Two Weeks Later, A Monday MorningThe rain continued to pelt rhythmically outside the window of Carly’s room. She didn’t know how long she had been lying in her bed, listening the soothing sound, but it had probably been for an hour, maybe even two. Sleep was a luxury these days and Carly barely caught any. She was up most of the time thinking about her life, about Michael, about the baby she was carrying.
Evaluating her life was not one of her favorite things to do. In fact, most times it only served to give her a headache when she thought of what a mess her actions had now placed her in. If only she hadn’t gotten pregnant; if only she hadn’t slept with Sonny; if only she hadn’t married AJ; if only she hadn’t come to Port Charles…
No. She couldn’t very well wish for the last one. Coming to Port Charles had brought her some good things: finding her mother, meeting Jason, and most importantly, Michael. So no, she couldn’t wish that she had never set foot in this town. Only her actions while here had put her in the situations she found herself currently facing, situations that could cost her Michael.
Carly flipped the top cover off her body and slid her legs over the side, sitting up. Combing her unruly, sleep hair back off her face with her fingers, she got up and left the room, heading towards Michael’s temporary room. Hopefully after today, it wouldn’t be temporary any longer.
Walking into the room she saw Michael on the floor, playing with some of Lucas’ old toys.
“Hey Mr. Man. What are you doing?” Carly sat on the floor next to her son and picked up a truck, racing her own with Michael’s. And then it hit her: Michael was sleeping in the crib, so how did he get out?
She looked to her son, wondering if he could really climb out of the crib. “Michael, how did you get out of your crib, sweetie?”
The young child just looked up to his mother and smiled, then continued racing the trucks.
Carly got up and went over to the old crib. Walking around it, she saw how the boy had gotten out. One side of the crib had been unlocked, the bar still slid down to offer a means of escape to any of its prior inhabitants. She turned back to her son with an amazed look on her face. “Michael, did you do this,” she asked, pointing to the crib.
The little boy looked up to his mother once more, his gaze moving to where she indicated. He smiled and giggled, nodding his head. “Mical big boy!” He repeated the small phrase over and over again as he raced his trucks on the carpet floor.
Carly just stared at him, still shocked by his actions. She went over to her son, kneeling down so she could be on an eye-to-eye level with him. “Michael, I know you’re a big boy, but you can’t just…climb out of your crib like that. It’s not safe.”
Michael looked up to his mother and frowned, noticing her disciplinary tone. “No rib fo me! Mical big boy!” And a third time, he returned to his play.
Carly let out a puff of breath. She would have to do something about this…and soon too. She couldn’t have him just escaping from his bed and wandering around the apartment. What if he got hurt? Shaking her head, she picked Michael up. “We’re gonna get you some breakfast little man! What do you want?”
With his head on her shoulder, Michael yelled his answer with glee: “Ish ream! Ish ream!”
Carly laughed as she walked with her son to the kitchen. “I think it’s too early for ice cream Michael. How about some French toast sticks and fruit, huh?”
The little boy grumbled, but nodded his head. “No ish ream,” he asked in voice meant to gain sympathy.
“No ice cream. Maybe later today, okay?” Carly set him down in the high chair, one Bobbie had found for her among other things, and strapped her son safely in. Moving to the refrigerator, she opened the freezer section and grabbed the box of French toast sticks. Taking out five sticks, she placed them on a plate and shoved them into the microwave. After putting the box back into the freezer, she asked Michael what type of fruit he would like.
After taking much consideration into the question, he answered with a simple “nanas,” meaning bananas of course. After peeling a banana, and chopping it into toddler size pieces, she placed those in a bowl and set them on the table. Pouring her son a cup of apple juice, the microwave signaled its finish and she took out the warm plate. After getting both to the table, she sat down close to where Michael was strapped in.
Blowing on a stick of French toast, she handed her son a piece of banana and placed the plate containing the rest of the fruit onto the desk of his chair. Right when she was about to give him the stick, a knock came at her door. Sighing, she placed the stick back onto the plate. Getting up, she looked to Michael, innocently eating his bananas. If he can get out of the crib, does that mean he can get out of the chair, she silently questioned herself. Giving up on trying to find an answer, she unbuckled her son from his confinement and took him along with her.
Not bothering to look through the peephole, Carly swung the apartment door open. To her total surprise, it was Dani. “Hey Dani, come in. Michael and I were just enjoying bananas and French toast sticks.”
Dani closed the door as she entered the apartment. “Mmm, sounds yummy, but I already had a donut and a cinnamon roll and this really great blueberry muffin. I’m stuffed.”
Carly shook her head as she made her way back to the kitchen. “How is it that you always eat junk food and you don’t gain a pound? For the two weeks I’ve known you, all I’ve ever seen you put into your face is French fries and potato chips.”
Dani laughed, taking a seat across from Carly and Michael. “Hi Michael. How are you this fine morning?”
“Tooti! Tooti,” came the little boy’s reply.
Dani looked at the boy strangely, then at his mother. “I think AJ calls you that, so he’s picked it up. Sorry.”
“That’s okay,” Dani replied. “When does AJ see him anyway?” Dani opened her briefcase, taking out some of the custody papers she’d had drawn up the day before.
“I take him over to that house when I’m at work with you,” Carly answered as she gave Michael another stick of food.
“Yeah, I know that. But isn’t he at work?”
“Yeah. The first day, he was, but then I think he thought it would look better in court if he spent time with his child. I think he’s been taking care of Michael during the day, and going to work as soon as I come pick him up.”
“Sly character that ex of yours.”
“A sly snake of a character. A rat of all rats!”
“Rat! Rat! Rat!” Michael latched onto the new word, repeating it over and over while stuffing his face with food.
Carly and Dani laughed at his antics, which only served to make the little boy continue, welcoming the attention from the two adults.
“So Dani, I guess you’re here for a reason. Is there room for the hearing today?” Carly looked hopeful. The actual hearing had supposed have taken place a week ago, but due to the flu, many of the judges had come down sick, forcing the healthy ones to take more important cases first, and pushing those that could wait to a later date – including hers.
“Well, no. In fact, I called around yesterday, after you had left, to see if maybe the case dock had changed, but it seems as if its only gotten worse. Two more judges have gone out sick with the flu.”
“Ugh,” Carly yelled in her frustration. She’d been on edge for the past two weeks because of the hearing, and now it seemed she would have to continue in her constant state of panic.
“Don’t get so distressed Carly. Bridgeport and Madison should be back at the end of the week, next Monday at the latest. And soon after, all the others will come back. You need to hang in there for a couple of weeks longer. But, I came up with another plan. Actually, I’ve had this plan for a couple of days now, in case the sick out continued.” Dani looked to Carly, who seemed skeptical, at best, with her ‘plan’. “It’s not that bad, really. And it could save us having to go to court.”
Carly perked up at the idea, and then resettled. “I don’t know…it probably has something to do with giving AJ partial custody…and I don’t like that.”
“I know you don’t Carly, but you have to put your own needs aside right now. We are talking about what will benefit Michael the most. And I’m sure having contact with his father would do him a lot of good, more so than you seem to think.”
Carly wrinkled her face at Dani’s words. She was right, as usual, but it still gave her unease to think of Michael spending any time over at the Quartermaine’s residence. “Fine. What is it?”
“Well,” Dani said, excited by Carly’s willingness to hear her out, “I had two sets of custody papers drawn out yesterday. The first set gives you full custody of Michael, but also has a clause which states that AJ have liberal visiting rights, kind of like what the two of you are doing right now.”
Carly shook her head in the negative. “AJ is only being reticent right now as a front. He’ll look the proper father, the father who wants best for his son. He’s probably scheming, as we speak, on ways to bring me down during the hearing. He’ll never go for that. What do the other papers say?”
Dani twisted in her seat, unsure if she should even suggest the idea to Carly. “Well…the other papers give partial custody to both you and AJ, with the parent who doesn’t retain the child having liberal visitation rights, set by the other parent. That way, Michael will have the best of both worlds, and still have contact with the other parent. He’ll spend 3 months with you, then 3 months with AJ.” Dani sat back in the hard wooden chair, waiting for Carly to explode in a fit of anger.
But she didn’t. Instead, she seemed to be seriously thinking the arrangement over, as if she was okay with it.
“What about when he gets older? I mean, won’t that be strenuous on him…moving around like that…every 3 months?”
“Well, yeah. I can get tiring and hazardous to the child’s emotional health, but how do you see him reacting if he’s only allowed to see one of his parents, and kept away from the other? Plus, I’m sure with time the two of you would work out something better for Michael. And when he gets to a certain age, he can decide for himself where he wants to live. But all that is in the far future…years and years from now.”
Carly remained quiet, listening to Dani’s words…letting them take root in her mind.
“Look Carly, the truth is I don’t want to take Michael away from his father. I met the guy and he wasn’t a peach, but still…he’s his father and he deserves to see his son. And the same goes for you. With this agreement, both of you would have equal time with Michael.”
“You know Dani, it’s not even AJ. I mean, I don’t think he’s all that great either, but the little time he does spend with Michael, I can see that he loves him. And I know it’s important that Michael know his father…know where he came from and all. But…I just…I don’t want him living in that house. Edward, Monica, and Emily…they all hated me and I’m sure they would spend every free moment telling Michael how bad of a person I am. I don’t want that, you know?” Carly looked to her son, a disaster area now with food all over his face and his nightclothes. But her disaster area, nonetheless. She smiled at her son and turned back to Dani. “Couldn’t you write in up in there that he had to move out of that house. I mean, I’m living here, all by my lonesome. Why can’t he do the same?”
“With that stipulation, would you accept the agreement?”
Carly took a minute to think. It wasn’t that bad, I mean…she would get to see Michael…probably everyday. She nodded her head, “Yeah…I guess it would be okay. But do you really think he would go for it?”
“It’s better than getting his name and the name of his family dragged all though court. Once the press gets notice of a hearing involving the Quartermaine name, there will be a field day. I’m sure AJ doesn’t want that anymore than you do. The least we could is try.”
“I guess you’re right. I could call him and maybe set up a meeting…at a neutral site?”
“Already done! Tomorrow at Parkinson’s. 3:00. Be there.”
Carly looked at Dani incredulously. “You had this all planned, didn’t you? I bet there isn’t even another set of papers. You tricked me!”
“Yes Caroline, I did. How does it feel?” Dani laughed as she packed up her papers and stood.
Carly shook her head in amazement. “It stinks. That wasn’t nice.”
“No one ever said anything about playing nice. I just did what I thought was best for Michael, and for you. Let’s just hope that AJ agrees.”
“Yeah…Hey, can I come in a little late this morning. I have to go pick up something to wear…I mean, Parkinson’s? That place is classy.”
“That’s okay Carly. In fact, take all day if you want. It’ll be pretty slow as usual, what with few cases moving through the system. I’ll see you tomorrow morning, bright and early!” Dani walked around the table, over to where Michael was enjoying playing with his food. “And you sir, I will see sometime soon I hope. By Michael,” Dani said as she ruffled the boy’s light orange top.
“Bi tooti,” the little boy crooned as he waved two messy palms at Dani.
Dani laughed. Carly rolled her eyes. “I’ll see you out.”
“That’s okay Carly. You better take care of that little monster first. See you.”
“Okay. And thanks…for everything.”
Dani stopped in her retreat, and went back to Carly. “You’re welcome Carly. I’m just glad I could help.” Giving the woman a hug, she turned and left.
Carly stared after her for a moment, her thought only broken by Michael’s insistent wining of “Ish ream.”
After having cleaned Michael up and getting dressed herself, Carly had called AJ to tell him she wouldn’t be bringing Michael in today. Of course, he had already figured something was up, having gotten a call from Dani yesterday about the meeting to discuss Michael’s custody. He had actually sounded down about not seeing his son, so Carly had told him that they would be at Isles Mall for the day, and they could meet at around noon in the food court so he could see Michael. AJ had grudgingly agreed, mumbling something about needing to get some work done at the office.
Once arranging that meeting, Carly had only needed to call her and Michael a cab to get to the mall. She really should learn how to drive, since for the past two weeks the only way she had gotten around was either by cab or rides from Bobbie or Dani. Maybe she would put that on her list of things to do. Getting Michael’s things together, she hauled herself and her son outside when hearing the cab honk.
Carly was grateful up noticing that the rain had let up some, and was now coming down only in drizzles. “I guess today will be a good day Mr. Man.” Michael smiled, as always as she sat down in the cab. “Isles Mall please,” she told the driver and they were off.
From across the street, he watched as the cab drove off, not knowing where her destination was. He also wondered about the little boy she had been carrying. Was that her son? His Caroline, of all people, was a mother? He couldn’t believe it, but everything else pointed to that being fact.
Wow. She was a mother, or at least he thought she was a mother. The cab had driven off, so he couldn’t very well follow. But then, what would he do? Just stand around in the rain all day? When would he get the nerve to actually go see her…talk to her?
Turning, he walked through the brush to where his dark sedan was parked. She obviously still wasn’t driving. He didn’t blame her. It had taken him a while to actually get back behind the wheel after his sister’s horrible accident. But needing to put that time behind him, he had one day found the courage. Plus, Carly’s accident had been the fault of a drunk driver, not her own. Yet still, the hurt remained. The what if’s lingered.
Darin Roberts shook his head, trying to let the memories go away. He had come here with a specific goal in mind, and letting the memories re-surface would do nothing but hurt his attainment of Caroline. And he would get her back – no matter what it took.