Stop Stealing My Perfume! Chapter 1

“Chelsey, this just got delivered” Tyler says handing me a huge yellow fed-ex’d package.

“Where from?” I ask Tye taking the package off him.

He takes a deep breath an then answers “India”

“Jerry?” I ask confused. Tyler nods his head.

I pull out a letter from Jerry that says:

Chelsey, I’m sorry about Cat. And I know you and I don’t have the best relationship, but I trust you, you make the right decisions and you have good judgment and I trust you. So for these reasons, I’m doing this........

I pull out a second item from the package and see they’re adoption papers. Signed by

Jerry and Cat’s mother...handing over guardianship of Chase...to me and Tyler.

“Shit” I say to Tyler as he stands next to me reading the first letter I passed to him.

“Shit” Chase and Kora says laughing.

“Don’t say that” I snap at them and they giggle.

“Shit” Tyler says when he’s seen the papers in my hand.

“Don’t say that” I say turning to the kids before they get the chance.

“What are we going to do?” I say feeling tired all of a sudden.

“You said you loved Chase right?” Tyler says smiling a little.

“Like he’s mine” I say heading to the kitchen so the kids could watch tv without us.

“I agree with Jerry, you know what to do” Tyler says and signs the dotted line.

I smile at him and he hugs me then walks away.

I sit on the kitchen counter reading the papers. There’s so much ‘lawyer talk’ I get confused and sign it. Only because I know nothing in there could change my mind.

I walk back to the lounge room and Tyler’s sitting on the lounge watching ‘sponge Bob square pants’ with the kids. I pick up the dropped letter and package.

“There’s something else in here” I say putting my hand in.

I pull out another letter, more papers and a set of keys.

‘These are for you and Tye to use until Chase turns 18, then it’s all his’

I look at Tyler and he walks over to me.

“The keys to the house and the ski place in Aspin” He says looking at the keys.

“It says there ours until Chase is 18” I say showing him the letter.

The papers are the bonds to the houses and a few other major items like sports cars and boats. I have a quick read over them and basically it says Tyler and I own everything Jerry and Cat left until Chase is 18, then it’s all his.

“I’ll call Frank to go over the documents and stuff tomorrow” Tyler says.

“I can’t believe this....all in 2 days” I say shaking my head.

*****2 MONTHS LATER*****

“I don’t want to go”

“Honey the holidays are over, you have to go. And chase is in your class too...”

“I don’t want to go either” Chase says sulking.

Good one Chase, taking sides much?

“Guys, you’re going to school, it’ll be fun, and Arden and Keegan and Kaydence will be here too” I say encouraging them. I know the first day back at school in kindy is hard but it has to happen.

“And Max?” Kora asks smiling.

“And Emme” I say smiling. “Mum I don’t want to” Chase says to me.

“I know, but you’ll....”

Oh my God.....he called me mum! I smile at him and hug them both.

“I know you don’t want to go, but you’ll have the best day ok, you won’t want to come home” I say excitedly. “Ok, ready? Lets go meet your teacher”

Their teacher’s a total bitch. She won’t let Kora and Chase sit together and it makes them cry and that makes me mad.

“And you are?” Miss Kennedy says looking down her nose at me.

“Their mother” I say harshly.

“I thought Chase was....”

“My son” I say as Chase clings to my leg.

“Well Mrs Castle, I’m sorry but....”

“Chase and Kora, go say hi to aunty Kyra” I say spotting Kyra walk in with Keegan and Kaydence. When they leave I continue talking to their teacher. “Kora and Chase are like brother and sister and I don’t see why they’re the only ones who are not aloud to sit together” I point out.

“These children...”

“Have you seen Xander Margera and Connor Novak together?” I ask knowing the whole school knows the duo are the worst in the school when together.

“Yes” she says quietly.

“They sit together in Math and Music” I say remembering what Kyra told me about the two.

“Yes. What is your point?”

“Kora and Chase are sitting wherever the fuck the want is my point” I say.

She gives a slight nod and I walk over to Kyra and A.J.

“Hey Mrs Castle” A.J says grinning.

“You can stop with the ‘Mrs’ We’ve been married 2 months already” I say smiling.

“I know, but still.....” A.J says smiling.

“She tells me you and Tyler are the best romance she’s heard” Kye says smiling.

“A.J! That’s not true, come on. Look at how you and Bam met....and you and Novak, Kye”

“No, I just mean, You’re so cute together! I love you guys. If it was a book, I’d read it again and again” A.J says laughing.

“Hey, you have any trouble with her?” Bam says nodding to the teacher.

“No, I think she’s ok now” I say shrugging.

“Well she was a real bitch with Connor and Xander sitting together” Kyra says.

“I know. But you know, Chase and Kora are good kids so it really shouldn’t be a problem” I say watching Kora and Chase sit at a little table drawing.

“Yeah, now we can say both of them are” A.J says and puts her arm around me.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“Well, we couldn’t exactly say BOTH these kids were good a few months ago. I don’t know about everyone else, but I see a real big difference in Chase”

“Really?” I ask looking back to him.

“Yeah Chelse, he’s less.....hair pulling...more please and thank you” Novak says.

“You think? Maybe he just grew out of the hair pulling?” I say.

“No, it’s definitely since he’s been with you and Tyler and Kora” Kyra says.

“Maybe” I say watching them.

“I’ll tell you though, I know he’s only 5, but I think he’s kind of sweet on Kora” Tyler says laughing.

“Really?” A.J asks smiling. “That’s so cute. This book keeps getting better and better”

“A.J!” I say laughing.

“Sorry...but come on. Kora and Chase. How...”

“Cute. I know” I say finishing A.J’s sentence.

“Well, Kora and Chase are my kids, don’t you think it would be a little...”

“Weird? No, they’re not related in any way other than they both grew up in the same house and call you mum” Kyra says shrugging. “Come on Chelse, don’t go breakin’ A.J’s heart” she adds smiling.

We stand around talking until Kyra and Novak have to leave.

“Keegan and Kaydence are fine with their parents leaving because they’re occupied with their new friends. So Kyra and Novak leave.

A.J and Bam is a whole other story with Arden.

She screams and cries and kicks and the whole show. Then Bam stops her from crying and calms her down for the 20 seconds it would take to run to the other side of the room and leave.

“I guess we should go too. We’ve been here for 20 minutes” I say looking at the big green plastic clock above the teacher’s desk.

“Ok” Tyler says looking around for Chase and Kora.

“We’re going now BUT we’ll be back to pick you up later ok” I say to Chase and Kora.

“Ok, love you mum” she says than hugs me.

“Love you daddy” she says and hugs Tyler. My jaw drops and I want to cry. I always told her she didn’t have to call Tyler dad, so she called him Tye. This was the first time she called Tyler her dad. Tyler smiles like crazy then straightens up and acts all cool.

“See you this afternoon kiddo” he says as Kora runs back to Kaydence.

“See you later Chase. We’ll pick you up in a few hours” I say smiling.

He looks like he’s about to put the tears on, then turns and looks behind him to Kora and then does the exact same thing as what she did.

“Love you mum” he says and hugs me.

“Love you dad” he says and hugs Tyler.

I don’t care if he was only doing it because he was copying Kora, It was so beautiful. I was worried then day, if it ever came, when he called us mum and dad would be forced, like if someone asked him who we were, he’d have to think ‘oh my mum and dad left me with them like 4 months ago’ I didn’t want him to think about it like that. The truth was, I didn’t want him to think of us like that because Tyler and I both love him so much, like he’s our son.

“That was....”

“So....”

“KORA CALLED YOU DADDY!” I yell jumping up and down in the car park.

“I KNOW!” Tyler says jumping too.

“AND CHASE...”

“CALLED ME DAD...”

“AND ME MUMMY!” I say smiling.

“Our kids are so great!” Tyler says hugging me.

“I know. I love them” I say hugging him back.

“So do I”