71-Are You In?

**Saviera's POV**

Zuri is doing school work, and I'm feeding Jilly-Bean when the doorbell rings. I walk to the door to see a woman holding a folder, but I have no idea who she is.
I open the door and wait for her to say something. "Hi. Does anyone by the name of Saviera or Zuri live here?"
"Who are you?" I'm not about to tell her anything if I don't even know why she's here.
"My name is Connie, and I'm with Child Protective Services," She responds. I feel my face get hot.
"I'm Saviera. Why are you here?" I ask.
"I'm here to ensure the safety of Jillian Laurens, Saviera Connally, and Zuri Delva. There has been a report for child endangerment." Child endangerment? Who the hell would make this kind of report?
"There has to be a mistake. Jillian is very well cared for, and Zuri and I are completely safe. You have no reason to be here."
"I'm just doing my job. Do you mind if I come in to take statements from you and Zuri? I will also need to make sure your home is safe for your child." She seems like one of those people who will make your life hell if you don't cooperate, so I step aside.
"Come in," I lead her to the living room. She looks around and seems pleased with the conditions of the house, so at least that much is good.
"Who made this report? And what exactly is endangering our daughter?" Zuri asked as she put all of her school work up.
"It was anonymous. There was a report that inappropriate acts are made around your child, and we were told you are in a polygamous relationship. You two do know that polygamy is illegal, right?" She opens her folder and starts writing something down.
"We don't do anything in front of our daughter, first of all. Secondly, we aren't technically married to more than one person, so no laws are broken." I hate where this is going, "Zuri, call Daveed and let him know about this."
"You might not have attempted to legally marry more than one person, but there is often abuse and endangerment with these kinds of relationships. We must keep an eye on you three to ensure your safety." She sounds like she's reading from a script or something.
"How many other polygamous families do you people harass? There is no abuse within our home, and our daughter is very well cared for. As you can see, Zuri and I aren't bruised or bleeding, and our baby is healthy. Our home is clean, and we are all sober. We're doing a great job if I do say so myself." I try my best to stay calm because I don't want to give her any reason to doubt us.
"Well, unfortunately, I will have to open a case and look more into this. I will need to speak to Daveed Laurens and evaluate the dynamics of your relationship before the case can be closed. We take child endangerment seriously, so we aren't willing to take any risks," I cannot believe what I am hearing. Can they seriously do this with no evidence of abuse or endangerment?
Connie leaves, and I put Jilly in her crib while she sleeps. I'm feeling numb right now. This is all too much, and it's making my chest ache.
"This is insane. How could we do everything right and still end up with an open child endangerment case? This makes no sense!" Zuri starts to cry, and my heart breaks. I feel like crying right along with her, but I have to keep my emotions under control right now. I hold Zuri close and let her cry for as long as she needs to. Daveed comes through the door and rushes to comfort her with me.
"Where's Jilly?" He looks at her empty swing by the couch.
"I put her in her crib, don't worry." Zuri starts to calm down. I know her hormones are going crazy. This is such a scary situation to be in. I doubt our daughter will be taken from us, but we've never had to deal with Child Protective Services before, and the system isn't always just.
"Everything will be okay. We'll talk to Scarlett about this and make sure we cover all bases. We aren't doing anything wrong, so don't freak out," Daveed reassured.


"Let me do all the talking. You three sit tight and look pretty," Scarlett is representing us today to appeal the denial.
In the courtroom, Scarlett worked her magic like we knew she would. She managed to convince the judge to change his mind, even though he wasn't thrilled about it. Zuri and I officially have Daveed's last name, but we still have another war to fight. Child Protective Services is still on our asses, and they keep randomly popping up at our house. Scarlett shot an idea at us a few days later, and it's a risky move but worth a try.
"Let's go big with this. We will get the three of you legally married. It won't be permitted, but we will fight it in court just like we did today. Polygamy is on the rise, and more people will support you than not. We'll start with the marriage. Two of you will have to get married first; Saviera and Zuri would be my suggestion. Get your marriage license and have a beautiful wedding. Next, we go viral. Give people a chance to see inside the life of a true polyamorous family. The stigma that surrounds your relationship has to be changed. You know how we do that?" She asked. We all shrug our shoulders.
"Perception. They have to see your relationship through your eyes. Don't be mad about Child Protective Services being in your business. If you're not doing anything wrong, you want them to be there. Utilize them. Prove to them that you are a normal and healthy family. Once they fall in love with your family, they will be able to speak on your behalf in the courtroom because I will subpoena your caseworker, and they will have to answer my carefully worded questions. These questions will make you look like the stable family that you are. When I go for the kill, they will have no reason to deny you the right to marry one another. We will make it legal, at least in the state of Florida. Daveed will officially marry into your relationship, and you will be the first legally married polyamorous family," Scarlett is relentless. I want to have confidence in this plan, but hasn't it been attempted before?
"What makes our situation different from all the others? Many have tried and failed," I asked.
"The difference is me and you three. There's a reason I'm having Zuri and Saviera get married first. When someone says 'polygamy'- what is the first thing that comes to mind?" Scarlett asks.
"A man with more than one wife," Zuri says.
"Bingo. When people hear polygamy, they imagine a man collecting women and making a bunch of babies. It makes the women and children look vulnerable and more susceptible to abuse or neglect. That in and of itself is a stereotype, but the dynamics of your relationship could be what changes that stigma. So, are you in?" I can see why she's a lawyer. She is good.
A silent agreement exchanges between the three of us, "Okay. It looks like we're having two more weddings."