Dave And Leroy Ch 15

Chapter 15 - The Adoption and A Divorce

It was still Wednesday when Lee had started the process for the divorce. Dave, Leroy, and Lee were sitting out on the deck, watching Jason play on the playscape. "I need to tell the rest of the family."

"Okay dad, when do you want to tell them?" Leroy asked as he was trying to think of a way to get everyone over to his house without discussing it.

"The sooner, the better."

Leroy nodded and left them sitting on the deck, he decided it would be easier to text his siblings as a group. He didn't like being in the middle but felt he was the reason his parents were getting the divorce and he hated it.

'Need everyone to come here, Dad would like to talk to you, ASAP.' Leroy texted.

Most had responded they were free every night that week, but of all of the siblings, Jeff was the intern and the hardest to pin down. When Jeff texted he was free after eight-thirty that evening, everyone responded they could make it.

'I will let Dad know, thanks.' Leroy responded after everyone agreed.

After dinner, all three went into the family room and watched Jason play with his toys. When it was close to eight, Leroy took Jason to his room to get ready for bed. Naturally, Jason didn't want to, but Leroy was able to get him to lay down and go to sleep. He knew his siblings would be showing up any minute, and he didn't want Jason in the middle of what would be discussed.

Chris and Jewels showed up together first, then Aaron, Allison, and Pat came in, Jeff showed up last he came straight from the hospital. When Leroy walked out, everyone was sitting in the family room, they had taken some chairs from the kitchen table. Leroy grabbed one on his way through and sat next to Dave.

"Okay dad, Leroy said you needed to see us. We're all here now, what's going on?" Allison seemed to be the spokesperson as always.

Lee kind of winced, he didn't know if he was ready to tell them. He knew he had to bite the bullet and just do it. "As you all know, your mother and I have had some problems these last few years." A few heads nodded. "This is the second time I've moved out, but when I had moved back in, I had been sleeping in Aaron and Leroy's old room. Chris and Jewels knew, but I'm sure none of the rest of you did."

Lee took a few breaths. "This morning, I filed to divorce your mother, she will be served sometime next week."

"Dad!" Allison said in shock. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Allison, as I told Leroy this morning, I don't love her anymore, she is not the woman I married. The bitterness towards Leroy, Dave, and now Jason has to stop. I will not tolerate it anymore."

"But dad." Allison looked at Leroy then back at her dad. "Dad, I'm not condoning what mom did or said by any means but are you sure, you two have been married for thirty-seven years."

"Allison, it's not just what your mother has said and done to Leroy, yes it is part of it. I was hoping your mother would ease up on this bible shit, and see she was losing her son, our son." Lee looked at Leroy. "But this is not the whole reason for doing this. Your mother and I haven't been happy for a very long time, even before Leroy came out."

"Why didn't you say something, dad?" Aaron asked.

"Because we still had Chris and Jewels in the house, Pat had just left for college."

"Dad, that has been like ten years?" Jewels said. "It would have made me like thirteen."

"And that is exactly why I stayed." Lee looked at his youngest daughter. "I've stayed longer than I wanted to. I don't know why sometimes, maybe I did still love your mother, I don't know. But I do know now, I can't stay with her, for the sake of staying." Lee looked at Leroy again. "Leroy, I'm sorry for how your mother has treated you these past five years, a parent is supposed to love their children no matter what. Leroy, you have done nothing wrong by loving Dave and now taking in that sweet little boy."

Lee looked at all of his children. "I wanted to tell you before the papers were served, I don't know how your mother will react, but I wanted to warn you. You can all choose to not know when she comes to you, or you can tell her you knew, it is up to you. It is also up to you if you want to take her over me."

"Dad, we're not going to do that." Allison stopped her dad before he continued. "Dad, we didn't stop seeing Leroy when she asked, yes we were stupid in the beginning and tried hiding it, but we're not cutting any family off, just because mother wants us to."

"I would prefer to cut her off before anyone else," Aaron spoke very low, and everyone looked at him. "Oh shit, did I say that out loud?"

"Don't worry, you weren't the only one thinking it," Chris responded and with a few of his siblings nodding.

"Anyways dad, if you are sure this is what you want, I'm fine with it," Jeff stated, with that statement a few of the sibling's heads nodded.

"I just hate to see a thirty-seven-year marriage end, but it's is your decision, not ours to make. I love you either way." Allison got up and hugged her father.

Everyone stuck around and talked for a bit. When everyone started to leave for the night, Jewels pulled her father aside. "Dad, out of everyone here, I'm probably the only one that knew how unhappy you were in the house. It's okay, do what will make you happy, you deserve some happiness too." Jewels hugged and kissed her dad on the cheek.

Lee had followed everyone through to the living room, leaving Dave and Leroy in the family room. "Hon, you haven't looked happy about this since your father has told you he wanted to file." Leroy just shook his head, and Dave knew that he wouldn't talk about it right then. Dave decided he would ask Lee if he would watch Jason, so he could take Leroy out for lunch before his shift tomorrow.

*

"Talk to me, Leroy, what's going on? You won't talk about this at the house. What's bothering you so much about this divorce?

"He's lying, they were happy five and half years ago, before mom found out about us. I know every relationship has its problems, but I'm the cause of the unhappiness in his marriage."

The waitress came over for their order, and Leroy just glanced at the menu and ordered the first thing he saw. Dave smiled, it used to be the other way around, Leroy would pay attention to what Dave would order and change it because Leroy knew Dave wouldn't want what he ordered once it arrived at the table. So when Dave ordered he changed Leroy's, which Dave doesn't even think Leroy even noticed.

"Leroy, you can't put all the blame of your parents' divorce on your shoulders. You don't have any idea what has been going on in that house for the past 5 to 10 years or a little longer. Hon, once you moved out at eighteen, you didn't see them as much. Even when you moved back here, we were trying to keep our secret, so you bought our house."

"I know you're right, but just getting my mind to grasp it is one thing. As much as I can't stand Sue, I don't want her entire world to fall apart. Hell, my world fell apart when she found out about me..." Leroy shook his head. "Us, and I know it's not all that happened to me. The tumor was found, and then my world really fell apart. I'm so glad you stayed beside me the entire time and could handle my stupidity at times. Sue wouldn't have done that."

Dave reached across the table, held Leroy's hand, and squeezed. "Because I love you, Leroy, and you haven't done or said the awful things that Sue has. If your father said, how Sue has treated you is just a small piece of why he is finally taking the step to divorce, then believe him." Dave looked at Leroy because he could still see the doubt in his eyes. "Will you please discuss this with Dr. Watts the next time you see him?"

Leroy nodded. "Of course, would you like a progress report too, mom?" Leroy smiled and chuckled as Dave smacked Leroy's hand and pulled his hands back as the waitress came with their food.

*

The lawyer had informed Lee the paperwork was delayed and when it was delivered to Sue, she fell out. Jewels was the only one home, she was up in her room when she heard something crash. She ran downstairs, wondering what had happened.

Jewels walked into the kitchen and shards of glass were scattered all around, "Mom, what's going on?"

"Just leave me," Sue responded.

"Mom, WHAT'S GOING ON? Why did you break all the plates?"

Sue sat down at the table and looked defeated. She still had the divorce papers in hand. Silent tears were slipping down her cheeks.

"Mom!" Jewels walked over to her.

"Leave me, like everyone else has," Sue responded and then threw a glass which was on the table at the wall.

"Mom!"

"GET OUT!" Sue yelled.

Jewels left the kitchen, went to her room and called Allison. "Allison, I think Mom was served, she is really upset." Jewels told her about all the broken dishes and about how sad she looked. Allison said she would be right over.

When Allison arrived, Jewels was waiting for her in the living room and met her at the door. Sue had stopped destroying things and was sitting at the table in the dining room. "Has she said anything to you?"

"She won't talk to me, she screamed a few minutes ago and kept telling me to leave like Dad and Leroy have." Jewels stated.

"She pushed them both away."

"I know, you are preaching to the choir."

Allison walked into the dining room, "Mom?"

Sue looked up, "Take Jewels and get out of my house." Allison just barely heard her.

"Mom, what happened?" Sue threw the papers at her and walked back into the kitchen. Allison picked them up and looked at the cover sheet, as Jewels walked up behind her.

"Yup, it's what she is upset about." Jewels responded.

"Well, did you think it was anything else?"

Allison walked into the kitchen to talk to Sue. "Mom."

"Seriously just get out, I heard the two of you. I take it, everyone knows?"

"Yes, dad told us a few weeks ago."

"Tell Jewels to pack her shit and get out of my house. I don't want to see any of you when I return." Sue grabbed her car keys and left Allison standing in the kitchen.

Jewels walked in the kitchen after hearing what Sue said. "Where's Chris and I going to go?"

"One of you can stay with Leroy and me or one of the others. We will find a place for the two of you. Where's Chris?"

"At his girlfriends."

"Well pack a few bags and go to my house, I'm going to go talk to Dad."

Allison went over to Leroy's, everyone was at home; it was only ten in the morning. She knocked on the door and waited, she had already tried to open the door to just walk in, but it was locked. Jason ran to the door, he was trying to open it when Leroy picked him up, unlocked and opened the door.

"Good morning, Sis."

"Auntie," Jason shouted.

"Leroy, where's dad?"

"Well, I'm fine, Allison, and how are you doing?" Leroy responded.

"I'm not playing Leroy, where's dad?"

"He's in the family room."

Allison walked past Leroy, he shook his head and shut the door. He decided to stay out of it and took Jason with him to his bedroom. "I want to see Auntie Ally," Jason said as Leroy shut the bedroom door, Dave was lying in bed awake.

"Not right now, Jason, maybe when Aunt Allison finishes with Papa."

"Jason crawled over to Dave's open arms when Leroy placed him on the bed. "What's going on?" Dave asked.

"I think Sue was served."

*

Over the months before the adoption, Lee, Sarah, and Dan wanted to know a little more about their grandson. So one night while Dave was off, Sarah and Dan came over to have dinner. Leroy asked Allison if she minded watching Jason that evening.

"What else could they possibly want to know about Jason?" Leroy asked while they were driving back from dropping Jason off at Allison's.

"I don't know, knowing my mom, it's probably nothing about Jason." Dave laughed. "But I did pull out every document we have on him, just in case she wants to know if he is allergic to pears." Leroy just shook his head and laughed along with Dave.

When they arrived home, Sarah and Dan had already arrived. They walked into the house, smelling of fantastic food. "Mom, you didn't have to cook, Leroy and I were going to take you all out to dinner."

"That's nonsense, I can cook better than most restaurants, and these portable warmers keep everything hot." Sarah smiled, kissed, and hugged, both Dave and Leroy. "Let's sit down to eat, and then we can discuss our grandbaby."

"That sounds like a good plan." Lee agreed.

The dinner was terrific with great conversation. When it was done, Sarah wouldn't let Dave or Leroy touch her dirty dishes, only what was theirs. She just packed her things back in her bags and sat them by the door but not before leaving a good portion of the leftovers for everyone to enjoy the next day.

They sat down in the living room with coffee for the main point of this visit. "Mom, dads, what would you like to know?" Dave started the conversation.

"It was more me than your fathers," Sarah spoke up.

Dave chuckled, "We figured that mom, what do you want to know?"

"You have never discussed much of Jason's background."

"Because what we know about his background is what little the papers and Lisa have told us," Dave responded.

"We have his birth certificate, it states his father was Daniel Lee, and his Mother was Rebecca Sarah Marshall. Daniel had changed his name when he came here, according to Lisa, they had to do a lot of work trying to trace living relatives down before Jason could be adopted out." Leroy was explaining.

"So, is there a possible relative out there?" Sarah asked?

"They tracked down Daniels village in China, there was no one there. No one here they could find. Rebecca was a ward of the state when she was a child. They had no will leaving guardianship to anyone, so Jason went into the system." Leroy continued.

"How were his parents killed?"

"Car accident, Jason was in his car seat, it's a miracle he survived," Dave answered.

"Oh, that's horrible!" Sarah exclaimed.

"Jason's full name?" Dan asked.

"Jason Lee is his full name, his parents never gave him a middle name," Dave responded.

"We." Dave took Leroy's hand. "We decided when the adoption goes through we were going to change Jason's name."

"What to?" Sarah asked.

"We were going to move his last name to his middle and give him our last name." Dave smiled. "We know he will have one hell of a last name, but...."

Lee interrupted Dave. "That is a wonderful idea, no buts, you two as I said before, deserve this little boy. You deserve this happiness."

*

The day of the adoption hearing was quickly approaching. Dave and Leroy couldn't wait until Jason was officially theirs. Dave took the weekend and week off to spend with both of them. He decided he would surprise Leroy and Jason with a mini vacation. To help ease some of their nerves, just for the weekend.

Dave booked a hotel waterpark resort, so Jason could run around and play, and he knew Leroy would have fun too. He didn't even tell Leroy where they were going. Dave packed everything while Leroy was gone to his appointment with Doctor Watts and put it in the car. When Leroy came home, Dave just told him to get into the car, and Leroy looked at him.

"What's going on?" Leroy asked.

"Leroy, be a good Marine for the weekend and follow orders. Just get in the damn car." Lee smiled when he heard Dave order Leroy.

"Yes Sir," Leroy snapped to attention with a smirk. Throw a laughing Jason up over his shoulder, walked out, buckled Jason up and got in himself.

"We will be home sometime Monday, I left the information on the counter."

"Go, have some fun," Lee responded.

Dave leaned over after getting in and kissed Leroy. Leroy smiled, "Permission to speak freely, Sir."

Dave laughed and responded. "Yes."

"What are we doing?"

"We're taking a mini family vacation, Leroy. We'll be home Monday afternoon."

"Okay, where are we going?"

"Leroy, you'll see when we get there."

Dave drove to the resort, which wasn't far, just a little over an hour away. When they arrived, they went up to their room and changed for the waterpark. They took Jason in the river section of the park, and they floated around for a bit. When they floated by a section with a lot of little kids playing with jet-powered water fountains Jason wanted to get out and play in them.

Dave lifted him out, and Leroy took him over. Dave walked over and sat down in a chair and just watched them from a distance and smiled. He would watch Jason put his foot over a hole in the ground where water had just been shooting out of. When it would shoot from that hole again, it would spook him, and he would start laughing, which would make Leroy laugh with him.

When they finally decided to call it an evening, it was way past time to feed everyone. Jason was getting whiny, they decided it would just be better to run out and grab something from a fast food place than to have Jason wait for something which would be healthier for him. They decided they will have to watch their time better Saturday and Sunday to make sure they stopped and had a proper lunch and dinner.

The weekend was terrific, Dave had more fun watching Jason and Leroy then he did in the pools with them. When he could, he took pictures, as did Leroy when he would rest and let Dave take over for a bit.

When they arrived home Monday, they actually had a very tired child. As soon as Leroy walked through the door with Jason, Jason walked without running over to Lee, called him Papa and climbed up in his lap.

"He is a little tired, dad," Dave responded.

"I can see that." Lee looked down at his grandson. "Do you want Papa to read to you?" Jason just snuggled in closer to Lee and closed his eyes. "I guess not." Lee laughed softly. "I take it, you had a nice time."

"Yes, a wonderful time," Leroy responded as he hugged Dave from behind.

*

Dave and Leroy walked out of the courtroom with Jason swinging between them in their arms, smiling. Everyone was asked to wait outside because it was a small courtroom, and there were just too many between Dave and Leroy's families. Jason was officially theirs, there were no more hoops to jump through. They could finally take him home and not have to worry he could be taken away. He will now and forever be known as Jason Lee Standish-Ayers.

When they walked out, everyone cheered, everyone had taken the day off, and there was a party planned to take place at Allison home. Lee pushed past everyone and hugged Leroy, "I'm proud of you, son." He looked over at Dave and held out his hand to him because he was holding Jason. "You two deserve happiness, you deserve Jason, and I'm glad you were able to adopt him today."

"Thank you, dad." Both Dave and Leroy in unison.

"Well, let's take this celebration back to my house," Allison said while smiling.

The party was in full swing, kids and adults were splashing in the pool, the food was laid out on tables. Allison's husband Jason was operating the grill, everyone was laughing and happy. Leroy was sitting, talking with Dave's parents, Lee and a few of his siblings.

Kids were running everywhere. "Well, you can tell we are good Catholics." Sarah laughed. "God said, be fruitful and multiply. Well, that is exactly what our children did."

Dave walked up and sat down next to Leroy. "Don't worry, Jewels has our son, God, we can finally say 'Our Son.'" Dave smiled.

Leroy hugged Dave and smiled. "Wasn't worried, I figured he was with one of my siblings or your sister."

"Now Jason is officially yours, are you going to take him anywhere?" Allison asked.

Leroy smiled, but Dave responded, "Maybe." He loved torturing Allison.

"You two already have a trip planned?"

"Maybe," Dave responded again and smiled.

"Will you just tell us?" Allison got inpatient.

Leroy spoke before Dave because he knew Dave would continue to egg Allison on. "We booked a week down in Disney, we are taking dad, Sarah, and Dan, with us. Dave and I thought it would be a great time for Jason and the grandparents to bond."