Chapter 4
Tad had also heard the doorbell ringing. He was coming down the stairs as Blair was closing the door. Tad was just about to ask who was at the door but the sight of the baby in Blair's arms stopped him.
"Where did the baby come from?" Tad asked.
"She was left on the doorstep." Blair said.
"Was there a note?" Tad asked.
Blair handed Tad the note. Tad read it.
"I thought I was being watched." Tad said. "We have to call the police."
"No" Blair said. "We are supposed to take care of her. What do you mean being watched?"
"Last night when I came home I got the feeling I was being watched." Tad said. "But I didn't see anyone. According to this note the baby's mother has been watching us for about two and a half months."
"I never saw anybody." Blair said. "Do we really have to call the police?"
"Yes, I don't care what the note says." Tad said. "We still have to call the police and in the meantime I don't want you getting too attached to that baby."
"Too late" Blair said as she took the baby upstairs and Tad called the police.
~*~
Fifteen minutes later the police knocked on the door. Mrs. Garrett and Kelsey had woken up by now and Kelsey was asking Blair if they could keep the baby. Tad let the police in.
"We have a report that a baby was found abandoned on your doorstep." Officer Danko said.
"That's correct." Tad said. "Please come in."
Tad called Blair into the room and she came in with the baby. The police questioned Blair and Tad for a few minutes and then proceeded to take the baby.
"What is going to happen to her?" Blair asked.
"She will be examined by a doctor and then she will be placed in a foster home until we can find the mother." Officer Gillis said.
"You already have a foster home for her?" Blair asked.
"No, she won't be placed until at least tomorrow." Officer Webster said. "She'll spend the night at the hospital and a social worker will pick her up tomorrow morning."
"Can't she stay here until the social worker picks her up?" Blair asked. "It would be so much better than staying at the hospital."
"Well I guess it couldn't hurt to drop her off after she gets checked out." Officer Webster said.
"Really!?" Blair asked excitedly. "You could do that?"
"Sure, no problem." Officer Gillis said. "We'll just get her checked out now and we'll be back, it'll probably be a few hours."
~*~
A few hours later Officer Danko brought Amanda back, by then Jo, Natalie and Tootie had heard the whole story.
"Oh, she is so cute." Tootie said.
"We think so." Blair said.
"But don't get too attached." Jo said. "The social worker will be here tomorrow."
"It's too late." Blair said. "I'm already too attached."
~*~
Later that night, Blair and Tad watched Amanda sleep in Kelsey's old basinet.
"Isn't she beautiful?" Blair asked.
"Yes, she is." Tad said.
"Tad, what do you think about adoption?" Blair asked.
"What do you mean?" Tad asked. "I love kids, I'd like to adopt kids someday."
"I want us to adopt Amanda." Blair said. "There shouldn't be any problem, the mother left her here, she can't take care of her, she wants us to."
"I think we should both sleep on it and talk in the morning." Tad said. "I want you to make sure you really want to do this."
~*~
April 19, 1996
The next morning, Tad woke up to an empty bed. He found Blair in the kitchen with Amanda."
"Did you think about it?" Blair asked.
"Yeah, I am willing to adopt Amanda, but only if you are 100 percent positive this is what you want to do?"
"It is Tad, 110 percent." Blair said.
"Ok, but just to be absolutely sure." Tad said. "Remember when we found out we were having twins and we were so excited that we went out and bought two of everything?"
"Yes" Blair said. "Then we only came home with one baby."
"Are you still sure you want to do this?" Tad asked.
"120 percent" Blair said.
"I don't want you to get your hopes up, we can try but we may not get Amanda and it may be years before another baby is available." Tad said.
"I still want to try." Blair said. "I know it may not work out, but I still want to try."
Tad had also heard the doorbell ringing. He was coming down the stairs as Blair was closing the door. Tad was just about to ask who was at the door but the sight of the baby in Blair's arms stopped him.
"Where did the baby come from?" Tad asked.
"She was left on the doorstep." Blair said.
"Was there a note?" Tad asked.
Blair handed Tad the note. Tad read it.
"I thought I was being watched." Tad said. "We have to call the police."
"No" Blair said. "We are supposed to take care of her. What do you mean being watched?"
"Last night when I came home I got the feeling I was being watched." Tad said. "But I didn't see anyone. According to this note the baby's mother has been watching us for about two and a half months."
"I never saw anybody." Blair said. "Do we really have to call the police?"
"Yes, I don't care what the note says." Tad said. "We still have to call the police and in the meantime I don't want you getting too attached to that baby."
"Too late" Blair said as she took the baby upstairs and Tad called the police.
~*~
Fifteen minutes later the police knocked on the door. Mrs. Garrett and Kelsey had woken up by now and Kelsey was asking Blair if they could keep the baby. Tad let the police in.
"We have a report that a baby was found abandoned on your doorstep." Officer Danko said.
"That's correct." Tad said. "Please come in."
Tad called Blair into the room and she came in with the baby. The police questioned Blair and Tad for a few minutes and then proceeded to take the baby.
"What is going to happen to her?" Blair asked.
"She will be examined by a doctor and then she will be placed in a foster home until we can find the mother." Officer Gillis said.
"You already have a foster home for her?" Blair asked.
"No, she won't be placed until at least tomorrow." Officer Webster said. "She'll spend the night at the hospital and a social worker will pick her up tomorrow morning."
"Can't she stay here until the social worker picks her up?" Blair asked. "It would be so much better than staying at the hospital."
"Well I guess it couldn't hurt to drop her off after she gets checked out." Officer Webster said.
"Really!?" Blair asked excitedly. "You could do that?"
"Sure, no problem." Officer Gillis said. "We'll just get her checked out now and we'll be back, it'll probably be a few hours."
~*~
A few hours later Officer Danko brought Amanda back, by then Jo, Natalie and Tootie had heard the whole story.
"Oh, she is so cute." Tootie said.
"We think so." Blair said.
"But don't get too attached." Jo said. "The social worker will be here tomorrow."
"It's too late." Blair said. "I'm already too attached."
~*~
Later that night, Blair and Tad watched Amanda sleep in Kelsey's old basinet.
"Isn't she beautiful?" Blair asked.
"Yes, she is." Tad said.
"Tad, what do you think about adoption?" Blair asked.
"What do you mean?" Tad asked. "I love kids, I'd like to adopt kids someday."
"I want us to adopt Amanda." Blair said. "There shouldn't be any problem, the mother left her here, she can't take care of her, she wants us to."
"I think we should both sleep on it and talk in the morning." Tad said. "I want you to make sure you really want to do this."
~*~
April 19, 1996
The next morning, Tad woke up to an empty bed. He found Blair in the kitchen with Amanda."
"Did you think about it?" Blair asked.
"Yeah, I am willing to adopt Amanda, but only if you are 100 percent positive this is what you want to do?"
"It is Tad, 110 percent." Blair said.
"Ok, but just to be absolutely sure." Tad said. "Remember when we found out we were having twins and we were so excited that we went out and bought two of everything?"
"Yes" Blair said. "Then we only came home with one baby."
"Are you still sure you want to do this?" Tad asked.
"120 percent" Blair said.
"I don't want you to get your hopes up, we can try but we may not get Amanda and it may be years before another baby is available." Tad said.
"I still want to try." Blair said. "I know it may not work out, but I still want to try."