The Big Time

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

" YOU ARE TESSA WHITE ?" the man asked again, nodding to himself and reaching into the back pocket of his pants, from where he removed what looked like a religious pamphlet.

"Yes," Troy's mom said, her eyes on the pamphlet that the man extended through the doorway.

The man shook the paper until she took it from him, then he gave her a curt nod, grunted, turned, and walked away. Troy watched the man climb into a faded blue compact car with a cracked windshield and a wire clothes hanger where the radio antenna should have been. The car sputtered to life and raced away, chomping up the gritty dirt track.

Troy turned his attention to the sound of his mother unfolding the paper.

"What is it?" Seth asked.

"Well, Troy," his mom said, rattling the paper with a sigh, "you got your wish; it's a lawsuit."

"What?" Troy asked.

"That was a process server," she said, nodding toward the dusty cloud in the driveway. "I'm being sued for custody, by your father."

Seth and John Marchiano both glanced at Troy, and he felt his face go warm.

"It's what you said he had to do," Troy said, angry that he felt ashamed.

She sighed and said, "Yes, I did."

"Well," John Marchiano said, "I'm off."

They all said good-bye. The agent offered a final, sad look, as if he knew something they didn't. Then he climbed into the rented Cadillac and followed the process server's trail of dust.

"So, I can see him?" Troy said as the dust settled, excitement creeping into his voice.

"I gave you my word," his mom said, sounding disappointed.

"Now?" Troy asked. "Can I call him? Can I see him?"

"Of course," his mom said quietly. She reached for Seth's hand, and they twined their fingers together. "But you tell him to knock it off now with the lawsuit."

The hopeless look she gave to Seth barely registered with Troy. He raced into the house and scooped up his mom's cell phone from the coffee table. Troy headed straight to his bedroom, where he could talk in private. Trembling, he took the card from its place beneath his mattress and dialed his father.

"Hello," Troy said, hesitant at the sound of his father's voice.

"Hey, Troy!" his father said, washing away all doubt with his enthusiasm. "She got it?"

"Yes, and I can see you."

"That's great," his father said. "You ready? I thought we'd get a big fat steak at Chops, but first I got a surprise that's going to knock you off your feet."

"Speaking of knocking," Troy said, "she wants you to knock it off with the lawsuit."

"Whatever it takes," he said.

"What surprise anyway?" Troy asked.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?" his father asked. "I'll be by to get you in about twenty minutes. You got a bathing suit, right?"

"Sure," Troy said, now truly mystified.

"Okay," his father said, "bring it."