Intimidating Adversity: Day 7

Word Count: 42,069

Summary of Events:

Lane was called to a meeting with Mr. Borys in which he learned his mom had contacted the team to get him to the wedding, so he made plans to go, and also learned the doctors didn't want him batting for the rest of the season. Lane was driven to the airport by Campbell, and at the other end didn't end up getting noticed by his mom right away, although Devynne, Erving's daughter, noticed him and visited with him before his mom and the rest of them finally noticed him.

Excerpt of the Day:

"Lane sighed. He wasn't honestly surprised that Erv gave up most of the custody rights to his mom, although he had a feeling Erv had done so because Dev was a girl, and therefore he thought it would be better for her to live with her mother as opposed to living with a widower, a divorcé, and a committed bachelor — all men.

"Next time I go to Dad's I'm going to hide so he can't find me until I miss my flight back," Dev said.

"He can still book another flight," Lane said.

"Then I'll wreck his computer," Dev said.

"He can do it over the phone too," Lane said.

"So I'll wreck his phone too," Dev said.

"And he can go to the airport and do it in person," Lane said.

"I'll wreck all the cars then," Dev said. "And the tractors even."

"I'd like to know how you're going to do that," Lane said.

"I'll cut all the wires and take out all the gas," Dev replied. "And I'll cut the tires like happened to Geoff's car."

"You're going to completely strand him out in the open prairie?" Lane asked.

"Yeah," Dev replied.

"How're you going to eat?" Lane asked.

"We'll go hunting," Dev replied.

"You're not old enough to do that yet," Lane said.

"Well they can hunt too," Dev replied. "And we'd have the garden."

"What about bringing the harvest in?" Lane asked. "And feeding the cows?"

Dev looked contemplative. "Well, he'll get everything fixed, once I'm allowed to stay forever."

Lane nodded. "Do you think Mom'll appreciate that?"

"I don't care," Dev replied. "I hate her."

Lane sighed.

"And if I can't get to see Dad soon I'm going to run away from home," Dev said.

"Don't do that," Lane said. 

"Why not?" Dev demanded.

"You've got to not just think about how much you hate Mom," Lane replied. "You have to think about how dangerous that could be, you never know if a stranger might think you're pretty, kidnap you, and kill you. And besides, Erv and I wouldn't know where you are, and we'd be worried sick about you."

Dev looked down at the floor ashamedly.

"Look," Lane said, squatting down to be closer to her eye level. "Next time you see Erv, discuss it with him. Tell him how unhappy you are with Mom, and ask him if he'd be willing to look into getting fuller custody of you, as opposed to Mom."

"He won't," Dev said.

"And why do you think he won't?" Lane asked.

"Because I'm a girl," Dev replied. "He'll want me to stay with Mom because I'm a girl."

"Erv won't want you to be unhappy," Lane said. "He's your dad, and, thankfully, he loves you, and if you prove to him that you're genuinely unhappy, he'll probably do something about it. And if you want I'll even discuss it with him and try and pry him open for you."

"You will?" Dev asked, looking at him with probably the most feminine expression he'd seen on her face in a few months.

"Yeah," Lane replied. "Because you're my sister, and I want you to be happy.""

Pronunciation:

Geoff = Jeff