“That the state has a placement obligation and my employer, Sunshine State Family Connections, is a licensed child-placing agency that must comply with and report to the Florida Department of Children and Families. Olive cannot remain with your friends indefinitely, and the clock is ticking.”
“Toward what?” Dusty asked.
“We must establish an approved residence for her?—”
“We’re in one!” Tessa insisted.
Lynda sighed, fully out of tolerance now. “Anapprovedresidence is one that you own or have rented for one full year.”
“Or what?”
The other woman shifted from one foot to the other, hesitating just enough for Tessa’s blood to run cold.
“She’ll be moved to a temporary foster placement. Technically, you have seventy-two hours, sixteen of which are gone, but I would be willing?—”
“Did you sayfoster care?” Tessa leaned into Dusty because her knees felt like they were about to give out. “Like…withstrangers?”
“With a licensed foster family that we have vetted and approved. In fact, I have a family home now about an hour and a half away in Milton, Florida.”
Dusty’s whole body tensed. “Lynda, that is not necessary. We can figure this out.”
She gave him a dubious look. “They’re a lovely couple who have fostered for ten years. The wife is a pediatric nurse and the husband?—”
“No.” Tessa put her hand over her mouth. “An hour and a half? Milton? I’ve never even heard of it.”
Dusty put his arm around her, but even his touch couldn’t calm her.
Lynda looked like she was over the smell, the heat, and Tessa. Not in that order.
“They are the kind of people I would want for any child in my caseload.” She ground out the words. “If I had to place a child today, I would place her there.”
But she didn’t have a child to place. This was Olive, and she belonged with them. “How long will they have her?” Tessa asked.
“As long as it takes to either restore your home or establish a new approved residence, so six to twelve months. Six if you repair your house in record time and pass approval, or twelve if you rent something today—which won’t be easy, I’m sure you know—and have your name on the lease for a year.”
Which was…unimaginable.
“Away from Olive for…a year?” Tears spilled and Tessa didn’t care, not one bit.
“You can visit her,” she said calmly. “Assuming it fits with the foster family’s schedule and plans.”
Tessa pressed her fingers to her lips and looked to the ground, holding in a scream.
“Unless, of course,” Lynda added softly, “she gets adopted.”
Her head shot up. “What?”
“She will be in the system for adoption,” Lynda said, as calmly as if she were predicting the weather. “Either by her foster family or another family, per the state rule. If Morgan’s situation does not stabilize, and if you and Dusty cannot present an approved residence, there’s no reason to make her wait?—”
“That can’t be right,” Dusty said, doing only a slightly better job than Tessa at holding his emotions in check. “We’ve filed all the paperwork. We’ve met with attorneys, with you, and we’ve followed every rule, up to and including getting married in a civil ceremony over a month ago to meet your requirements.”
“That was Morgan’s request, not the state.”
“Either way,” he said. “Someone else can’t just adopt her.”
“Morgan has signed the papers and Olive can be adopted. While there’s no guarantee she’d get selected, if a?—”
“Are you out of your mind?” Tessa barked, no longer caring about being polite or passing a test or complying with anything. This woman was amonsterand Tessa was at war. “Olive will be adopted the minute someone lays eyes on her. Or this…Milton family meets her. She’s perfect and young and dear and…and…” She choked a sob. “She’s going to be our daughter.”
