Chapter 92

**Artemis**


I watch my wife hugging this little girl like they are lost family seeing each other again. The girl tries her best to hug Blue back but her fingers are curled into her palm. From the research I did it’s not uncommon for spinal cord injuries. She may need physical therapy which she will have better access to when we bring her home.

The door to the room opens and the woman who will be fired in a couple of days walks in. “So?”

Blue stands and moves to block Lilly as if to protect her from the woman.

“We would like to adopt her.” I say without hesitation.

The woman makes a grunting sound and turns around. “Follow me.”

I turn to Blue, but she doesn’t look like she’s ready to move. “I’ll go. You two can talk some more.”

She smiles at me and nods. I watch her sit in front of Lilly again and the little girl is looking at my wife like she hangs the moon.

“You coming?” The woman yells from the hallway.

I grind my teeth with the need to put her in her place and let her know that her time here is coming to an end, but that isn’t how I work. Swift and clean is my way and it leaves a lasting impression. So, for now I follow her back down the hallway and to a matching door that opens into a mess of an office space.

“You have to fill out a form and then you can take her.” She says as she shuffles around until she finds what she’s looking for.

I don’t bother sitting given the state of this room. There’s a chance of all sorts of things clinging to any surface of this place. She sits in the chair behind the desk and it creaks with her weight.

“Sign here and here. Fill out this form so we know where she’s going and then we’re done.” She pushes the paper and a pen toward me, but I don’t pick up either.

Instead, I pull out the pen I carry with me and fill out the required information. Once I’m done, she pulls it back and slams a stamp on it.

“Congratulations. Here.” She hands me a folder and leans back in her chair.

I wait to see if she will say anything else, but she stares of in space like she’s forgotten I’m here. It doesn’t matter since we got what we came for. I take the folder and leave the room feeling good about my plan to buy this place and change things. My plan had been to start a group home from scratch, but this house was beautiful and if it is properly refurbished it will become a better place than now. We have arranged for the children to be taken on a trip as we work on renovations, so they will come home to a big surprise. I am also changing any sort of rules that a kid has to be kicked out when they reach adult hood. Older kids will be moved to a more mature location and be given help to get their life started.

If someone had offered that to Blue, she wouldn’t have been on the street. She would have had a far better life, and yet I’m glad too. Would I have ever met her if she had been offered another life? It’s a selfish thought but I am selfish. She’s mine and I don’t want to think of a time where that isn’t true.

When I walk back into the room Blue and Lilly are in, I see a crowd of kids have joined them. Blue has moved to a chair and the kids are sitting around her. She’s smiling as she plays and sings to the kids. I’m struck silent as I watch her. Her eyes move over the group and then they land on me. She gives me a secret smile and a wink before turning her attention back to the kids.

I know at this moment that I’m completely in love with her. There are many things I’m sure of but right now I am surer than anything that I never want to be parted from her. Those vows we spoke to each other in that hospital room are law to me now. Forget the agreements and the contracts because I’m never letting her go. I can’t.

Her song slowly to an end and the kids erupt in cheers and clapping. Blue laughs when a few of them surround her and beg for another.

“She’s really pretty.” I hear a child say.

I look down and see Lilly next to me. “Yeah, she is.”

“I’ve met a few couples before who wanted to foster me. Eventually I learned it was because foster families who take in disabled children get more money, so I refused to meet anyone who didn’t want to adopt me. That way I knew for sure they wanted me for me and not for the money. You guys are the first to ask, and now I know it’s because I was always meant to meet you.” She smiles as she watches the other kids with Blue.

“So, you think fate brought us together?” I ask her.

She looks at me with confusion. Maybe she doesn’t know what fate is. I can’t say I know how much an eight-year-old knows, but to my surprise she replies.

“Fate doesn’t seem like the right word. If fate was real then this was meant to happen to me and I don’t want to think that. But happy accidents can happen.”

I nod. “I couldn’t agree more kid. Happy accidents.”

“So do I call you dad?” She asks.

I’m so shocked by the word that I rear back for a second. Her lips creep up in the corners and then she laughs.

“You got really scared. Don’t worry, I won’t.” She is smiling but does she mean that?

She is going to be our daughter now, and don’t daughters call their fathers Dad?

It’s not something I ever wanted to call my father, but I also don’t want my kids to be scared of him like I was. I may have a long way to go to become a good dad, but I can start now. So, I crouch down next to her and look her straight in the eyes.

“You can call me dad or Artemis. Whatever makes you feel comfortable. I’ll respond to either. Okay?”
She nods.

“Hey you two! Artemis, how did it go?” Blue’s voice gets my attention and I look up at her.

She looks a little nervous, so I stand and kiss her. “We get to go home. The three of us.”

Her eyes go wide, and she gasps. “Really?”

“I have the papers right here.” I show her the folder and she looks at it like it’s the holy grail.

Then she looks down at Lilly. “You’re coming home with us Lilly. Are you sure you’re okay with that?”

Lilly nods quickly and smiles. “I’m sure.”

Blue laughs and gives our new daughter a hug before turning to me and wrapping her arms around my neck. I wrap my arms around her waist and lift her off the ground.

“Thank you.” She whispers against my neck. “You have no idea what this means to me.”

“I think I have some idea, but you’re welcome. You are going to be a good mother Blue.”

She pulls back to look at me. “Do you really think so?”

“I know you will. Now let’s go home.” I set her back down on her feet and we both turn to Lilly.

“Let’s go grab your stuff!” Blue says excitedly.

She starts to move but Lilly shakes her head. “If it’s okay, I don’t want to bring anything with me. I want new things for my new life.”
Blue’s eyes become glossy again but she’s able to hold herself together. “Of course. We can stop somewhere on the way home and get you everything you’ll need. Let’s go then! Do you want me to push you, or do you prefer doing it yourself?”

“I like doing it myself, but it can make me tired sometimes…but you can push me if you want.”

This little girl is too smart. She could already tell that Blue is going to want to help her as much as possible, and she’s letting her. It will be adjustment for her no doubt given that for a few years no one was there to help her. That was changing now.

Blue takes her place behind the wheelchair and starts to push it toward the door. I follow behind and as we go I feel a small bit of sadness that so many children are watching us go. Then I remind myself that this isn’t the last time we’ll be seeing them. None of these kids will be alone for long.