A/n: Thank you for all of the reviews.
Eric: (shocked) What! No, I can't let her go to the orphanage! We can take her in!
Nurse: huh
Eric: My, my family would like to take in Erica. Her mother was my sister and I think she deserves to be around close family members.
Nurse: Rev. Camden you know that in doing so you have to go to court to gain legal custody of Erica Hastings.
Eric: I realize that.
Nurse: (sighing) Ok you can bring her home for now. But I want to schedule a court date for you and your family to go and gain the custody of this child. I will call you sometime tomorrow and give you the date. (Smiling) For now just go home and get some rest. I'm sure the next few weeks are going to be hard for you and your family.
Eric: (quietly) Thank you.
~The next day~
It had been a rough night. Eric didn't think anybody had gotten that much sleep. Matt who had come to the house after the hospital had slept in Simon's room and he could hear both boys talking and crying. He knew Matt had taken the news pretty hard. Everyone knew him and Julie always looked forward to each other's company, same with the girl's and Annie and him. They had to call the Colonel and Ruth and tell them the news. Also planning the funeral would be hard. Around 10:00am Eric picked up the phone and called the Colonel.
Colonel: Hello
Eric: Hello, Colonel?
Colonel: Hello son, what brings you to call so early?
Eric: (chocking up) Colonel listen um Julie and Hank died last night in a car accident.
Colonel: (softly) Died? What about Erica? How did they die?
Eric: Colonel they died in a car accident last night. A truck driver hit them. Erica is fine. We have to go to court sometime and gain legal custody of her.
Colonel: Ruth and I will catch the next plane there.
With that he hung up.
Ruth: Who was that?
Colonel: (softly) Eric. Julie and Hank are dead.
The day had been going by so slow. Most everyone was in their rooms mourning over the loss of Julie and Hank. Mary tried her hardest to stay strong but couldn't. She tried everything from trying to do homework to taking care of Erica and the twins, which seemed to be the hardest. She couldn't even look at Erica without thinking of Julie and Hank. Around 2:00pm the phone rang and Eric picked it up.
Eric: (chocked up) Hello
Nurse: Hello, Rev. Camden?
Eric: Yes
Nurse: Your court date for the custody of Erica Lyn Hastings. (don't know her real middle name) is scheduled to be on January 18, 2003
Eric: Thank you
With that he hung up.
Annie: Who was that?
Eric: The nurse. Our hearing is in 1 month. January 18th.
Annie: Good. Eric can we really handle another child? I mean we have the twins already and then we have the other 4. Matt seems to be doing well on his own but I mean he's over here more than at his own house. Can we afford another child?
Eric: I know we can get through this, just another path in life.
Annie: I hope so.
A/n: Ok the last chapter it said Mary was up too something. Just cross out that whole scene because something new happened and it totally screwed that part up so just forget about it.
Eric: (shocked) What! No, I can't let her go to the orphanage! We can take her in!
Nurse: huh
Eric: My, my family would like to take in Erica. Her mother was my sister and I think she deserves to be around close family members.
Nurse: Rev. Camden you know that in doing so you have to go to court to gain legal custody of Erica Hastings.
Eric: I realize that.
Nurse: (sighing) Ok you can bring her home for now. But I want to schedule a court date for you and your family to go and gain the custody of this child. I will call you sometime tomorrow and give you the date. (Smiling) For now just go home and get some rest. I'm sure the next few weeks are going to be hard for you and your family.
Eric: (quietly) Thank you.
~The next day~
It had been a rough night. Eric didn't think anybody had gotten that much sleep. Matt who had come to the house after the hospital had slept in Simon's room and he could hear both boys talking and crying. He knew Matt had taken the news pretty hard. Everyone knew him and Julie always looked forward to each other's company, same with the girl's and Annie and him. They had to call the Colonel and Ruth and tell them the news. Also planning the funeral would be hard. Around 10:00am Eric picked up the phone and called the Colonel.
Colonel: Hello
Eric: Hello, Colonel?
Colonel: Hello son, what brings you to call so early?
Eric: (chocking up) Colonel listen um Julie and Hank died last night in a car accident.
Colonel: (softly) Died? What about Erica? How did they die?
Eric: Colonel they died in a car accident last night. A truck driver hit them. Erica is fine. We have to go to court sometime and gain legal custody of her.
Colonel: Ruth and I will catch the next plane there.
With that he hung up.
Ruth: Who was that?
Colonel: (softly) Eric. Julie and Hank are dead.
The day had been going by so slow. Most everyone was in their rooms mourning over the loss of Julie and Hank. Mary tried her hardest to stay strong but couldn't. She tried everything from trying to do homework to taking care of Erica and the twins, which seemed to be the hardest. She couldn't even look at Erica without thinking of Julie and Hank. Around 2:00pm the phone rang and Eric picked it up.
Eric: (chocked up) Hello
Nurse: Hello, Rev. Camden?
Eric: Yes
Nurse: Your court date for the custody of Erica Lyn Hastings. (don't know her real middle name) is scheduled to be on January 18, 2003
Eric: Thank you
With that he hung up.
Annie: Who was that?
Eric: The nurse. Our hearing is in 1 month. January 18th.
Annie: Good. Eric can we really handle another child? I mean we have the twins already and then we have the other 4. Matt seems to be doing well on his own but I mean he's over here more than at his own house. Can we afford another child?
Eric: I know we can get through this, just another path in life.
Annie: I hope so.
A/n: Ok the last chapter it said Mary was up too something. Just cross out that whole scene because something new happened and it totally screwed that part up so just forget about it.