Free The Devil's Lair by A.M. Madden Page A

right one.”
    Jack fills us in on Paula’s plan to return back home to get Shane settled before things quickly get worse for her. He explains the reasons behind her decision. Fuck, that’s awful. The more he shares, the more his torment is evident in his mannerisms. Understandably he’s distraught over Paula’s situation. It’s affected each of us, yet he’s much closer to the circumstances than we are. He has a lot on his mind, traveling with his family on a world tour, and now desperately wanting to help a little boy who clearly stole his heart. No wonder he lost it on me.
    Jack lets out a heavy sigh, “Fuck, I don’t know how to handle this. Lei and I do not want Paula to expose Shane to foster care, but it’s not our decision. So we try to convince her he’s better off with us. The alternative is to leave her son behind with strangers anyway? This is all so fucked up.”
    He’s met with silence. It’s clear we have no idea how to respond. I know I don’t. Our friend doesn’t get angry at our lack of vocal empathy. I suspect he appreciates it. There’s really nothing we can say to make this right.
     
     

Jack
    It’s going to be really hard to beat Italy as a tour stop. Besides the kick-ass rock star parties we were invited to, the culture, the food, the gorgeous beach we had the privilege to live on for a week, the best part of Italy was spending that time with my wife and kids. We also had Shane with us overnight the day before we left. Paula had an appointment and said she would meet up with us at our next stop in Paris. Jen accompanied her so she wouldn’t be alone.
    Leila and I wondered if leaving Shane with us instead of taking him was a test. Did Paula want us to experience how Shane would fit into our family? How our kids would react to his presence? If it was a test, we all passed with flying colors. Madden followed Shane around like a puppy dog. Siarra, who is normally shy and reserved, got along with him beautifully. My only regret was Paula wasn’t there to witness it. Watching my kids and Shane interact for those thirty hours was a gift. I had already told Paula we didn’t have a doubt that we wanted Shane to be part of our family. Spending that time with him took an already ironclad decision and encased it in titanium.
    My wife and I spent hours discussing how we could convince her to not put him in foster care. Every option still had Paula doing the unthinkable, leaving her son behind. We don’t want to upset her. She hasn’t been feeling well and said it’s harder to hide her fatigue from Shane. While in France, Leila arranged for us to take the kids to Disneyland Paris on our day off. She loved that idea, saying Shane has always wanted to go to Disneyland . It would make another of his dreams come true.
    The morning of, Paula woke up feeling worse than ever. She debated on staying back at the hotel, but decided she needed to be there for selfish reasons. The joy on Shane’s face when we arrived to the park was overwhelming. He was so happy. It was adorable watching him volunteer as he diplomatically announced that he would be happy to take the twins on the baby rides to make them happy. Whenever his height allowed, I would take him on any adult, scary ride that he wanted to experience. The kid has no fear.
    The day was bittersweet.
    By the time we returned to the hotel, Paula was physically and mentally exhausted. The day took its toll on her in more ways than one. She asked if we wouldn’t mind keeping Shane in our room. The medication she was taking often made it difficult to wake up if needed. She could easily ask Beverly to step in, but he’d be happier with us. Of course we obliged. It was a really nice day. Being together with so much joy, fun, and happiness gave us all a false sense of contentment. The mood followed us home.
    The kids were out minutes after their heads hit the pillow.
    My wife and I took advantage of the fact and made love. We took our time, reveling in