Reese
I never did either. Also, I think you’re the finest man around.
Roan
I’m trying to be the man my mom thought I was.
Reese
You are. Night.
Roan
Sleep tight.
He turned off the lights, and climbed the stairs. Outside Marcus and Cody’s room, he paused, listening. He could hear their steady breathing. Full stomachs and a good night’s sleep. That was all he could do right now.
He went to his own room and got ready for bed. But sleep didn’t come easy. His mind wouldn’t turn off, circling and circling with no answers. When he finally fell asleep, he dreamt of a cold alley and an unloved boy freezing to death.
13
REESE
Logan Hayes’s office was exactly what Reese had expected—neat, professional, with diplomas on the wall and legal books lining the shelves. He sat across from them at his desk, a manila folder open in front of him. She’d not noticed before how much the cousins resembled each other. The Hayes genes must be pretty strong.
“Okay,” Logan said, looking up from the folder. “Let me make sure I have this right. Marcus’s mother has been gone since late September. He’s been couch-surfing for months, including sleeping in an alley Friday night. And Cody is in a foster home where the foster parents’ biological son has been physically assaulting him, including an incident last night where he held Cody’s head underwater.”
“That’s the situation,” Roan said.
“And you want to know what fostering would look like,” Logan said.
“Yes,” Roan said.
“What about you, Reese?” Logan asked. “Are you here for moral support? Or?”
“I’m here for whatever Roan needs,” Reese said, pulse quickening under Logan’s intense study.
Logan nodded, one brow twitching before he set his hands on his desk. “Okay, then, I’ll start with Marcus. His situation is relatively straightforward—given the circumstances. You’re already his mentor through an official program. He’s been staying with you voluntarily. I can file for emergency temporary custody tomorrow morning, and, given that his mother is missing and he has nowhere safe to go, a judge would almost certainly grant it within a week or two.”
Relief flooded through Reese.
“But,” Logan held up a hand, “we have to report his situation. It’s mandatory. Missing mother, child without stable housing—that goes to DCF.”
“What happens then?” Roan asked.
“They’ll investigate. Look for the mother, assess Marcus’s current placement with you, and make a determination. Given that he’s safe, attending school, and you’re already connected through the program, they’ll likely approve the emergency placement and let him stay while we work through the legal process for something more permanent.”
“How long?” Reese asked.
“Two to three months for kinship care. Vermont allows ‘fictive kin’ placement. Or three to four months for a full foster care license, which gives you more options long-term.”
“Fictive kin?”
“Yes,” Logan responded. “Someone who is not family, but has a significant bond with the child. That’s you.”
“And adoption?” Roan asked.
“If the mother can’t be found, or if she’s found but can’t or won’t complete requirements to regain custody, then yes. But that’s a year or two down the road. First, we get him stable and safe.”
