When Tuesday morning came, I was prancing around the room to get ready. I made an appointment with the principal to meet about Chase - who was soundly sleeping in the room down the hall. I asked Kinnick not to wake him, but he said he had no intentions of doing so, to begin with.

I found myself heading to the school John told me he attended. Marcus stood by my side as we made our way to the principal office. Kinnick wanted to get this done efficiently, and if that was going to be the case, I needed a legal team on my side. Principal Boland was waiting for us when we arrived.

She showed us to her office, where she had the window open, allowing the sweet end of summer breeze to rush past us as we sat down. The woman was a few inches taller than I was, but she meant business. Her black heels clicked on the ground as she went around her side of the desk.

Chase's file sat in front of us. The folder was slim. Barely any papers sat in between the pale yellow folds. She showcased the papers in front of us, making it clear that Chase barely skipped any school this year. The years previous to that were a different story. His attendance was so bad she was afraid he would never make it past freshman year of high school.

He is still struggling to get caught up, but after bringing forward the situation, she said Chase has shown up every day since. She wasn't aware of his home life, but teachers weighed in their comments about the clothes he wore to school. He always wore the same thing. They never saw him in anything different, and the shoes he wore barely had so many holes he would have to tape them in physical education class.

"With that being said about his spotty attendance," she let her glasses hang from her necklace as she removed them from her face. "Keeping Chase from school wasn't in his best interest. Considering how close we are to the end of the school year, he can't be absent."

"He lived in an abusive household," I narrowed my eyes at her. "Last night was the first time he has ever slept in a bed. For all I know, last night was the first time he peacefully slept. I'm not waking him up to come to school."

"Then taking full custody might not be the best option for him."

I smiled. "Your lack of empathy for this child makes me wonder if I should pull him from your twisted system. How is it that a kid misses almost every day of a school year, and no one questioned what was happening at home?"

"Mrs. Carson," she clears her throat. "It isn't my job to worry about their home life."

"Then don't question me," I snapped. "I came here to list mine and my husband's names on his emergency contact list. If anything happens, I want to be the first to hear about it. Who is on his list now?"

"You aren't allowed to do that as you are not a legal guardian."

I looked at Marcus, who was handing her paperwork. "As a matter of fact, I can. He is over the legal age of consent to be adopted. In most states, you can be as young as ten, but our state is fourteen. Considering he is fifteen, we won't have to worry about waiting, would we?"

"Very well," she sighs.

"Who was his emergency contact?" I asked again.

She showed me the papers. "You would be the first."

I stared at the blank page with a heavy heart. What would have happened if he got hurt? Would he have sat in an emergency room alone? He never had someone to worry about him or make sure his stomach was full. He never had new clothes or the right supplies to get by with schooling. And it broke my heart. It broke my heart into a million pieces.

"What do you have to do to get together a folder of past assignments he has missed?"

"Mrs. Carson, that will take a lot of time."

"Then you better get started," I smiled. "You can call either of the numbers listed here when it's done."

"If you wait," she shuffles around. "I can see how quickly I can get it done."

"Perfect."

She made a few calls to talk to his teachers. Seconds turned into minutes. Minutes turned into an hour. Teachers came forward with individual folders, textbooks, and faces filled with sorrow. He needed to have all of this done before the end of the year.

"Do you know how much work this is?"

"We can continue to let him move on to the next grade," she looked at the assignments. "But he can't graduate from senior year unless he gets caught up."

"Then let's arrange something else."

"You are not in a place of a negotiation."

"Reconsider," I retorted. "To expect all of this to be completed in a short few months on top of moving in with a new family and new schoolwork is simply asking for too much."

"Mr. Cooper doesn't have a choice if he wants to graduate."

"Then give him an alternative option," I snap back.

"Your job as his legal guardian is to make sure his work is getting done, and he is coming to school on the days he needs to be here."

"And your job as a principal is to make sure no child is left behind," I sat straighter in my chair. "Either you do your job, or I'll find someone who will."

"That is above your jurisdiction."

"Is it? I am good friends with the head of the school board," I chuckle. "Tony and I go way back. I am sure he would love to hear what I would have to say."

Her lips pinched together as she glared at me. "What did you have in mind?"

"What classes does he accelerate in?"

"English."

My heart warmed. "Then I'll make him write an essay."

"An essay compared to the months of work he has missed?"

"You pick the topic, and you ballpark how many words need to be written."

She grabbed a pen and post-it note. "I want a five-thousand-word essay with a beginning, middle, and end."

"Okay, and the topic?"

"What does he want to be when he gets older? How does he compare to the others in his field? What makes him different from them?"

The second she stopped speaking, I thought about Professor Roberts. On my first day of ethics class, she asked us to write a paper similar to the one Principal Boland is asking Chase to write. I nodded in agreement, taking the post-it from her hand.

"You have a deal."

"I want it done by the end of the month."

"It will be done by the end of the week."

I stood up from my seat, extending my hand for her to shake. My firm grip made hers loosen as I thanked her for meeting with us. She opened her door, allowing us to be the first to leave. Marcus looked at me with amusement as we walked out of the building.

"A boss bitch," he snapped his fingers. "You are fierce, momma."

I chuckled. "He is my kid now. No one fucks with my kid or his future."

He pulled me into a hug. "You are good people for doing this. Ethan is working behind the scenes to get the case going."

"What do you mean?"

"He sent out the papers to his mother Nicole," he sighed. "We wait to see what happens."

"And if she doesn't show up?"

"Chances are, she is going to," he admits. "He isn't eighteen, which means she is still benefiting from the state because of him. She claims him on her taxes and receives food stamps."

"They are going to take her addiction into consideration and the abuse, though."

"They are also going to bring up Kinnick's past charges," he frowns. "So, it could go either way."

"I can't lose this case," I shake my head. "I can't send that kid back to that house."

"There is a lot of work that has to be done, and with your dad's case -"

"Then I don't want the case," I blurt. "Take the lead prosecutor's spot on my dad's trial. I don't want it."

"Bo, you have busted your ass off to get that spot," he stared at me with shock. "Ethan did a lot to get you a place as lead prosecutor."

"I don't give a shit," I shake my head. "The main priority is this kid."

"This changes everything," he grips my shoulders. "You know that, right?"

"I know," I nod. "I also know how I am going to help you put my dad away."

"What are you talking about?"

"We are going to take the insanity plea," I shrug. "He doesn't go to prison but spends time in a hospital."

"Why would you want that?"

"Because I am next of kin."

"Are you willing to pay for it?"

"I am willing to do anything to keep that man away from my kids."

"Are you sure about this?"

I smiled up at him. "I've never been more sure about anything in my life because if I never sign him out, he never leaves."