Unforeseen Events: Day 15

Word Total: 90,001

Year to Date: 300,008

Summary of Events:

Emil called a lawyer friend to ask what it might take for him to become Sheldon's legal guardian; as the lawyer didn't specialise in family law, he didn't have any immediate answers. Sheldon and Emil were working on disassembling the steering when the RCMP officer arrived with a woman from Social Services who was there to take Sheldon home; Sheldon was incredibly upset by this, so Emil sat him down and had a talk with him.

Excerpt of the Day:

"Even though Sheldon was mostly sad, Emil could tell that some of the sadness was manifesting itself in anger. He saw it in the way Sheldon roughly tossed his clothes into his suitcase, in the way he manhandled the suitcase as he closed it, in the way he thudded down the stairs, in the way he roughhoused the hatchback of the SUV open, in the way he tossed the suitcases inside like he was trying to fire them through the windshield at the other end, in the way he slammed the hatchback shut hard enough that the vehicle rocked noticeably.

Miss Fabris stood outside the driver's door, watching Sheldon. As he approached the passenger door she opened her door and got in; Sheldon walked past the door, which led her to startle and bring her head back out.

She opened her mouth to say something, but Emil met her gaze and put his finger to his lips. She closed her mouth and watched silently as Sheldon knelt down in front of Chief, who smiled, seemingly until he saw the tears in Sheldon's eyes.

His ears lowered and moved back, a shrill whine came from his throat. Sheldon nodded before wrapping his arms around Chief and burying his face in the dog's shoulder.

Tears blurred Emil's own vision. Chief had often been sad after the family had been over for a visit and given him all kinds of playtime Emil didn't have the time to give him, but Emil felt like Chief's sadness here and now as a lot greater than it usually was.

After a long time Sheldon finally lifted his head and looked at Chief. Chief offered something of a smile and licked at Sheldon's cheek. Sheldon's smile was wan at best. Chief licked his cheek again.

Sheldon shifted back onto his feet and scratched Chief's head before unfolding himself back to his full height, which left him tall enough to be looking Emil practically straight in the eye.

Emil raised his hands, inviting Sheldon to hug him. Sheldon practically fell into the embrace and sobbed some more.

Biting his lips, Emil lowered his head in close to Sheldon's shoulder. Tears slid down his cheeks as he held Sheldon, his body trembling with heartbreak.

If he would've told himself in June that Sheldon would've been alternately destroyed and enraged at the fact that he was having to go home, he was pretty sure he would've shaken his head and told himself he was crazy.

He couldn't possibly put a finger on any one singular moment in which Sheldon had changed, and he was even less likely to be able to explain exactly why he'd changed, but he knew for a fact that he was glad Sheldon had changed and he was sad that Sheldon had to go home."

The next post will be March 31.