make sure that she has a safe place for him to live, a good school for him to attend, and a way of supporting him besides what the state will pay her." "I can do that. She can live here with me and I can convert that guest bedroom into a room for Nathan. I can set her up with a bank account and she can stay home and take care of him like mom did for us." I watch as the pain of my mother's death plays across Madeline's face before she nods her head to me. "I called a few friends that went to work at Child Services after graduating. I know the social worker assigned to her brother's case from a class we had together. I haven't approached her yet, but I think I can talk to her if you need extra help." Now the only problem that will remain is how to get a hold of Hope to let her know that she can come back once we have everything lined up. "I still don't know how I'm going to find her," I admit and swallow down the lump that rises in my throat. I only had her for a little while but those months were some of the best of my life. If I don't find her I can't imagine ever getting over it. "I know where she is, Caleb. It's better if you don't." I snap my head around so fast I can see the startle in her eyes. "What the fuck, Madeline?! You can see that I'm fucking dying here and you've known where she is this whole time?" I'm angry, hurt and also a little relieved, but I'm not about to tell her that. I thought we were on the same team here, not going against each other and keeping secrets. "Trust that I'm doing what's best for both of you. She's safe. She has money. Most importantly, I know how to get ahold of her. Get your shit in order and I'll gladly tell you where she is so you can go get her and bring her home." My sister's probably one of the most stubborn people I know. There's no amount of yelling or begging that's going to get me my answer right now. After a few minutes of silence I stand up and start walking towards the elevator. "Ok, then Madeline. I hope you cleared your schedule today because I need to do some shopping and I have no idea what to buy to make a guest room into a bedroom for a six-year-old boy." "Well shopping just happens to be one of my many specialties." For the first time in a week I let my heart feel a little relief and set my mind to getting Hope and Nathan back. "Yeah, that and being completely impossible," I say before gathering her into my arms and hugging her tightly. "Don't forget about being the best sister ever. Thank you for this, Madeline." When the doors slide open, we step inside and the battle to bring Hope home begins.