Mel and Lindsay were lying in bed Sunday morning, enjoying the afterglow of sex and the quiet that comes from a child free home.  Melanie stroked Lindsay's belly as Lindsay lay with her head on Melanie's abdomen.

"This is nice.  Peace and quiet. No errands to run.  No breaking up the kids fighting over some stupid toy or whose turn it is to wipe down the table," Melanie said.

Lindsay nodded her blonde head and added, "I love that it's the two of us."

"Do you ever regret having Gus?" Mel asked.  She knew that Lindsay was relaxed and this question was ever present on her mind of late. 

"Regret... Not exactly.  I didn't think that being a parent would be like this."

"Like this?" Melanie said, her voice raising an octave in inflection.

"Babies are so cute and cuddly. Everybody likes babies.  But then babies grow up and want things.  They want to play sports, go to the park, and have a zillion birthday party invitations.  And you have to be there for them 24/7."

"Linds?"  Mel was surprised by Lindsay's candor, but is uncertain what she was really saying.  Mel  loves Gus, he's her son, but there has always been an invisible rift as a result of who Linds chose to be his father.  She tries not to blame Gus for Brian being his father, but it's hard not to when he looks like a miniature version of the man.

"I think I wanted Gus to be linked to Brian.  And now.....  Brian has Gus.  Looks like he's not coming back and...."   Lindsay stopped talking.  There was a lot she wanted to say, but she didn't want to come across in the wrong way.  On the other hand, this was her wife and who knew her better than the woman she was married to.  If she couldn't be honest with her, who could she be honest with?  "Mel, I'm a terrible person.  Well,I'm a  terrible mother.  I miss Gus, miss his giggles and his smile, but I don't miss the rest.  I don't miss the responsibility, the ball games, the parent/teacher conferences, the playdates.    I would never tell Brian, but I'm very happy with him having Gus full time.  With him gone, I can pursue my art career without feeling guilty that I'm neglecting him."

Melanie was shocked at Lindsay's statement, especially since the last conversation they had regarding custody was that Lindsay wanted to fight Brian to regain custody of Gus.   Melanie stroked Lindsay's blonde locks, gently caressing the soft hair. 

"When did this come about?  I mean you've been ranting and raving about Brian and Justin and waiting until Brian decides that he doesn't want to be a full time father.  Just the other day you said you couldn't wait to hear from Brian that he had changed his mind and that Gus really belonged with his mothers.  Did something happen that you haven't told me about?"

"Well, not exactly, but sort of," she said as she gently pulled Mel's hand to her mouth to kiss it gently.

"Not exactly, sort of.  Linds, talk to me.  This is some serious stuff.  If you don't fight now, you will most likely not regain custody of Gus. Is that what you really want?"

Lindsay sat up in bed, looking at Mel. She gently put a small lock of hair behind her ear and smiled.  "The other day when I was at the gallery, Simon had a guest who was the curator of the Frick Museum in New York but he was telling me that the Frick Collection here in Pittsburgh is looking for a new director.  Simon mentioned the last several exhibits that I have put together were highly acclaimed and well.... One thing led to another and he asked me to come in and talk next week.  The job would be amazing, Mel, but would involve a lot of travel between here and New York as well as potential trips to Europe and other museums in the US. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I know that if I had Gus, he'd be with sitters or I'd be asking Brian to watch him all the time.  I know you are very busy with your practice and since you made partner, things are even more intense.  If I don't fight Brian, I'm not put into a position of asking him to watch Gus all the time.  He would be primarily responsible for Gus and I wouldn't be seen as the "bad" mother."

Melanie continued to stroke Lindsay's hair and pondered her latest revelation.  It made sense in a twisted convoluted way.  Gus would stay with Brian and Linds could pursue the career she's always wanted.  Lindsay would appear to everyone as the mom who cared enough for her son to let his father raise him so he would not be with sitters all the time.  When she looked at it that way, it did make sense.  Everybody won and Gus would be happy.  While she loved their son, she thought this would be a good situation. 

"I think that might really work.  Are you going to talk it over with Brian?"

"Probably.  I don't want Gus to think I don't want him, so I have to explain it to him so he thinks I'm doing this for him.."  Lindsay said as she smiled at her clever plan.  "Mel, what about you?  Do you regret having J.R?  It's not like Michael really is father material"

"Honestly.  I don't know, Linds.  I wanted to be a mother since you seemed to really glow with Gus, but like you said, the reality is very different.  I find myself resenting the time I need to spend with J.R.  Every child deserves a loving, caring parent and I don't think I have that capability."

They lay quietly in their bed, each woman thinking of the other's revelations. 

"I don't think Michael would be a good candidate to raise her and even if he agreed, I just can't do that to her.  She would have almost no intellectual stimulation and likely grow up thinking comic books and action heroes were the only thing that mattered in the world.  I'm not sure why I ever thought he'd be good father material."

"We didn't think he would be involved.  I had to practically bully Brian into being involved in Gus' life and I'm glad I did since he is actually a good father.  Michael, on the other hand sees J.R. as a way to be equal to Brian.  With J.R., he's a father just like Brian."

"True.  But there is always Ben.  He's great with her.  Did you ever watch the two of them at Sunday dinners?  I was really impressed yesterday when she called him to see if he was available.  She loves him and he's a great parent."  Melanie sat up in bed.  She picked up  a few pillows and stuffed them behind her back.

"Do you think he would want to be more involved in her life? I mean ... well if he wanted to be more involved then maybe... well ... it wouldn't hurt..."  Lindsay started and stopped her sentences several times, not wanting to voice her thoughts out loud for fear of hurting her wife's feelings and appearing to not want their other child either.

"Ben would make a great dad.  I just don't know if he is interested in a more involved role.  He's got a full time job and I don't want to appear unwilling to raise my own daughter."

"We can always talk to him when he brings her back this afternoon.  It can't hurt.  He can always say no, but we won't know unless we ask."

"True.  I know he probably wouldn't want to have her full time, but maybe we could work something out so she isn't here all the time and has someone around to watch her.  It wouldn't look good if the law firm's new partner were brought up on child endangerment charges.  Now that Gus isn't here to watch her in the afternoons, she really shouldn't be by herself for more than 10-15 minutes and even that is a little much."

"When he comes back this afternoon, we'll talk to him about it."  Lindsay leaned over and gave her wife a kiss.  "I think I need a shower and we've got a few more hours of alone time, why don't we go to the new restaurant and have a nice brunch. It's been a while since we ate without children interrupting our conversation."

____________________________________________________

Ben and J.R. enjoyed their morning running errands and just like J.R. stated she would, she completed her homework while Ben graded papers.  Afterwards they went to the park and J.R. played on the slide and swing set.  Ben had picked up a ball at one of the stores this morning so they played catch as well.  When they finished at the park, they went to the library and J.R. picked up several books.  They went home and cleaned up, both having gotten a little dirty at the park. 

"J.R., do you want to help make dinner?"  Ben called as he pulled out some pasta and tuna.

"Sure.  What are we having tonight?"

"Tuna casserole.  It's quick and easy and you can help me make it.  I bet you could even make most of it yourself, except for draining the noodles.  You would need an adult to do that as you could get burned."

"Sounds like fun.  I like cooking. What goes into tuna casserole?  I don't think I ever had any."  J.R. asked as she surveyed the food on the table.

"Noodles, tuna, cheese, celery and spices.  It's pretty simple.  We can add some crunch to it by putting corn flakes in it.  My mom used to do that when I was a kid."  Ben got out the pan from the cabinet and put water in it, and then placed it on the stove to boil.  "First we have to boil the water for the noodles.  I put a little salt in the pan, but not too much.  While the water is boiling, we open the tuna and drain the water from it"

"Why do we drain the water?"  J.R. was given the can and shown how to hold the top over the sink and push hard to get the water out.

"The water is just a preservative and its salty.  It would make our casserole satly and very watery."

The water began to boil and Ben added the noodles.  "Now we set the timer for 8 minutes.  If we let the noodles cook longer than than, they get soggy."  Ben took out a long pan and sprayed it with Pam.  He took out a bowl and instructed J.R. to put the tuna in the bowl.  He showed her how to measure the spices and pour about ½ cup of corn flakes into the bowl as well.  The timer went off and Ben turned off the burner.  He placed the cauldron in the sink and poured the pasta into the cauldron.

"See the steam coming off the noodles.  That means it is very hot and we don't want to burn ourselves so we have to be very careful.  When you are older, I'll let you try, but for now you let me or another adult do it for you."  He turned on the water and washed off the noodles.  "See there is a lot of starch on the noodles and we want to rinse those that off."  Then he poured the noodles into the bowl with the tuna and spices. 

"Now take this big spoon and stir it all together," he said as he handed her a wooden spoon and demonstrated a few stirrings.  He watched her stir the concoction and when he thought it was thoroughly mixed, he poured it into the large pan. 

"Now take out the cheese and sprinkle a generous amount on top of our casserole," he said. "Perfect, now we put it in the oven and let it cook for about 30 minutes."

"That was fun.  I like cooking."

"Good,  Cooking is an important skill.  It's just as important as reading and math.  If you don't know how to cook, you end up eating out all the time and that is not very good for you."  Ben set the time for 30 minutes.  "Let's go read our new books while we wait for our food to cook."

They moved to the living room and read their books.  The timer went off and J.R. followed Ben into the kitchen where she watched him take the casserole out of the oven and put it on a trivet.  "It's really hot, but looks very good.  Let's go wash our hands and let it cool a little. I bet after we set the table and get our drinks, it will be cool enough to eat."

J.R. took a bite of the casserole that Ben had put on her plate and said, "It is yummy, Daddy Ben.  You are a good cook."

"Thank you.  I had the best helper."  Ben silently wished for this to happen more frequently and wasn't sure how to approach Mel and Linds about having the little girl more often, but he knew he could not let things slide in this area. 

After dinner, they cleared the dishes and watched a little TV.  Ben read J.R. a story and tucked her in for the night and went back to the living room to wait for Michael.

Michael came home about 11:00 and he was all pumped up from the day's activities.  He went to the kitchen to grab a Pepsi and sat down in the living room.  "I had the best day.  It was so cool.  The panels were all about the upcoming new comic and they had special screenings of the new Antman and Star Wars Movie.  Did you know that Star Wars originally came out in 1977, that is over 40 years ago and it still holds audiences.  I wished I had gotten my costume finished.  I would have loved to gone like Luke Skywalker or maybe a Tie Fighter Pilot.  The Con's organizers took pictures of all the Cos Players.  That would have been so cool.  People came up to me when they saw my Rage shirt.  Seems that I have a loyal following too.  I might have to talk to the organizers about a panel next year.  That would be so cool.  I could tell them all about RAGE and how I know the real RAGE.  I would probably be followed all over the Con and people would ask for my autograph.  You should have come.  It was awesome."  Michael took several drinks from his can and continued.  "I got three autographs and they only cost $25.00 a piece.  They will look really cool in the display case at the store.  I really need to get a special case for things like that.  Don't you think?  What did you do all day?"

"Michael, do you hear yourself?"  Ben asked as he questioned his actions from the last 8 years.  He wondered what he had seen in this man, this perpetual youth who never grew up.

"What do you mean?  There is nothing wrong with my hearing"

"You are going on and on about some comic book convention and special previews of movies.  Did you even remember that your daughter was here for the weekend? The same daughter that you went to court for and fought for custody.  Is she just a convenient pawn in your machinations to be close to your friend Brian."

"I don't even know what you just said.  Pawn in your machinations,  I don't have any machinations and I don't know about pawns.  I think those are pieces in a game."  Michael looked at Ben, a mix of confusion and exasperation on his face.  "I'm tired. I don't get what J.R. has to do with any of this. She's just here for the day.   I promised Ma that I would go over there tomorrow and help her with some project." He finished his Pepsi and left the empty can on the coffee table.  He burped, didn't excuse himself and walked toward their bedroom.

"I can't do this anymore,"  Ben said to himself softly as he watched his husband.  He felt the adrenaline surging through his veins and wished he still smoked, as a joint sounded really good right now.  He settled for the lone beer that had probably been in the fridge for at least six months. Opening the beer, he absently drank the brew, not tasting the slightly bitter taste as he wondered what he was going to do with his life.  He wanted J.R. in his life, but wondered if that was possible without Michael in the mix as well.  But he also knew he didn't really want Michael as part of the package.  He turned the problem over in his head at least a dozen ways, but never could find a viable solution.  Exhausted from his pseudo conversation with his husband, Ben attempted to think of the few options open to him to have J.R. in his life, he walked to the linen closet.  Carefully he retrieved a sheet, a blanket and a pillow and proceeded to make up the couch as a makeshift bed for the remainder of the evening.  He just couldn't handle the notion of going to join Michael in the bedroom.  He thought to himself, that for all intents and purposes he'd made his decision.  He didn't want to be married to Michael any more.  Now the hard decision would be how to keep J.R. in his life without her father.

He slept fitfully, partially due to the fact that the couch was too short for his long frame and partially as result of his racing mind.  As the sun poured in through the windows, he gave up on the pretense of sleep and carefully folded the linens and placed them on top of the washer.  He didn't want to put them in the hamper as he felt that he would be using them again tonight.  He also didn't want to explain to J.R. why he was sleeping on the couch and was glad that she was not awake before he removed the evidence of his makeshift bedroom.

Going into the kitchen he prepared his morning coffee, making sure to put sufficient water for at least 6 cups in the reservoir of the automatic coffee pot.  While it was brewing, he thought about his conversation with Brian the other day.  Brian had said that as Michael's husband, he could apply for custody of J.R. even though he wasn't her father.  He seriously doubted Mel and Linds would allow him sole custody, but maybe they would be willing to explore some type of joint custody of the little girl.  He was supposed to take her back this morning and had decided he would broach the subject when he brought her back.  The coffee was ready and he poured himself a cup, placing cream and a tad of sugar in it.  Normally he avoided extra sugar and tried to eat and drink as clean as possible.  He followed a clean eating diet before it was "the thing to do" and found that when he didn't follow a clean eating plan, he didn't feel as good. 

His HIV status was something else that he had factored in to the thought process.  His T-Cell count was near normal and his viral load almost undetectable.  Still, he did have HIV and he wondered if Mel and Linds would balk at their daughter spending large amounts of time with him.  In a court of law, his HIV status should not come into play in the decision, but he hoped that he would not have to go that far.  He hoped, against normal reason that some amazing thing would happen and he would not have to fight for this beautiful little child. 

"Daddy Ben.  I'm all dressed and my teeth have been brushed.  I even made my bed.  What is for breakfast?"

Ben shook himself out of his brooding thoughts when he heard J.R.'s voice.  ‘Good morning, sweetie.  Did you sleep well?"

J.R. came into the kitchen and gave him a big hug and kissed his cheek.  "Yep.  Your bed is really nice and I like it that Alexa sings to me while I fall asleep.  Do you think my mommies would buy me one of those? I like her."

"Alexa is fun.  I don't know if your mommies would buy you one, but you can always use her when you come to visit."  Ben went toward the kitchen and opened the fridge, grabbing the milk and orange juice.  He took down two glasses and poured her some of each,  Pointing to the chair, she sat down and Ben placed both glasses in front of her. 

"What do you want for breakfast today?"

"Can I have cereal?  I'm not really hungry and I want to save cooking for later... you know when I'm real hungry."

"Sure, cereal is fine.  Why don't you grab a box and I'll get you a bowl and a spoon.  I'm going to have a protein drink."  He grabbed the bowl and spoon and put them on the table.  He took down the protein powder from the shelf, measured three scoops and placed them in the blender.  He then put a banana in the blender and some water and ice cubes, turning it on to mix."

"That sure is loud.  Why do you eat that for breakfast?  It looks funny."

"It has lots of protein and I need lots of protein to keep really healthy.  I can get sick really fast so I try to eat healthy and exercise to stay well."

"Okay.  Can you pour my milk, Daddy Ben.  I can't lift that big carton."

Ben poured her milk and poured his shake into a glass and sat at the table with her.  They ate their breakfast in silence. 

"I have to take you home later today.  I have a few more papers to grade.  Do you think you could read your new book while I do that?  I promise to come by and pick you up one day this week so you can visit again."

"I like the new book I got from the library.  I can read it while you work.  At least you don't tell me to go to my room and be quiet while you work.  I wish that I could stay here all the time."

"I know, but I'm going to talk to your mommies about you coming to visit a lot more."

"That would be great.  I love you, Daddy Ben."  J.R. got up from her chair and went to give Ben a hug.  She returned to the chair, finishing the last of her cereal and juice.

After breakfast, Ben got out his briefcase and the remaining papers to grade,  He sat at the table and started reading his students' essays.  J.R. got out her book and read as he worked.

When they finished their tasks, they still had a little time before Ben was to return her to her moms.  Ben got out the playing cards and they enjoyed a few games of "Go Fish".  When it was time to leave,  J.R. grabbed her clothes from the spare bedroom  while Ben retrieved his keys, wallet and cell phone.  They hadn't seen Michael this morning and he was thankful that J.R. hadn't asked about him.  He knew Michael's thoughts about having the little girl more often and didn't want to get into an argument before he took her back.  She was already made to feel unwanted by her moms, she didn't need her father to make her feel that way too. 

They drove to Mel and Linds house and J.R. told Ben all about the book she had been reading.  It was a chapter book and she had just started reading chapter books in school. She explained that chapter books were for big kids and she was a big kid now that she could read them.  As they drove close to Mel and Linds' house, Ben could feel the adrenaline rushing through his veins.  He had no idea what he would say to them, and he'd tried rehearsing his request in a dozen ways but none of them seemed to feel right.  He hoped that he would not make a fool of himself and that it would turn out well today.

He parked in the driveway and grabbed the small overnight bag that J.R. had brought with her.  He rang the bell.  Lindsay answered the door.

"Come in, Ben.  So good to see you.  Sorry I wasn't here the other night when you came by."

She grabbed the backpack and the small overnight bag and placed them by the front door.  She bent down and gave J.R. a slight hug.  "Why don't you go upstairs for a little bit. Mommy and Momma want to talk to Daddy Ben."  J.R. looked at her mother and nodded in agreement.  Mommy wasn't usually so nice; she was usually telling J.R. to do some chore or go play somewhere else.  She walked up the stairs and sat on the landing.  She knew she could hear what the grownups said when she sat there.  She and Gus had done this many times. 

Ben was curious.  He'd never known Lindsay to be so solicitous and wondered what she was up to.  He joined her in the living room, sitting on the couch and found Melanie there as well.

"Can I get you anything?  Water, tea?"

"No.  I'm good," Ben looked from Mel to Linds.  Both woman seemed to be a little anxious and he was really unsure what to expect from this impromptu conversation.

"Ben," Lindsay started.  "As you know, Gus has gone to live with Brian and Justin. At first, I was unhappy about this turn of events, but I think it is a good arrangement,  I'm very involved in my career and don't have a lot of time to parent Gus in the way he deserves," Lindsay said as she took a sip of the tea that she had brought with her from the kitchen. She ate a bite of a cookie that sat on the plate in the middle of the table as well. The remaining portion of the cookie was laid on a small plate in front of her. 

Ben looked around, doing a quick inventory of the room and making sure that he was truly in the right home.  He felt that he had possibly gone down the rabbit hole and this might be a drunk dream.  He couldn't possibly be hearing Lindsay admit that Brian having Gus was a good thing and that her career was so busy that she had no time for her son.  He must be in a dream as this could not really be happening. 

Mel said, "No, you are not dreaming and you did just hear her say that.  Your impromptu visit the other night resulted in some soul searching.  We had a chance to really step back from our whirlwind lives and discuss what we really want.  We love our children and we want what is best for them.  Right now, our careers are really busy and demanding and we realize that we aren't spending the time we need to with our children."  Mel didn't drink tea, but had a glass of water on a coaster in front of her.  She picked it up and drank several sips from it before continuing.  "You taking J.R. for the weekend made us think.  We'd like to discuss your involvement in her life."

Ben opened and closed his mouth several times, not sure what he wanted to say or how to voice his thoughts.  He was expecting to ask, beg and plead for an opportunity to be more involved in J.R's life, and instead it was being offered to him with no coercion. 

"What exactly are you saying?" Ben asked.

"We know you love J.R. and feel comfortable spending time with her and taking care of her.  We know that when you have her, you are giving her the attention we haven't been able to offer.  I've been so busy with the gallery that I'm rarely home in the evenings and Mel has been working so much now that she is partner that she rarely has time for her either.  We realized that J.R. isn't getting very much parent time and when she does, it's more about did she do her chores rather than what happened in her day.  We spent a lot of time talking over the last few days and we'd like to co-parent with you and Michael."

The mention of Michael's name made Ben swallow hard and frown.  "I don't know if Michael is really interested in something like that.  He doesn't seem to want to be a parent except when it comes time to do something with Brian.  He seems to think J.R. is a way for him and Brian to still connect."

"I see," Mel said, her face filled with the disappointment that their plan wasn't going as smoothly as they'd hoped.

"However, I would love an opportunity to be a bigger part of J.R's life.  I know I'm not biologically related to her, but I love her like she was my own flesh and blood.  If you'd be willing to let me be involved in her life, I would gladly do so.  I was hoping to talk to you two about that possibility this morning when I brought her back.  It appears that we are on the same page.  Is this possible?"

Melanie smiled and walked over to Ben and gave him a huge hug.  "I think we can work something out."

"Mel, I think I need some legal protection here. Michael and I.... Well...  We don't .... I mean...  I think I am leaving Michael.  I've come to realize that he isn't what I want in a partner."

"I think that can be arranged.  What is your plan?"

"I'm not sure.  This is the first time I actually said the words out loud.  I have to tell J.R.  Do you think that would change her interest in me if I wasn't with Michael?"

Just then a loud noise was heard from the stairs and J.R. rushed down the steps.  "Daddy Ben, I want to be with you even if you aren't with Daddy Michael.  I love you."  She hugged him and kissed him multiple times. 

"J.R.?  Have you been listening to us?"

She looked down at her shoes and said, "Yes.  I wanted to know what was going on.  Can I spend more time with Daddy Ben?  He taught me how to break eggs and we cooked breakfast together.  We went to the library and to the park and then we read books while dinner cooked.  He has this Alexa thing that sang to me while I was getting ready to go to bed.  It's really cool."

Mel and Linds raised their eyebrows at the mention of Alexa. They gave each other a knowing look, acknowledging their instincts were right; Ben was a very positive influence on their little girl. 

"You know it's not nice to listen in on other people's conversations, " Ben said as he gave her a small kiss on the cheek.  "Your moms and I have grown up stuff to talk about.  This time I want you to go upstairs and think about why it's wrong to listen to other people's conversations,  I want you to write me a short explanation telling why you did a bad thing.  When we are done, I'll come read it and we can talk some more."

"Okay, Daddy Ben.  I'll go think and write something."  She dutifully went upstairs and this time, the adults walked to the landing to verify that she was not sitting up there eavesdropping again.

"You were talking about Michael?"  Mel said.

"Yes.  I don't think I can stay with him.  The house is mine, so I'll ask him to leave.  I'm not so sure this will be easy, especially when he learns that I'm going to be more involved in J.R's life."

"We'll figure it out.  I'll be more than happy to write up some legal protection for you.  We'll need to hammer out the specifics, but I think this is a good plan."

"What exactly do you have in mind?"  Ben asked.

"We thought about it and discussed it. We'd like you to be an equal partner.  You can have J.R. as much as you'd like."  Mel said.

"Shared custody.  Like I would have her every other week or some nights and every weekend.  What are you saying?"  Ben's mind raced at the possibilities. 

"Something like what Brian and Justin have.  Would you be able to pick her up from school several days a week?  Linds is up for a new job and may be traveling a lot.  I sometimes have court cases that need my attention,"  Mel said in way of explanation.

"Are you offering me custody or shared custody?  It sure sounds like you want me to take J.R. most of the time."  Ben looked at Mel and Linds, trying to ascertain their true thoughts.

"Well.  For right now, you would probably be involved a lot, but that will lessen as our jobs are more stable.  We don't want her to think we aren't her moms, but we realize we've been neglecting her a lot, especially now that Gus is not here to help."  Mel said.  She drank some more water and got up to get some more as she finished all that was in her glass.

"Can I get you anything, Ben?" she asked as she walked toward the kitchen.

"I think I'll take that water, now.  Thanks," he said.  Mel handed him the glass of water and he drank almost half of it before putting it down on the coaster. 

"I'll agree under one condition...."

"What?" Mel asked.

"Well, two conditions. The first one is that I see a legal document giving me shared custody.  I don't want you two to decide six months from now that your lives are settled and want her back and I rarely see her again.  If I do this, I want to know that this is a permanent arrangement.  The second condition is that you set aside at least one night every week, preferably when both of you are home, and you spend it with her.  And I mean spend it with her.  I'm talking doing something that little girls enjoy and that she has 100% of your attention.  She needs to know that her moms have not given her up and are no longer interested in her.  Without these, I'm not going to agree.  I will be very sad as I love her dearly, but I want to protect both of us."

Mel and Linds looked at each other and slightly nodded their head in agreement.  "I think that is reasonable," Lindsay said.  "We don't want to have J.R. think we don't want her."

"I can work up the legal agreement by mid week.  Would you like to look over it then?" Mel asked.

"That would work.  I'm going to ask a friend of mine to review it.  I'm not a lawyer and I want to protect J.R.  This is all about her."

"Of course," Mel said, seeing again that Ben was a good choice for shared custody. 

"If you'll excuse me ladies, I have a little girl that I need to talk to and I think she has a short essay for me to read."  Ben got up and walked toward the stairs. 

TBC