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CHAPTER 8: APPROACHING
In mid-August they traveled with the children to Rockport again.
Janet and the children were happy to have them back. -
Two or three days later, Chandler asked Jack to bring all the kids out to play in the backyard.
When they were alone with Janet and Anne, Chandler told them that he wanted to talk.
Chandler was nervous, these were the social situations that made him uncomfortable, especially when he didn't want to hurt Janet, with sweaty hands he began to explain to them
"Janet, Monica and I have been thinking that the day you cannot take care of the children, I think that neither you nor we want them to be sent to an institute, we are willing to take care of them, adopt them"... "I don't say that it is now, it is not our intention in any way to take them away from you, we just think that both you and we should be prepared, start some process so that when something happens, everything is legally ready."
Janet with tears in her eyes looked at him sweetly "Oh Chandler, I wanted so much to be proposed... I feel weaker and weaker…. And just as you say, I am terrified that they go to an institute and end up separating them, you are family and it is the best destiny that we can give them"
"Janet, we have to start the process from NY, but we think it would be convenient to talk to the children's Social Worker so that she is aware, and help with the process, the idea is that they are with you until you want or feel strong enough to have them, and we would just take them there, but for that we need to start the process" summed up Chandler
"I totally agree, when you came home looking for Elizabeth and I saw what you were like, I felt like my Eli was sending you to take care of her children," Janet said.
Anne told them "This is the best news you could give us, we didn't know if you were willing to take care of the three children, we prayed for it, I'm sure they will be happy with you, the only thing we ask is that when they are with you send us photos and tell us how you are doing, and come and see us from time to time"
"Don't doubt that, tomorrow we're going to buy a laptop, and we're going to teach you how to make video calls, so they can talk to each other and see them as many times as they want," Monica told them.
Chandler asked them "do you have internet service"
"Yes," answered Anne, "we use it for the kids to watch Disney movies."
"Do you have a way to contact the Assistant" Chandler asked, "it would be nice if she came to the house so she knows us and sees all our family and what we agree on"
Anne immediately called the Assistant who arranged to visit them the next day.
In the morning, Mrs. Kendal arrived at Janet's house, she was a middle-aged lady, very serious and somewhat unpleasant from the moment she introduced herself.
"Hi Janet, how are you, you can still handle temporary custody, because you already know when you tell me we'll take them"
Chandler looked at her with icy eyes.
"Mrs. Kendal, this is Mr. Chandler Bing and his wife Monica, Chandler is Elizabeth's half-brother," Janet said softly.
"And where did you come from? … I never knew there were brothers" the assistant replied sourly looking at the couple with disdain.
"I assure you, we didn't climb out from under a rock," Chandler said sarcastically, and Monica gave him a "please calm down" look.
"Well, that was the first point of your question," Chandler continued with his sarcasm. "I am the son of Elizabeth's biological mother, Eleonora Tayler, ... I suppose you already know that Elizabeth was adopted by Janet and Harold Morrison."
"And why did you just appear?" Mrs. Kendal continued with arrogant.
Chandler was getting more and more furious with the Assistant.
"I will explain, ma'am, my father a year ago, just before he died, told me about the existence of Elizabeth and that my mother had given her up for adoption, and since it was an open adoption, Janet and her husband had sent she letters and photos of the girl to my mother that my father kept. From that moment on, and with only Janet's address data from 39 years ago, my wife and I began to look for Elizabeth. I wanted to meet her and find out if she, despite having been abandoned by my mother, had had a happy life, which fortunately I was able to verify, even though I didn't get to know her as a result of the accident"
"The father of you was also Elizabeth's father? I ask the Assistant
"No, my parent´s still lived together, but they had separate lives," Chandler replied coldly.
"And what do you want now...?" asked the Assistant again in an inquisitive manner
"Janet told us about the provisional custody that she has of the children, which is subject to the progression of her disease, and my wife and I want, when necessary, to take care of my nephews" Chandler said trying to calm down and lower your voice
Before the woman could ask another nasty question, Chandler continued.
"In NY, where we live, we got in touch with an adoption lawyer who already told us the steps to follow. We were hoping to come talk to Janet, since we didn't want to do anything without her consent, and she agrees to start the process" and he kept saying
"Mrs. Kendal, we called you because we believe that the right thing to do is that you be aware of the start of the procedures, neither Janet nor we want the children to spend even a single day in a foster institution"
"I don't know why you are prejudiced against them, there they know how to take care of the children very well," said Mrs. Kendal with smugness
"Look ma'am, I lived 8 years of my life in a boarding school, the most expensive boarding school in the state of NY, and living in that place for a child is a punishment, and I am willing to do everything necessary so that my nephews do not pass for such an experience," Chandler said with even more smugness,
"Well, his parents put you in a boarding school for a reason…. shouldn't be a good boy," said Mrs. Kendal mockingly.
Chandler couldn't take it anymore and stood up, Monica took him hard by the hand and gently asked him to sit down.
"Ma'am, I don't have to tell you the story of my life, I'll just tell you that my mother abandoned Elizabeth at birth giving her up for adoption, but she couldn't do the same with me, her parents found out about the pregnancy and forced her to marry with my father, to have me and raise me, but as soon as she divorced and obtained my custody, she opted to abandon me in a boarding school" "Here, as far as I'm concerned, we're not talking about a bad boy, but a bad mother, that's all you need to know," Chandler said loudly, fire in his face.
"I repeat, ma'am, my nephews are not going to go to any institute, even if you assure me that it is the best in the country, a child must grow up with love, care, attention, affection, and that can only be achieved in a real home here with his grandmother, or with us," Chandler finished.
"You guys are married…. you have children… do you think they are psychologically and emotionally fit to raise three children…? Because this is not a game…" The Assistant spoke questioningly again.
Now the one who started to get angry was Monica, this time she was the one who spoke firmly.
"Mrs. Kendal, you just accused my husband of being prejudiced, and now you are the prejudiced one." …
"Yes, we have been married for 11 years, we have two twin children, my husband has a high position in one of the most important Advertising Agencies in NY, I am a chef and currently have my own bakery business four blocks from my home, we live in a house on Long Island, and we have rooms for everyone" "but I also want to make it clear that we already went through an adoption process 8 years ago, we can't have our own children, so we adopted the twins when they had just born, we had no problem meeting all the requirements and we did an open adoption, which allows the biological mother to maintain contact with us"… Monica paused and continued with some irony in her tone
"As you see ma'am... we are psychologically, emotionally and financially fit to raise three children…"
"Ok, and when are they going to start the paperwork? asked the assistant in a slightly softer tone
Chandler replied, "As soon as we get back to NY, we're spending a few days here with our kids, we were already here with them for fifteen days in July, and now we'll be here for 10 days."
"Can I meet them?" I ask Mrs. Kendal
"Yes of course" Monica said quickly, the boys are in the backyard, Jack, my son, is teaching Lucas how to play soccer, and the girls are in Emily's bedroom playing with the dollhouse, I'm going to them to search"
Monica called Jack and Lucas and went to the room returning with Erica and Emily and bringing Magi in her arms. All the boys came in laughing, but when Lucas saw Mrs. Kendal he froze and his face changed.
Janet noticed and called Lucas next to her, "Lucas love, don't be afraid, she didn't come looking for you, she just came to meet your uncles"
"Lucas, I don't know why you're afraid of me…" Mrs. Kendal said with a forced smile.
And Chandler came from the soul "it is easier for him to be afraid of you than Cinderella's stepmother"
Monica sent her the Geller look, but Chandler shrugged and said "Lucas what do you think... do you agree with me" giving him a wide smile and a wink.
Lucas smiled, went to his side and put his hand up for a high five.
Mrs. Kendal said hello to Emily which she barely answered and went over to Magi, but Magi hid her face in Monica's shoulder.
Then she greeted Jack and Erika, and asked their names. They said Hello and they answered politely, but coldly since they had captured the tense atmosphere in the room.
Finally, Mrs. Kendal ended the interview, greeted everyone, and said to Chandler in her sour voice, "I hope you have luck with your paperwork..."
Chandler smiled at her and looked at her as he greeted her with a handshake, "make no mistake, and thanks for your kindness and support..."
Mrs. Kendal left smiling.
When they were alone Monica told Chandler that he had been hard on the woman,
"Mon, you were tough too, she is used to being scared, but she won't scare us, don't worry..."
Janet laughed, "it's true she always scares me, she amused me how you treated her"
A couple of days later, Chandler told Monica that he was thinking that they would have to move to a house with more rooms, since there would now be 5 children.
"Honey, do you think it's necessary, we have a guest room and an office, we can use those two rooms for the children..."
"Mon, I need an office for the days that I stay at home to work, plus the kitchen will be too small for us, and although we could make reforms, think what it would be like to live among masons, we would go crazy and on the other hand the land does not allow build a lot more according to city regulations" said Chandler
"It's just that I love that house so much, we liked it so much when we bought it, remember, and the children grew up there and there are all those memories" Monica said sadly
"Mon, darling, we can make new memories in the new house, this time with 5 kids around, yes, it should be in the same school district, close to your parents, close to Ross, and especially close to your Bakery, it won't be easy and we don't have much time to find it since we should be in the new house before the Assistants visit, so I think we should start looking now."
"But a bigger house is going to cost a lot…" Monica commented.
"Honey, remember that dad left me a considerable fortune, so money is not a problem, I even think we could buy it even without having to sell ours first" Chandler replied.
Then they were silent.
"Mon, what's up, you kept quiet" Chandler told her as he hugged her
"I'm just trying to assimilate the idea…. surely it will be the best… it's just that I feel it is my home" said Monica sadly
"Love, our home will be anywhere as long as we're all together, here, in China, it doesn't matter..." Chandler told her with a smile.
"Yes,,,,, you're right..." Monica replied with a kiss and a smile.
"Oh God!" Chandler exclaimed, opening his eyes and placing the fingers of both hands on his temples as a sign of astonishment, "what a strange feeling it is to be right…. How many times has it happened to me since we met…and I include the years of just friendship…Hum … the only one I remember was with the boots…" and he laughed out loud
Monica nudged her, but she ended up laughing too.