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Chapter 4
Thursday's Child
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November 16, 1998, 9:30 am
Metropolis General Hospital
Samantha Parker, Rachel's social worker, was on her way to meet them at the hospital, and Lois paced anxiously back and forth in front the observation window as Dr. Jennifer Craine, the pediatrician on call, examined the little girl. Lois glanced at her watch again and shook her wrist, confirming that it hadn't stopped. She felt like she'd been waiting hours when in fact only a few minutes had passed. All she wanted to do was take Rachel home and get her settled in.
Clark's alter ego had been called away at the last minute, so he was unable to wait there with her, but he had promised to return as soon as he cleared up the oil rig fire off the coast of Texas. Lois twisted her wedding ring around on her finger, worried about the little girl who lay just inside the next room. From her stories on the Foster Care System, she knew that she and Clark would have to apply for a license to become eligible foster parents, but she had no idea how long the application process might take. Perhaps, due to the emergency nature of the situation, someone could push through their application so that they could take Rachel home with them within the next few days.
Someone tapped her on the shoulder. "Ms. Lane?" Lois turned to see the now familiar face of Samantha Parker.
Samantha tugged down her long sweater and pulled her purse back up on her shoulder. "Has the doctor told you anything yet, Ms. Lane?" she asked briskly, pushing her glasses back up her nose.
"No yet," Lois said softly, biting her lower lip nervously. "My father said that she'd be okay…" she trailed off, looking worriedly through the observation window. With visible effort, Lois pulled herself together and looked at Samantha. "Samantha, how soon can we take her home? I know you said a few days, but Clark and I would like a definite timeline."
Samantha fiddled with her necklace and glanced around the hallway. "Ms. Lane, where is your husband anyway? I need to know that he's willing to be involved if I'm to recommend that Rachel be placed with you; and I've yet to meet him," she said, a determined look on her face.
"Sam, my husband was called away on a last minute emergency, but he promised to be here as soon as possible." Lois glanced back to where Rachel lay.
"Are you sure, Ms. Lane, that both you and your husband are willing to adjust your lives around this little girl?" Sam asked. "You have no other children, and while our records show that you, were a foster parent for a brief period of time, neither of you seem to have had much experience with active five year olds." Samantha gave Lois a searching look. "Rachel is going to need more attention than most children her age because of what she's been through; I just need to make sure that you're aware of what you're getting into before I go before the judge and make a recommendation."
Lois took a deep breath. "Samantha, Clark and I have been trying for some time to conceive a child of our own. Unfortunately, the doctors have assured us that that is very unlikely to happen. You're correct that Clark hasn't yet had an opportunity to bond with Rachel, but I promise you there isn't a man alive more compassionate or caring than my husband. It was Clark's idea that we become foster parents for Rachel, and I assure you, we will do everything in our power to make her feel happy and safe. We are aware that Rachel's traumatic past may cause some difficulties, but Clark and I are both prepared to help her work through these issues and become a well-adjusted little girl. We will accomplish this be providing her with what she needs more than anything in the world. We will love her." Lois said. "The doctors say that we're unable to have children of our own, and while it's true that Clark hasn't met her while she's awake, he wants her just as much as I do. In fact, he was the one who suggested that we try and gain custody." Lois crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Samantha before glancing back at the children's ward.
Samantha laid her hand on Lois's arm. "Ms. Lane," she began softly. "I just want to make sure that your home is the right place for Rachel. It's my job to make a recommendation to the judge that I believe will in the best interest of the child. I still have concerns about your career--you seem to place yourself in danger quite a bit, and that worries me," she drew in a deep breath. "If Rachel is, even temporarily, placed with you, I need to make sure that you'll be there for her, and not kidnapped or even killed by the latest criminal to show up in Metropolis."
Lois leaned back against the wall and smiled slightly, trying hard to reign in of her temper. "I understand your concern, Ms. Parker," she said softly. "But you have to see where I'm coming from. I haven't required rescue for six months, and I'll certainly take pains not to place myself in any danger when I have a child at home." She ran a hand through her hair.
"I promise you that Rachel will be safe with us and that we can give her what she needs; a safe, stable, and loving environment." Lois shot a glance back at Rachel's room again. "We want her, Ms. Parker; we *want* her."
Samantha began to smile. "I still need to meet your husband, and see your home, but I'm beginning to think that this might work. We can try a two-week trial period at first, to see if this could be a long-term arrangement while we try to track down some of Rachel's relatives."
She tugged at the hem of her sweater again. "Ms. Lane, are you aware of Rachel's aversion to men? I'm afraid that her abuse at the hands of her stepfather has caused her to be terrified of males. It's as if she expects them to hit her. This will make a difficult adjustment period for your husband."
Lois smiled, happy that things seemed to be going her way. She was nervous about Rachel coming to live with them, but she had fallen in love with the little girl at almost first glance--she would be coming home, where she belonged. "Samantha, if anyone can gain Rachel's trust, Clark can. He's the gentlest man I know, and he's a natural with children."
Lois's face took on a wistful appearance as she thought longingly of a child to complete their family. She prayed Rachel could be that child. She couldn't deny the fact that, like most couples, she would have enjoyed cuddling a baby. But on the bright side, by adopting an older child, she didn't have to change diapers or worry about bottles. In any event, there was still a possibility, however slim, that she and Clark could one day conceive naturally, and if such a miracle did occur, she could change diapers to her heart's content. Her goal right now was to provide a safe and loving home for Rachel. "I promise you, Samantha, that if you place Rachel Pierce with us, you won't be making a mistake."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
November 16, 1998, 9:45 am
Metropolis General Hospital
Children's Ward
Rachel opened her eyes and looked around the cheerful room. Painted clowns and cartoon characters cavorted on the brightly-painted walls and a large, opened toy box sat in the corner, out of the way of the other three beds in the room. The last thing she remembered was opening her eyes as the pretty lady carried her out to a big, silver car.
Dimly, she remembered a man with Ms. Lane, who'd left quickly, tugging at his tie. Rachel turned over in bed, relishing the memories of being held in Ms. Lane's arms. She couldn't remember ever feeling as safe as she had felt in Ms. Lane's arms. Her hand came in contact with a warm, fuzzy object and , startled, she looked down. Frowning slightly, she pulled a black and white teddy bear from beneath the covers. She had no recollection of the new toy, and wondered if Ms. Lane had given it to her. She missed Aimee, and hoped she could be reunited with her favorite doll, but the handsome bear was a suitable substitute.
Rachel buried her face in the bear's soft fur and hugged it close to her, then dropped a kiss on its fuzzy snout. With a soft sigh, she settled back into the pillows. Lulled by the warmth of the room and the blankets in which she was cocooned, her eyes began to slide shut.
"Rachel?" she felt a hand stroke her hair. She sleepily cracked open her eyes to see the doctor who had taken care of her before.
"Dr. Jennifer?" she said hesitantly.
"Yes, Rachel," Dr. Craine answered softly. "It's me. Sweetheart, how did you get those bruises?" Rachel pulled away from the doctor's hands fearfully.
"I promised not to tell," she muttered.
Dr. Craine sat on the side of Rachel's bed. "It's okay, honey. The person who hurt you can't get you here. You can tell me how this happened."
Rachel looked at the doctor, hope in her big, dark blue eyes. "He can't get me?" she questioned.
"No, sweetie. Can you tell me who did this to you?" Dr. Craine asked, reaching out to stroke Rachel's hair gently.
"I don't know his name," Rachel answered hesitantly. "He hit me in my face an' my tummy. Then his friend told me that if I tattled he'd *really* hurt me," her lip began to quiver and tears filled her eyes. "He said he'd hurt me badder than Papa Gary did."
"Where was this, Rachel?" Dr. Craine asked softly.
"At the Orp'ange," Rachel answered.
"Thank you, sweetie," Dr. Craine said softly, reaching over to pull the blankets up around Rachel. "Get some sleep, little one."
Rachel looked at the pediatrician, worried. "Dr. Jennifer? What's gonna happen to me?" she asked as a single tear rolled down her face.
"I don't know, sweetheart," Dr. Craine answered honestly. "But I do know that your social worker is going to do her best to make sure you're safe and have somebody to take care of you." She tucked in the blankets tightly around the child.
Rachel buried her face in the teddy bear and sniffed. She doubted that things would get better--they rarely did. It was still up to her to take care of herself. Aimee and the teddy bear were her family, now.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
November 16, 1998, 10:00 am
Metropolis General Hospital
Clark strode into the hospital and hurried to the Children's Ward. He was late--minor Superman duties had kept him occupied while Lois took Rachel to the hospital and gotten her admitted. He brightened as he saw Lois and an older woman that he assumed was Rachel's case worker. He walked up to them quietly and held out his hand to the woman.
"You must be Samantha Parker, Rachel's case worker. My name is Clark Kent," he said, introducing himself.
"Mr. Kent," Samantha acknowledged, reaching out to shake his hand. "Your wife has told me that you want to become Rachel Pierce's foster parents?" she said. "Might I ask why, exactly?"
Clark smiled slowly, giving her one of his thousand-mega watt smiles. "Ms. Parker," he began.
"Please," she interrupted, "Call me Samantha or Sam."
"Samantha," he continued, "we just want to give Rachel a home where she can be safe." Clark paused for a minute, choosing his words carefully. "I was adopted as a baby," he said slowly, "and Rachel's situation could have very well been my own had circumstances been different." Clark looked at her earnestly. "I--we, just want to help. My wife says that Rachel is a sweet little girl, and Superman has said the same thing."
"But why Rachel?" Samantha asked probingly.
"Because," Lois offered, "Rachel has been living in her own private hell since her mother died."
" Yes, and it's long past time that someone stepped in to rescue her." Clark added. " Judging from the bruises on her face, sending her to Coates Orphanage wasn't the best decision," he said. "And returning her there is unthinkable."
Samantha nodded slowly. "We don't get many like you," she said softly. "Many people become foster parents for the money that the state pays them for keeping the children--not to rescue them from bad situations. Mr. and Mrs. Kent, I still need to visit your home, but I'm sure that we can get you licensed for foster care quickly." She smiled broadly.
"And as soon as we see Judge Stephenson, I think we can get Rachel placed in your home. When would be the best time for me to come by to look at your house?" she asked.
"Perry probably won't mind us leaving work early since news has been slow lately," Lois said quietly. "How does four this afternoon sound?"
"Perfect," Samantha answered. "I need to go talk to Dr. Craine, so I'll see you at four." She picked up her large, canvas purse and walked quickly into Rachel's room.
Clark reached for Lois's hand. "C'mon, honey. I called Perry and told him what was going on; he was worried sick!" He smiled at her, his eyes dancing with mischief. "He'd just about decided that you'd been following a lead and gotten dragged away to Luthor's secret hideout or that Jefferson Cole had broken out of prison again and decided to go after you directly."
Lois chuckled. "And if that happened, you'd be the first one I'd call," she said, with a slight smile. "Let's go see if Jimmy has the information on the SIDS death cases so we can get off early." Lois shot one last glance back at Rachel's room before heading toward the door.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
November 16, 1998, 11:30 am
Daily Planet, Metropolis
Lois strode over to Clark's desk, leaned over his shoulder, and peered at his computer screen. "Found anything?" she asked.
"Not much," he said with a sigh. "I found out more about SIDS, but I can find no logical explanation for the sudden rash of infant deaths here in Metropolis."
Lois smiled. "Spill it, buster. I'll tell you what I found out if you tell me what you learned." She perched on the edge of his desk, crossed her legs, and looked at Clark expectantly.
Not able to resist her very tempting presence, he pushed himself up a bit to kiss her briefly. Clark broke off the kiss, reached for his notes, and sighed. "I didn't find out much; SIDS seems to be the catchall phrase for any unexplained infant death." He slid his pencil back and forth between his fingers absently, tapping it on the desk.
"From what I could find, any time an apparently healthy infant dies in its sleep, and the autopsy and the medical background doesn't turn up anything suspicious, the cause of death is listed as SIDS." Clark finished.
"Interesting," Lois said softly, looking at her own pad of notes. "According to the ME's reports, the cause of death was SIDS, but a full autopsy was never performed on any of the children." She sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I guess they were trying to cut costs--they just drew some blood and did an external examination."
She frowned briefly before continuing. "The funny thing is, the same ME autopsied all of the children, and then they were all sent to the pauper's section of the graveyard for internment. None of them seemed to have had relatives, and all of the children had undergone thorough medical checkups, including shots, within 48 hours prior to their deaths."
Clark whistled softly. "That has to be more than a coincidence," he said. "I've got a contact in the Department of Family and Children Services whom I can call to see if we can pull records on the kids."
"But aren't their records sealed?" Lois asked.
"Normally, they would be," Clark admitted, "but with the children all having died, their cases are a matter of public record. I'll talk to Monique about it and see if I can get some specifics on the infants, but in the meantime…" he looked around until he found who he needed. "*Jimmy*," he called.
Jimmy trotted over. "What's up, CK?" he asked.
"Jimmy, I need you to hack into Family and Children's Services computers and see what you can find out about any children who died in the past year where the cause of death has been reported as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome," Clark said.
"I'm on it, CK," Jimmy replied and sped away.
Lois smiled at her husband teasingly. "Monique, huh? Do I need to be jealous?"
Clark grinned, stood up, and slipped his arms around her. "Not unless you want to be jealous of a gray-haired, elderly lady who wants to take me home and fatten me up," he said before leaning down to kiss her.
Just before their lips touched, they were interrupted by Perry's voice. "Lois, Clark. By the King, I don't pay you to stand around entertaining the newsroom! Have y'all made any progress in the SIDS story?"
The amorous couple turned to find that their boss had walked up behind them while they were… occupied. "Working on it, chief," Clark replied, as he turned to face him, his arm still around Lois.
"Don't just work on it," Perry said gruffly, "News has been so slow lately that we need this story. The pressure is building from the suits upstairs, but since all we've had to report lately is the next cold front, we need this story fast. Get to it! If my two best reporters can't find something, nobody can." Perry turned and stalked back into his office.
Clark sighed and released Lois reluctantly. "I'd better make that phone call," he said, reaching over to pick up the phone.
"And I'd better get back to my school board story," Lois said, sliding off the desk. "If we don't get a big story soon," she grumbled, "Perry's gonna have us reporting dog shows." Lois shook her head and headed back over to her desk.
Clark watched her go before he flipped through his rolodex for the correct number. As she had taught him a long time ago, you were only as good as your last story; and their last story was chicken feed compared to the lead they were working on now.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
November 16, 2003, 12 noon
Metropolis General Hospital
Children's Ward
Rachel lay in bed, cuddling the teddy bear that she had found next to her. Finders, keepers, she thought possessively. She held the bear's nose up to her own and looked at it with her eyes crossed. "You're *mine*, now, Mr. Bear," she whispered softly.
She pulled the bear away from her face and sat it on her lap. "You look like a… CJ," she decided, naming her new friend after a little boy who had been nice to her at school. After all, he was the only person who had even tried to talk to her there; the rest of the kids thought she was weird and teased her.
In fact, CJ was the only little boy that had ever been nice to her at all--even her little brother wasn't very nice to her. And the bear looked like a boy to her. She vaguely remembered hearing C.J. mention in "show and tell" that he'd been named after the Daily Planet reporter who was Superman's best friend, but that didn't matter. Superman was a grown-up, too and not to be trusted. He wouldn't take care of her. Nobody would. She remembered seeing Ms. Lane looking in the window, but she hadn't come in, so there was no hope there.
Rachel frowned and pulled CJ-bear close to her. Briefly, she wished for Aimee, but her baby had been whisked away with the appearance of CJ. It was just one more loss she had suffered in a very long list. She should have never asked for the doll--she had known better to show it any love when she lived with Papa Gary, anyway. Any toy she had shown love for had been unceremoniously torn limb from limb and then burned in front of her. She had never dared to cuddle Aimee when Papa Gary was watching. The only place that had been safe to hug her toy had been under the blankets of her bed.
Rachel sighed and stroked CJ's soft fur. Her head shot up as someone she recognized entered the room bearing a tray; it was Samantha. Rachel shrank away from her--this was the same person who'd promised that she'd be safe in the orphanage. She wasn't safe. Perhaps she'd never be. Grown-ups were nothing but trouble.
"Rachel?" Sam said softly, placing the loaded tray on the bed table and swinging it around. "I brought your lunch. Sweetie, Dr. Jennifer wants you to stay in bed until tomorrow just to make sure that your fever doesn't come back."
Rachel scooted further back into her pillows, refusing to look at Samantha.
"Rachel?" Sam tried again to get the child's attention.
Stubbornly, Rachel pulled the blankets over her head and refused to talk.
Samantha laid her hand on the bump under the covers that was Rachel's head. "Rachel, sweetie, I know that you don't have any reason to trust me right now, but I promise that things are going to be okay." Samantha stroked the small body beneath the blankets.
"I think I found you a set of foster parents today, honey. I'm going to see their house this afternoon, and then go talk to the judge. Rachel, if everything works out, you'll be out of this hospital and home with your foster family by this time tomorrow."
Rachel peeked out from beneath the blankets. "Who are they?" she whispered.
"The Kents, sweetie. You've met Mrs. Kent--she was going by her professional name at the time, though. She's Ms. Lane," Samantha answered.
"Ms. Lane wants me to come and live with her?" Rachel asked softly, pulling the covers the rest of the way down.
"Yes, she does, Rachel--very much. Her husband wants you there, too."
Mistrust glimmered in Rachel's eyes at the mention of Ms. Lane's husband. She trusted Ms. Lane, but her husband was a different matter entirely. He was a man and a grown-up. She thought that he'd probably hurt her eventually. All men hurt her.
Samantha saw the fear and mistrust in Rachel's eyes and moved to comfort her. "Rachel, I've met Mr. Kent, and I know he wouldn't hurt you, if that's what you're thinking." She paused for a minute. "Do you think you could give living with them a try?" she asked softly.
Rachel nodded hesitantly. If Ms. Lane really wanted her, perhaps she'd make sure that Mr. Kent wouldn't hurt her. And then there was the appeal of a real home. Perhaps it wouldn't be hers, but it was *somebody's* home--and they wanted her to live in it with them.
"Get some sleep, sweetie," Samantha advised. "I've got to go get the paperwork together and then go see the Kent's house. It'll be okay, Rachel. I promise." Samantha stood and left the room, closing the door quietly closed behind her.
Rachel cuddled CJ under her chin, and let herself believe that things just might get better. If the Kents wanted her, maybe they'd want her forever and their home could be her home, too. She'd heard the kids in the orphanage talking about the possibility of adoption, and the concept of having a family pick her to be their little girl was intriguing.
Maybe she would finally have a home with both a mommy and daddy who loved her. Then again, maybe not. She'd seen kids go to foster families, only to come back in a few days or weeks, disappointed. It could happen to her. Maybe the Kents wouldn't want her forever. Rachel rubbed her cheek against the bear and frowned. Perhaps it would be better if she didn't expect too much. Papa Gary had always told her that if she didn't expect anything, then she couldn't be upset when she didn't get her way. Maybe his way was best after all. With that thought in mind, she closed her eyes and began to dream of a future with Ms. Lane as her mommy.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
November 16, 1998 4:00 pm
348 Hyperion Avenue, Metropolis
Samantha took one last look around the house and pointed out one last safety concern. "Ms. Lane, Mr. Kent, frankly, I don't see many problems here. Rachel is a bit too old to be sticking things into electrical sockets, but I'd like you to put the child covers on them just to be sure." She reached into her briefcase and pulled out a sheaf of papers. "I just need your signatures on these papers, and I'll be through here."
"Does that mean that we get Rachel tonight?" Lois asked, biting her lip nervously.
"I'm afraid not, Ms. Lane. I still have to get approval from a family court judge, but there shouldn't be any problems there, either. It's usually a long wait on the docket, but due to the fact that this is an emergency situation, the judge will be hearing this case first thing in the morning, and I can't see any reason why she would refuse."
Samantha watched as first Clark, then Lois signed the necessary paperwork for both their new foster care license which would allow them to care for a foster child in their home. The papers would allow them to take temporary custody of Rachel, while the state would remain being her legal guardian. "Once you take custody of Rachel," Samantha began, "you will receive a monthly stipend for her support, and of course, she has medical insurance through us," Samantha explained.
"Samantha, is there any chance that we could eventually adopt her?" Clark asked quietly.
"Don't go there, Mr. Kent," Samantha warned. "It's in direct violation of the foster care agreement that you just signed, and if you violate that agreement at any time, Rachel can be pulled from your care." Samantha sighed and fiddled with the hem of her sweater. "Let's just go with what we have." She gave them a small smile. "If you still want to adopt her in a month or so and we haven't found any relatives willing to take her, we'll talk about it then, okay?"
She took the papers from them and stuffed them back in her briefcase. "I'll call as soon as I have news, and if it's good, I'll bring Rachel by tomorrow around noon."
"Thank you, Samantha," Lois said quietly. Clark shook Samantha's hand and escorted her towards the door. As the door closed behind her, Clark turned to face his wife.
"Are you okay, honey?" he asked softly. "Your heart is going 260--what's the matter?"
"It's just that now we're actually going to get Rachel, I'm starting to get nervous. What are we going to do about Superman? Until we know that we can keep her permanently, she can't know the secret. How are we going to handle that? And then there's the fact that I've never had a five year old around before and there's bedtimes and play dates and we don't have anything for her bedroom yet." Lois appeared panic-stricken. "And I bet she needs clothes and toys… and then there's the issue of new furniture for her bedroom…"
Clark walked over to her and stopped her babbling the best way he knew how. He kissed her. After several pleasurable minutes, he slowly lifted his head and lightly rubbed his hands up and down her arms. "We'll figure all it out, honey," he said softly. "She just needs lots of love right now, and we can provide that. As for Superman, well, we'll just have to be careful--he won't be making many appearances in the house while she's here." He frowned thoughtfully. "You'll have to remind me to use potholders when Rachel's nearby. I might forget otherwise."
Clark wrapped his arms around Lois, holding her close, and smiled as she brought her arms up around him. "At least this time, you won't be trying to do it alone," he said with a grin.
"You're right," she said softly. "We're in this together." Lois tugged his head down to hers and kissed him lingeringly.
"Together," came his soft whisper between kisses as he began to back towards the stairs.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
November 17, 1998 11:00 am
Metropolis County Courthouse (AKA Hall of Justice)
Samantha Parker sat quietly on a bench outside the courtroom, waiting for her charge's case to be called. While you couldn't always tell with people's reputations--Lex Luthor was a prime example of that--she felt confident that the Kents' sterling reputation was based solely on the truth. She was sure that placing Rachel with them was a good idea. She'd been a social worker for twenty years and despite her best intentions, had occasionally failed some of her charges. She wasn't going to fail Rachel again. The child deserved better. All the children deserved better than the hand they'd been dealt.
She glanced at her watch, and, noting the time, gathered her things. She walked resolutely into the courtroom. It wasn't more than a minute or two before Rachel's case was called. She presented her paperwork to the judge, who spent no more than a few minutes reviewing her recommendation before signing the order placing Rachel in the Kents' temporary custody. Samantha sighed in relief as the clerk took the papers off to be photocopied. He returned them quickly, and she slid them into her briefcase. Later, she would have them filed at the office. It was just another day in Family Court.
With a polite thank you, Samantha headed out of the courthouse and got into her old, beat-up car. She drove over to the hospital and checked Rachel out, thankful that she had remembered to pick up the child's things from Coates Orphanage early that morning. Quickly she led the girl out to her car and buckled her into the back seat of the vehicle.
"Rachel, are you ready to meet your new foster parents?" she asked quietly.
Rachel nodded shyly and clutched her teddy bear closer to her chest for comfort.
Samantha sighed and walked around the car to climb in behind the wheel. She wished that Rachel would talk more, but knew that it would come in time. She checked the address again and drove over to the Kents' house. Samantha helped Rachel get out of the car and, gathering her few belongings out of the back, the pair headed up the steps of the Kents' brownstone. She took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
November 17, 1998, 11:45 am
348 Hyperion Avenue, Metropolis
Lois paced back and forth in the living room, straightening a picture here, and fluffing a pillow there. Despite their conversation the night before, she was still a nervous wreck. It didn't help that both her parents had called to ask if she was sure about taking Rachel into their home. Her mother had even shared a couple of horror stories of things that foster children sometimes did.
She walked over to her fish tank and fed the fish, then considered watering the plants. It was something that Clark usually did, as he was the only one who seemed to be able to remember the task, but she needed to do *something* to keep from going crazy from sheer nerves. She walked over to the bookcase and pushed a book in place. Finally giving up, she began to pace again. She nearly jumped out of her skin when the doorbell rang. She hurried over to the door and, after looking through the peephole, opened it. She took Rachel's bag from Samantha before holding her hand out to the child. "Hi, Rachel," she said softly. "My husband, Clark had to work, but you'll get to meet him a little later when we visit the Planet's daycare center to get you enrolled in their after school program."
Rachel looked up at her and smiled tentatively. "Are you really going to be my foster mommy?" she asked in a barely audible voice.
"Yes, I am, sweetheart," Lois replied.
Rachel dropped her bear to throw her arms around Lois's legs. "Thank you," the child whispered.
Lois looked startled for a minute before reaching down to stroke the child's hair. "You're welcome, sweetie," she said softly. "We're very glad to have you here, Rachel."
Samantha cleared her throat. "Ms. Lane, please remember Rachel's sessions with the art therapist twice a week. We'll see if we can't get her to come to the school. You also need to remember to get Rachel enrolled in school by tomorrow at the latest." She held out her hand, which Lois grasped and shook firmly.
"Thank you, Samantha," she said softly. Samantha simply smiled and left, leaving Rachel and Lois together.
Lois looked down at Rachel and smiled. She dropped to her knees, grabbed the freshly-washed Aimee from a nearby chair, and handed it to the little girl. Taking a deep breath, she asked, "So, Rachel--would you like to go shopping for stuff for your new room?"
"I'd like that, Ms. Lane," Rachel whispered as she smiled at the doll in her arms. "Thank you for giving Aimee back."
"You're welcome, sweetie," Lois said, reaching out to brush some of Rachel's hair back. "We're glad you're home."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~