The Newman Resident (29 page)

“I’m sorry, Joseph.”

“There’s a measure of peace in knowing what actually happened.”

“I’m just so sorry that happened to your son,” Richard said. “No one could’ve known how bad that place was.”

“Everyone knows now.”

“Maybe everyone will start thinking about what’s best for children. I never like it when people say our children are our most important resource, like they’re oil or trees or coal.”

“At least the Newman Home won’t be able to hurt another child.”

“What do you mean?”

Joseph smiled and handed him some papers. “I’ve got something for you to sign.”

Richard looked at the papers. “Is this what I think it is?”

“Absolutely,” Joseph said. “I wanted you to be the first. With your signature, you acknowledge that you are receiving custody of your son. Newman is closing down, Richard, and we’re getting all the kids back to their parents.”

Richard took the papers. All these years he’d fought with Carol just to get his son home for the summer, hoping it might extend to something more. He signed the papers and then knelt down in front of his son.

“You’re mine and I’m yours, Christopher. No one can take you away again.”

Christopher hugged his father.

“I don’t get it, Joseph,” Richard said, standing up. “Just because Newman’s going to be arrested doesn’t mean the school has to give up the children. Why aren’t they fighting this? You must be an amazing attorney, my friend.”

“Oh, that’s where you’re wrong. I can’t take any credit for this. It took a better lawyer to make this miracle happen so quickly.”

“Who?”

“The same person who gave me that bear for your son,” Joseph said, nodding towards the hallway. “She’s waiting out in the hall so she can get these papers back and process them.”

Christopher jumped up from the couch and held Richard’s leg.

“She’d like to talk to you both,” Joseph said. “Just for a minute.”

“I don’t know.”

Christopher held more tightly to his father’s leg. “I’m scared. Isn’t she the one who sent me back there?”

Richard knelt down again so they could be at eye level. “I know you’re scared, son, but you and I are together forever. You know that, don’t you?”

Christopher nodded. “But she wanted to get rid of me.”

“She never, ever wanted to get rid of you. She really believed that the best thing for you was to be at that school. Especially after you were almost kidnapped. She loves you so much she was willing to not be with you.”

“I almost understood until that last thing you said,” Christopher said, then smiled. “Let’s see her.”

Joseph left the room with the papers. In a couple of minutes, the door opened and Carol peered in. Richard and Christopher stood up.

“Come in, Carol,” Richard said.

Carol came in the room and knelt down beside Christopher. She held his face in her hands and looked into his eyes. “I had no idea,” she said. “I’m so sorry. You’ve got to believe me. I only wanted what was best for you.” She kissed him on the forehead, then pulled him close to her and hugged him. Christopher kept holding Richard’s hand.

“I believe you,” Christopher said, looking down at his bear. “But what do you think is best for me now?” Richard could feel his son’s grip on his hand tighten.

“To be home with your dad,” she answered. “I know that’s what’s best for you.”

CHAPTER
SIXTY-SEVEN

T
he first week after signing the papers, Richard and Christopher recuperated at Grandma and Grandpa’s. David took time off from work to be with the family. The only rule in the house was not to mention anything that had recently happened. For one week, they did their best to forget.

After the week in Vermont, Richard and Christopher returned to their apartment. They enjoyed their days together, but in the evenings, after his son went to bed, Richard kept up with what was happening to the Newman system. All the schools were closed down, by court order, and other schools scrambled to make room for the children. Parents of the younger former residents were busy trying to make new arrangements in this new world where there were no boarding schools for such young children. Doctors and scientists discussed the status of nanorobotics on talk shows, explaining they had been working for years to use nanobots to help with patients, but that they were still years away from being able to do anything like what Newman had tried. Then, of course, other experts followed up with debates about whether they should even try to change someone’s ability to learn in such a way.

It was the middle of the first week back home in their apartment, almost noon. The buzzer rang for the intercom at the front door. Richard made certain the visitor was who he was expecting, then pressed the buzzer to open the door downstairs. After a few minutes, there was a knock at the door and Richard opened it.

“Carol, you look great.”

She tried to smile, but Richard could tell she wasn’t happy. They’d agreed she’d drop by the preliminary divorce agreement while Christopher was with Uncle David at Central Park.

Richard took her into the living room and they sat on the couch.

“How’s he doing?” she asked.

“Really well. He’s adjusting well and we’re having a great time together. And, get this: literally every private school in Manhattan has offered him a slot, all tuition and fees waived.”

She smiled. “Well, you know how important a good education is for a child’s future.”

“So I’ve heard.”

Carol opened her briefcase and pulled out the papers.

“I still believe we’re rushing this,” Richard said.

She nodded. “You two need to get going with your new life. I don’t want to stand in the way.”

“But I wonder—”

“It’s all there,” she said, handing the papers to him. “The child support is very generous.”

“That’s not the—”

“No, I can afford it. Plus, I want to pay some alimony so you don’t have to work too many hours and can take care of Christopher.”

“I think we—”

“I’ve also included a list of—”

“Carol, slow down! I need to show you something. In Christopher’s room.”

“What is it?”

“Something you need to see before I can sign any of these papers.”

Richard motioned to their son’s door. Carol opened it, stepping back when she saw Christopher sitting on his bed.

“Hi, Carol,” Christopher said.

She put her hand to her mouth, trying to keep her emotions checked. Richard stood by the door. “Christopher and I have been talking a lot lately, and he’s got something to tell you.”

“I see,” she said. “What is it, Christopher?”

Christopher cleared his throat, then looked up at his mother.

“Well…” he said, looking around his room. “I don’t know how to start.”

“I really like your room,” she said. “You’ve got a lot of fun things in here.”

“Thanks,” Christopher said, holding onto Winnie the Pooh. “These posters are like the ones Grandma and Grandpa got me when we visited in Vermont.” He pointed to the posters on his wall. “Not the exact same. I wanted something a little different.”

“They’re very nice,” she said.

“And I have this great bedspread, with all my favorite cars on it.” Christopher patted the bedspread. “Come feel how comfortable it is.”

Carol walked over to the bed and touched the bedspread, but Christopher took her hand and pulled her down to sit by him.

“But my very favorite thing in this room is this,” Christopher said, reaching for the picture of the three of them in front of the Brooklyn Bridge. He touched each of the faces. “Isn’t this a great picture?”

Carol nodded.

“I see it when I first wake up every morning,” Christopher said, handing the picture to her.

“This has always been one of my favorite pictures, too.” She touched each of the faces, like her son had done. “I’m so sorry. You can’t begin to understand how sorry I am.”

“I know,” Christopher said, taking the picture from her. “You were only thinking of what was best for me. I even thought it was what was best for me for a while.”

Carol smiled through her tears.

Richard sat on the bed on the other side of Christopher and put his arm around his shoulder. “That place is gone forever.”

Christopher nodded. “I don’t miss it at all.” He smiled at his father.

“Can you ever forgive me?” she asked.

Christopher shook his head. Richard smiled. He and Christopher hadn’t talked about how to answer this question when they were planning together in the morning, but his son was doing a great job.

Carol looked hurt. “I understand.”

“Only on one condition. I can forgive you on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“Scrabble.”

“What?” Carol asked.

Richard smiled as he pulled out the game from underneath the bed.

“I want you to stay and eat lunch with Daddy and me and then play us a game of Scrabble.”

Carol looked over at Richard as if she wanted him to explain what was happening.

“Let’s face it,” Richard said, “this game is never as good with just two.”

A
CKNOWLEDGMENTS

T
hank you to Denise Swift, Jeff and Sheri Swift, Steph and Peter Ott, and Ben Swift for their encouragement and patience. To Jen Howard for her excellent editing skills. To all those involved in putting this book together at CreateSpace. To the many family and friends who read the manuscript and offered much-valued suggestions. And thank you to the good people who helped with my Kickstarter project, especially my friends Kelly and Kay Taylor and my father-in-law, Donald W. Fry, for their generous pledges to help fund this book.