"Oi Gill!" Cal yelled across the hallway from his office door. Gillian turned to him in her chair. She was on her phone. Why he didn't pick his up to call her instead of yelling across the building she didn't know. He looked put out for a moment, indecisive and then crossed the corridor. He slipped into her office as a smile spread across her face. She looked up at Cal. Her eyes flashed in delight and the smile spread out to her ears. She grinned, she gushed and Cal forgot to even listen to what she was saying he was so wrapped up in the elation on her face.
"Who was that then?" He asked once she had hung up.
She was already half way around her desk. "That was Gail."
"Oh yeah?"
Gillian wrapped her arms around Cal's neck as he asked: "Good news then?"
"Yes," Gillian spoke over his shoulder as she hugged him.
"She said 'yes'?" Cal quickly deduced.
"Yes."
Cal squeezed his wife tightly. He was happy for her. But he wasn't happy himself. That feeling of dread that something bad was going to happen had not evaded him no matter how hard he tried to get rid of it. There was something 'off'. He pulled her back to see her face. Genuine happiness. He gave her a grin. He never said anything about not being happy for her sake though; even if he was still mentally preparing for fall out. That wasn't exactly being open with her was it? They were trying, but that'd didn't mean it was magically resolved. They'd had the surgery and cut out the nasty festering tumour that was driving them apart, stitched it all up again and now they were just waiting for the wound to heal.
"So that's ok then?" Gillian asked him. "You want to go through with it?"
"Oh yeah," Cal responded. Gillian broke into another smile. "So what happens next? We sign pape-a work?"
"No, not quite. Most of the paper work actually happens after the baby is born. Our end anyway. Kiera will file with the courts her intention to give up her custodial rights. Um, but we can get things organised our end with the lawyers."
Cal nodded. He loved watching her talk when she was excited about something. Such a myriad of positive facial expressions. "What else?" He prompted, his hands shifting to her hips. Keep her talking. She might not notice his lack of genuine enthusiasm.
"Mostly waiting."
"Sucks."
"Yeah."
"At least not too long in our case."
"No," Gillian agreed.
"Reckon we should call Kiera and thank her?"
A little flash of concern. "I always worry about being overly gracious."
"Sends out the wrong message? That we're desperate? That we'll tell her anythin' to get what we want?"
Gillian looked a little surprised. "I think," Cal explained.
"Yeah I know you think," Gillian responded with a slight smile. Cal gave her hips a squeeze. "Oh!" She remembered. "One other thing. They might send a social worker to the house."
"To check up on us?"
"Uh huh. And medical checks."
"Are they gonna make me pee in a cup?"
"Depends whether you give them a reason to," Gillian stepped away from him and went back to her desk.
"Wouldn't be the first time," Cal quipped. Gillian smiled slightly as she came around the corner of the furniture.
"If Kiera has already said yes to us do they really need to do the social worka thing?"
"Well," Gillian looked up at him as she sat again. "Seeing as this whole thing has been a little unorthodox, I don't know."
"When are they gonna wanna do this social worka thing then?"
"Usually the adopting couple organise the in-home visit to prove they have a safe home life to bring a child into." Gillian slid her chair back under her desk as she sat. "But considering this whole incident has been beyond by-the-book, I don't know. I'll call Gail back and see what she expects of us."
Cal nodded and strode for the door. A baby girl. Bloody hell. He had no idea what he'd gone in there for now.
PJ
Knock, knock, knock.
"Who's that?" Cal asked Lewis. Lewis's head came up and he looked at his father confused. "Someone is at the door," Cal told him putting the papers he was reading down.
"Oh!" Lewis stood from his crouch. He attempted to climb over the barrier in the doorway. Cal lifted him over it. Lewis raced for the door yelling and slapped his hands against the panelling as he waited for his father to catch up.
"Cal?" Gillian called from the back of the house.
"I got it!" He yelled back. "You have to step back so I can open it," he told Lewis, taking his arm and gently pulling him away. Cal opened the door to find a short, dark haired woman looking up at him expectantly. Her hair was bound back in a dark green and silver clip. She wore a pin striped skirt with suit jacket. She had an ID badge pinned to a front pocket. "Hi," Cal greeted her while Lewis half jumped on the spot, pointing with his free hand.
"Hi, my name is Michaela Grey, I'm with social services."
Cal thought of ten different quips but kept them all in his head. Probably better to stay on the right side of this woman lest she bring an investigation against him for making a smart comment about the neighbours reporting they heard sounds of animal slaughter coming from their backyard again while Lewis was in the paddling pool.
"I'm here on behalf of Find a Family."
"Yeah," Cal nodded and waved his arm in a 'come in' gesture. "Expected you to show your face."
Michaela looked a little startled. "You know, cos we're tryin' to adopt," Cal explained.
"Right," Michaela agreed. "You must be Cal?" She stepped forward with an extended hand.
"Yep," he shook. "This is Lewis."
"Hi Lewis," Michaela leaned down slightly to talk to him.
Lewis stared and then decided he was shy. He clung to Cal's leg as if he could hide behind it. Cal stooped to lift him so he could step back to let Michaela come into the house. "Come on," he spoke to Lewis. "Wanna help me show Michaela around?"
"Is your wife Gillian home?" She spoke in a practiced way, like she had tried to memorise their names and didn't want to say them aloud in case she got them wrong.
"Yeah, she was makin' lunch. Gill!" Cal called. "You wanna have a look around?" He asked easily, because Gillian had already filled him in on what the social worker wanted to see and what she would ask.
"Sure," Michaela gave him a warm smile. Her eyes were entirely brown, but light, almost golden.
Cal turned with Lewis on his hip. "Living room. Excuse the mess," he started with. "Guest room," he pointed out, which used to be and sort of still was Emily's room.
Michaela had a leather notebook in her hand and she whipped back its cover to reveal a lined pad of paper and a few pens. She swiftly grabbed one out and started taking notes. Gillian appeared through the kitchen door way. "This is Michaela," Cal pointed. She hadn't indicated that he should call her Ms Grey. And considering she had used their first names he was going to stick to it unless corrected.
Michaela stepped forward to shake Gillian's hand and they exchanged pleasant greetings and tight smiles. Michaela explained what she was doing there and Gillian indicated she should carry on. Cal moved further down the hallway. "Bathroom," he opened the door. Lewis's bath toys were evident in the tub but otherwise it was clean and tidy. They moved further down. "Who's room is this?" Cal asked standing just inside the doorway while Michaela made more notes as she surveyed. Lewis looked at him. "Is this Mummy's room?" Cal brought a hand to his mouth. Lewis shook his head. And pointed to himself.
"My room?" He asked Lewis.
"Mine," Lewis responded.
"Yeah, this is your room."
"Where would you put the baby once it arrives?"
"Oh we were talking about moving Lewis into the bigger room now that he's in a bigger bed," Gillian spoke up.
"And when the baby is in its own bed?"
"Most of this furniture would be moved into Lewis's room. We'd encourage them to use his room as a play room so they can keep toys in once place," Cal explained. "The room isn't that small once you get rid of the changin' table and book shelf."
Michaela made a note of that.
Cal shot Gillian a look. They had been debating the subject for a while. They had talked about moving. They had talked about making the guest room the baby's room. They were talking. Talking was good.
"Office," Cal moved on. "Masta bedroom." They turned in the space at the end of the hallway. "Kitchen," Cal walked in to it. The bench was covered in butter, spreads, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, fresh bread, where Gillian had been making lunch. There were plates on the bench, a chopping board, herbs in little plastic containers Gillian was trying to grow. Dirty mugs in the sink. The rest of the clutter was jars of cookies, coffee, drinking chocolate, a bowl of fruit, an oven timer shaped like a chicken, jars of wooden spoons.
"We mostly eat in here," Gillian commented. "We keep the dining room for more formal occasions. And Cal uses it as his desk."
"Oh look!" Lewis pointed outside. Birds were scattered across the lawn eating the crusts Gillian had clearly thrown over the grass. Lewis pushed against his father to get down. Cal let him go and Lewis raced to the doors leading out to the deck. He slapped against the glass and cried out. A few of the birds took to flight. The rest ignored him. "Out!" Lewis leaned his head back to look at his father. "Out!"
"Please," Cal said and signed to him.
"Pease," Lewis repeated and signed it back to him.
"Your son is partially deaf?" Michaela asked.
"Yes, he's hard of hearing," Gillian answered.
Cal unlatched the door and opened it for him. Lewis climbed over the lip where the doors sat and then raced across the deck to the steps. The birds took off at the noise and Lewis turned to go down the stairs backwards.
"Has he always been hard of hearing?"
"From birth," Gillian responded.
"Good boy," Cal called to Lewis, tensing for a moment thinking he might just launch himself down them head long.
Lewis reached the bottom and got to his feet again and turned to find the lawn empty. "Oh!" He pointed.
"Will his hearing improve?" Michaela went on.
"No but it won't worsen over time either."
"Does he need special attention?"
Cal felt his heckles starting to rise as he listened. He kept his eyes on his son though, making sure he didn't get up to mischief. He was looking up at the trees as if he was waiting for the birds to come back. "Every kid needs their own special attention," he glanced at the social worker for a moment, reading the expression on her face at his words.
"Lewis is having speech therapy at the moment to help him develop his vocal chords," Gillian explained rationally. "He's about a year behind where his speech should be because of his hearing. But he's making really good progress though so we hope he'll be caught up soon."
Michaela nodded and Cal turned away again to watch his son. "Does he interact with children his age?"
"He goes to day care," Gillian answered. "Just a morning session for now. He's starting to grow out of needing an afternoon nap so once he's done that I can stay at work a little longer in the afternoon."
"Does the day care sign to him?"
"Uh they know some basic signs. Lewis understands a lot he just can't talk as well as he should for a kid his age."
"And you're learning to sign?"
"We're certainly trying."
Cal could hear the smile in his wife's tone. "Come on Lewis," he called to his son. "Come inside." Lewis looked around at him. "Come and have somethin' to eat." He signed for food.
"Do Lewis's requirements take up a lot of your time?"
"It takes as much time as it needs to make sure he's gettin' what he needs," Cal turned to her again. "That'd be the same for any kid. We make the time."
Gillian crossed the kitchen to get Lewis's lunch and as he came inside again Cal lifted him to his highchair. "You want somein' to eat?" He spoke to Michaela.
"Oh no thank you."
"Coffee?" Gillian offered next.
"Or tea?" Cal pulled out a chair for the social worker.
"Coffee please," she requested, crossing to sit, and told Gillian how she took it.
"Yum!" Lewis announced of his sandwich.
"Eat the bread," Cal told him. Lewis offered his father some. "Nah mate, you have it," he declined.
Gillian approached with hot drinks. She took a seat. Michaela sipped and then turned back to her notes. "I have a few questions."
Cal wiggled his eyebrows at Gillian. She gave a soft smile in response. He could see she was a little tense.
"You own your business?" Was the first question and she went on to ask about their income and financial obligations. Gillian retrieved her forecasts for the last three years and the current one. Cal loved to watch his wife's business mind at work.
"And are you able to take time off to be with the baby once it arrives?"
"Definitely. I spent almost six months at home with Lewis."
Michaela noted that down.
"Gone!" Lewis announced.
"Do you want some more?" Gillian asked him, signing 'more'.
"Oh more!" Lewis repeated.
"Please," Cal prompted.
"Pease!"
"Good boy," Cal said and signed the phrase.
"Now, do you have family in America Mr Lightman?"
"Uh my daughta and her mutha."
"How old is your daughter?"
"Twenty three," Cal guessed and when Gillian didn't correct him figured he had gotten it correct.
"She doesn't live with you?"
Cal kind of thought that was obvious. "Nah she's in Boston. Lives with her fiancé."
"Twenty three is young to get married."
"That's what I said," Cal watched Gillian give Lewis another piece of bread with Marmite on it. "But she assures me they're gonna wait a few years and save a bit first."
"Is she still in college?"
"No she graduated."
"You're no longer financially responsible for her?"
"No," Cal confirmed. "You know, aside from the weddin'."
Michaela made a note. "Now, are you aware that you'll have to undergo a health evaluation?"
"Already ahead of you," Cal spoke up. "Gill makes me go annually."
"Insurance," Gillian explained and passed over more paper work. Michaela perused it before tucking it into her folder.
"Anythin' else we can help you with?" Cal asked politely
"I've covered all of my questions," Michaela announced. "Normally we'd discuss parenting ideas but it's quite clear that you're experienced parents." She closed her folder. "Unless you have any questions?"
Cal shook his head. He went to Gillian with his questions about the adoption process. Gillian got up to show social worker out. Cal went over to the bench to put a sandwich together out of the ingredients already on the chopping board. "She's gone?"
"Uh huh."
"Mum! Down!" Lewis stood up in his highchair. Cal thought they should probably start encouraging him to sit at the table with them.
"You should just sit at the table with us," Gillian told Lewis as she lifted him up and then lowered him to the ground.
"I was just thinkin' that," Cal turned.
Gillian gave him a smile and approached. She took the sandwich on the plate out of his hand.
"Oi!"
"This is for me?" She asked innocently.
"Only cos we're sleepin' togetha," Cal said it as if it were a warning.