Though neither had a restful night's sleep, both Tony and Angela were up at six the next morning and were on the road by eight. Conversation was scarce, limited to logistic details of a lost shoe, breakfast preferences, and other such inane subjects. Angela called the office to say she wouldn't be in, and Tony made arrangements for a graduate assistant to pass out his morning final. It wasn't until they were in the Jeep heading toward the expressway that Angela, dressed in brown slacks and a peach silk blouse, dared to bring up the reason for this rare morning together.
"Are we going to Mrs. Rossini's?"
"No, the social worker said we'd get the business taken care of at her office and then go see the kids. Said she didn't want Billy exposed to more details than he needs to be."
"Makes sense."
And the silence stretched on.
"Did she say how he was doing?"
"Said he was upset, but seemed to understand everything that was going on. I guess we'll find out."
Morning traffic slowed them up so that they arrived with barely a moment to spare. They were the only two people in the elevator, and as it climbed to the eighth floor, Tony took Angela's hand in his. Their eyes met and each conveyed a silent message of comfort and support to the other. The door opened, revealing before them the bustling office of the Brooklyn Department of Children and Family Services.
Ten minutes after giving their names to the receptionist, they were being escorted into a private office where they were greeted by a petite woman with short, dark hair and a firm handshake. Sitting down, Angela was reminded of her old neighbor, Wendy Wittner, as she looked at Joan Harding. The woman's stature, facial features, and even demeanor were strikingly similar.
Joan was the first to speak after introductions were made. "Mr. and Mrs. Micelli, I'm glad you were able to make it on such short notice. I'm sure this has come as quite a surprise. According to our records, Mrs. Napoli's will hasn't been updated since her hip injury in 1990, which would be when you were made Billy's guardian in the event of her death. Since that was never changed, and since the boy has no other living relatives, essentially, he's yours if you want him. Otherwise, he'll be placed in foster care in hopes of getting adopted. However, I can tell you, the chances of that are slim for an eleven-year-old."
Tony spoke up for the first time. "And what about Charlotte?"
"Well, ideally, we would want to keep them together. However, she has no named guardian after Mrs. Napoli. Her mother and grandmother died without leaving instructions. Are you familiar with how Mrs. Napoli came to be her guardian?"
"Somewhat," Tony said. "Mrs. Rossini told me a few months ago that Mrs. Napoli's daughter, who, if I remember correctly, had some health problems, had died a few days after giving birth to Charlie."
"Yes, though there's a bit more to it. Her age and health made it unwise to have a child, but she opted to anyway for reasons that were hers alone. There is no father listed on the birth certificate, and no one has stepped forward to claim her. It really is a tragic case, and Anna Napoli was only forty-two when she died. Ordinarily, we would have been skeptical about giving custody of an infant to a seventy-three-year-old woman, but Mrs. Napoli was seemingly in excellent health, had done a fabulous job with Billy, and had been caring for Charlotte since birth. And to be perfectly honest, with an annual budget that is shrinking every year, we're hard-pressed to rule out any willing and proven guardian, especially family, on a basis as arbitrary as age. And while I don't see a problem with the courts granting you temporary custody, there is no expression of intent on the part of Mrs. Napoli that you be the one to take her, as there is with Billy."
"I see, but if we wanted her ..."
"Then she's yours."
Angela, who had been quiet up to this point, decided it was time to offer Tony some reassurance that she was not only backing him, but standing right beside him.
"Mrs. Harding, my husband and I discussed it last night and we decided we want to adopt both Billy and Charlie. While Charlie may not be mentioned in the will, I'm sure Mrs. Napoli would want the children to remain together, and we feel the same way."
"I'm very relieved to hear that. It really will make the transition and process so much easier on everyone involved, not the least of which are Billy and Charlie. Are you aware of the adoption process?"
Tony and Angela shook their heads no, and spent the next thirty minutes taking a crash course in custody and adoption proceedings. While their ages may be a concern for the courts, their prior relationship with Billy, Mrs. Napoli's will, their incomes, lifestyle and own children would more than likely far outweigh any reservations on the part of the judge.