A Chance for a Better Life

Chapter Five

Danny really listened to what his dad had said. They had enough room in their home and hearts for another child. Danny, Joe, Erin, and Jamie spent a lot of time together over break. It was what they all needed. It was easy for Mary and Frank to see the sibling bonds begin to be made. It didn't matter how Jamie got there, all that mattered was that he was there now.

Jamie's first day back at school was fun and exciting. He learned that he was going to be the class leader for their volunteer project for the year. He was nervous but hoped he could show his class the importance of the soup kitchen. His first assignment was to help his classmates understand why the soup kitchen was important. He couldn't get home fast enough. He hardly said two words to anyone. He went straight to the dining room table and begun his homework.

Two hours later it was time for dinner and Jamie was still working away. He didn't care if the kids thought he was different anymore. He wanted the kids to understand why the soup kitchen was needed and how helpful the volunteers were. The soup kitchen had saved his life in more ways than one.

"Jamie, it's time for dinner." Mary thought that he'd gone out to play in the snow with the older kids. "I thought you finished your homework and went outside with the others."

"I wanted to, but I need to work on my speech for the first day at the soup kitchen on Friday."

"Oh sweetie, you'll be great. You know more about the soup kitchen then anyone else in your class." Jamie explained with a serious expression.

"I know that, but none of the other kids have ever been to the soup kitchen unless it was for school."

"That's true, but that's why you were put in charge. You can teach them things no one else can, and if people make fun of you or say mean things come to me or your teacher."

"I will, but I don't care about that. I care that they understand why volunteering at the soup kitchen is important."

"You will, but let's go and eat dinner and then relax. It's important to work and have fun, so no more work after dinner unless you didn't finish your other homework."

"Everything is finished."

"Great."

Dinner was loud just like any other night. Danny and Erin got into a fight about school. Joe just sat and watched. He hated when this happened but learned that their personalities just clashed. It had taken a while, but Jamie had been around long enough that the fighting no longer scared him.

The night ended with a family card game. It was the first time in a week that Frank was home for dinner. He'd been working on a hard case that hit close to home. A small boy had been taken and the case was making him think of Jamie.

"Dad, I don't know what's making you sad, but I want to help." Jamie stood and looked at him with a sad expression.

This was the first time that Jamie had called him dad. He hadn't called Mary mom yet. As bad as his week had been, hearing Jamie call him dad made everything better.

"You just did." Frank smiled for the first time since the case started.

"How?" Jamie gave him a puzzled look that almost made Frank laugh.

"By calling me dad."

"Oh, okay. Can you tell me what's wrong?"

"There's a missing boy, and I haven't been able to find him."

"You'll find him. You found my mom and found Mason so he could go to jail."

"I hope so. His mom is really sad."

"You saved my life. You can save his too." Jamie gives him a hug and makes his way to his room to read before getting ready for bed.

Frank knew he'd saved Jamie in the past but didn't know if Jamie realized that they'd met before. His next thought was to what had happened at the mall. He decided that he'd talk to Jamie about it someday.

Frank's case had a happy ending when he learned that his dad had kidnapped him, and they were spending some time together before his dad knew he'd go to prison. He knew his ex-wife would never let him spend time with his son, so he felt he had no choice.

The next week their lives changed. Saturday afternoon the family was enjoying some time together when Betty fainted. She was rushed to the emergency room, and it was determined that she had a severe heart condition. Betty was going have multiple tests to determine how bad things actually are.

The remainder of January is focused on Betty and a celebration for Danny's eighteenth birthday. He's just happy that his grandmother is there to see it. Each day Jamie's with the family he's learning that he belongs there and starts to let go of some of his fears that he's been holding inside. His volunteer project is going great and has helped him make some friends.

They had been anxiously waiting to find out if there were any issues with the adoption. All of the paperwork had been filed. Home visits had been conducted. The family and Jamie's teachers had been interviewed. Based on the interviews the case worker requested that Jamie meet with a psychologist. Frank and Mary understood their concern and stated that they would do whatever Jamie needed to be successful. Once the visits were completed if they felt everything was okay then the next step was getting a court date. Jamie's case worker felt that if everything went well that the adoption could be finalized by the end of February early March at the latest.

Jamie walked into the psychologist's office full of anxiety and fear. His case worker had to be the one to bring him, so he didn't even have Mary, Frank, Henry, or Betty there for reassurance or support.

"Hi Jamie." Dr. May said as she watched him slowly walk into the room. He was looking around for a place to hide but knew if he did that he might not get to stay with the Reagans.

"Hi."

"Do you want to play with the toys?" She said pointing to the large area of toys she had in the corner of the evaluation room.

"I don't know." Jamie was so afraid. He understood what could happen and he didn't want to leave the Reagans.

"What's wrong?"

"Are you gonna tell the court that I can't live with the Reagan's anymore?" Jamie was trying really hard to stop the tears falling down his face. He didn't want the stranger to see him cry.

"What? No, that's not what this is about."

"It's not?" Jamie didn't believe her. Why was he there then, he didn't understand why he had to do this. He had to take a deep breath. His mind and heart were racing.

"I just want to talk to you for a little bit. Is that okay?" Dr. May could see how anxious Jamie was and hated that he knew enough to have the fears that he already did at his young age.

"Okay." Jamie went and sat down in one of the smaller chairs. He didn't have any interest at all in the toys. He didn't want to be there long enough to play with them.

"Are you afraid of me?" Dr. May asked wondering if there was a bigger issue.

"A little."

"Are you afraid of any of the Reagans?"

"No." Jamie had worked through any fears he had of them a while ago. Now he just wished they were all there with him.

"If one of them were here, would you be more comfortable?"

"Yes. I'm afraid since none of them are here that I won't get to go home."

"You think of their house as home?" Dr. May was hoping to hear those words.

"Yes! I have two big brothers and a big sister at home. They help me and play with me and teach me."

"What kinds of things do they teach you?"

"That I don't have to work all the time. That it's okay to play and have fun." Jamie paused. He didn't want to say anything wrong. "The first thing Joe, Mary, and Frank, all taught me was that I can eat when I'm hungry."

Jamie's last sentence broke her heart. Unfortunately, it was something she'd heard before from kids like Jamie. "Why do you want to work all the time?"

"Because I want to go to college, and I need to get good grades. The Reagan's won't let me get a job yet, but they give me an allowance for chores I do around house."

"Do you understand why they won't let you work?"

"Because I'm too young to get an actual job."

"Do you want to work?"

"Yes, because I want to earn money for a place to live when I get older and to go to college."

Dr. May was impressed by Jamie. She'd read his file, and he'd been through more than any child ever should at his or any age. It was amazing that despite the abuse he'd endured how sweet he was. The biggest impact the abuse had him shown through his fear.

"Do you know what you want to go to college for?"

"I want to help people. I just don't know how I want to help them yet."

"That's okay. You're eight years old you've got time to figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life."

Jamie got up from the chair and started to walk around the room. While he did this Dr. May wrote a message to the case worker to have one of the Reagan's be there when it was time for him to go home.

"Do you talk about your mom with the Reagans?" Dr. May wondered. The Reagan's were a prominent family and wondered how they would handle having someone from a family with a very different background in the house.

"Yeah, and I can go to the cemetery and visit her whenever I want. I can go as long as someone is with me. I'm not old enough to go by myself yet."

"That's great. Do you go often?"

"At least once a week. I love telling my mom about all the cool things that I can do now."

"That's really great. Don't ever lose that connection. What about your dad, have you talked to him?"

"No, and I don't want to. He wanted to hurt me more, and now I have a better dad who really cares about me."

"I agree. Do you ever worry that Frank or Henry will hurt you like your dad did?"

"No. They help me and Frank's saved my life more than once."

"That's good, what about Mary?"

"She lets me help cook and tells me that I have to let the other kids do the dishes. I've never been afraid of her. She's volunteering at my school right now to help me too."

"That's nice of her."

"She's a really cool mom to have since mine isn't here anymore."

"Do you think that your mom would like the Reagans?"

"I know she does. She met Mary at the soup kitchen. When mom disappeared, I was supposed to go Mary for help and her whole family ended up helping me a lot."

"If you could pick a family to live with for the rest of your life, would it be the Reagans?"

"Yes. They are so nice to me. I didn't tell them about my birthday and when they found out they missed it they made me a big dinner and we got to spend a day at the New York Public Library. It was an amazing day. There are so many books there."

"Is that something you wanted to do?" Dr. May thought that activity odd for an eight-year-old.

"They asked me to pick something to do. At first, I asked if I could visit my mom, and that's when they told me I can visit her whenever I want. My mom was going to take me to the New York Public Library for my birthday, but she didn't get a chance to."

"We're done for the day. Why don't you go outside, I have to talk to your case worker for a moment."

"Please tell her I'm okay and that living with the Reagans is good for me."

Dr. May got down to Jamie's level. "You don't need to worry. You will be a Reagan before you know it."

"Really!" Jamie was excited. He thought the appointment was going to be terrible and that next bad thing that always happened to him. "Thank you!"

When Jamie opened the door, he saw his case worker and Mary and Joe. "I get to go home with you!" Jamie smiled.

"Well, I thought since you were so brave and came here all by yourself without any of us that we would go and do something fun."

"What do you want to do Joe?" Jamie always considered others before himself.

"No Jamie, this isn't about me. Thank you for thinking about me, but we want to know what you want to do." Joe explained. He would always worry about Jamie taking care of himself.

Jamie stood and thought for a few minutes.

"Can we go to the park by the house and go for walk and maybe get something to eat?" Jamie looked to Mary. "Or will that ruin dinner?"

Mary smiled. Progress. Jamie didn't really eat unless it was a mealtime, or she had a snack prepared for him. "Yes, we can have whatever you want!"

Dr. May was watching their interactions closely. She knew that her report to the court was going to say that Jamie belonged with the Reagan's. He found his forever family, and one that would love and nurture him in the way he needed, and unfortunately had never gotten before. She instantly saw Jamie become more relaxed and actually happy. It was like the rest of the world had melted away and he focused only on Mary and Joe.

"Is he good to go?" Mary asked when she saw the doctor standing there with the door open.

"Yes, you're good to go."

"I'll have him ready same time next week." Mary would do whatever she had to, in order for her to bring Jamie home for good.

"No need. I'll be recommending that the adoption move forward to the court. There's no question in my mind that he belongs with your family." Dr. May wanted to say that she wished that more families like theirs gave kids like Jamie great loving homes.

The case worker just stood there listening. This news made her very happy. Her recommendation was going to be the same. She loved Jamie and hoped he lived a long happy life with his big new family.

Mary, Joe, and Jamie were off for an afternoon of fun.

"Dr. May, how did it go?" Natalie knew that she'd get the story of what really happened once Jamie left. She was just happy that he was able to leave with his family. She's had kids that went back to the group home.

"Jamie's a great kid Natalie. He was afraid at first, but I learned later on not of me, but of what I could do."

"Tell the court that you don't think the adoption should move forward." Natalie shook her head in understanding.

"How much time have you spent with him?"

"A couple hours a week since he was placed in the care of the Reagan's. Detective Reagan said that he wanted him with them to be in protective custody, but the second week I was there I noticed that he was becoming part of the family. When his mom died, he was very clingy and didn't want to be too far from either Mary or Joe, but he gets along with the entire family really well. Danny was reluctant at first, but it's obvious now that he's his little brother."

"That kid is amazing. I expected him to be very different when I read his file. He's been physically and mentally abused, molested, starved, homeless and after his father was arrested the first time it's a miracle that he's even still alive. The doctors weren't sure he was going to survive. Detective Reagan saved his life that day too, based on what his file said. If he'd have gotten to that apartment any later than he did there's a good chance Jamie would've been dead."

"You understand the medical stuff better than I do. I'm turning my report into the court tomorrow and I'm recommending an expedited process. For obvious reasons he has fears of being abandoned. I don't want this one stuck in the court system for months, plus Detective Reagan's mom is sick. I want her to be able to enjoy the day with them. I want her to be able to see him as her youngest grandson."

"I'll recommend the same and focus on the fact that it's in Jamie's best interest. I hope he doesn't have to live in fear for months. What's sad is that he understands the truth."

The friends talked for a while more before they both had to get back to work. They were happy that this situation had a happy ending. In their line of work that happy scenario didn't often happen. They both had hope.

Once Mary, Joe and Jamie left the doctor's office. They were on their way to the park. Jamie was telling them all about the food vendors at the park and how his friend at school said that they are at the park all year long. Jamie couldn't wait to have a hot dog and then play in the park.

"Jamie, you don't have to tell us anything, but what did you and Dr. May talk about?" Mary was curious. They were eating their hot dogs and watching other kids play in the park.

Jamie took a bite and thought through his stressful morning. "I was scared at first. I didn't want to talk about anything."

"Why?" Joe worried. His parents had been giving them updates and so they understood how quickly things could change.

"Because she could take me away and I wouldn't get to be your little brother anymore." Jamie frowned. He knew he'd lose his best chance at a family if the adoption fell through.

"But you're not worried about that now, are you?" Mary worried that taking him to be evaluated may have caused more harm than good. In his short life everyone had left Jamie.

"Not as much, but once I'm adopted no one can take me away anymore…. Right?" Jamie looked up at Joe and Mary with fear in his eyes.

Joe had to hold back tears.

Mary moved over on the bench they were sitting on and gave him a hug. She was a little surprised with as emotional as he was that Jamie was actually eating. Maybe they were making a difference. "No, once you're a Reagan, you're always gonna be a Reagan."

Jamie still wasn't sure, but that had nothing to do with Mary's reassurance, it had everything to do with Mason never following through on a promise and his mom hardly ever being able to keep a promise because of Mason.

"Jamie, do you want to play on the swings?" Joe hoped Jamie wanted to do things that they could do together.

"Okay." Jamie answered and then looked at the other kids. He remembered seeing people like them when he and his mom would be trying to find someplace to stay overnight. He never thought that he'd be here now. The only thing he wished was that his mom could be alive and safe with him.

Joe and Mary were watching Jamie closely. Joe was happy that Jamie asked to go to the park and play. Jamie had gone back to being quieter and was hesitant to play again. Mary had been concerned because she knew Jamie's fears were alive again and he wasn't eating as much. She hoped that his fears would evaporate over time and as the adoption was finalized.

Two weeks later the family was gathered at the courthouse. It was adoption day! Frank and Mary are happy for several reasons. They had found out that they had a court date, so Mary had the entire family try on their dress clothes so they would be ready for the day. The suit that they had bought Jamie when he moved in with them the previous October no longer fit. They had to go and buy him a new one because he's a healthy weight now. In the five months he'd been with them he'd gained twenty pounds and had grown two inches. They hadn't noticed with some of his other clothes because they had been a little big to begin with.

Jamie almost couldn't believe that this day had actually arrived. It hadn't been that long ago he'd been homeless and wasn't able to attend school.

"Jameson, do you want to be a part of the Regan family?" The judge asked.

"Yes."

"Are you all ready for Jameson to officially be a member of your family?" The judge looked to the Reagan family.

"Yes." Mary, Frank, Joe, Erin, and Danny all said in unison, while Henry, Betty, and Linda, Danny's girlfriend all said yes while sitting in the first row of seating in the courtroom.

"You're gonna be part of a big family. That was a big response, are you ready for that?"

"Yeah, they're pretty cool, but they can be a little loud sometimes." Jamie laughed quietly.

"Jameson Patrick Reagan welcome to your new family." The judge was really happy when a child was going to a good home. The fact that Jamie found his forever family after such a terrible start melted

Jamie was so excited he jumped up and down. He gave Mary and Frank a big hug and was holding back tears.

Mary wasn't doing as well. She, Erin, and Betty were all crying. Joe was so happy he picked Jamie up and gave him a big hug. "It's official. You're my baby brother, and nothing will ever change that."

"Reagan family there's a little paperwork for you to fill out and then you are free to leave. You should have all the documentation in about a month."

Jamie's adoption called for a larger than normal celebration which meant a family dinner at a nice restaurant. Something Jamie had never done before. Jamie had only eaten in a restaurant a few times and all of those times had been with the Reagan's.

"It's official kid, how does it feel to be a Reagan?" Danny asked in a way that only he could.

"Great! I still can't believe it's real. I'm afraid I'm gonna wake up tomorrow and it didn't actually happen."

"I promise you, Jamie, you're a Reagan for life now. You can't get rid of us." Henry smiled and gave Jamie a big reassuring hug.

"Jamie get whatever you want today. Today is your day and we are going to celebrate February 12th as your adoption day like we celebrate your birthday because it's the day you became a Reagan. After this we are going to go to any museum you want." Mary said having talked through the plan with the entire family. Danny had been told this is the kind of stuff that Jamie likes to do so we will enjoy it with him.

"Okay. Thank you."

Jamie was always surprising them. It was a fun afternoon at the transportation museum. Mary wondered if he would be the worlds next big inventor. He had so many ideas as they wondered around. He loved learning how the engines worked and wanted to learn more. He loved riding on the subway and thought that it was cool and wanted to learn more about how they worked too. Henry had some friends who worked in transportation and had some surprises in mind. After the museum they went out to dinner too. He was a very adventurous eater. He wanted the fish and a side of broccoli. The rest of family got steaks. Jamie got to pick his own dessert and he chose a fruit tart. None of the family was surprised.

The next day would be Jamie's first day at school as a Reagan. He was excited because it was a Friday, so it meant that it was their day in the soup kitchen. Mary hadn't been able to attend all of the volunteer trips because she was helping to take care of Betty. Betty was doing okay, but she had more doctors' appointments than she'd had in the past, and her energy level was low. Everyone was happy that she'd made it all day during the adoption, but they knew that she would spend a lot of time resting for the next few days.

Jamie's volunteer day went better than a typical Friday. His class had an adoption celebration for him too. He had no idea. At the soup kitchen they dedicated a new kids book shelf in Jamie's name and they all donated their favorite books so others could get a chance to read them and love them like they do. He was a little sad that his mom hadn't been able to be there, but understood that she had to take care of grandma.

When Jamie got home the first thing, he did was his homework. Mary and Frank were thankful for him because he set a good example that the older kids had followed. Danny was even doing good enough that they weren't concerned about graduation anymore. He wasn't going to graduate at the top of his class, but he was going to graduate. Never in their life could they imagine that someone so young could inspire their oldest to get on tract.

He was a peacekeeper like Joe. If things started to heat up he tried to talk through it peacefully and stop fighting before it began. It was usually between Danny and Erin, but Joe would get involved too, and not always to break it up. Again Mary and Frank were thankful because it minimized the times they needed to step in and stop the conflicts. If the fight involved Jamie, he would stop it before it went to far. He would get someone else involved to mitigate the situation or he would leave the room.

"Mom, how's grandma?"

"She's tired, but okay. She'll be better by Sunday dinner. Have you thought about how you want to celebrate your adoption each year?"

"Could we all volunteer in the soup kitchen where you found me. I found all of you because of the soup kitchen, and I want to spend the day volunteering."

Mary had to wipe the tears from her eyes. She couldn't hold them back. She'd known a lot of kids who would want to be selfish and do something just for themselves. She knew that the soup kitchen would love a time slot filled in with an entire family. It was late enough in the year that people had stopped their holiday volunteering.

"Are you okay mom?" Jamie was worried when the tears had started, and he hadn't gotten a response.

"Yes, I'm great. That sounds like a great idea. What if everyone in the family volunteered so many hours because it might be hard for the entire family to volunteer at once. You and I will keep track of their hours."

"Okay. Can I volunteer an hour for each month I've been a part of the family?"

"This year, yes. Each year we will see how things are to see how much you volunteer okay?"

"Okay, and I know grandma can't. That's okay. I'm just glad she's still here."

"Why don't you spend the day with her. I know she'd like that."

"Okay." Jamie wondered what they were gonna do but knew it would be a good day.

The family loved Jamie's idea about volunteering. Mary decided that each of them would volunteer for five hours over the next month. Danny, Erin, and Joe were happy because they were able use those hours for school.

Since the adoption was final, they no longer had the case worker dropping in for visits. They were able to find a more stable routine. Mary was able to go back to volunteering on a regular basis although she wasn't working the hours she had been before Jamie, she was still able to give a lot back to the community. Joe, Danny, and Erin were all taking turns babysitting Jamie. If things got really crazy Jamie would stay with Henry and Betty.

Danny was able to graduate in early June. He was so happy that he was finally done with school. He knew he wanted to be NYPD but couldn't do that yet, so he was working odd jobs, which meant he'd been working nonstop since he'd graduated. He'd moved in with Linda too. Linda was going to nursing school, and they cherished any time that they got together.

Betty's health had been in a decline for a while, and the doctors had said there wasn't anything anyone could do. Betty was happy that she'd been able to be around for as long as she had been. She'd gotten to see her husband be the Chief of Department for the NYPD, and her son make detective first grade, and her three beautiful grandchildren be born and the fourth adopted. She'd led a good life and was happy that she'd been able achieve and experience so much.

It was a rainy morning in June when Frank got the call that his mom had died in her sleep. It was sad but hadn't been a surprise. They knew that her heart was weak and giving out. Now he was worried about his dad. They had been married a long time, and he wasn't sure how his dad was going to cope.

Betty's funeral had been beautiful and emotional for family and friends. Jamie hadn't known her for an entire year, but she'd been an important part of his life. Mary had been close to her mother-in-law but was being strong for her family. She knew her husband was supporting his dad. Joe and Jamie had been spending as much time together as they could. If Joe was home Jamie was by his side. Any time Erin was home she was with her mom. She wanted to make all of her grandma's recipes. It was her way of remembering her.

Henry had become Jamie's primary babysitter as the summer was ending. Joe played football and was spending a lot of his time at practice preparing for his first game of the year. Erin was spending a lot of time with friends and letting her wild side out.

"Grandpa, can I help you do something?" Jamie was over at Henry's because Frank had to work late. He'd been called in on a case.

"No, I'm okay. Are you getting hungry?" Henry was doing better. Betty had been gone for a few months, but there were still days he was really struggling, but he had people who depended on him.

"Grandpa do you think now that grandma and my mommy are in heaven that they are friends?"

"I know one thing that they have in common, and ya know what, I bet grandma is telling your mom how great you're doing." Henry hugged Jamie. He didn't know what he would do without this little boy.

"Grandpa, Grandma Betty, didn't die because of me, did she?"

Henry worried where that thought came from and why Jamie would think that. "Why would you think that?"

"My mommy died because of me, and I haven't been with you guys a year and now Grandma Betty's gone. I'm sorry." Jamie was working hard so he didn't start crying.

Henry wondered if anyone else in the family knew that Jamie felt this way. "Jamie, you have nothing to be sorry for. Your Grandma Betty got sick, that's all. Do you know what you did for her?"

Jamie tilted his head. He didn't think he didn't anything for her. "What did I do for her?"

"You're her fourth grandchild, and she loved spending time with you. You make everyone around you so happy. Before your grandma died, if you were here with your mom, when I came home, she would tell me about spending the day with you. You helped her so much. She loved every moment she spent with you."

"She did. I just don't want to hurt anyone."

"You don't. You bring us lots of joy."

Jamie blushed and looked down. He didn't like attention. He thought that grandpa was going to be mad at him and didn't like him anymore.

"Grandpa, mom's teaching me how to cook. Dad told me that you built the back porch. Will you teach me how to fix things around the house, so when I move out on my own, I can fix things myself?"

"I will, but ya know you're not gonna have to worry about that for a while, right?"

"I know. I love you grandpa."

Henry wasn't convinced, but he didn't want to fight Jamie. "I love you too Jamie. Now let's have some fun."

The two went out for pizza and then came back home to watch movies until Frank came to pick him up. When Frank got to his dad's house, he noticed a positive change in his dad. The only thing he could think was Jamie had said or done something that had helped.

When the school year started Joe, Erin, and Jamie were all busy again. Jamie was happy to get back to school. He was happy that he was starting the year as a Reagan, and his grandpa had just become the new Police Commissioner of New York City. He thought it was so cool. His dad had been promoted to be a sergeant too. Jamie's goal was to focus on his future with his big family, and not forget about his past, but not let him control him.