Rising Sun, Maryland
Late January 1987
Cranberry Orphanage
Gustus stood looking out the window. A blanket of fresh snow covered the grounds. The rolling hills of northern Maryland looked like something out of a fairy tale. Inside the derelict building, Indra sat observing Anya as she brought various Barbies to life inside of a an offensively pink dollhouse. Plastered all along the deteriorating walls of the office, were posters displaying a different kind of fairy tale – happy couples with their perfect children.
Indra and Gustus had been right. Anya was ready. Or maybe Lexa had made her ready. Whatever the reason, Anya had fallen in love and was only convinced to leave the infant after the social worker told her that she had a certain miniature plastic woman and it was waiting for the little girl in her office.
"What is an anchored adoption?" Gustus inquires, turning around from the window and stepping forward to where his wife sat. Little wires of his beard moving with his breath.
The social worker appeared to brace her self. "It's rare. Granted to special cases." She set her feet on the floor and tried to put on a show, but it was obvious she had done this before with little success. Lexa was a beautiful child. Lazy brown curls falling from every angle of her head. Expressive green eyes. She appeared even-tempered and smart even in her infancy. She didn't smile or laugh much, but when she did it was like seeing a shooting star and Indra and Gustus couldn't help but feel the whimsy in it. Normally newborns find family right away. And Lexa seemed so wonderful, but she was 8 months old now and still hadn't been adopted yet. So there must be a catch.
The social worker tucked a greying curl behind her ear and reached for a rather thick file on her desk. Stamped across the front in red letters: Lexa Allegra Bateau – Adoption Agreement. The husband and wife had seen a lot of these files in their pursuit to become parents. Lexa's was the thickest. By at least a half an inch
"It's like an open adoption, but the biological mother would have more than just visits. Lexa would be granted permission to return to her biological mother at anytime after the age of 12. Provided that both Lexa and the mother wanted that."
"So we would be foster parents?" Indra did not like where was this going.
"Yes. And no." The social worker knew what was coming. When people decided to make a family, they wanted it to be forever. "There is a chance that you would not have sole custody of Lexa. I know it's complicated, but in most cases this kind of agreement was made because of the biological parents and not the child."
"That doesn't seem right." Indra said not looking up because Anya had wandered over to her requesting help putting a sweater on the Barbie. Remembering Anya's disorientating past, she added. "Stability is important."
"Between you and I, Mrs. Woods, I agree. But in cases like these, it is believed that the additional guidance from the biological parent would be an asset to the child."
Sensing the question in the couple before her, the social worker continued, "They are usually someone of influence that has made something of him or herself and regretted having to give up the child for adoption."
Gustus 's eyes scanned the packet of paperwork. His eyes were so brown they appeared black, but there was warmth in them when he looked to his daughter and then met the gaze of his wife. They both had known what they were going to decide the moment little Lexa had wrapped her tiny hand around Anya's finger. They were committed no matter the obstacles. "Alright," he said, "What's it going to take?"
The social worker smiled and handed over the heavy packet.
The Woods Residence
February - June 1987
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
There were so many home visits with varying members of the agency. Unannounced check ups from the social worker. Multiple interviews with every member of the Woods clan. A thorough scrutiny of their lives and abilities as parents. And the paperwork had only just begun.
It wasn't perfect. It wasn't a fairytale.
It was better.
Because Lexa was here now.