Patsy scrubbed, almost for the thousandth time, the countertop, which had already sparkling clean. She was up to her elbows in soup buds and her hands were dry and cracked from the repeated exposure from bleach, but she really couldn't help herself. Glancing at the clock, her stomach did a few flips as the hour hand inched towards two o'clock. Delia was due home any minute and then…

And then…

Well, to be quite frank, that horrid woman from the adoption agency was going to 'drop by'.

Okay, maybe she wasn't a horrid woman. Maybe she was actually a very kind person, someone who you might call over for a few drinks or for a cocktail party. But she also was most certainly not 'dropping by'. 'Dropping by' was something a close friend did when they turned up at one's house unannounced. 'Dropping by' was a pleasant surprise. Trixie 'dropped by', as did Phyllis and Barbara. However, it was absolutely ludicrous that this woman, this "Heather Randle", (whoever the hell that is), was going to 'drop by'. She wasn't dropping by, she was there to judge, scare, and make them paranoid beyond belief. This Ms. Randle was going to be the final deciding factor in allowing her and Delia to adopt a child.

Patsy rinsed her hands off with cool water as her heart began to beat faster. She and Delia had wanted to adopt for quite a while now, ever since they discussed it two years ago in great detail. And Delia was ever so great with kids! What if they weren't approved? It would break her heart, yes, but it would absolutely crush Delia! Patsy nervously dried the countertop and began to search the house for something else to clean, but that was close to impossible.

Patsy had scoured the hardwood floors with a toothbrush, shampooed the carpets, vacuumed the drapes, washed every single article of clothing they owned, and even dusted every book on their bookshelf individually (who does that?!). She went to the living room, but all of their rated R movies had already been shamefully moved to their room in a drawer ("Not 'Carol' too, Pats!"), and the dry bar had been under lockdown for the past month. They had given away most of their hard liquor and some of the wine, and the rest was hidden from view, either in a wine cooler or in a cabinet.

Making her rounds, Patsy drifted into the expected child's room, biting her lip anxiously. The room was spotless, with pure white carpet and pale green walls. The crib sat on the opposite wall and a rocking chair was in the other corner. Patsy floated in a gently sat in the rocking chair, looking around as she tried to calm her nerves.

There was no reason to think they wouldn't get this child, as she began to rationalize it.

They had never been arrested, both have good, well-paying jobs, (they were nurses for Christ's sake!), and they were close with the nuns down the road…which was odd, but still. Delia had her talents, cooking and gardening, and Patsy, well, cleaned. Neither were addicted to drugs or anything and Patsy knew Delia would just be the best mother!

Having calmed herself considerably, Patsy went back into the kitchen and went through the mail. Nothing of interest came, (well, unless you consider Delia's cursed mother sending a clipped letter about coming and visiting, but Patsy could have really cared less), so Patsy slipped out on to the patio to check on the flowers.

Sadly, "checking" on the flowers was all she was allowed to do. Delia had forbade her to do anything to the potted plants on their deck, claiming that the taller woman would kill the damn things if she even touched them…which was more than true. In fact, the only form of vegetation Patsy was allowed near was a six-inch strip of bamboo that Delia bought just for her to experiment with. Patsy was very excited until she realized that the strange thing grew extremely slowly and didn't even bloom! Poking one of its delicate green leaves gingerly, Patsy was pleased that she somehow managed to keep it alive for three months now.

Patsy was wandering back into the kitchen when she heard the door open and close.

"Pats?"

Patsy trotted into the corridor to capture Delia into her arms. The shorter woman hugged back without hesitation, snuggling closer while also trying to wriggle out of her over coat.

"Here, darling," Patsy whispered in a hoarse voice, pulling back to help Delia out of her coat. Before Patsy could place it on a hook, however, Delia captured her hands and brought them into her direct line of sight. Patsy inwardly cringed.

"Oh, Pats!" Delia murmured before placing kisses along her chapped knuckles.

"I'm so nervous, Deels," Patsy whispered, stroking the other's face with trembling hands.

"I am too," Delia said back, wrapping her arms around Patsy's waist and drawing her closer. Patsy sighed as the brunette laid her head on her chest, fitting perfectly underneath Patsy's chin. They stood holding each other and slightly swaying for quite some time.

And then the doorbell rang.

The door shut and then there was silence as Patsy stared blankly after the woman, Delia standing a few feet behind her in a similar fashion. Slowly, as if waking from some spell, Patsy turned to face Delia, a wide smile crossing her face.

"We did it!" Patsy shouted, rushing at Delia just as the other let out a triumphant shout. Patsy picked up the Welshwoman and spun her around as the other giggled gleefully.

"You were so magnificent, darling," Patsy said before showering her with kisses.

"Pats, you are so wonderful," Delia whispered, "You are going to be such a great mother."

"So are you," the ginger said hoarsely, fighting back the tears of joy that were threatening to overcome her.

The two shared a passionate kiss before Delia gasped, "We are going to be parents!"

"We are going to be a family," Patsy murmured, pulling Delia closer to capture her lips with hers.

And so they were.

A week later they got a call about a seven year old child that had just left the foster system for the adoption center. While child was considerably older than what they were expecting, the adoption agent reassured them that the child needed special attention because she was in an abusive relationship beforehand and no one else in the area was qualified to adopt her ("It's a girl, Pats!"). Her name was Elizabeth, Ellie for short, and she was absolutely remarkable.