Chapter 27
I sat nervously in the parking lot of the adoption agency.
Right after the dinner where we learned we would be grandparents again, we sat down and had an in-depth conversation about following through on the foster/adoption thing. I was set on doing it and Senior fully supported it. Honestly, I believed this man would go along with whatever made me happy.
He loved his kids and grandkids, so I knew whatever child we fostered and eventually adopted would be loved beyond measure.
I felt a hand on my knee, making me realize that I was bouncing it uncontrollably.
“My love, you have to calm down.”
“I’m nervous, Senior.”
“It’s perfectly okay to be nervous about something like this.”
“I know, but I’m also scared. What if things go left?”
“As big a check as I wrote to expedite this process, it better go smooth.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t want this kid to feel like we bought them.”
“We’re going through a private agency when we start the process, love. In a sense we kinda did.”
“Stanley!”
He chuckled. “I’m kidding. Don’t get your feathers all ruffled. Everything will be fine. We’ve raised enough kids to know what we’re doing. We got this. It’s just a matter of finding that one child we can’t go home without.”
“When you say it like that, it makes it sound like we are going to look for a puppy. Be serious, Stanley.”
He sighed and kissed my hand. “Baby. You got to calm down. I’m here with you. I want this with you and I’m gonna love whatever child we bring home at the end of this.”
He squeezed my cheeks together and placed several small pecks to my lips.
“Can I make a suggestion?” he asked.
“What?”
“Well, not really a suggestion. I just had a thought.”
I squinted at him. “About?”
“Money aside… you know the paperwork would look better if we were married.”
“That better not be your way of asking me.”
He chuckled. “It’s not. Your reaction does tell me I have a chance of getting a ‘yes’ this time though.”
I smirked. “Maybe.”
“My love… I’m not above kidnapping you and holding you hostage until you say yes.”
I giggled as I playfully mushed him. “Shut up, Stanley.”
We sat there making conversation about the kids we were going to see today.
We had about ten minutes before we could head into the building.
There was a meet and greet happening today so we could spend time with our potential child or children.
We were open to more than one if there were siblings.
When it came time to head in, I took a deep breath and got out of the car as Senior held the door open for me.
Hand in hand, we walked around to the back of the building.
I wasn’t expecting the area to look like a big ass park.
There were food trucks, ice cream stands, games and activities set up for us to participate it.
For the little ones, there was face painting and a bouncy house.
Kids were running around everywhere laughing and screaming, just enjoying themselves.
We spoke to the woman in charge briefly before immersing ourselves in the experience. Not so surprisingly, Senior was right in his element. Being that he often took on fourteen grandkids by himself, this was a breeze for him. We walked around for a bit and observed the kids.
A few of the friendly little ones came up to us and introduced themselves. I was a sucker because immediately I wanted to take them all home. My man felt my sentiments. He was all for it when a mixed age group of boys pulled him into a game of basketball.
They were shocked as hell that he could keep up with him. When he crossed up one, the boy’s mouth hung open in disbelief.
“I didn’t think old men could move like that!” he exclaimed.
“Who you calling old!” Senior said, grinning. “This old man just dusted you, young buck.”
“Best two outta three.”
“Bet.”
I shook my head as I sipped on the lemonade I’d grabbed while he played the first game.
“Now he’s gonna be sore later,” I mumbled.
“You two together?”
I jumped as I heard an unfamiliar voice behind me.
I turned to see a beautiful young girl that couldn’t have been more than fifteen or sixteen.
She was roughly five five, kinda on the skinny side.
Her mass of beautiful hair was fashioned in two strand twists and pulled into a half up half down style.
Those deep brown eyes looked like they told a story… one rooted in pain.
She wore jeans and a hoodie, as so many of these kids do, imposing upon their weather. Her shoes had seen better days, but I could tell she’d tried to clean them up for today.
“Yes, we are,” I answered. I smiled and extended my hand to her. “I’m Stephanie.”
“Sevyn.”
“Sevyn. I like that. That’s a lucky number.”
She snorted. “I’ve never been lucky, lady.” She took a seat beside me and stared out at the basketball court. “So, you two know what you’re here for, or are you just shopping around?”
“It’s not a transaction, sweetheart.”
“Maybe not for you… but for some. I see a lot of people come through here looking to collect a check. As soon as the kid is more than they can handle, they send them right back.”
“Well… that’s not us. We’re looking for a child to raise and love like our own.”
“You don’t have any kids?”
I smiled. “I have several, although only one biologically.”
I pulled out my phone and showed her a picture of our extensive family.
“Dang, it’s a lot of y’all. Why do you want another kid?”
“Initially, the house was too lonely, and I was searching for something to fill the void. Truthfully, I love being a mother and grandmother. It’s one of my greatest joys in life. Nothing makes me happier than taking care of the people I love.”
“Hmmm.” She looked out at the court again.
“How old are you and how long have you been here?” I asked.
“I’m sixteen. Been here eight years. My parents died in a car accident when I was seven. I lived with my grandmother for a year and when she died, that was it. I’ve grown real acquainted with this system… too acquainted if you ask me.”’
I could tell that held a deeper meaning, but I doubt she would elaborate if I asked. She didn’t know me or trust me, so why would she?
“I’m so sorry to hear that, sweetheart.”
She shrugged. “No need to be sorry. You didn’t do anything to me.”
But somebody did, I thought.
“He’s a good one, you know,” she said, staring at the little guy. “His name is Dax. He’s eleven. Real sweet. Super smart. Respectful. He listens, and he’s clean. Maybe he’d be a good fit for you guys. He already seems to like your husband.”
I looked at her curiously. “Those are some pretty convincing facts about him.”
“He can be a little hyper at times, though. You just have to be patient with him. Sometimes he’s clingy. He loves hugs and he’ll ask you a million questions because he’s curious about everything. Oh, and he’s afraid of the dark.” She paused for a moment. “Bad things happened in the dark.”
My hand went to my heart. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what she was saying.
“Sevyn—”
She cut me off. “Your husband… is he a good man?”
I noticed she hadn’t once taken her eyes off Stanley and Dax. Senior seemed just as taken with the little boy as he was with him. There was no doubt he’d found another son just that quick.
“One of the best men I know. Why are you asking all this?”
“Because I have to protect Dax. I need to know he’s going with good people.”
That’s when it clicked for me. “He’s your brother, isn’t he?”
She nodded slowly. “Yes. Even if I don’t get adopted, I want him to go to a good home. A safe home.” She finally looked at me. “If you take him, can I come see him? I don’t wanna stay, I just don’t want him to forget me. He’s all I have, Ms. Stephanie.”
I slid closer to her and gently took her hand. “Oh, honey…”
She allowed me to pull her into my arms where she cried softly against my chest. Senior and Dax’s eyes lock in on us. The little boy abandoned his position on the court and ran over.
“Sevyn, are you okay?” he asked, squatting in front of her.
She quickly wiped her tears away. “I’m okay, bud.” She forced a smiled as she looked at him and ruffled his curls. “You were on your A-game out there.”
He grinned as Senior approached us. “I tried. He’s pretty good for an old guy.”
Senior playfully jabbed him. “I told you about calling me old.”
Dax laughed. “This is Mr. Stanley. Mr. Stanley, this is my sister, Sevyn.”
Senior looked at me with a wide smile before extending his hand to her. “It’s very nice to meet you, Sevyn.”
She was hesitant to shake his hand, but she did.
“Nice to meet you.” She motioned to me. “Dax, this is Ms. Stephanie.”
It was like Dax finally noticed me. He blushed when his eyes landed on me.
“Hi, Ms. Stephanie. I’m Daxon, but you can call me Dax.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Daxon. Sevyn has told me a lot about you.”
He looked at his sister. “Good things, right?”
She smiled at him. “Only good things.”
Dax looked back at me. “You’re so pretty, Ms. Stephanie.”
Senior poked him. “A’ight now. That’s my wife.”
I giggled. “Thank you, Dax. You are a handsome young man, and your sister is very beautiful.”
I stood and moved to Senior’s side where he slid an arm around my waist. When I looked up at him, I could see we were having the same thoughts. He nodded at me and I turned to the kids.
“We’d be very interested in getting to know you both a little better. How about we grab something to eat?”
Dax looked to his sister for approval. I could tell she was his safe space, and he moved when she was okay with it.
She nodded and grabbed his hand. “Okay.”
Stanley linked his fingers through mine while Dax reached for my other hand. He looked up at me with a smile full of innocence, and my heart melted. Yeah… I was as good as got.