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<\/p>\nTen-year-old Kevin is stunned when he finds a box hidden in the shabby sofa he inherited from his Granny. However, the letter and legal papers inside the box contain even more surprises and help the boy understand a devastating truth about his family. Kevin will have to make a choice that will determine the rest of his life.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Kevin stared at the slightly shabby and stained sofa Granny left him in her will. He cringed when the movers dropped it to the floor with a loud thump. He waved away a cloud of dust as he moved closer to check the sofa wasn\u2019t damaged.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to miss Granny,\u201d Kevin said as he ran his fingers over a dark stain he\u2019d caused when he spilled juice on the sofa once. Granny had been so forgiving that day, and seemed more concerned with refilling his drink than the damage done to the sofa.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy mourn for an old trout who left you this junk?\u201d Dad shook his head and kicked at a corner of the sofa.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t junk, Dad. It\u2019s a memory of Granny. I\u2019ll earn my own money when I grow up, but I can\u2019t make more memories with her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s lip curled into a sneer, and his eyes narrowed. \u201cShe\u2019s done nothing but cause trouble for us since your mom died. Have you forgotten that your grandmother ratted me out to Social Services? And what about how she handed you over to that other family?\u201d<\/p>\n
Kevin hung his head. \u201cThose people aren\u2019t so bad. They let me come stay here with you for the next few days because of Granny\u2019s funeral. I wish I didn\u2019t have to go back\u2026I want to live with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll figure it out, kiddo.\u201d Dad ruffled Kevin\u2019s hair. \u201cI\u2019m going to see what I can do to get back custody of you now your nosy Granny isn\u2019t around to push her own agenda. You and I will be a family again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kevin smiled. He stepped closer to hug Dad, but the man had already turned away. Dad got a drink from the fridge, sank into his armchair, and turned on the TV. Immediately, the apartment was filled with swearing and gunshots from whatever Dad was watching.<\/p>\n
Kevin hung his head and hunched his shoulders. He\u2019d missed Dad so much\u2026but he was never an affectionate man, unlike Mom. Kevin shook his head. It still hurt too much to think about her. Mom\u2019s funeral six months ago had been the worst day of his life. And now Granny was gone too.<\/p>\n
He studied the apartment, but nothing had changed while he was away at Denise and Miguel\u2019s place. This was still his home, and he refused to leave it again. Dad was going to fix things so he could stay here for good.<\/p>\n
He sighed and sat on Granny\u2019s sofa. A stiff, pointy thing poked him in the rear. Kevin prodded the seat with his hand and gasped.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s something inside Granny\u2019s sofa,\u201d he cried.<\/p>\n
Dad carried on staring at the TV like he hadn\u2019t heard Kevin\u2019s shout. He seemed to be totally engrossed in his TV show. Kevin lifted the sofa seat cushion. Underneath, he found a torn flap of material loosely sewn into place.<\/p>\n
Kevin fetched scissors from the kitchen. It was a bit too big for the job, but he clumsily cut the stitches and revealed a small, rectangular box. It was taped shut along the edges and had two words written on it in black marker:<\/p>\n
\u2018For Kevin.\u2019<\/p>\n
The boy smiled sadly as he recognized Granny\u2019s writing. He slit the tape with the scissors and sat back on the sofa to examine the contents. He found a sealed envelope, which he set aside to study the folded pages of some legal documents. Then he saw a letter written by Granny.<\/p>\n
\u2018Dearest Kevin, I\u2019m sorry to pressure you while you\u2019re so young, but your well-being and your future depend on you making a smart choice now. You need to know that your father only returned for his inheritance. I\u2019ll explain everything and then you must decide if he\u2019s worthy of your love.\u2019<\/p>\n
Kevin frowned. He briefly glanced over his shoulder to check Dad was still distracted, then continued reading.<\/p>\n
Grandma Linda panted as she hobbled down the hall to her son-in-law\u2019s apartment. Climbing the stairs had taken it out of her, but she needed to check on her grandson. The message she\u2019d received from her late daughter\u2019s friend in the building had her worried about Kevin\u2019s welfare.<\/p>\n
After several minutes of insistent knocking, Jerry threw open the door and glared at her. There were dark bags under his eyes, and he was unsteady on his feet.<\/p>\n
\u201cLinda\u2026what you doing here?\u201d Jerry mumbled in a gruff voice.<\/p>\n
Linda nearly choked on the stale alcohol stench of Jerry\u2019s breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cI came to see Kevin. Where is he?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUh\u2026\u201d Jerry glanced around while scratching his chin. \u201cI dunno\u2026what day is it today?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTuesday.\u201d Linda entered the apartment and stared in horror at the plastic dinner containers, dirty clothes, and empty soda bottles strewn across the floor. \u201cHow have you been managing without Kelly?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jerry muttered something unintelligible and wandered over to the fridge. He took out a packet of lunch meat and left the fridge door open while he made a sandwich.<\/p>\n
\u201cSurely you haven\u2019t been feeding this to Kevin?\u201d Linda waved at the ultra-processed junk food in the fridge.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s nothing wrong with it.\u201d Jerry lifted a microwave dinner out as he returned the lunch meat. \u201cSee? Good old mac and cheese. It\u2019s dairy and carbs. That\u2019s good for growing and stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda pressed a hand to her forehead. She\u2019d never understood what her daughter saw in this man, but regrets wouldn\u2019t help her salvage this situation.<\/p>\n
\u201cJerry, the boy needs fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, and unprocessed meat. I send you money every month to ensure Kevin has everything he needs! Yet I hear Kevin runs around in torn clothes looking filthy. What is going on in this house?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jerry yawned. \u201cTorn and dirty clothes are a sign of a healthy, outdoors lifestyle. That nosy Tina down the hall\u2019s been talking smack about me behind my back, hasn\u2019t she? You shouldn\u2019t believe a word she says, Linda. I know how to look after my boy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, I can see that by the number of liquor bottles lying beside the armchair and this dirty mess hiding the carpets. When last did you do laundry? And\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda narrowed her eyes as she realized something was missing from the mess \u201c\u2026where\u2019s Kevin\u2019s toys and sports equipment?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s more into electronics. Kids these days.\u201d Jerry shrugged.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I pay for him to attend a soccer club.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe didn\u2019t like it,\u201d Jerry replied. \u201cAre you done with your questions?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe doesn\u2019t like it or you were too lazy to take him to the training?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jerry groaned and rolled his eyes. \u201cStop being such a busybody. Everything is under control.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt definitely isn\u2019t under control, Jerry. There\u2019s no proper food in this dirty house. Kevin isn\u2019t attending the sports clubs I\u2019ve been paying for, and you don\u2019t even know where he is!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNow listen here,\u201d Jerry pointed at Linda, \u201cjust because you send us some money doesn\u2019t mean you get to decide how I live my life, or how I raise my son. You\u2019re not the boss of me, Linda.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGranny?\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda turned just in time to open her arms for a hug as Kevin rushed toward her. He grinned at her, and her heart broke to see his greasy, unkempt hair, rumpled clothes, and tattered sneakers.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood Lord,\u201d Linda said. \u201cWhatever have you been doing? School ended ages ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI walked home.\u201d Kevin shrugged and turned to Jerry. \u201cYou said yesterday you\u2019d pick me up from school, but you never came.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHuh\u2026\u201d Jerry scratched his chin. \u201cI meant tomorrow\u2026yeah, I said I\u2019d pick you up tomorrow. You must\u2019ve gotten confused, kiddo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kevin pulled a face. He was about to say something, but Jerry told him to go and get started on his homework. Once Kevin had left the room, Linda rounded on his father.<\/p>\n
\u201cListen here, Jerry. I\u2019m only going to say this once. I know it\u2019s been rough for you since Kelly died, but it\u2019s been months now and you can\u2019t carry on like this. Kevin needs stability, safety, good food, a good education, clean clothes\u2026you\u2019re his parent and it\u2019s up to you to ensure his needs are met.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou interfering, old\u2026\u201d Jerry screwed up his face. \u201cI told you, you don\u2019t get to come in here and tell me what to do just because you help out with the bills. This is my house, and I\u2019ll do as I darn well please.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen consider this fair warning, Jerry.\u201d Linda shook her finger at him. \u201cI won\u2019t let you ruin my grandson\u2019s life. You may think that lying in front of a TV and pickling yourself in alcohol amounts to a good life, but you\u2019re wrong, and that\u2019s not what I\u2019m sending you money for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda picked her way over the dirty clothes on the floor. \u201cPull yourself together, Jerry, or face the consequences. I won\u2019t sit idly by while you fall apart, or let you drag my grandson down with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Weeks later, Linda sat on the sunny porch of the main building in her nursing home. She\u2019d brought her current sewing project out but couldn\u2019t focus on it. She was waiting for someone, a person who might be able to save the terrible situation she found herself in.<\/p>\n
A nurse walked around the corner, and Linda immediately waved at her and beckoned for her to approach.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething you need help with, Linda?\u201d the nurse asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, Denise, there is, but I\u2019m afraid it\u2019s a big favor I have to ask you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Denise frowned and sat down in the chair beside Linda. \u201cThis sounds serious\u2026is everything okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda shook her head. \u201cI\u2019ve been to court and Social Services to have my son-in-law\u2019s parental rights removed, but it hasn\u2019t gone through yet. That man is hopeless! I fear Kevin\u2019s welfare will only get worse if I can\u2019t take him out of there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll talk to my husband and see what we can do,\u201d Denise replied. \u201cMiguel and I would love to take Kevin into our home if Social Services will agree to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda sighed in relief. \u201cI can\u2019t thank you enough. I know you love him as much as I do, and if you take him, I\u2019ll feel certain that he\u2019s safe and loved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Denise squeezed Linda\u2019s hand. \u201cYou\u2019re doing the right thing for Kevin. Don\u2019t worry; we\u2019ll take good care of him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Back in the present, Kevin blinked at the words on Granny\u2019s letter. He turned the page to read the last part of Granny\u2019s message.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease stay with Denise and Miguel, Kevin. They are good people, and your father doesn\u2019t deserve to look after you. You know that I love you, and so did your mother. Make the right choice, my boy. Love always, Granny.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kevin folded the letter and tucked it into his pocket. He reached for the legal documents next and began to read.<\/p>\n
He would have a difficult decision to make soon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ten-year-old Kevin is stunned when he finds a box hidden in the shabby sofa he inherited from his Granny. However, the letter and legal papers inside the… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3206,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n