Chapter up!

"talk"

Thought.

'Writing'

Chapter 2

Six Months Earlier.

Written by Xanafan1500.

I guess I should begin by saying, I never thought that much about children.

Except when I was expressing my distaste for whatever kid was screaming and kicking for whatever annoying reason, when I was out shopping, or trying to eat in a restaurant.

But somehow that changed.

It was on a usual day, I was working from home, working on people's computers, Luis often worked doing favors for random fey in exchange for glamored leaves or people with faery curses.

After wishing Luis a good day and watching him leave I grabbed a cup of coffee, sat on the couch and turned on the TV. Since it was morning it was all news.

I watched it blankly. It seemed to be all the same stuff, all the time. The economy, drought, war, and local gangs.

But today there was a different news topic that for some reason caught my attention.

"Today a local woman is on a mission," said Marcia Liona the anchor woman in a cheesy smooth business tone.

"Gretchen Livingston is trying to spread the word of fostering and adoption."

The screen changed to a short pudgy woman with her hair pulled back, sitting in her living room surrounded by children.

"I want couples who can't have children, who want children, to consider adoption." said the woman. "There are many children in the world without parents. I encourage people to at least consider it." She smiled, said a few more things and the screen changed back to Marcia Liona.

"For more information on adoption and foster care please visit our website." said Marcia.

I watched the new a little longer while I finished my coffee. For some reason I couldn't get adoption off my mind.

Maybe if I go to the website and look it up it'll help. I thought.

So I pulled out my old refurbished piece of shit for laptop and turned it on.

It loaded and I pulled the internet up and typed the address. After clicking the link on the website it said a few things about how nice adoption is, I skipped through that and came across to adoption fees.

'Adoption fees range from 0-30,000 dollars depending on, country, age, race, gender, and adoption plan or agency.'

"Thirty-thousand dollars?" I said. "Damn."

At the bottom there were links to different adoption agencies' websites. They were listed in categories thank god,in stead of being haphazardly thrown up there.

'Religious Adoption Services'

'International Adoption Services'

'United States Adoption Services'

'LGBT Adoption Services'

I clicked on a link in the LGBT category and clicked something that said 'Pictures and bios of our children'

Then some more categories came up.

'Infants'

'Children'

'Teens'

"You can adopt teens too?" I asked myself knowing I was losing it. I clicked the bottom link and scrolled through the bios of teens.

Some looked like they'd beat the shit of you if you at them wrong. Others looked too depressed, or like junkies, or scared of their own shadows. Who could blame them though?

Probably went through their whole life in foster care or who knows where. But one picture stood out from the rest.

A teenage girl with long straight brown hair braided tightly. Her face was round but not fat, and laden with acne, her smile had multicolor braces on gleaming white teeth. She looked perfect.

Her bio said:

'Hannah Marie Cole:

Born: November 10th 1994

Hannah is a smart, bright girl with a great future.

She has been home schooled her whole life and is registered in most major agencies.

She has a fantastic imagination.'

"I love reading." She says. "Especially ones like Spider wick and Tithe. I also hope that one day I can be an inspiring author!"

To contact her foster parents call: 555-555-1924

I don't know if it was an impulse or some parenting instinct, but in that moment I knew that girl was mine.

I picked up my cellphone and dialed.

"Hello?" answered a woman.

"Yes!" I said surprising myself and no doubt the answering woman. "I mean, hello. I'm calling to ask about Hannah Marie Cole?"

"Yes?" the woman asked.

"Well, I was online, and I saw her picture..." I trailed off.

"Sir, I don't know what you're getting at, but if you're some sort of creep I ask that you never call here again" she replied tartly.

"No! I-I was inquiring about adoption. She seems so sweet." I explained.

"Oh she is." The woman said calmly. "I apologize Mr...?"

"Cornelius Stone, ma'am."

"Yes, I apologize Mr. Stone. I'm Mrs. Hawthorn. Please call me, Mary. Having her picture and my phone number on that website makes me nervous, you see."

"Of course."

"Are you ready and set to adopt a child?" She asked me getting to the point.

"Er, No. I didn't know you had to be ready in some way." I said, confused.

"Well, depending on which agency you choose you have to get registered and such." She explained, causing me to become even more confused.

"I'll tell you what," she said in an excited voice. "I'll give you Mr. Sayek's phone number. You can trust him, he knows everything you need to know."

"Oh," I said. "Thank you, Mrs. Hawthorn."

I sat back on the couch and we talked for a while about Hannah and Luis and how and why I found out about adopting.

When I hung up I sat thinking about how I would tell my husband of three years about my decision. How would I get him to agree? After all we just moved into a suitable home.

It was after all a two way street. Again I picked up my phone and dialed Luis's number.

"Hey babe," He said. "Whatcha need?"

I leaned forward uneasily, a lump formed itself in my stomach and I gulped.

"Corny? You okay?"

I couldn't bring myself to ask him on the phone.

"Yeah," I said weakly.

I had to think of something.

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Then why did you call? I have work to do. If I don't get back to my client soon he'll feed me to his pet manticore." Luis said in a slight irritated tone.

"I just wanted to ask you...uh...h-how much money we have in the bank." I muttered.

"Which account?" Luis asked. "Savings or whatever?"

"The whatever account." I told him, rubbing my neck and shifting a laying position.

"Ah," he said. "That one. What do want to buy?"

"Just tell me the fucking amount Luis." I said closing my eyes with a sigh.

"Okay, okay," he chuckled. "Eight-teen thousand dollars."

"Thank you," I grunted angrily.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I just want to talk to you when you come home."

"Okay, I be home at five 'o clock. Hopefully."

"Okay, love you. Bye."

"Love you too. Bye."

For a moment I thought about what Hannah said on the website. She liked a story about me, and Kaye. I remember telling Mrs. Black about everything. She published it as fiction, to protect, well everything.

My eyes drooped and my thoughts became bleary.

I threw the phone on the table and closed my eyes.

When I opened them I heard the door unlocking. It was dark outside.

So much for getting work done.