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Join us on the B99 bullpen!
It was a Saturday morning at the Holt-Cozner household, which meant there was currently a nearly two-year-old running away, butt naked giggling at the top of his voice as his daddy chased after him with a towel trying to keep the child from slipping and falling.
“Jacob, stop this instant!” Kevin shouted in what he’d come to call his ‘father voice’ during the past six weeks of caring for their little charge.
Unfortunately, the tone startled the giggling child and his wet foot slipped at the top of the stairs. Kevin was certain that his heart stopped and promptly attempted to jump up and out his throat as he watched the child flail, arms trying to stop himself from the inevitable freefall down the wooden stairs.
A pair of powerful hands grabbed the boy under his arms and tossed him gently up in the air. “Young man,” Raymond Holt countered as he brought his foster son to rest on his chest, saving them all from what was likely to be a harrowing experience.
“Papa!” cheered Jacob as he threw his arms around his papa’s neck. Jacob had taken to calling them Papa and Daddy very quickly, starving for love and attention. They’d tried to explain that this was only temporary, but ultimately the social worker had encouraged them to let him be as comfortable as possible.
“Hello, Jacob. Are you supposed to be running near the stairs?” he asked gently as he handed the toddler to his husband.
A little finger came up to Jacob’s mouth as he giggled again, “Yes?”
Raymond shook his head, “Jacob?”
A small crestfallen look crossed the boy’s features as he slumped against Kevin. “No, Papa.”
“Come on, mischief maker, we need to get you dressed to meet your father,” Kevin offered, wrapping the boy in his towel. They headed into the guest room, turned child’s bedroom. In six weeks, it had accumulated some toys, a few children sized blankets, and many clothes. He gently plopped the boy on the bed, Raymond brought over the pre-selected outfit, including the pullups they’d gotten Jacob used to. They’d started potty training him some, with the help of Raymond’s mother Laverne, who’d already become quite fond of her ‘foster grandson’. The pull-ups were mostly for busy days like today.
It took six weeks for social services to locate Roger Peralta, and when they finally did, he was several drinks, and women deep at a hotel bar enjoying his freedom. When the local officer had called and explained the situation to the social worker and Raymond, Raymond had thought he couldn’t be less impressed with the man. Then he met Roger Peralta. He’d decided he wanted to meet the man who’d potentially take back custody of the only child Raymond had ever come to love so quickly.
Roger was the worst sort of guy, he had zero respect for women and thought far too highly of himself. He didn’t seem remotely interested in being a father, that had been somewhat clear already, given he’d run out on Karen and Jake barely two months after the boy’s birth.
Either way, they were headed to the park for the day, so that Jake could run off some energy and meet his biological father. If all went well, Raymond and Kevin would likely be saying goodbye to their little ball of sunshine. However, that was still up for discussion, given that Roger was a pilot and traveled a lot for his job.
Raymond hadn’t expected to be so uneasy about relinquishing Jake’s care to another human besides him and Kevin. But Jacob was a charmer and had come to fill a space in both their hearts that Ray hadn’t even known was missing.
The trio arrived at the park a little after noon. Jake was quick to run over to the jungle gym and begin climbing and playing on it. Kevin wandered over to watch the boy at the edge of the playground area, while Raymond sat on a bench nearby waiting for the senior Peralta.
Noon turned into one, then two. Raymond watched as Jake hurried towards him, arms thrown out in delight. His cheeks were red from the biting chill of January, but he looked thrilled to be running around. Raymond swept the toddler up with a new practiced ease he hadn’t had before. Plopping the little boy down in his lap, he chuckled softly as Jake collapsed against him. Kevin followed slowly a few seconds behind. Raymond glanced up at his husband, their eyes meeting with a knowing look passing between the two.
Roger hadn’t shown. Raymond was both utterly unsurprised and beyond perturbed and he could see it in his husband’s eyes as well. If he couldn’t be bothered to show up to even see his child, the chances of him regaining custody were slim.
“I think it’s time for little boys to go home for their nap time,” Raymond cheered, pressing a kiss to his son’s cold cheeks.
“No nap,” whined the toddler even as he fussed and wiggled in Raymond’s lap to try and get comfortable.
“I see,” Raymond replied with a soft voice in his tone. Standing, he reached for Kevin’s hand, when he noticed a familiar figure standing by the other parking lot.
“Is that him?” Kevin asked.
Ray nodded. “Will you get Jake settled in the car; I’ll be right back.”
Kevin nodded, taking the already sleeping toddler, and carrying him back to the car.
Raymond stuffed his hands in both his pockets to keep from strangling the man as he approached. “You missed the meeting time.” He stated as he neared the man.
Roger Peralta winced. “Yeah, you know, I don’t think I can do this whole dad thing. I watched you two playing with him and it’s clear you’re already way better at it than me.”
Ray had to bite the inside of his mouth to keep from verbally lashing the man up one side and down the other. “So instead, you’re just going to disappear from his life? Abandoned him, again?” he asked as calmly as he could.
Roger grimaced and looked away for a moment, back towards Kevin and Jake who were probably now sitting in the warm car. “Look, I’ve already talked to the case worker about signing over paternal rights. She said if I do it willingly, they can make sure you get to adopt the kid.”
Raymond ground his teeth together. “That kid, as you so succinctly put it, deserves to have parents who will be there for him no matter what. So yes, if you sign over rights, my husband and I will adopt him. But this is unacceptable behavior. Were you ever going to tell him that you’re just walking away?”
“He’s two, he won’t know the difference anyway.” Roger reasoned.
Raymond clenched his fist in his jacket pocket to keep from cold cocking the man. He knew for a fact that wasn’t the case, but he kept his thoughts to himself. “Fine, we’ll tell him.”
“I should go, but again, I’m sorry.”
Making his way back to his car, Raymond tried to control his own frustrated emotions. He got into the passenger seat of the car and buckled himself in, glancing back over his shoulder he saw that Jake was already fast asleep in his car seat.
“Are you alright?” Kevin asked softly.
Raymond sighed and glanced over at his husband. Reaching over, he gripped Kevin’s hand. “I will be.”
They got home, and Raymond opted to take Jake up to finish his nap. As he settled the boy in his crib, covering him with a blanket. Raymond stood there for a long moment and looked down at the precious little boy who had come into their life a mere six weeks ago and had already changed every part of their home. Reaching down, Raymond gently rubbed his hand up and down Jake’s small back. On one hand, it was a dream come true to know they’d get to adopt him. In such a short time he knew that boy he and Kevin were irreparably fond of this child and unwilling to give him back. On the other hand, it meant that Jake’s real father had decided to abandon his only child for ease of life. Raymond hated the man for it.
“You seem upset.” Kevin offered quietly as he stepped into the room.
Raymond turned, smiling softly at his husband. “Do you wish to adopt him?” Raymond asked, turning back to his beautiful husband.
Kevin’s brows rose as he looked down in the crib at their little boy. “Perhaps more than anything. Which I must admit is something that surprises me.” Kevin sat down in the rocking chair, crossing his legs. “I take it from your conversation earlier with Roger, that’s now an option?”
“With Roger, who knows. I don’t trust him, that much is for certain. But he says he’s spoken to the caseworker about signing over parental rights. Given that Jacob is already in our care, we’d get first choice to adopt him.”
“Is that what you want?” Kevin asked, watching Ray in return.
Raymond smiled down at their charge. “I admit I’ve never been interested in parenting. But he brings out something unexpected within me. I would very much like to see who he becomes. How he grows and matures.”
“Then it seems to me like the decision is already made.”
Raymond nodded, before looking back at Kevin. “I cannot fathom how a father can turn their back on a child. We have had Jacob for six weeks, and the idea of giving him back earlier left me reeling and longing to hide him away. Roger just walked away as if Jacob was nothing. A simple toy to be had, played with, and put away broken. I am not a violent man, but I admit I wanted to punch him today.”
“Perhaps one of us should reach out to the caseworker tomorrow then, confirm if what Roger said was true and ask about the next steps.”
“That seems like a wise decision.” Raymond agreed.
Kevin stood to leave the room, turning to see Raymond hadn’t moved at all. “Are you coming?”
Raymond shook his head. “I’d like to stay a little longer.”
Kevin gave him a small knowing smile before he slipped out of the room. Once his husband was gone, Ray looked down in the crib and gently scooped the toddler up and into his arms. Ray settled into the rocking chair that sat opposite the crib and wrapped the blankets around his small charge. Jake let out a small sigh of contentment as he buried his face in his daddy’s neck, before settling back into his peaceful slumber.
“As a cop, I know better than anyone it’s impossible to protect you from the world,” Raymond whispered as he began to slowly rock, enjoying the feeling of the little body snuggled against his. “But please know this, Jacob. I will always protect you when it is within my abilities.”
A soft little snuffle snore escaped the slumbering child’s mouth, and Raymond sighed, as he closed his own eyes in contentment.
End