“Oaklyn’s foster parents.”
I gasped. Oaklyn had been on my mind since the first time I saw her.
“Did you find out anything about her background?”
“Yeah, and it’s tragic.”
He went on to share with me the circumstances surrounding how Oaklyn ended up in foster care, and it was beyond tragic. My heart broke at the thought of her sitting in an apartment alone for days, in her own urine and feces, with no food.
“That’s so terrible. Do the Porters seem like nice people?” I asked.
“Yeah, and they’ve grown attached to her since she’s been with them, but they usually only keep the kids for three months. She’s also very young and needs a lot more attention than what they’re used to with their foster kids.”
“How long has it been?”
“A little over a month. If no one in her family steps up?—”
“Oh my God, Russell. Can we take her in?”
He tilted his head and looked up at me. “You’ve been thinking about this for a while, huh?”
“I haven’t stopped thinking about her and those sad eyes since I saw her. I even looked into how to become a foster parent. It’s not hard, but the process could take a few months.”
He let his head fall back between my legs and looked up at me.
“You’re serious about this?”
“I am.”
He lifted his head and angled his body so that he could see me.
“When you asked me to find out more about her, I knew what you were thinking, but why didn’t you want to tell me?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I felt something when I looked into her eyes, . . . something I’ve never felt before. I wasn’t sure what it was, and I needed to sit with it for a while. How do you feel about being her foster parents?”
“Being her foster parents would be cool, but I was thinking we could adopt her.”
My eyes widened in disbelief.
“Baby, are you serious?”
“I am, but I didn’t know how serious I was until I was getting ready to leave the Porters’ house. Oaklyn tapped the back of my leg, and when I kneeled to her level, she hugged me.”
“Oh my God, baby. She likes you.”
“Baby, you were the only one who has ever made my heart skip a beat until today.”
“Aww, Russie.”
I took his face in my hands and leaned forward to press my lips against his.
“I love you, Rose.”
“I love you too.”
“Ahh, shit! You got a crisp lining and fresh braids. This is the best you’ve looked in over a year,” Rocky teased.
“Fuck you, nigga.”
