“Mr. and Mrs. Barone are keen to get to know you, Damiano. Would you mind if they asked you some questions?” Mr. Lane asks.
“I don’t mind at all.”
The Barones are polite and friendly, and they ask me so many questions about myself that they give me the impression they’re looking for a boy with a particular temperament, the right look, the right qualities. They seem keen to assure themselves that I will grow up to be a tall, strong young man. They discuss my olive skin and brown eyes, so similar to their own. They seem happy when I tell them that my father was tall like Mr. Barone. They point out to each other that my curly hair is very like Mrs. Barone’s.
It’s strange, but maybe this is a normal part of the adoption process. I wouldn’t know. I’ve never done this before.
“Are you a brave young man, Damiano?” Mr. Barone asks me.
Mr. Lane interjects, “Damiano lost both his parents, one of them violently, and he’s been as steady as a rock. Adversity only makes Damiano stronger.”
Steady as a rock? I have nightmares every single night. I wake up screaming Lucy’s name, convinced she’s burning, but if Mr. Lane wants to lie for me, I’ll let him.
“That’s wonderful to hear,” Mr. Barone says with a decisive nod. “None of this crying and feeling sorry for yourself for men like us, right, Damiano?”
“Right,” I say uncertainly. Men like us? What does that mean?
Mr. Barone’s eyes are sharp and assessing. He’s wondering if I’m strong enough for…something.
“I think we’ll take a beautiful family portrait together,” Mrs. Barone tells me with a smile.
I start to feel like a racehorse up for sale, but I push that thought away and focus on what matters. “You should meet my sister, Lucy. I’ll go and get her.”
Before I can get out of my seat, Mr. Lane holds out his hand to stop me. “Mr. and Mrs. Barone are only interested in adopting a boy. They already have a daughter.”
I look from one adult to the other, an ominous buzzing starting up in my ears. “But Lucy is my sister.”
Mr. Lane fixes a placating smile on his face. “Damiano, this might be difficult to hear, but brothers and sisters are often adopted separately, and it’s the best thing that can happen to them. Lucy is such a sweet, pretty girl, and a family who desperately wants a girl is going to be along very soon to choose her.”
I stopped listening atadopted separately.
I leap to my feet, the chair shooting out behind me and crashing into the wall. “No one’s taking Lucy away from me.”
Mrs. Barone’s eyes widen at my outburst, and then they narrow. I can see her reconsidering. I’m going to ruin everything if I don’t calm down. No one wants to adopt an angry boy who loses his temper all the time.
I sit back down and force myself to take a breath. I need to be smart about this.
“I’m sorry about that,” I say, trying to keep my voice level. “I just love my sister so much. Can I ask your daughter’s name?”
Mrs. Barone looks at Mr. Barone, who gives a slight nod. She turns back to me. “It’s Ariana. She’s eleven.”
“I can’t wait to meet Ariana. I love being a big brother.” I smile warmly at Mrs. Barone, and I see her start to relax.
“You do?” Mrs. Barone asks.
“I’ve had a lot of practice. Since our mom died…well, Dad didn’t cope very well. Drugs,” I explain.
Mr. Barone gives me a sympathetic nod, though I notice his sympathy doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Since then, I’ve been looking out for Lucy. She’s ten, and she’s told me so many times how she longs for a sister to play with. Lucy’s so sweet. And smart. She’s doing better than me in school. Sometimes she even helps me with my homework.” I laugh, and Mrs. Barone laughs with me.
Am I selling this? I think desperately about what else I can say to convince them to adopt both of us. How many wealthy couples come in here? Almost none. I can’t let this opportunity slip away, but one thing’s for certain.
I’m not leaving without Lucy.
“Did I mention how pretty Lucy is? If you just meet her, I know you’re going to love her.”
I can see Mrs. Barone wavering. Mr. Barone is harder to read.
