Alex was pacing. Nobody tried to stop him, the situation definitely allowed for his anxiety to be a problem. “They can’t do this, right? Well, I mean, I know technically they can, but this??” Alex gestured at the papers sitting on the coffee table in the Molina’s living room. “Don’t they care about anything other than how they look?” Charlie was on the couch, sandwiched between Julie and Damien as they hugged him and told him everything would be okay. The band was scattered around the room, with Flynn, Willie, Ray and Carlos. Everyone else stayed silent, feeling the gravity of the situation. Alex was trying to be strong, he really was, but he could feel the tears breaking through.
Ray stood up suddenly, walking out of the room. That was a shock to the others, he never leaves when someone is breaking down. No one had time to dwell on it as a sob wracked through Charlie’s body. “I don’t want to leave.” He whispered.
Alex knelt down in front of him, “I will fight so you don’t have to, Charlie. Even if they say you can’t stay here, I’ll-I’ll think of something.”
”He’ll stay here.” They looked at the voice to see Ray coming back in the room, a DVD in hand. “Charlie, I need your permission to play this in front of the judge.” Ray said, bending down and inserting the disk into the player. They watched, everyone having forgotten that Ray had been recording that day. It showed Mister Joyner, swinging his arm to strike Charlie, and Alex moving into the way to take the hit. Reggie twitched next to Luke on the chair, and Luke wrapped his arm around him.
”Yes.” Charlie’s voice cracked. “If you think it will help, yes.”
Alex looked at Ray, desperation in his face, Ray turned to Julie, “Mija, can you take the boys upstairs to watch a movie or something while we talk?” Charlie looked panicked, “I promise we will figure something out. Please, go with Damien and Carlos so we can talk. Alex will see you before the night is over.” Charlie nodded, letting Damien take his arm and lead him upstairs. Ray waited until he heard the door upstairs click shut before turning to the others. “I’m not going to lie, it probably won’t be easy. Your dad-“
”Not my dad.” Alex interrupted quickly. “You are my dad.” Ray smiled softly and nodded.
”You’re right. You are my son. But Wayne Joyner is one of the top lawyers in the city. If he is bound to fight us on the custody of Charlie, it’s going to be a hell of a fight. I want you to be prepared.”
”I will do anything.” Alex responded. “I can’t let him go back there. Not after what they did to me when I came out. Charlie is just a kid. He doesn’t deserve that.”
Willie stood up, facing Alex, ‘You didn’t either.’ He signed. ‘We need you to understand that, baby. You and Reggie think that anything bad that happens to you happens because you deserve it. But that isn’t true. Sometimes, bad things happen to good people. Charlie doesn’t deserve for this to happen to him. And you didn’t deserve what happened to you. But you found something better,’ Willie gestured at Ray and Julie for a second, ‘And all you can do is try to give Charlie that.’ Alex pulled Willie into him.
”I love you.” He whispered into Willie’s ear. Willie pressed his right hand into Alex’s back, signing ‘I love you’, something he had been doing when Alex held him too close to sign it back clearly.
When they arrived at the courthouse, the bailiff raised an eyebrow at the number of people they brought in. Alex had his arm around Charlie, like he could protect him from whatever was coming. The Joyners were already seated in the courtroom when they entered, not even looking up at their children. The judge announced they would begin, and everyone sat silently. Judge Gillespie spoke loudly, letting all in the courtroom hear. “I understand we are here today for a custody hearing. But I can’t say I’ve heard this before. Wayne, we’ve known each other a lot of years. Am I to understand this right? You are relinquishing custody of your son to this man? A Raymond Molina?”
Alex was stunned. He had expected his parents to fight them, to argue that they should have him back to ‘fix him’. Wayne’s voice rang out, “Yes, your honor.”
”Mister Molina, have you any disagreements?”
Ray stood up to face the judge, “No, your honor. I just ask one thing of you and the Joyners.”
“What is it you request? Child support?” Mister Joyner asked with a scoff.
”I don’t want or need a dime from you. I want to request that to make Charlie feel more a part of our family, more than he already is, if you will approve a name change. Make him a Molina.”
”Okay.” Judge Gillespie answered, “I will file the paperwork. As of today, Charles Gideon Joyner will be Charles Gideon Molina.”
”Now hold on,” Jolene interrupted, “We did not agree to that.”
”Quite frankly,” Judge Gillespie answered, “I don’t give a rats ass. I gave you the benefit of the doubt when you filed this court hearing, after knowing you kicked your elder son out of your home for something as petty as his sexual orientation. I honestly believed in the man I used to know. The man who believed in the right and wrong of the world and believed that everyone should pay for the injustices they caused. But I see that man is gone.” Alex looked at his friends and family, all staring wide eyed as the judge spoke. “Mister Molina, this is Alexander with you, correct?”
Alex stood beside Ray, “Yes, sir.”
The judge nodded, “And how long did live with Mister Molina before you turned eighteen?”
”Uh, I believe about eight months, sir.” Alex answered, Ray nodded.
”Okay. It is my decision that along with the name change to Charles, Wayne and Jolene Joyner are hereby ordered to pay back child support for the eight months Alexander Molina lived with Raymond Molina before his eighteenth birthday, and they are to pay child support for Charles from the time he moved into the Molina household, until his eighteenth birthday.” He banged his gavel, “Court is adjourned.” Wayne and Jolene attempted to argue, but the judge told them that if they didn’t silence themselves, they would be arrested for contempt.
Before they could make it out of the courtroom, Charlie threw his arms around Alex and Ray. Tears streaming down his face. “We’re a family again, Alex.”
”Oh, buddy,” Alex laughed, “We always were, and we always will be. Your family just got a whole lot bigger.”