Chapter 7: Nuclear Option

Saturday afternoon, Alice’s phone beep several times before she could get to it. She glanced at the home screen and saw the notification in capital letters:

DON’T ANSWER PHONE UNTIL YOU TALK TO ME! KAREN

Alice rolled her eyes. She could guess what had happened. She no sooner had the thought than the phone started ringing. She recognized the phone number as her mother’s cellphone. She didn’t accept the call.

Alice texted back her sister, ‘They know?’

Karen texted back, ‘Yes. We told them this morning. Kids staying with friends. I’ll call you on my cell in a few minutes. Shit hit fan BIG TIME. Love you. K.’

Five minutes later, both Julie and Alice were together in the core living room when they answered Karen’s call. Both ends were on FaceTime. Karen had Candy and Daryl with her.

Karen was crying, but cogent. “They’re bastards. Both of them. I hate them.”

Alice pleaded, “Slow down, sis. What happened?”

“We took Bill Lewis’ advice and decided to tell them about our family rather than having them discover it by accident or having one of the kids slip and say something. While it was the right thing to do, it was painful. We ditched the kids with neighbors for the day, and the three of us went over to mom and dad’s home. We wanted to do it there, so we could leave rather than having them hanging around at our place screaming and making a scene.

“The three of us went into the house, and they were wondering why Candy was with us. They’d met her twice before. When we were all seated, I got up courage and I talked. I said that we were there to explain about our new family dynamic and relationships. I told them, ‘We’re not here for your approval or disapproval. We are here only to inform. What you choose to do with what we tell you is your business and not ours. We are at a point where we don’t care what you think.’

“Oh, Alice it was bad. I explained that Daryl, Candy, and I were a family unit, that we loved each other, and were henceforth the Simon Family. After I’d delivered the news, we stood to go home; that was the basic message. They could draw whatever conclusions they wanted from that.

“We made it to the front steps before they both started to scream at us. The invectives were horrendous at each of us. They disowned me – all of us, ultimately. Of course, they invoked the Bible, the Church, God, all the disciples, and every known sin they could think of. They were terrible. They must be hoarse from screaming at us.

“Dad turned bright red with anger. I thought he’d have a stroke. What worried me was that they said that we weren’t fit to be parents, that we were corrupting the children – THEIR grandchildren – with such an arrangement.”

Alice said, “KAREN! Listen to me carefully. Right this instant, retrieve the children. Drive right to the airport and put them on the next plane to Tampa. Call me with the flight information. Don’t return to your home with the children until after the flight has departed for Florida.”

Karen sobbed, “What do you think they’ll do?”

“I think you’re going to have a visit from the police and from the Department of Child Protective Services or whatever it is up there. If you don’t want to lose your children, even for a little while, get them down here RIGHT AWAY! START MOVING NOW.”

Alice heard some quick and rapid words between Candy, Karen, and Daryl, and then Daryl came on the line. “We’re moving. We suddenly realize that you are absolutely right. We just hope we have time.”

In the background they heard Karen yell, “I’m on my way to get them and drive to the airport.”

Eight hours later, Dave and Alice met Karen accompanying Christiana and Sean at Tampa International Airport. An hour later after collecting their meager luggage they were back on Circle Drive and getting the kids settled in one of the guest rooms at Dave and his wives’ home. Karen had managed to snag a few clothes for them thanks to Candy’s help, and they at least had bathing suits. Both kids were in the pool right before dinner as Matthew showed them around, acting very much like the Big Brother and Special Cousin even though he was the youngest of the three.

Bridget was there, too, helping her siblings adjust to their new surroundings. She’d agreed to allow Christiana sleep in her room with her at least for a short time until the fallout from the scene in Ohio had died out. She helped get both of the kids ready for bed and tucked in after dinner, and then promised she’d be right downstairs if they needed her. Bridget grinned and explained, “I’d already arranged for Phil to come and visit. We’ll just use the living room sofa.”

Daryl reached Karen shortly thereafter to give her a report on events up in Ohio. She put him on speakerphone as she, Alice, Julie, and Dave went into the hallway to the core living space to talk to him.

Daryl said, “The police came by with a woman from DCPS. They said they were investigating a complaint about children being corrupted in our home. They didn’t go into detail, but I think your parents implied to the authorities that something sexual was happening with the children.”

Dave asked, “What’d you tell them?”

“Nothing, really? I said that after talking to Mr. and Mrs. Waldorf that morning, they had been so angry and threatening that you felt the children were in danger from THEM and had taken them on a short trip. I told them I wasn’t sure exactly where you’d gone or where you’d be or when you’d be back, but you were making sure that the grandparents or their friends didn’t do something hurtful or vindictive to the children because of their unhappiness over the discussion we’d had that morning. I didn’t even have to say what the discussion was about. I made the scene sound like a ‘he said-she said’ situation, only the result was that we feared for the health and well-being of our kids. I also made it sound like you routinely took the kids away on short trips from time to time.

“The woman asked Candy who she was. Candy explained she was a long-time friend of the family and that she had a room in the house and lived there and had for many months. Fortunately, she didn’t press the issue but she did ask to see every room in the house. Since she had a warrant, we couldn’t not show them, but we’d prepared and Candy’s separate room looked very lived in and the bed slept in.” Daryl laughed, “Candy and I had even used it together in the afternoon to give it that ‘loved in’ look.”

Karen asked, “Do you think that’s the end of it?”

Daryl paused and then said, “Actually, no. I have a feeling they’ll be back tomorrow or the next day to press the issue again. I’m sure they’ll ask again where you are and where you’ve taken the children.”

Dave said, “Don’t tell them until you can talk to us again. I want to get one of our lawyers working on this before it gets out of hand. I don’t know what reciprocity Florida has with Ohio, especially since Karen crossed state lines with them. Right now, in fact, you don’t know exactly where Karen and the kids are. They could be in my living room or driving one of our cars to someplace none of us know about.”

Karen said, “All this is happening with my own children? I can’t believe my parents turned us in on some flimsy claim because they disapprove of OUR lifestyle. Well, they’re off MY Christmas card list.”

Dave said, “Fortunately, you arrived here before the presence of the police or DCPS at your home. You are acting to protect your kids from abusive grandparents and potentially their friends from their church, but you ‘officially’ aren’t fleeing the law or child protective services. I think you’re all right, but let’s make sure. I’ll talk to Jason as soon as we hang up if I can find him.”

Daryl and Candy rang off on the call, but only after Karen told them to fuck each other blind before they went to bed. They laughed and promised they’d fulfill her request.

Jason Riggs, Esquire, was balls deep in Dori Winter when Dave went and searched around the core living areas and patio for one of the lawyers in the Circle. They were on a sofa in the air-conditioned core living room with Dori riding him like a bucking bronco. A quick check showed that Robyn Riggs was on another nearby sofa with Jack Anders pumping his cock into the gorgeous lawyer missionary style as she egged him on within her husband’s hearing range.

Dave decided that Jason was the person to talk to, so he walked over. “Sorry to interrupt, but when you’re through, come up to my home. We have an unfolding situation.”

Bridget and Phil looked put upon as Karen, Dave, Alice, and Julie came into the living room. They were half-naked and pawing madly at each other’s few remaining clothes. Alice shooed them upstairs to the Big Bed and reminded them to close and lock the door and to keep the noise down. Bridget could get excited and noisy during her lovemaking.

Ten minutes later, Jason came into the house wearing a towel around his waist. “What’s up?”

Alice gestured to Karen, and she explained all that had happened up in Ohio that day and what Daryl and Candy had reported to them on the phone an hour earlier.

Jason said, “Don’t worry. Florida does not have an extradition agreement with Ohio regarding children, providing they are with either parent. It would be better if Daryl was here with you, but we can manage. What they’ll likely do is file in court up there to have the children delivered to the care of your parents – the Waldorfs. If you aren’t in the state, there’s not much else they can do without a hearing.”

Karen asked, “Should Candy move out?”

“I’d have both Daryl and Candy come down here. How wed are you to living in Ohio?”

Karen shrugged, “Our home, jobs, the children’s school ... oh, I should let the school know the kids won’t be there on Monday.”

Jason nodded, “Do that. Enroll them in the school system down here or get them a tutor so you show that you care about their education. Robyn can help you with that tomorrow, even though it’s Sunday.”

Karen said in a worried tone, “Do you think we should move here?”

“On a temporary basis, if you can; make it look permanent. I seem to recall that you had a part time job.”

Karen said, “Yes. I worked at the library, but I can end that with one phone call.”

Jason thought for a moment, “Do that. Notify the post office that you want your mail to come here, too. Get a Florida driver’s license. Make the steps to live here as a fuil-time resident. We can always reverse that kind of stuff. We WILL keep the children away from your parents.”

As the evening went on, Karen and Jason made love on the sofa in Dave and Alice’s living room. The others went back to the core and found partners. Dave sought out Robyn and gave her a five-minute update on what was happening, and promised more details the next day when she’d also meet with Karen. Like a good brother-in-law for Karen, he pledged to cover her legal fees. Robyn promised there wouldn’t be any unless they needed to bring in outside counsel for some reason. After the update, Dave and Robyn spent the rest of the night together, even joining Bridget and Phil on the large bed in Dave’s master bedroom. That also involved a luscious swap.

Sunday morning, Dave worked the kitchen with several others preparing custom breakfasts for those interested. It turned out that about eighty people were interested so it was a busy morning, but he had lots of help. As usual, Cindy and Sharon showed up in their cute little waitress outfits. They were commando, and in the interest of protecting the children’s delicate eyes Dave had to ask them to put on underwear. The others in the Circle quickly added the needed clothing just before Karen appeared with Christiana and Sean.

Karen stood partway through the lazy meal and thanked everyone for being there for her and for ‘adjusting’ to having a twelve and ten-year-old in their midst for a while. No one’s nose seemed out of joint over the restrictions, so the sudden arrivals became no big deal.

In the afternoon, a few of the women went topless almost as a test that Karen blessed to see how her two younger children reacted. Basically, they didn’t, so things drifted back to slightly normal except for the blatant public nudity. Anything further went off to someplace more private.

Matthew and a friend from near his grandmother’s home were present and occupied his Ohio cousins with pool games and activities. Fortunately, the Simon kids could swim, and their shouting and laughter lightened the mood on the patio for all.

Jason, Robyn, Karen, Alice, Julie, Dave, and Owen sat together in mid-afternoon. Jason took the initiative. “I looked up a few things this morning and made a few calls. My initial advice to you was correct. For the foreseeable future, I’d stay out of Ohio. I’d definitely keep the kids out of Ohio.”