Seth (Casella Cousins #2) - Kathryn Shay Page 0,17
responsible for my own welfare. Besides, I have money saved, too.”
“Maybe we can brainstorm some ways to increase your business to get more high-paying clients.”
She bolted up. “Seth, stop! You’re taking over for me again.”
He recoiled. “What? I’m trying to help.”
“By making plans for me. Decisions. Just stop.” She picked up her purse from the bed. “I’m going home.”
Wanting to protest, he stepped back so he wouldn’t. Instead, he followed her downstairs.
His mother was having coffee at the table. “Good morning, dear. Seth.”
“Hi, Mama.”
Julianne gave a forced smile. “I got a call. I can go home, now.”
“Ah, I see. Would you like a cup of coffee?”
She glanced at Seth. “No, thanks. I’ll make some for myself.” She bent over and kissed Carmella’s cheek. “Thank you for everything.”
“You’re welcome here any time.”
“I know.”
“Can I walk you over?” Seth asked. “It might be hard to go inside the first time.”
“No, thanks. I can handle it.” Seth watched her go into the mudroom, heard the door open and close.
“I wish she’d let you go with her.” Carmella’s voice held a note of concern.
“She says I make decisions for her.”
“You do. You did, actually. But she’s become very independent since you broke up.”
“Tell me about it.”
Seth thought about her words this morning. God damn it, he had to get his act together. He had responsibilities and not to Julianne. To people like Johnny, who he was determined to help. “I’m going home tomorrow, Mama. I go back to work in the morning.”
“Do you have to go?” she said a little forlornly.
“Yeah, I do. It’s time. But you’ll get to see more of Julianne if I’m not here.”
“Seth—”
“No, that’s fine. It’s the truth and I’m finally admitting it.”
That night, he put her out of his mind, packed up his things and put them in the car. In the morning, he was drinking coffee with his mother when his phone rang.
“Mr. Casella, this is Johnny Cordello. I might be a little late for our meeting at your office because Grandma just got up and I don’t like to leave until she’s settled.
“That’s nice of you, John.” He was such a good kid. “I’ll have plenty to catch up on while I wait.”
A half-hour later, Seth walked into the small Legal Aid building in downtown Hidden Cove. The organization took up the entire space. There were offices along one wall for the full-time people, and cubicles in the main room for the lawyers who worked pro bono and needed to come in. Seth startled when all those present stood and clapped. “Glad to have you back,” Ellen told him, after the applause.
“Hey, thanks everybody. It’s good to be back.”
“Half-days, right?” Ellen said, cocking her head.
“Sure.”
She accompanied him to his office, cramped quarters at best but big enough to meet with clients. “You’re working the Cordello case. Others have been handling the ones that weren’t settled when you left. Some of them resolved. You can take back those that didn’t, but gradually.”
“Good to know. I have my hands full right now with Johnny.”
Ellen looked at him. “Seth, don’t get too personally involved in this one. It sounds like heartbreak waiting to happen.”
“Not if I can help it, Ellen.”
When she left, Seth booted up his computer and checked his email. His inbox was full, though he’d cleared it out twice from home. He answered what was urgent, then went online to the NY State Guidelines for Foster Care. Johnny said he’d visited the site, but he didn’t know how much information the boy had found out. In a half-hour, he walked to the doorway. “Hello, Seth.”
“Hey, Johnny, come on in and sit.”
Dressed in what probably were his best clothes, long khaki pants and a collared shirt, he dropped down across the desk in the empty chair. “You feelin’ better?”
“Yes, enough to be in the office today.”
“Was it scary coming in? After what happened?
“I guess I was so happy to have something to do, I didn’t think much about that.”
“Man, I woulda been scared.”
“I don’t know if you would have. You seem pretty tough to me. Now, let’s discuss how this will all shake out.”
“Yeah, let’s.”
“I’ve set up a meeting with the Office of Children and Family Services for next week.”
“They wouldn’t even let me have a face-to-face appointment.”
“When you get the law involved, they often comply. Let me say that I think the OCFS does really good work. But they can make mistakes and have glitches. Let’s hope you were one of those.
* * *
“Hello, Darcy.” Julianne handed a