One week went by without a peep from our neighbor. We called, we texted religiously but her phone was off and she never returned any of our calls. Henry woke up every night in a panic that Milah wasn't home. As much as she was never around for him, she was still his mother and in his eyes, she could never do wrong. He still loved her just like any toddler would love their mother. Henry was very confused as to why she wasn't around anymore. Luckily in his eyes, we are his mothers too, so usually after us hugging him and singing You Are My Sunshine, the little boy would drift right back to sleep.

"Emma, we need to talk," Regina sulks as she walks through our door with a storm cloud hanging over her head. I could practically hear the cracking of lightening informing me that darkness is on its way.

Regina drops all her books and bag onto the table with a heavy sigh and deep thump. My girlfriend rounds the couch and kneels down in front of Henry. She runs her fingers through his hair and kisses his forehead.

"Hello my prince."

"Hi Gina!" He beams with his face glowing with adoration.

"Can you be a good boy and stay on the couch? Emma and I have to talk in our room okay?"

"Okay, I be good!" The cutie flashes my girlfriend the cheekiest smile he can manage. Regina presses one more kiss to his forehead, allowing her lips to linger for a moment before she finds the courage to pull away.

I follow the brunette to our bedroom and softly shut the door behind me. I fold my arms protectively across my chest because I can feel the heavy weight that she carrying, crumbling her right before me.

"What's wrong Gina?"

"Emma, I spoke with Belle today..."

"Alright," I drag on the word not really understanding what she's trying to imply.

"You know Belle is specializing in family law. I know some stuff but I'm criminal justice. Anyways, I called Belle hoping she could shine some light on our situation."

"And...can we adopt him?" I'm hanging on her every word, my nails are digging into my flash, terrified of what's to come.

"We have to call social services first and the police. We need a formal complaint against Milah, we need someone to see that she disappeared on her child before we can make her out as an unfit mother. Then we have to fill out the proper paperwork against her and the paperwork to adopt him-"

"Alright, lets do this Regina. Who do we call first? Do you have the forms?" A rush of excitement floods through my limbs at the thought of that little boy being ours.

"Wait Emma, there's more," Regina sighs visibly expressing the anguish she's desperately trying to fight against. I bob my head, silently telling her to continue. "When social services arrives, there's a good chance...no, they are going to take Henry from us."

"What?" I shriek as my previous excitement has morphed into pure panic. "They can't take him away, we are all he has. He'll be terrified. He already lost Milah, he can't lose us too. He won't understand."

"I know," my girlfriend croaks out as thick tears coat her big brown eyes. "But they have to take him. They need to make sure our home is a safe environment for him. They will have to do background checks on us and inspect our home before they will allow him to come back."

"Isn't there a way, we can just keep him?" A tear finally rolls down my cheek. "We are all he has." My voice is trembling as my chest tightens and I try to fight my tears.

My girlfriend hiccups as her tears begin to fall, one right after another. We both instinctively take a step forward to enclose the gap between us. Both knowing the other is hurting and we should comfort the other no matter how much pain we are in ourselves.

We engulf each other into one another's warm embrace, holding on with everything we have as the weight of this situation comes barreling down upon us. I wish we could just scoop Henry in our arms and take him, just run away and be the family that we already are. I know that if I ever want to call him mine, we have to let him go. Regina and I cry against each other's shoulders until we find our courage to call the police department.

It wasn't long before two officers showed up at our door with a woman from social services. Regina opened the door for them while I held Henry on the couch, as tight as I possibly could without the toddler wincing.

"Miss Mills?" I heard a man ask but I was too terrified of what was to come to open my eyes.

My face was buried in the back of Henry's neck, with my eyes screwed shut, trying my hardest to soak up every second with this baby. The way he smelled like baby shampoo and sweet apples like Regina.

"Yes, hello, I'm Regina Mills."

"Hello, I'm officer Davis and this is my partner officer Vasquez. This is the social worker, Miss Matthews."

"Hello," my girlfriend politely replies and I assume they are all shaking hands right now as Henry watches tv on my lap.

"The little boy?" Someone questions, her voice thick with anxiety.

"Emma," my girlfriend softly speaks forcing my eyes to pop open. I slowly turn my head in her direction. She's holding a watery smile next to the three strangers who are about to rip this little boy from my arms. "This is Officer Davis," she points to a man who's the definition of tall, dark and handsome. "This is Officer Vasquez," a taller woman with her jet black hair slicked back into a high ponytail. "And this is Miss Matthews." A short woman in her mid thirties, with thick glasses and looks awfully tired.

"Hi," is all I can manage as my eyes shift frantically between the three of them. Henry slowly cranks his neck so he can see the strangers. The second he notices all eyes are on him, he recoils into my embrace.

The room becomes unbearably silent. Not one person knowing...wanting to proceed forward understanding just how difficult this will be for the young boy.

"Miss Mills how about you answer some questions right now and Miss Matthews can speak with Henry and Emma," Officer Vasquez finally suggests just before the silence drove us all mad.

Regina caught my gaze before we both nodded in agreement. Regina went into the kitchen with the two officers while Miss Matthews came to sit next to Henry and I. I turned off the television so we could give our undivided attention to the woman next to us. Henry clenched my fingers in his tiny fists and held on for dear life.

"You must be Henry, I'm Ashley," the woman plastered the brightest smile her cheeks would allow and held out her hand. With my hand still grasped inside his, Henry shook the woman's hand. "Can I ask you some questions?" Henry glanced over his shoulder waiting for my approval.

"It's okay Henry, Ashley is here to help," I faked a smile because inside my stomach is doing summer salts making me want to hurl.

"How old are you Henry?"

"I'm three." Henry tightens his hold onto my hands in his lap. He pushes further back into my chest causing my tears to spring back to life but I fight them with everything I have inside of me for him.

"Do you know when your birthday is?"

"Semtember fourteen," he whispers in his adorable shy voice.

"Good job kid," I praised the little boy with my mouth hovering over his ear.

"Who taught you to be so smart?" Ashley teased with a playful hand on her hip.

"My mommies," Henry replied truthfully as he wrapped my arms around his midsection.

"Who are your mommies? Do you know their names?" Henry only nods in response. "Can you tell me?"

"Milah is my mommy but Gina and Emma are my mommies too!" I gulp down the large mass that's forming in my throat. My eyes are burning, my nose is tingling and my lip is quivering as I hold back my tears.

"Who makes you breakfast?" Ashley asks as she pulls out a small notebook.

"Gina and Emma."

"How about lunch?"

"Gina and Emma but sometimes Em goes to work." Henry slowly loosens his hold on my hands as he becomes more familiar with this stranger.

"Dinner?"

"Emma, Gina goes to school to be smart."

The woman offers a half smile as she begins scribbling down something in her notebook.

"Where do you sleep at night?"

"I sweep wif Gina and Em now."

"Who did you sleep with before?"

"I use da sweep at mommy Milah's house in my room but she went away." Henry's grip tightens again at the mention of his mother's absence.

"Do you know when you met Emma and Regina?" Henry peers up at me over his shoulder and furrows his eyebrows.

"Gina and Em have always been dare." I frown the slightest bit and hug him tight. He doesn't even remember his life without us.

"He had just turned two when Milah brought him over. We never even saw them before that day. She claimed she needed a sitter and left him here."

Ashley twists and turns her lips as she takes in my words. She quickly scribbles some more in her notebook before looking up again.

"Henry, what do you do for fun with Milah?"

"Mommy wakes me up and brings me here. Den I go home and play in my room. Den mommy puts me to bed."

"Okay...does mommy Milah get mad or yell?"

"Uh-huh," his little head bobs up and down confirming his admission.

"Does Milah spank you?" Henry doesn't answer he just shrugs his shoulders. I've never personally seen her hit him and I've never seen any marks. Ashley eyes me warily but I simply shrug as well because truthfully I don't know.

"What do you do for fun with Regina and Emma?"

"We go da zoo. I watch Em play softball. We get ice cream. Gina plays guitar and sings. We visit Ruby! And Mary and David! And Cora and Za-wena! Em takes me on da swings. Gina takes me da farm and gets fruits!"

"Wow! It sounds like you do all kinds of stuff with Regina and Emma," Ashley comments playfully causing the little boy to giggle.

"Yeah dare my mommies!"

The social worker catches my gaze while I hug Henry tighter and kiss his temple. "I love you Henry," I whisper and fight every instinct in my body screaming for me to let out a harsh sob.

"Emma, the officers would like to speak with you now," Regina informs me as she approaches the couch. She's nervously wringing her fingers together making my stomach turn all over again.

Regina holds out her hands and Henry happily leans forward for her to take him. She cradles the back of his head and kisses his hair as she rocks him back and forth. I stand from the couch and rub his back while kissing Regina's cheek softly.

Regina takes a seat with Ashley while I make my way to the kitchen. My stomach is in knots and truthfully I just want the comfort of that little boy back in my arms.

I cross my arms over my chest and hold onto my biceps as support. I lean against the counter and plead with myself to keep my tears back. I stare aimlessly at the ground waiting for the next process to begin.

"Do you need a minute?" The female officer gently asks. I simply shake my head no and keep my eyes strained to the floor.

"Alright, when was the last time you spoke with Milah?" Officer Davis questions in his most professional tone.

"Last Sunday, one week ago. She dropped off Henry at six thirty in the morning, she told us she would be home by three and asked if we could drop him off after my softball game."

"What time did you attempt to drop off Henry?"

"Um, around three...ten maybe? I jumped in the shower while Regina tried to drop him off. I remember when I got out of the shower, Regina was leaving a message and she said it was three thirty."

"And has there been any contact since then?"

"No, by the end of the night, her phone was turned off. We have called and texted her everyday since."

"Are you worried for her safety?" Vasquez finally chimes in forcing my eyes to meet her curious orbs.

"Honestly? No. I have no proof but she always seemed like a drug addict to me. Some days she was fine but other days she seemed...strung out," I confess only further causing my stomach to turn.

"I see," Davis says as he eyes his partner. They are clearly having some sort of silent conversation from knowing each other for so long but I can't make out what their eyes are saying. "How long has Milah been bringing Henry over?"

"Since he turned two."

"How many days a week does she bring him over?"

"Everyday."

"Does he ever sleep here?"

"At least three times a week." The officers are furiously writing on both their notepads just like the social worker. Even though I know I didn't do anything wrong, their constant scribbling makes me feel like a criminal.

"So there's never a day you don't see Henry? Even on her days off?"

"On her days off she'll bring him later in the day and that's usually when he sleeps over."

"Has she ever paid you some compensation for watching her child?"

"Never. We had to purchase diapers, before Regina and I potty trained him. We buy his clothes, all his toys that are here, we bought him. We feed him..." now the gates have opened and there's no stopping me. "We make sure he eats three meals a day, with proper fruits and vegetables. We bathe him. We take him for haircuts. We take him to the zoo. We taught him how to talk. We taught him to eat with a fork. We sing to him every night when he wakes up crying for his mother since she abandoned him. We hug him. We kiss him. We tell him everyday that we love him. He is our baby boy!"

I know register the hot tears spilling over my cheeks. I wipe them away with all my anger as if they are burning my flesh. The officers are both holding their stupid sympathetic frowns because they know what's coming next and I'm starting to lose control.

"Please don't take him away. We are all that he has. He's going to be terrified. He is our everything, please I'm begging you, don't take him away," I cry as more burning tears streak my face.

"W-we are so sorry but-"

"We are going to fill out all the proper paperwork to adopt him. I promise we will follow every law to make sure he legally becomes our son."

"We understand, but the law is the law. We have to take him. If Miss Matthews cannot track down any relatives near by than he will stay in a temporary home."

"Please, he's three. This is his home," I plead through my heavy tears. My voice is barely audible and I no longer care how hard I'm sobbing.

"I know," Vasquez gently places her hand upon my shaky arms and rubs her thumb to soothe my fears. "A background check, a home inspection and a private interview with Henry, then maybe he can come back."

Another harsh sobs wracks my crumbling body. I reach for a paper towel to dry my eyes and leaky nose.

"Do you know if Milah has any relatives? Or friends that she might be with?" Davis questions trying to ignore that I'm a heaving mess.

I shake my head furiously. "She barely spoke to us. Just what time she would be back and that's it."

"If you hear anything from Milah, please contact us."

"Please, I'm begging you, don't take that sweet boy away from us. I promise we take such good care of him," I try to persuade the officers one last time. They both shake their heads and head toward the living room.

Another harsh sob rips through my chest, burning my throat as I bury my face in the paper towel. I'm trembling uncontrollably and gasping for air but I need to pull myself together for him. My precious little boy.

"We have to take Henry now," Miss Matthews softly states as she stands from the couch.

"What about clothes? Or his toys? We want him to feel comfortable," Regina explains as she holds Henry close to her chest.

"Yes if you'd like to pack him a small bag and anything he may need to sleep," Miss Matthews explains.

Regina nods and stands from the couch with Henry. We scurry off toward our room and I wonder how she looks so calm at a time like this. My girlfriend holds the toddler close as I grab his small duffel bag and place it on top of the dresser.

I open Henry's drawer and I can't hold back the tears as they pour from my eyes. I thought maybe my tear ducts would be all dried out by now. I allow the tears to fall but I hold back any vocal cries. My hands glide across his tiny clothes before I start packing them away.

"Regina, I can't," I turn around and watch as my girlfriend cries against Henry. Her tears are soaking his perfectly styled hair while the toddler keeps his face hidden. I'm sure he has no idea what is happening and I could only imagine how terrified he is right now.

"I know Em, but we have to if we ever want him back," she mumbles into Henry's shoulder.

I rush to my girlfriend's side, pulling her and Henry into my arms. We both cry against our favorite little boy, memorizing every moment before they take him away.

"No cry Gina. No cry Em."

"Listen Henry," Regina slowly pulls the toddler away so she can face him. "I know you don't understand this but the nice lady Ashley, has to take you for a little bit."

"Why?"

"I-I..." Regina stutters not knowing how to explain this to him. He'll never understand, he's far too young and as far as he knows, we are his family.

"Henry, just know Regina and I love you so much and we promise we will find you okay? We promise we will bring you home soon," I vow through my thick tears.

Henry doesn't say anything, he just tightens his hold around Regina's neck. I lean over our bed and grab his monkey that's perfectly propped up against the pillows. Regina turns around and heads back to the living room. I follow closely behind with Henry's bag in one hand and the monkey in the other.

"Henry," Ashley begins causing my heart to plummet into my stomach. I pull the monkey to my chest and squeeze the stuffed animal tight.

"No, no, no," Henry sputters and tries to climb closer into Regina.

"I know baby boy," my girlfriend coos soothingly into his ear.

I hand over Henry's bag to Officer Vasquez who at this point looks mortified that she chose this as her career. Davis is holding a brave mask, resembling a bouncer from his stance.

Regina kneels down and attempts to pry the little boy from her embrace. She pulls him just far enough so she can look him in the eyes.

"Henry listen, Emma and I will come get you soon, okay? We promise."

Henry's bottom lip trembles as his eyes fill with tears. He rests his forehead against the brunettes and pouts.

"Peas Gina, I stay here."

Regina's eyes fall closed as more tears force their way through the small slits. I clench the monkey tighter and bury my face into the brown plush that smells just like Henry.

"I wish you could, but your mommy isn't here so you can't stay here. Once they find Milah you can come home. I need you to be a brave little boy and help the police find your mommy," Regina manages to explain through a calm voice that I commend her for. There's no way I can even speak right now.

"But your my momma too and Em...Em is my mommy too!"

"I know my little prince," Regina places her hand in the center of his tiny chest. "In your heart Emma and I will always be your mommies, always. We just have to ask someone if we can adopt you and officially make you ours."

Henry tugs Regina's hand and points frantically at Officer Davis. "Ask! Ask!"

"I'm so sorry Henry, it doesn't work like that," Regina cries and turns her head so she doesn't have to see those desperate green eyes pleading with her.

"I stay! Dis is my home. I live here. Peas don't make me go!"

"Henry, I promise I will keep you safe okay?" Ashley holds out her hand which causes Henry to run over to me. He wraps his arms around my legs and cries hard. I hiccup and fight away my tears but I can't. I'm gasping for air and wiping at my soaked face.

"Peas mommy don't let dem take me!" I bend down and pick up the toddler. I hold him as close as humanly possible and whisper ssssshhhh, over and over again while I rock him gently.

"We love you so much. I promise we will see you soon kid. I promise!"

Ashley gently rubs Henry's back and attempts to pry him off of me. Henry screams so loud, instantly shattering my heart into a million pieces. The little boy fights with everything he has against the social worker while his arms are stretching out for me.

Regina covers her mouth as harsh sobs erupt from her lips. I sniffle and sweep away any tears so I can be brave for Henry. Just maybe if he sees me calm, he will relax a little bit.

"Gina! Emma!" Henry whales as Ashley tries to soothe the hysterical toddler.

"I know kid, it's okay. I promise," I say with conviction. "Here kid, take monkey." I tuck the stuffed animal under his arm but he just whips the toy to the ground. I quickly pick up the stuffed animal and hand it over to Vasquez.

"No! No! No!" Henry cries out, his tiny hands reaching for Regina and I.

"I know baby, it's okay. We will see you soon and we can go for ice cream," Regina calls out over his ear piercing screams.

"We will keep in touch," Vasquez sadly says before she closes the door, officially ripping Henry from our home.