Wednesday morning, I went to school like normal with a reminder that Mr. and Mrs. Atkins would pick me up at lunch time. Noah and I went through our cla.s.ses, and I noticed he was still acting distracted so that summer ball idea didn't completely die down. I'll have to ask Zeke what he's doing this summer and if he had any suggestions to help Noah get over this.
At lunch, Noah walked me up to the office where his parents were waiting.
"I don't see why I can't come too." Noah pouted. "I would only miss math and health."
Mr. Atkins smiled down and patted his shoulder. "We don't know how long we'll be. Jake might miss some practice time. You shouldn't. You have a very important game to prepare for."
"Right!" Noah straightened up and clenched his fist. He looked at me. "Good luck today! Make sure you still come to practice even if you're late!"
I let out a light laugh. "Okay."
Mrs. Atkins handed Noah a grocery bag. "I brought some snacks for you and the boys. Make sure you share with the team if they're around."
Noah accepted the bag. "Thanks, Mom!" He peeked inside and made a face. "Watermelon and cantaloupe? Why didn't you bring cookies and brownies??"
Mrs. Atkins laughed. "I'll save that for after your game on Monday. You shouldn't eat so many sweets anyways."
"Yea, yea, I know." Noah looked me in the eyes. "Go. Don't let them scare you. Mom and Dad won't let anything bad happen to you."
With that, we parted ways. He went to go find his brothers as I left with his parents. We agreed to eat lunch after the hearing so we went straight to the courthouse and met with Mr. Pickens.
"George." Mr. Atkins greeted him with a handshake.
Mr. Pickens held his briefcase in the other hand and shook it a little. "We'll be with the same judge as before, Judge Richard Hill. That's beneficial for us."
"Did you request him?" Mrs. Atkins asked; we all had a favorable impression of this judge who really helped me out just two weeks ago.
"No, it's pretty much random since this is a completely separate case from last time. We just got lucky that it's a small county." He looked down at me. "Jake, you understand that this will be different right?"
I nodded slowly.
"Okay, let's head in." He checked his watch then led us through the building, finding the room we were to be in. Like last time, we sat at one of the tables in front of the seating area. Mr. Pickens sat on the inside, then Mrs. and Mr. Atkins, then me on the far side.
Shortly after our entrance, the doors opened again, drawing our attention. Two men walked in. The old man was in a three-piece suit and carried a briefcase. He must be Jeremy's lawyer.
Right behind him-I froze. Right behind him was a familiar face. I've seen him in a few articles and short clips with Jeremy...it was his uncle. My father's brother, Jack Patterson. My breathing became erratic after making eye contact with him. His expression was ice cold, without even a hint of warmth as he looked me over before sitting at the other table, on the other side of the lawyer.
Something heavy landed on my shoulder making me flinch. "It's okay, Jake. We're here for you." Mr. Atkins gave my shoulder a squeeze.
With both parties present, it wasn't long before the judge showed up after being announced.
"You may be seated." Judge Hill told us as he sat down. He held a file and placed it in front of him before looking right at me. "Jake. How are you?"
How was I supposed to respond? I just stared at him blankly, feeling more nervous, especially after seeing my uncle.
Judge Hill wasn't offended. "You're a baseball player, correct? How did that game go?"
Mr. Atkins was quick to realize that I was regressing, so he spoke up. "They ended up winning. He will now be partic.i.p.ating in the finals on Monday." He glanced to the other table. "Excuse his lack of response, I believe he is surprised by the unexpected appearance of his uncle."
The judge looked to their table.
"Not unexpected at all, your honor." The lawyer stood up. "I represent the whole Patterson family, especially so, in this case."
"Yes, let's get to the matter at hand." The judge opened the file in front of him and took a look. "A paternity suit, is it?"
"Yes sir." The lawyer stayed standing. "There has been a lot of speculation on who Jake Hollander's father is and my clients would like to settle these disputes."
Judge Hill looked to Mr. Pickens. "And you're here to object?"
"On the contrary." It was Mr. Pickens turn to stand up as the other lawyer sat back down. "The Atkins and Jake agree to the blood test, but would like to request that it has no bearing on their future custody case as they file for Jake's adoption."
"Objection." The opposing lawyer stood up as well. "I have yet to speak to my clients about the next step pending the results."
Judge Hill frowned. "Denied. It's not the courts responsibility to see how far you plan ahead." He looked to us. "I won't promise that this will have no absolute bearing on any future custody battles, but I will promise that the results won't stop your adoption."
I sighed with relief, letting out a small smile.
Judge Hill continued. "If the paternity test can disprove the relation between Jeff Patterson and suspected son, Jake Hollander, then this matter ends here. If it can't rule Jeff Patterson out as his biological father, then it'll be up to both parties to figure out the next step, including but not limited to: custody and claims against the deceased estate." He looked down and wrote something down. "I will have the test a.s.signed to a court-appointed facility. I will grant both parties two weeks to get it done. Court dismissed." He banged his gavel, stood up with his papers and left through a back door where his office was.
Everyone present stood up afterwards. I was looking up at Mr. Atkins, but caught him frowning at the other table. I peeked over and saw my uncle leaving with his lawyer. He didn't even spare a glance my way while walking out in a leisurely manner.
"Will you guys have any plans to sue?" Mr. Pickens asked us in a low voice as we prepared to leave.
"Sue? For what?" Mrs. Atkins was flabbergasted.
"If he's proven to be his son, then he's ent.i.tled to a part of his estate."
"No." Mrs. Atkins answered firmly. "We don't need it. Nor does Jake. We can provide for our own kids."
I blushed. She called me one of her own.
"Let's not write it off so fast." Mr. Pickens said calmly. "It's not easy to raise another teen. There are a lot more costs besides food and clothes. There are unexpected doctor visits, school trips and supplies, baseball gear, and even college to think about."
Mrs. Atkins looked upset, but Mr. Atkins quickly intercepted. "We're not interested, George. I get that you want to plan ahead, but we can provide for Jake just fine. We'll just be happy to get through the adoption. I don't want to entangle ourselves anymore with the court system than we have to."
"Understood." Mr. Pickens nodded. We followed him out to the hallway. "I'll find out the location of the blood test and you guys will be able to leave. Give me just a few minutes."