"Mical, I understand you do not think I have the right to tell you what to do. First I want you to know I do. When I married your mom I took an oath to take care of you as a father. That's why your name was changed so I could be your father. I would like for you to tell me exactly where you are getting your information. Start at the beginning and tell me what was said. How did the conversation start?" “Josh, Melody, Eleanor, David and I were sitting in the cafeteria and they were talking about going to the shopping mall to mess around and see what they could get into Saturday. And I asked “would your father let you do that?” Josh said, “Sure he wouldn't know what I was going to do. He never asks me anything. Why?” And I said "Because I would have to ask my father and he would want to know what I do. He would care about what I plan to do." And Josh said. "He tells you what to do? How long has he been doing that? "Well" I said, “he is my stepfather really, but for about a year he has been my father." "Stepfather's are not real fathers Mical; he shouldn't be telling you what you can do. What about you mom, now she is you real mom right?” "Yes" “What does she say?" Josh asked, “and I said she told me to ask my father." "Did she say father or stepfather?" He asked. “And I said, " she said father." “Then you should ask your father not your stepfather. Stepfather's don't know nothing and fathers don't care,” He said. “So when I thought about it, I thought I better say a party instead of the mall. I thought you would just drop me off at their house and I could go with them and you would pick me up there later." "Mical, do you really think I shouldn't tell you what to do? Be honest, do you?" "I think if I wasn't going to do anything wrong I should be able to go." "You did not answer my question. Are you saying that you telling me a lie wasn’t wrong? You didn't tell me you were going to the mall. You said party. Why wouldn't going to mall be okay unless you were going to do something wrong, is that it Mical?” "Well, I don't know what they were going to do really. I just did not think you would let me go with them." "Why, wouldn't I want you to go with them? I don't know them, what are they like that you think I would not like?" Brandon asked. “They are always talking about fighting someone who hadn’t done anything to them, just for fun.” Mical said. “And these are the kind of people you want to run around with Mical? How old are these children?” Brandon asked. “They are thirteen and fourteen.” “Why them? What’s wrong with you getting with the nine and ten year olds? “They don’t like me. And they are too babyish.” “Mical, I will not tell you what you should or should not do any more, I’ll tell you why. I thought you wanted me to be your father but now you don’t. I do not want to force you to want me as your father. But let me tell you about Parents. Real parents care about their children they care about who they are with, whether they are safe, and most of all they want the very best for their child. They can’t do any of that of they don’t care about them. There are birth patents out there just like that. “Every person who gives birth to a child doesn’t have to care about their child and some don’t. My father cared about me and there were a lot of places I wanted to go and he said no way and he meant it He was a real father. “If Josh or any of the others said their parents do not care what they do, and then they do not have parents. They have a person who gave birth to them and have no love and they do not care for them. Mical, I love you and I care about you. True I am not your birth parent, but I am your father and I love you dearly. That has to work both ways for it to be effective. Since you do not want me to be your father I step down, okay?” “Now Kristen what do you have to say?” Brandon asked. “I love you daddy and I know you love me, because you take care of me. I want you to be my father always. I told Mical that they were wrong telling her that, but she would not listen. Daddy, please stay my father.
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