And so Calliope spoke. She told us about how Mrs. Vinx had placed her in the lowest class in the school. I guess even in a gifted school, there was a class slower than the rest. Mrs. Vinx would accuse her of cheating anytime she got a hundred on a test or even on homework. Apparently, she believes that Calliope was not intelligent in the least. Davis and I were seething by the end, wanting that woman's head on a platter.
"You're not going back," Davis and I said in unison.
"But I like my teacher and my new friends. I don't want to go to a new school." She frowned, breaking my heart.
"I don't like how Mrs. Vinx is treating you, and I don't want her to keep doing it. It would be best if you went to another private school, but I won't force you if your friends mean that much to you."
I didn't want to tear her away from any new bonds she may have been forming. Her therapist told me to make sure she was creating and nurturing new bonds, caring for them the same way she would care for a blooming flower.
"I want to keep going there, if it’s okay with you and Daddy? I know you will help me with Mrs. Vinx now."
She was putting her faith in us, which both surprised me and swelled me with pride. I had no idea that she had felt so secure with us. At the beginning she would barely talk, now she will tell us her problems when we ask. She was sure of our ability to help her with them without us asking.
“I’m glad you’re trusting us with this, but remember there may be times that Mommy and I can’t fix your problems. Sometimes all we’ll be able to do is help you solve them on your own. This isn’t one of those times, but I just wanted you to keep that in mind,” Davis said with a small smile, grabbing her hand, making it seem smaller than it was. “Now, you broke a rule, so you are grounded for today. I want you to write an apology letter to Mommy and I for not following our rule and how you plan to make sure it does not happen again. Got it?”
Calliope nodded her head, looking down, but understanding. She didn’t throw a fit, whine or cry, getting up and going right to the table. She fished a piece of paper out of her little pink backpack and wrote silently.
Davis was an amazing father.
“Was I too harsh?” he whispered to me as we both stared at Calliope’s hunched over self.
“No, I think you handled that very well. Better than me. Davis, I hadn’t even thought about our rules. All I could think about was that damn woman behind her desk spreading lies about our girl. She made me so furious.”
“I could tell. Your inner warrior was loud in your eyes. She may not have seen it, but I certainly did. We’ll fix this for her.”
I agreed, watching Calliope as she wrote away. She would pause every once in a while, tap her chin, and then continue again. It was very adorable.
I think we’re doing well with her. I just hope she feels the same way.
“Are you nervous?” I asked Calliope, feeling her squeeze my hand subconsciously as we stepped through the courtroom doors.
Today was the day we would adopt Calliope. She would officially be my daughter legally, even though she had been my daughter since the day I found her. Calliope quietly nodded her head, reverting to that shy girl I had found in the woods. Anytime we were in an unfamiliar place, Calliope would cling to me like saran wrap, and grow quiet.
“The judge is going to swear us all in and then he’ll ask each of you some questions. Just answer them as best you can,” our lawyer instructed us as we took our spots.
The swearing in wasn’t hard and didn’t take very long. The judge asked some legal questions to our lawyer and then he turned to Davis and I. I was sweating like a pig with a big ball of nerves in my stomach.What if I say something wrong?
“Miss Porter, why were you wanting to adopt Calliope?” He asked me a question so simple, yet so hard to answer.
“For many reasons, Your Honor. To name a few, I would say because of who she is. She is a bright and beautiful young girl with such a loving heart. We share a similar history, one I can relate to, and help her heal from. It is unsafe for me to carry children of my own, but I don’t want to adopt Calliope because of that. I want to adopt her because I fell in love with her the moment I spotted her in those woods. She stole my heart the moment her hand grabbed mine. I could never let her go, not with the amount of love I have for her. I hope to give her a happy and loving home, and help her grow into a wonderful and strong woman.”
“Mr. Havard, what about you? Why do you want to adopt Calliope?”
"Your Honor, I want to adopt Calliope because I believe that every child deserves a loving and stable home. When I found her abandoned in the park, I knew that I had to step up and give her the care and support she needed. I wanted to keep her safe and fight away any darkness in her life. As a father to my nineteen-year-old daughter, I understand the challenges and joys of raising a child. Calliope will receive the same love and guidance that I have given my daughter. I learned a lot from raising my first child and I'll be taking those lessons into account while raising Calliope. I believe that I can offer her a safe and nurturing environment where she can grow and thrive, and I will do whatever it takes to ensure that she has a bright and happy future. There is no greater honor than to have the opportunity to become Calliope's father, and I promise to always put her needs first and provide her with the love and support she deserves. My future wife and I both do, because Calliope is more than just a little girl we found and fell in love with. She’s a little angel sent from heaven just for us."
Sometimes I forget that Davis used to be a lawyer. He knows how to word things just right, whereas I feel I fumble to string coherent sentences under pressure. The tears in my eyes spoke volumes about the way this man’s words could touch your heart.
“Nicely spoken, Mr. Havard. Calliope, sweetheart, what about you? Are you happy with these two being your new parents? Do you fully understand what this means?” Calliope shyly nodded her head at him as he looked down at her from his stand. “My dear, you are going to have to speak.”
“I want them to be my mommy and daddy. They make me feel very loved.” Calliope's voice was quiet, but it held a deep conviction, one that filled me with unbridled happiness. She loves us too, and it thrills me to know that we're doing a good enough job of making her feel loved.
"It says here you're having trouble at school. Is that correct, Calliope?"
"That's a complete l-" I went to say, but the judge held his hand up, cutting me off.
"Calliope will answer. Thank you, Miss Porter."
Fat ass.
