“It’s very pink in here,” I noted.
Violet looked up from a new white desk in the corner where she was obviously doing homework. “Yeah, no kidding. Though I do like pink, so it worked out.”
I saw a physics textbook next to her. “Not taking the easy classes, are you?”
“I like physics,” she said, turning to face me. “The possibilities of it are romantic.”
Romantic? That wasn’t how I’d looked at physics when I was in school. How intriguing. Who knew? Maybe Violet would be a famous physicist someday. I had never understood string theory. Maybe I’d get her to explain it to me. “I wanted to talk to you about the hearing on Monday.” I sat on her bed, covered by a pink and white duvet.
“Oh.” She put her hands in her lap and faced me, her cheeks paling slightly and her eyes widening. They matched her name—a so-blue hue they appeared violet. With her long, dark hair, she was a very pretty girl.
“What’s wrong, Violet?”
Her gaze flicked away before returning to me. “Nothing. Courtrooms are scary places.”
“Are you afraid something will go wrong?” I asked softly.
She shrugged, looking down at her dark-denim-encased legs. “I don’t know. The system’s never been my favorite, you know? I like how things are and that everybody’s leaving us alone.”
“You don’t have to be adopted if you don’t want,” I said instantly. “This is just as much... In fact, no. This isyourdecision. Nobody else’s. There’s also no hurry.”
She snorted. “I’m already sixteen.”
“Yeah, and you can get adopted when you’re fifty.”
A trembling smile lifted her pink lips. “Seriously? When I’m that old?”
“If you want,” I said, grinning. “Is there any reason you don’t want to be adopted? And remember, I’m your lawyer. You can tell me anything, and I can’t tell anybody.”
“No, I love Yara and Buddy,” she said instantly. “The idea of having a mom and dad, well, it’s a wish I never really thought I could have, you know? I didn’t even dare to dream it.”
My heart hurt for her. “Is it that you’re about to have six brothers? Six older and rather tough brothers?” Even I grimaced at the idea of her bringing a date home. Not that the guys lived with their parents, but they were around every chance they got.
She snorted. “No. I think even if I left and went somewhere else, I’d still have six brothers, you know? They’ve already adopted me.”
“I believe that’s a good thing,” I said, my eyebrows rising.
She finally laughed. “Yeah, it’s a good thing. Also, three of them are getting married someday soon, so I might get to help with the wedding plans.” She finally brightened, showing me the girl I’d met around Christmastime.
“That does sound like fun,” I agreed. “If nothing else, you’ll have to keep Yara centered. I have a feeling she’ll go a little crazy, though I think the bride’s mother is supposed to do that.”
Violet plucked at a string on her jeans. “I have no idea, but I am excited. I do want to be adopted. But I knew a kid a while back, and he had to wait six months after living with his foster parents. That’s a long time for something to go wrong.”
I sat back. “We’re doing a private adoption, not one through the state, so there’s no six-month requirement.” I’d explained this to her once, but she had been flirting with a boy in the booth at the diner, so perhaps she hadn’t fully grasped everything. “I filed the documents showing the death of your parents as well as your great-aunt, and the adoption agency has already conducted two home visits with Yara and Buddy.” In addition, my aunt and uncle had submitted all relevant documents and easily passed their background checks.
“But don’t private adoptions cost a lot of money? We could go through the state,” she whispered. “I don’t want to cost Yara and Buddy.”
“I’m free, and the agency is very reasonable,” I assured her. “Plus, they owe me a favor, so we got a huge discount.” Actually, I’d agreed to provide services for them for free for a while, which was fine with me. I would’ve helped, anyway. “In Idaho, even in a private adoption, anybody over the age of twelve has to testify as to their wishes, which is why we’re having a hearing.”
Everything had gone smoothly and much faster than usual, but since Violet lacked any relatives anywhere, and Yara and Buddy were already on record as foster parents with excellent backgrounds, we should be able to do this quickly. “I can stretch it out more for you if you’d like,” I offered. “Or you can continue to be a foster kid here. They’ll love you just as much.”
She sucked in a shaky breath. “I’d love to be an Albertini. But what if something goes really wrong?”
Ah, the girl was afraid to dream. “Like what?” Instead of reassuring her, I wanted to know where this was coming from.
“I don’t know,” Violet said. “Sometimes, things that are too good to be true don’t happen, you know?”
I used to think that way, and then Aiden Devlin reappeared in my life. “It’s good you’re looking at all the outcomes.” Which was one issue I’d wanted to warn her about. “Even though we’re doing everything legally, it is very fast. There’s a chance a judge will want to give you more time to make sure this is what you want.” She’d lived with them for less than two months. “But there’s also a chance the judge will sign the papers.” I had no idea how the hearing would go—it was up to the judge. “If the judge requires more time, we’ll just take more time. Okay? It’ll all turn out perfectly.”
