“No, I didn't. But I had to learn. I took care of him at night after work, and sometimes I took him with me. I had two jobs then, to pay for … well, everything … Sandra quit work before the baby.”
“But you took the baby to work with you?”
“Sometimes, when she was out. I didn't have anyone else to leave him with and we couldn't afford a sitter.” Nothing showed on the judge's face, and no matter what happened, Oliver had never been as proud of his son as he was at that moment. He was a fine man, a boy no longer, and a hell of a good father. He deserved to have the child in his custody. He hoped now that the judge would see it that way too.
“And now, you and the baby would live with your father?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Is that amenable to him? Has he agreed to this?” From where he sat Oliver nodded, and Benjamin said yes he had. “And what if you choose to leave your father's home, if, for instance, you drop out of school again, or find another girlfriend?”
“I'll take Alex with me. He's more important to me than anything. And if I drop out of school, I'll get a job to support him, just like I did before.”
“You may step down, Mr. Watson. The court calls a brief recess. We will reconvene in fifteen minutes.” He rapped the gavel and was gone, as Benjamin left the stand, outwardly calm, but soaked to the skin with perspiration.
“You did great,” the attorney whispered. “Just hang in there.”
“Why did he call a recess?” Oliver wanted to know.
“He probably wants to read the documents again, to make sure that everything's in order. But Benjamin did just fine. I'd give him my kids if he wanted them.” He smiled, trying to reassure them. And fifteen minutes later, after they had prowled the halls nervously, they took their seats again, and the judge returned.
He looked around the court, at Oliver, the attorney, and then straight at Benjamin, as he rapped his gavel. “Court is in session again. Don't rise, please stay seated,” and then his eyes bore into the boy's with sober words. “What you are attempting to undertake, young man, is an awesome burden. A responsibility you can never shirk, never forget, never avoid. You can't take a day off from being a father. You can't drop out, or change your mind, or decide not to be there. For the next eighteen years, if not longer, that baby would be your responsibility solely, if the court gives you full custody. However, you appear to have fulfilled that responsibility admirably thus far. I hereby admonish you to think seriously of what you are taking on here, to remember it every day of your life, and the boy's life, and never forget for one moment what you owe your son.
“The court hereby appoints Benjamin Oliver Watson sole guardian of Alexander William Carter. You have full custody of the boy, as of this day, the twenty-ninth of August. The termination of his mother's rights has been approved by the court, and will be final within the period prescribed by law. You may change the child's name to your own as of this date, or at that time, as you choose.” He looked down gently at him then and smiled, “The boy is yours, Mr. Watson.” He signaled to the bailiff then, who rose and opened a door. A social worker walked in, carrying the baby, who looked content and a little startled by the unfamiliar surroundings, as his father's eyes, and his grandfather's, and even the attorney's, filled with tears. “You may take Alexander home,” the judge said gently as the social worker walked straight up to Benjamin and handed Alex to his father, as the baby squealed his delight to see him there. They handed the attorney a small cardboard box with his few belongings, a pair of pajamas, a pair of overalls, and a bear Benjamin had given him when he was born. They were all crying then, and laughing as Benjamin looked up at the judge in amazement.
“Thank you, sir … oh thank you, sir!” And then the judge stood up, and quietly left the bench. The attorney escorted them from the courtroom, as Benjamin held the boy, and Oliver patted his son on the shoulder, and then shook the attorney's hand and thanked him. Benjamin got into the back of the car and held tightly to his baby before strapping him into the safety seat they'd brought with him.
They decided not to go back to Alice Carter's to get the rest of Alex's belongings. Suddenly, Benjamin never wanted to see her again. All he wanted was to take his son home and keep him near him forever. He even hated to start school the next day. He didn't want to leave him for a moment.
They drove home slowly for a change of pace on Highway 99, and Benjamin talked excitedly as the baby cooed. He talked about the judge, the court, and finally Sandra. The social worker had told the attorney from Loeb and Loeb that Sandra had been definite and clear. She knew she couldn't handle the responsibility of the baby, and she didn't want to try. Without Benjamin to take care of him for her, all she wanted was to escape him. The waiting period now was only a formality. No one anticipated any problems, and all Benjamin had to do now was file the paper to change the child's last name to his own, but Loeb and Loeb was going to do that for them in L.A. County.
“Well, sir, what do you think about all this?” he chatted happily with his baby. “Do you think you're going to like living with Grampa and Mel and Sam?” Alex gurgled and pointed at a passing truck as Ollie smiled proudly at him.
“If he doesn't, he can sleep in the garage with that damn noisy guinea pig of Sam's,” the boy's grandfather pretended to growl. But it was obvious how much he loved him.
Mel and Sam and Aggie were waiting for them in the kitchen. They had waited there with bated breath for most of the afternoon. At first, all Mel saw was her father alone in the front seat and she thought something had gone wrong. And then suddenly, her brother got out of the backseat, holding his baby, and she let out a yell and ran to him, as Alex stared at her with wide eyes.
“Watch out … don't scare him … this is all new to him.” Benjamin was fiercely protective of him, as the baby let out a wail. But Aggie had a cookie for him, and Sam held up the guinea pig to show him, as the baby started to laugh, and tried to touch its nose as it wiggled.
Aggie had found a high chair somewhere and set it up in the kitchen, as Oliver opened a bottle of champagne for his son, and even poured a few drops for Sam.
“To Alexander Watson!” he toasted with a broad smile, feeling the weight of the afternoon slip slowly from his shoulders. “May he live a long and happy life, with the best daddy of all.”
“Oh no,” Benjamin turned to smile at him, “That's you, Dad.”
“It's both of you,” Mel toasted with a smile, and everyone's eyes were damp as they grinned and looked happily at the baby.
Chapter 27
Benjamin started classes the next day, but he drove home twice to check on Alex, despite Aggie's insistence that she didn't need any help from him. But it was as though Benjamin couldn't stand being away from him again, and he needed to see him. And when he came home at the end of the day, Alexander was sitting in his high chair, happily demolishing the dinner Aggie had lovingly cooked him.
And when Charlotte came over that night, she insisted on singing to him as she rocked him and helped Benjamin put him to bed, and Mel, Aggie, and Oliver stood protectively by, and Sam dropped his favorite teddy into the baby's crib. It was the one he'd been given by Sarah the first time he'd visited her in Boston.
Alex let out a tentative wail when they all left the room, but a moment later, he was silent.
“He's going to be spoiled rotten by next week,” Oliver pretended to disapprove, but it was obvious to Charlotte that Ollie was planning to become one of the chief spoilers.
“How does it feel having a baby in the house again?”
“Like good practice. He woke us all up at six o'clock this morning. But I have to admit, Benjamin is terrific with him. Better even than Aggie,” he whispered.