“This is highly irregular.” Arthur’s voice had shifted into lawyer mode. “Can you send me a photo of that letter? I need to see exactly what we’re dealing with.”
“Sending it now.” I snapped a photo and emailed it to him.
We waited in silence while Arthur presumably read the letter on his end. When he spoke again, his voice was careful. “Sam, I need some time to research Illinois family law. Voluntary termination of parental rights isn’t something you can just do with a letter. There’s a process, court hearings, and sometimes home studies. But if she’s retained counsel and they’re advising her, it could be above board.”
“What do we do in the meantime?” I asked. “Leo’s here. He’s four years old. I can’t just… what am I supposed to do?”
“Take him home,” Arthur said without hesitation. “She’s given you written authorization to care for him. Until she or her attorney says otherwise, you have temporary physical custody based on this letter. Just document everything – when she dropped him off, what condition he was in, what she provided. And I’ll start making calls.”
I looked at Chloe, who was already nodding. “We’ll take him home,” I said.
“Good.” Arthur paused. “Sam, this is going to get complicated. If she’s serious about terminating her rights, and if she has a lawyer involved, this isn’t a temporary situation. You need to think about what this means.”
I looked at Chloe, who was nodding furiously, her eyes bright with certainty. Then I looked at the closed door where Leo wasprobably still chattering to Sarah about the puppies. “We know what it means,” I said. “It means he’s ours.”
“Then we’ll make sure it’s done right. I’ll call you back in a few hours once I’ve done some research. In the meantime, take care of that little boy.”
After Arthur hung up, Chloe and I sat in silence for a moment, processing what had just happened.
“So,” Chloe said finally, a small smile playing at her lips despite the seriousness of the situation. “We’re taking Leo home.”
“If you’re okay with that,” I said, searching her face. “This is happening fast. This morning we were talking about co-parenting arrangements, and now—”
“Now he’s ours,” Chloe finished, and the certainty in her voice made my chest tight. “Arthur said take him home, so we take him home. We’ll figure out the rest as we go.”
I reached for her hand. “Are you sure?”
Chloe looked toward the door, where we could hear Leo’s excited voice explaining something to Sarah. When she looked back at me, there was no hesitation in her expression. “I’m sure,” she said simply. “Let’s go get your son.”
We opened the door to find Leo sitting exactly where we’d left him, now teaching Sarah the proper way to hold a puppy without waking it up.
“You have to support the bottom,” he was explaining with utmost seriousness, “and be very, very gentle. Dr. Chloe says puppies need lots of sleep to grow big and strong.”
“You’re an excellent teacher,” Sarah said, catching our eyes over Leo’s head. The question was clear: Everything okay?
Chloe gave a small nod.
“Leo,” I said, crouching down beside him. “How would you like to come home with Chloe and me for a while?”
Leo looked up at me with those brown eyes that were so much like mine. “Can I bring my truck?” He clutched his backpack protectively.
“Yes, you can,” Chloe said gently. “And we’ll make sure you have everything you need.”
“What about the puppies?” Leo’s face fell slightly. “Who’s going to make sure they’re okay?”
“Sarah will take very good care of them,” Chloe promised. “And you know what? You can come visit them tomorrow if you want. They’d love to see you again.”
Leo’s face brightened. “Really?”
“Really.” Chloe held out her hand. “Ready to go?”
Leo took her hand without hesitation, then reached for mine with his other hand. And just like that, we walked out of the clinic as a family.
The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur of logistics and small moments that felt monumental.
We stopped by the store to pick up essentials – pajamas in Leo’s size, a toothbrush with cartoon characters on it, underwear, socks, and a few simple outfits. Leo was quiet through most of it, clutching his truck and watching everything with wide, cautious eyes.
When we reached the shirt section, Chloe crouched down to his level. “Would you like to pick some shirts you like?” she asked gently.
