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Not Without A Fight

Chapter 5     Michael delivers the news

Michael still has several hours left before he finishes work so he can’t meet with his brother until then and he didn’t want to have the conversation over the phone.  Michael makes it to the end of his shift and hurries to meet with his brother.  He calls Marcie on the way to let her know that he has a stop to make before he makes it home.

Michael meets John in his apartment.  He’s glad that John isn’t at work because he did not want any distractions while having this conversation with his brother.  He knocks on the door and John invites him in.

“Hi Michael, what brings you this way?”

“John I need for you to sit down and listen to what I have to say.”

“Michael what are you talking about, is something wrong with Marcie?”

“No Marcie is fine.  John I found out something today that I think you should know.”

“Okay Michael what is it?  Just tell me what you have to say.”

“John you know that Evangeline is pregnant and she had her baby today. I stopped by the nursery to see her baby and the little boy has blue eyes just like you.”

Michael watches his brother as John processes what he just heard. 

“Michael I don’t know what you expect me to say.  I’m not the only man in the world with blue eyes.  Evangeline said that the father of the child waived his rights.  Now if this were my child you know that I would never waive my parental rights.  Evangeline has never lied to me before so if she says that the father waived his rights then the child can’t be mine.  She wouldn’t be that cruel.”

“John I know what I saw.  I don’t know about the parental rights waiver but all that I am saying is that you might want to request a blood test to be sure that the child is not yours.”

“Michael, Evangeline and I aren’t together any more and she doesn’t want anything to do with me.  I would love for the child to be mine I really would but I don’t want to do anything to upset her now.  She’s moved on with her life and I don’t want to interfere with that.

“All right John if that’s what you want to do.  I’ll let you handle it.”

“Thanks Michael.  I appreciate you looking out for me but just leave it alone.”

“I need to leave now and make it home John.  I’ll talk with you later.”

Michael left John’s apartment and headed home but he would not let it alone.  If his brother will not pursue this then he will.

The next day at work Michael goes to the nursery and once again sees the nurse from yesterday.  He notices the nurse take a blood specimen from the baby to send to the lab.  The nurse stops to call the lab for someone to retrieve the specimen.  Michael volunteers to take the specimen to the lab for her. When Michael arrives at the lab he once again finds someone that he knows at the lab.  He asks the lab to conduct an extra test on the blood specimen.  Michael has obtained a blood sample from John some time ago so he uses that sample to have the lab technician to run a paternity test on the blood specimen from Evangeline’s son. Michael knows that the child might truthfully be someone else’s but he wants to make certain for his brother’s sake.  The lab tech tells Michael that he will notify him as soon as he has the results.  Michael leaves and goes on his rounds.

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Evangeline enjoys her time with her son and gets to change his diaper and dress him.  She names him Peter Williamson.  Nora comes to visit and talks with Evangeline about her encounter with Michael McBain.

“Nora I appreciate your concern but I don’t have time to worry about Michael or his brother. My son is the only person on my mind at this moment.  Nora, will you agree to be my son’s godmother?”

“Evangeline I will be honored to be Peter’s godmother.”

“Good. Now tomorrow Peter and I go home. My mother comes in tonight so I won’t need you to take me home tomorrow. Layla picked up my car from the hospital and took it back to my apartment building so my mother will use my car to pick us up.  I am so happy right now.  I love my son to pieces.  Isn’t he just the cutest baby that you have ever seen?  Oh I know you will say that your children are the cutest babies you have ever seen but my son is cute too, isn’t he?”

“Yes he is my friend, yes he is.”

“Good now that we have settled that cutest survey.  Nora I want you to do something for me.  If you don’t feel comfortable doing it just tell me and I will get someone else to handle this matter.”

“What do you want me to do Evangeline?  You know that I will do it if I can.”

“I want a restraining order against John and Michael McBain.  I know that Michael has told John about his theory that Peter is John’s child and if I know Michael the way that I do even if John doesn’t pursue it then Michael will.  I don’t want either of them anywhere near my son or me.  Can you do that for me Nora?”

“As much as I don’t want to do this I will Evangeline.  I think that you are right about Michael because yesterday he was very adamant that John should know that the baby is John’s.  I will go now to the court and file the orders.”

“Thank you Nora.  I knew that I could depend on you.  Now get back to work and I will talk with you later.”

“As you command my liege.”

As soon as Nora leaves I hug Peter and whisper a prayer that I can weather this storm that is beginning to brew.  Michael will not let this rest until he proves that John is or is not the father of Peter.  But what Michael doesn’t realize is that John waived his parental rights. Nobody forced him to do that. He did it of his own free will. Sure he may not have realized that the papers that he signed were a waiver of parental rights but it was his fault that he didn’t read the forms.  I even told him that they were a waiver of parental rights and he signed them anyway.  The court order is legal and he will need to go to court to overturn it and even if he has blood tests to prove that he is the father that does not negate the ‘fact’ that he waived his rights. I put Peter down so that he can sleep and I take a nap before dinner.