“Ah, okay.”
I picked up the paper and made my way into the kitchen, putting the kettle on while I dialed the number on the paper.While the phone rang, I heard a knock at the front door and glanced out into the living room at Sarah.
“Can you get that?”I questioned.
Sarah nodded, getting up from where she was sitting.
“Hello, Sergeant Gardner’s office.How can I help you?”a woman’s voice said on the other end of the phone.
My stomach flipped the moment I heard whose office it was.I swallowed hard, wondering if they were sending someone early to pick up Sarah.
“Hello, this is Mindi Potts.Someone called for me.”
“Oh yes, Mindi, one moment.Sergeant Gardner wanted to speak with you before he left today.”
While I waited for the kettle to boil, I reached up and poured a handful of marshmallows into my cup, when I heard a man’s voice in the living room.I listened a little harder while I waited for the sergeant to pick up and was almost sure I heard Noah in the living room.
“Mindi, thank you for calling me back,” I heard the sergeant say, who only days ago ripped my heart from my chest when he told me they had denied my application.
“No problem.Sorry, I was outside when you called earlier.”
“No problem.Listen, I wanted to talk to you about Sarah.”
“Look, before you start, I am going to ask that you leave her with me until the agreed-upon pickup date.She is struggling, and I am trying my hardest to get her to be okay with the situation.”
“Mindi, please let me speak.”
“Okay,” I said, knowing full well that if they wanted to come and pick her up now, then that was how it was to be; there wasn’t any room to argue with them.
“Mindi, we have reconsidered your application, and I am pleased to tell you that Sarah will not be leaving Willow Valley.We are granting your request.”
I felt my heart skip a beat as the words he’d spoken sunk in.I swallowed hard, my body heating with excitement.
“Are you serious?”
“I am.You see, when the last part of the application came through over the holidays, we all agreed that Sarah would be best suited with you, and that moving her would only hinder her healing.”
I frowned at his words.What last part of the application, I wondered to myself.
“So, if you are ready to accept the responsibility of raising Sarah, the job is yours.”
“While I am thrilled with this news, may I ask what you received?”
“Yes, of course.Apparently, the last part of the application, the therapist’s report, somehow got lost with the original fax that was sent in, it came in on Christmas Eve and was waiting for me when I returned to my office on the twenty-seventh.I immediately took it to the team, and they got back to me today, so I wanted to call before much longer to give you the news.Congratulations, and I hope you and Sarah enjoy your New Year together.”
“We will, thank you,” I replied, hanging up the phone.
I took a moment to digest the news, leaning against the counter, tears rolling down my cheeks as I released all the tension I’d felt since hearing their first decision.
Once I calmed down, I took a sip of my hot chocolate and made my way into the living room to see Sarah sitting with Noah, talking and laughing.They both looked my way, waiting for me to speak.
“Look who came over,” Sarah said, breaking the silence, a smile on her face for the first time in days.
“I see that.”
“Who called?”Sarah questioned.
“It was Sergeant Gardner.”
