Joneses – 17.1 Custody Battle

“…I trust that you all won’t destroy the house while I’m gone,” Jared said nervously.

“Of course not, daddy. We’re not savages,” Kori boasted as her twin scarfed down a sandwich as if he hadn’t eaten in days.

Jared shook his head. “Just…make sure he doesn’t eat everything. It would be a shame for your mother to come home to an empty fridge.”

The twins’ birthday was about a week ago, but it only occurred to him that morning he no longer had babies who needed constant attention or children he couldn’t trust his teens to watch. He could leave them home alone and do whatever it was he wanted to do. And he did just that. His friend Irvin always came over when Jared wasn’t able to leave the house. Now that Irvin was married and had his own child, it was time to repay the favor.

Irvin had a fabulous bachelor pad in Newcrest, but Jared wondered how long he could keep it. His son only stayed with him a few nights a week, and DeMario was still small enough to get away with sleeping in his office. But, he was a growing boy, and Penny–his wife–wanted her own child soon. Irvin’s life had changed dramatically, and he needed a house that reflected those changes.

“Hey! Look who’s here, lil man! Uncle Jared decided to come down from the throne and visit his loyal subjects!”

Jared snorted. “Quit playing, Frank.”

The little boy continued the tantrum which began before Jared’s arrival; he did not miss those days one bit. He bent down to comfort the child. “What’s the matter, little guy? Huh?”

Irvin sucked his teeth. “His mother didn’t pack his favorite toy. I swear…”

“Awwww, poor guy,” Jared said and scooped up the boy. “Sounds like your daddy should invest in a toy box so you can have everything you need, hmmm?”

Being held helped ease the anxiety a little, but Jared was going to have to do more than that to end the tantrum.

Irvin laughed. “Yeah, yeah, Pruett the child expert.”

“Don’t worry, DeMario,” Jared said, “I’ll make sure your daddy knows how to care for you. Us blonde guys have to stick together!”

Penny came downstairs. “Hey Jared! Let me take him so you guys can talk.”

“Hello, Penny. Long time no see!”

“You know…whenever the four of us aren’t so busy, we should schedule a night out just me and Irvin and you and Asia.”

“Oh, that sounds like fun.”

“Right? We’ve never done that. I’ll make sure it happens.”

“Please do.”

A double date with the Franks would be epic, but he doubted they could all find a time that worked. Asia and Irvin both carried nighttime hours, and they would probably have to take time off to make it work. It would certainly be worth it though. There wasn’t another couple around he clicked with as well as the Franks.

Penny scooped up the fussy boy and proceeded to retreat upstairs. “Let’s go find something to do.”

Jared laughed and shook his head while he joined Irvin at the island. “You seriously don’t have any toys or books for him here? India has to pack everything?”

“The boy likes what he likes! And he keeps changing. One day he’s into Llama Man and the next day he’s into Freezer Bunny Farm. She never knows what to pack for him.”

Jared snickered. “You should still have something here for him, Frank. I know he doesn’t live here, but you have a child, man. This isn’t a bachelor pad anymore.”

“Pfft. You sound like my wife.”

“Why are you upset? You gladly gave up that life when you got married, and you have different needs now. Why hang onto this place?”

“This is my house, man. I worked so hard for it and put so much into it. I guess I’m just not ready to give it up.”

Jared nodded. “I get it. It’s your first one. But, I’m sure Penny would love it if you guys got something together. Something she can style and call her own…”

“I’m picking up what you’re putting down, bro. I been thinking about it…for multiple reasons.”

“Yeah?”

Irvin looked around to see if Penny was still near. Jared got nervous. When the coast was clear, Irvin sat back at the island and scooted closer than before. He had a look of concern and spoke low. “Bruh…I think I need to get custody of my son.”

Jared was not the biggest India Cornelius fan, but he couldn’t imagine her doing anything to put her child in danger or whatever made Irvin feel this way. “What in the world is going on, Frank?”

He opened his mouth a few times, weighing his words and trying to paint the right picture. “I just don’t trust her judgment. I don’t know what goes on in that house, but I don’t want my son around it!”

Jared nodded. “So, what happened?”

“You know how she is…kinda flighty? I know she grown, but homegirl should make better choices. She is a grown behind woman! And when I say grown, I mean grown. Like, she’s gonna be wrinkly and gray real soon. She need to sit her butt down and learn to knit some sweaters or something!”

Jared couldn’t help but laugh. “So, what happened, Frank?”

Irvin pulled in a deep breath. “She had another baby!”

Jared gasped. He always thought she was irresponsible but didn’t enjoy being proved right over and over again. “Whaaaat?”

“Yeah. A couple of weeks ago. The ONLY silver lining in this is that she an ol’ dude decided to get married a few days ago.”

“That’s good, I guess.”

“Yeah, hopefully she won’t be hooking up with anyone else now, but dag man! She’s been so irresponsible up until now! I don’t know what she does with my son or how she’s raising him and how many ‘uncles’ he’s had. I just want him out of there. Or, if I can’t get him full time, I’ma at least need joint custody. When she’s gone, there’s no way I’m leaving my son to that ol’ slimy looking thing she married!”

Jared laughed again. “Slimy looking?”

Irvin laughed too. “Yeah! Dude look like he ain’t never washed his hair before!”