Ma had warned us plenty over the years. Nothing was set in stone, and many cases were unique. In her years as a social worker, she had seen children off to foster families within a day or two, as well as months down the road. So many factors needed to be taken into consideration, from the child’s well-being and readiness to the availability of foster families that hadthe right tools to create the best environment for that specific child. Or children.
Last but not least, there was the sad reality of most people wanting babies. So, for older children, we could encounter social workers who were either incredibly eager to give them a new home, or they treated those kids as an afterthought in the paperwork mayhem because not many wanted to take them on.
The sun was about to come up when we reached the group home outside Philly. Hopped up on caffeine and shot nerves, I climbed out of the truck and peered up at the house.
It wasn’t the best area, but it seemed to be a fairly quiet street, consisting of two-story rowhouses. The group home was half fenced-in across numbers five, seven, and nine.
I hadn’t been here in…probably ten years. The front looked bleak, but I knew they had a courtyard in the back with some greenery, a swing set, sandbox, and picnic tables.
I joined Nathan on the curb, and he slipped his hand into mine.
Even though we had discussed everything we could think of during the drive, we were bound to be caught off guard by something. My head was a fucking mess, and yet…I felt weirdly calm at the same time. Or maybe that was the coping mechanism. Stay calm and don’t pull at a single thread up in the noggin.
We were as ready as we could be. We’d decided that we could both take time off work for an adjustment period, with me staying home longer because I wasn’t running my own business yet. Nate was. We’d also said we were willing to move closerto Nate’s parents. We liked Boston, but it wasn’t the city we’d imagined settling down in.
For the longest time, Philly had been home. Now I wasn’t opposed to checking out houses in Virginia or DC. Maybe Maryland.
This was part of why I’d saved my inheritance. I made decent money in my field, but nothing that would secure a nice house or set us up for comfort with a big family. Nathan had no money saved up, but his pay was way higher than mine. So, together, we were set in the best ways.
“I want this so much,” Nate whispered.
I squeezed his hand tightly, feeling my chest seize up. “Me too.”
Which meant…we were fucking terrified. We’d gone through lesser cases of heartbreak in the past, but now, because my mother was involved, we knew we were already in the deep end of the pool.
I cleared my throat, unable to speak, and nodded for the entrance where I knew Ma had her office. It was separate from the residential part.
Nathan followed as I headed toward the fence, and he didn’t release my hand.
I opened the squeaky metal gate, and we trailed up the stoop?—
The door opened in a flash, revealing Ma with a big but tired smile. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen her hair in anything other than a messy ponytail with some scrunchie from the ’80s. Bangs too. And some cardigan with a green scarf.
Breathe.
“My sweet boys—you must be exhausted after driving all night.”
I barely felt the exhaustion, to be honest.
“Come in, come in.” She ushered us inside.
A few seconds blurred together between hugs and stilted chitchat; seriously, Ma, like we could even think about what we’d eaten on the way down? Thankfully, Ma’s coworker soon joined us in the narrow entryway, and she introduced herself as Colleen.
So, she was the one. She was the caseworker for Dylan and Hallie.
“I have heard so many great things about you.” She shook our hands and smiled, showing off teeth with lipstick on them. “We’ve set up breakfast in our break room for Dylan and Hallie, if you’d like to join us. They know they’re about to meet you, but so far, you’re here as Lynda’s son and son-in-law.”
That might be for the best. It removed some pressure. If not from us, then from the kids. They didn’t have to worry about who we were yet.
“We appreciate that—we don’t want them to feel any unnecessary pressure.” Nathan responded when I couldn’t, and he echoed my thoughts.
“Dylan woke up in a better mood this morning, so that was a welcome surprise,” Colleen replied. “I don’t think they feel any pressure so much as anxiousness about the immediate future. They’re still worried about having to go back to their parents.”
I cleared my throat, forcing the words out. “Can we expect a fight from the father or extended family? Ma mentioned you looking into out-of-state solutions to get the kids away from Pennsylvania.”
Colleen paused with her hand on the door that led to…somewhere. “Considering the father is facing charges for manslaughter and armed robbery, he won’t be a problem for a long, long time—if ever. I wouldn’t worry about the rest of the family either. I can’t go into detail, but it’ll be a cold day in hell before they become suitable as caregivers in any way.”
I reckoned that could be both good and bad. If any of the children had once had a healthy relationship with a family member, staying in touch and nurturing those connections could make the transition easier. That was how it’d been for my brother anyway. Theo had a biological uncle who was still in his life.
