“Hey, what’s wrong?”asked Mike.
“Are we going too fast?Too early?To be making this kind of decision?”she asked.
“What are you saying?Are you backing out of any plans for us?”
“No, no, but I don’t want to get hurt.You know how I feel about you …
“Yes, and I feel the same about you,” said Mike.“So, what’s the problem?”
“I don’t know.Maybe I’m just tired,” said Hazel, feeling confused by all the changes in her life.
He reached over and took hold of her hand.“You know how much I care.”
She nodded.
“So, let’s go home and relax.Or better yet, how do you feel about pizza?”
“Pizza sounds wonderful.I’ll order it online now, and we can pick it up on our way into town,” said Hazel, telling herself not to worry about details.Mike loved her and that’s all that mattered.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
The next morning, Hazel and Mike stood at the door to the guest room, looking in.
“The posters look great,” said Mike.“And I like the books you placed on Jed’s bed.”
She turned to him.“And the tennis balls you put there.”She squeezed his hand affectionately.They were both looking forward to having Jed with them and had decided to split their days in the coming week so he would be with one of them at all times.If an emergency arose, they had a babysitter living at The Woodlands who’d help them out.
Hazel checked her watch.“He should be here any moment.”She straightened her blouse and drew a deep breath.
At the sound of the doorbell, they both rushed to the door.
Hazel opened it to see Jed holding his tennis racket in one hand and a canvas bag holding his belongings in the other.She’d heard that a lot of foster kids had plastic garbage bags to hold their things, and was happy to see that it was different for Jed.
Lisa got out of the car and walked up to the front door.“Jed was too excited to wait for me.Right, Jed?”
Jed grinned.“It’s a big sleepover.Like going to camp.”
“Not exactly,” said Hazel, tousling his hair.“But we’re going to have a fun time.”
“We’ll call to check on him.We’re waiting to hear news from the system.It’s looking positive, a matter of a day or two for the final approval.We’ll let you know.”Lisa tousled Jed’s hair and gave him a quick hug.“Behave for Hazel and Mike.We’ll be back soon.”
From the car, Lisa’s husband, Joe, waved and gave a little beep of the car’s horn before pulling out of the driveway.
Jed stood with Mike and Hazel, waving until the car was out of sight.
“Come on in,” said Mike.“We’ll show you to your room.”
“Are you hungry?”asked Hazel.“I’ve got cookies and milk in the kitchen.”
Jed looked at Mike and followed Hazel.
“Guess I can’t compete with cookies,” softly grumbled Mike.
“We’re going to have a pleasant time,” said Hazel, watching Jed dig into a cookie and sip milk.“You’ll get to go to work with Mike and me sometimes.”
“I’ve bought you tennis balls,” said Mike.
“And there are a few new books on the bed for you,” said Hazel.“C’mon.We’ll show you to your room.You can bring a cookie with you.”
