A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! They are great motivation for me to write what happens next!

There's no song for this chapter, but I figured you would rather have the chapter now instead of waiting for me to find one! ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or these characters.

Esme POV

As we played in the floor, Rosalie was still a bit reserved. She would look over at Carlisle every few minutes, and I knew he was the reason for her hesitance. I didn't want to worry too much about it, though. Hopefully he would gain her trust in time.

We were all interrupted by a knock at the door, and I looked over at the clock on the wall to see that Carmen was right on time. Carlisle got up and walked over to open the door, and I immediately heard Emmett's cheerful voice as he greeted his daddy.

When Carlisle stepped aside to let them enter, Emmett was the first one in. He looked around, and as soon as he saw me, he ran over. He didn't seem to notice Rosalie in my lap or Jasper beside me as he threw his arms around my neck.

"Mommy, Nana said I gets new friends," he said excitedly before pulling away. "They my new friends?" he asked, finally noticed Rosalie and Jasper.

"I'm sure they'd like to be your friends, Monk," I said with a laugh. "Their names are Rosalie and Jasper."

Before I could say anything else, Emmett had his arms thrown around Rosalie's neck in a tight hug.

"Whoa, be gentle, buddy," I said as I pulled him back slightly. When he finally released her, I looked down to make sure she was okay. Being around unfamiliar children was uncharted territory, and I had no idea how she would react. Fortunately, Rosalie didn't seem to be upset in any way. Her expression was one of confusion, and she looked up at me for an explanation. But Emmett once again cut me off, this time by going over to hug Jasper.

He was just as enthusiastic, although he was gentler like I had asked him to be. When Jasper hugged him back, a chorus of "awws" filled the room.

Introductions were over after that, and Emmett sat down to play like he had known Jasper and Rosalie for much longer than three minutes. I looked up at Carlisle, but he simply chuckled and shrugged his shoulders before going back to his desk while Carmen closed the door and came to sit on the sofa behind me.

I watched the three of them closely as they played, wanting to make sure they were all comfortable with each other. Emmett's reception of Rosalie and Jasper, and vice-versa, was incredibly important to our plan of brining them home with us. Thankfully, they did play well together, and Rosalie and Jasper weren't afraid of Emmett, even after his boisterous introduction. He talked enough for all three of them, and it didn't seem to faze him that Jasper never spoke and Rosalie had very few words to contribute.

As the playing continued, Rosalie switched from looking over at Carlisle to looking back at Carmen. I caught Jasper looking a few times as well, and it seemed that even though they had been quick to accept Emmett, adults were another story. Carmen didn't appear to be offended, though, and sat quietly with a smile on her face.

While Emmett and Jasper built towers out of blocks only to knock them over, Rosalie remained in my lap. I tried to get her to sit in the floor with the boys, but every time I would start to move her, she would start whining and hold onto me tighter. I wasn't sure if it was because it was still uncomfortable for her to sit or if she just didn't want to leave me, but I continued holding her nonetheless. After a while, she no longer seemed interested in what Emmett and Jasper were doing even though I tried to get her involved.

"I brought her something," Carmen leaned down to whisper in my ear. "She might like it better than what the boys are playing."

I nodded and tried to get Rosalie to stand up so I could move, but she was not happy about it.

"We're just moving to the sofa," I explained softly as she clung to me. "Nana brought you something, so we need to go see what it is."

She looked back at Carmen, but still made no move to separate from me even for a second.

"Yes, that's Nana. We need to see what she has for you. I'll bet you'll like it."

I finally managed to find a way to stand up without letting her go, but she went back to hiding her face against my neck. I sat down on the sofa, as far away from Carmen as I could get. It took a few minutes for me to organize all of the IV tubing and the blanket to get Rosalie comfortable again, but Carmen waited patiently for me to finish.

"Alright, my darling. Let's see what I have for you in my bag," Carmen said cheerfully, completely undeterred by Rosalie's hesitance.

She reached into a shopping bag that I hadn't noticed she brought in with her and pulled out a baby doll. The doll was the perfect size for Rosalie and was dressed in a pink gown.

"Look, sweetheart," I said as I coaxed her to turn around from her position of hiding. She let me turn her slowly until she was sitting sideways on my lap, and her eyes lit up as soon as she saw the doll.

"Baby!" she whispered and looked up at me. I matched her smile and nodded.

"It's your baby, Rosalie. Nana brought it for you. You can hold it and play with it as much as you'd like."

She went back to looking at the doll and then up at Carmen. Carmen smiled and nodded, holding the doll out further so she could reach it. After a few moments, she leaned forward and carefully took the doll from Carmen's hands. I could tell right away that Rosalie loved the doll. All of her previous hesitance melted away as she cradled her own little baby, rocking it in her arms and kissing it several times.

It was clear that even though her life now contained fear and pain, her spirit was still intact; that monster had not been able to completely break her. Seeing the moments of Rosalie being relaxed and finding enjoyment in something was further evidence to me that she would overcome this.

"It's perfect, Carmen," I said as I held Rosalie and observed her quiet joy. "Thank you."

"Every little girl needs a baby doll of her own," Carmen replied. "Jane is very interested in babies right now, and since they're close to the same age, I figured that Rosalie would like them, too."

Our interaction had not gone unnoticed by Emmett, and it didn't take long for him to stand up and take Jasper's hand before leading him over to stand in front of Carmen.

"Did you get me something, Nana?" he asked hopefully.

"Emmett, that's not very…"

My chastisement was cut off when Carmen placed her hand on mine and smiled. I could tell she wasn't trying to undermine my parenting, so I wasn't offended. She started rummaging through her shopping bag again, and I relaxed back against the sofa. Of course she had thought of everything.

"I actually do have something for you and Jasper," she said to the boys. Emmett was practically bouncing with excitement, as if he had never received an impromptu gift from his Nana before.

I wondered what else Carmen had in her rather large bag to cause her to have to look for so long. I was a little afraid to see exactly how much she had bought during her excursion.

She finally found what she was looking for and pulled out two floppy stuffed dogs, giving one to Jasper and one to Emmett.

"A puppy dog!" Emmett squealed as he hugged his new toy. "Thank you, Nana!" He jumped into her lap to give her a hug, and she was already laughing at his excitement.

Jasper also hugged his puppy and walked over to stand in front of me. His smile showed that he was just as happy as Emmett, even if he way of expression it wasn't as loud.

"My dog?" he whispered, looking up at me with a hopeful look in his eyes.

I almost couldn't believe that he spoke. Carlisle's gasp alerted me to the fact that he had heard it, too, and he was also surprised. I looked over at him, and when my eyes met his misty ones, he smiled. My assumption was that he had been watching us the whole time, and I could understand why. It was so amazing to watch Rosalie and Jasper progress in leaps and bounds being so soon after we had met them.

I turned my attention back to Jasper and nodded. "Yes, sweetheart. That is your dog," I assured him. "Do you like it?"

He nodded quickly and started to climb up to sit beside me. I leaned down to help him, but then Emmett jumped down from Carmen's lap and took Jasper's hand.

"Come on," he said, excitement still very clear in his voice. "Let's go show my daddy."

I didn't miss the fact that Emmett was being possessive over Carlisle. Honestly, I was a bit surprised that he hadn't had any other jealousy issues, especially since Rosalie had been in my lap the whole time. If Rosalie and Jasper did come home with us, it would definitely be something that we would have to deal with. Emmett still needed our attention, but it would have to be less because of the two other little ones who needed us. I hoped Carmen was right about being able to find the balance. It wasn't like I was the first mom to ever bring home twins, even though our circumstance was a bit different.

Carmen and I both focused our attention on Carlisle as he talked to the boys. His work had been forgotten, but it didn't matter because this was more important. As I watched him lift both Jasper and Emmett into his lap as he interacted with both of them, I realized that finding a balance wouldn't be as difficult as I was making it in my mind. Carlisle didn't seem to have any trouble splitting his attention, and neither Emmett nor Jasper was suffering from the attention being divided.

As the three of them continued chatting about the new stuffed animals, Carmen and I fell into an easy conversation. I subconsciously ran my fingers through Rosalie's curls, and she remained relaxed against me, still holding her baby in her arms. The atmosphere of the room was very laid-back, and it felt good to not have to worry about everything that was going on or would be going on, even if it was just for a few minutes. The feeling of fear wasn't evident in Rosalie or Jasper which was a welcome change from how they felt when we were in a hospital room. Carlisle's office was not a place where they feared someone coming in to poke or prod them, and their feeling of security was evident.

In the middle of our conversation, I felt a little hand begin patting my arm. I immediately stopped talking, and Carmen stopped as well, not seeming to mind the little interruption. I turned my attention to Rosalie, and saw that she was looking up at me in a way that led me to believe that she wanted to ask me something.

"What's the matter, baby?" I asked softly.

"May," she whispered, and I couldn't stop the smile from spreading on my face. Hearing her say her version of my name was just as beautiful as all the times Emmett had called me "Mommy."

"Yes, baby? What is it?" I asked, remaining patient.

"Cold," she said, a little louder than before and with a slight whine in her voice.

I immediately began checking to see what part of her could be cold. It was a little chilly in Carlisle's office, not nearly as cold as the rest of the hospital, but I didn't doubt her. She was cuddled into my chest, so I knew at least one side of her was warm enough. The blanket was still partially wrapped around her, so I situated it so it covered her more. I couldn't think of anything else to do, but she didn't appear to be relieved.

"Are you still cold?" I asked, and she nodded. "Where are you cold, baby?" She reached down and touched one of her feet, and that's when I realized that she wasn't wearing socks. Jasper had been wearing some slippers from the hospital since he was walking around, but I hadn't thought to put any socks on Rosalie. Her feet had yet to hit the ground, so it hadn't been a major safety concern. But now with her being uncomfortable, I was wishing I had brought some.

I reached one hand down to feel her feet and almost gasped when I felt exactly how cold they were. I was a bit surprised she had gone so long without saying something, but since speaking wasn't something she was all the way comfortable with yet, I was going to have to pay better attention to her needs.

"Poor little feet," I said sadly. "They're so cold." I began rubbing her feet, trying to warm them by friction.

Carmen quickly started going through her bag again, and it didn't surprise me at all when she pulled out a little pair of pink socks. She held them up and looked at me, seeking permission to place them on Rosalie's feet. I smiled as I thought about how quickly these children had us all drawn in, and the simplest task that could be done for them brought us so much joy. I nodded for her to go ahead if Rosalie would let her, and I was hoping she would since she had been around Carmen for a while and didn't seem to be afraid any more.

Carmen scooted over and reached for Rosalie's foot. When she touched it, Rosalie jerked back. At first, I thought that she was afraid of Carmen touching her, but as I looked at her face, I didn't see any sign of fear which I was so used to seeing.

Carmen's smirk was also I sign that fear was not a problem. I was about to ask Rosalie what was wrong when Carmen spoke up.

"I think someone is ticklish," she said in a sing-song voice. I relaxed and smiled upon learning that nothing was wrong. I had a feeling it wouldn't be the last time I jumped to the wrong conclusion or thought the worst when it came to situations with Rosalie and Jasper. My need to protect them was definitely working in overdrive.

"Are you ticklish, sweet girl?" I asked as I hugged her.

"Oh, I think she is," Carmen laughed. "I'm gonna get those feetsies!"

Carmen reached for Rosalie's foot, tickling it on purpose this time. Rosalie pulled back again but failed to hold in a giggle. Her giggle fueled Carmen's efforts on the "feetsies" as she went from tickling to sitting back before going in for the attack again. It didn't take long for Rosalie's giggles to turn into full-out laughing as she offered her feet to Carmen, asking for the teasing.

I had never heard her laugh so much, and I looked over to again Carlisle to find that he was smiling as he watched her. I was so glad that he was getting to see this side of her, a side I was determined to bring out as much as possible. She and Jasper deserved to giggle and be carefree, and they did not need worry about anything other than being children.

Jasper and Emmett were also watching the scene with curiosity, so Carlisle stood up with both of them in his arms and walked over.

"Nana, I think there are a couple of little boys who want to play, too," I said teasingly.

Emmett's shoes had long been abandoned as had Jasper's slippers, so it didn't take much for Carmen to slip off Emmett's socks and begin tickling their feet. They squealed every time she reached toward them, and the room was soon filled with the sounds of laughter.

I captured the picture in my mind and tried to store it away. I never wanted to forget one of our first moments as a family. Everyone was so happy, and it felt so right. The only person missing was Eleazar, and even though I wanted him to be there, I knew it wasn't a possibility for him to be in close proximity to Rosalie yet. It would happen, but before it could, we would all have to be patient.

Carlisle was already doing an awesome job being patient with her. He never got too close or spoke too loud, and his constant respect of her boundaries was working. So far, she had not had any panic attacks from his presence which was definitely something else that would help our case with the social worker. If the children came home with us, unnecessary anxiety wouldn't occur, and that was something that was essential to their healing. They would never get better if they were afraid of their everyday surroundings.

A few minutes later, tickle-fest was over, and all three of the kids were out of breath from their laughter. Carlisle sat the boys down on the sofa between Carmen and me, and as they calmed down, we remembered the original goal before the silliness occurred, and socks were then quickly placed on feet.

As the office returned to a quiet state once more, I noticed that Rosalie and Jasper were starting to drag a little. All of the new excitement in one day seemed to really be wearing on them. It was too late in the afternoon to take a nap before dinner, but I thought about letting them anyway. I didn't mind staying up late with them as long as they got the sleep they needed.

"I need to head to the ER soon," Carlisle said regretfully as he looked at his watch.

"That's all right," I replied. "I think we're all a little tired, so I was going to take them upstairs for a short nap any way."

Rosalie and Jasper were both yawning and their eyes stayed closed in longer increments when they blinked. Emmett also seemed a little sluggish, but I knew it could have been worse if he hadn't have taken a nap before lunch. He was definitely not past the nap stage yet, though he often tried to convince me to let him skip nap time.

"I'll walk you up," Carlisle offered. "I'm not sure you could manage both of them and the IV pole by yourself."

I smiled and nodded, knowing he was right.

"I guess we need to go find Pops," Carmen said as she stood up. "Emmett has plans with him this evening."

"Oh yeah!" Emmett cheered, suddenly becoming reenergized. "Nana, can we find him now?"

Carmen chuckled, but agreed. I was relieved to see that Emmett had no problems being away from us for another evening. I still hated not being able to be with him, but at the moment, being at the hospital was still a top priority. I tried to let Emmett's clear happiness assure me, but a small amount of guilt remained.

Carlisle picked up the almost sleeping Jasper as we started to get ready to leave. Jasper snuggled against him, but I wasn't smug about it this time. Jasper's love for him was so precious and much more than we ever could have asked for.

When Emmett saw Carlisle holding Jasper, he immediately wanted a hug. The jealousy was beginning, and his choice for possession at the moment was Carlisle. I wanted to hug him before he had the chance to try to fit into my lap with Rosalie, but I needed help getting up.

"Rosalie, can Nana hold you so I can get up?" I asked softly. I had no idea what her answer would be, but it was worth a shot. Carmen came over to stand a little closer, smiling hopefully.

I watched her face carefully as she looked from me to Carmen, and I smiled when she gave me a small nod. I wasn't sure if Carmen saw it, so I looked up at her and nodded. Carmen held her arms out with a look of pure joy on her face, and Rosalie met them with hers.

I wished my camera was with me so I could have been able to capture the moment as Carmen held her. Rosalie was still timid, but didn't pull away even when Carmen placed a tender kiss on her forehead. I knew Carmen loved Rosalie and Jasper, and she would probably fight for us just as hard as Carlisle and I were going to. They were meant to be in our family, and we would get them one way or another.

With my arms free for the first time in several hours, it was easy for me to gather up all of our things. I quickly placed all the toys back in the bin so it would be easier for Carlisle to put back later. I also made sure I had both of the blankets we had brought down and checked to make sure all the kids had their new toys.

Once everything was ready to go, I pulled Emmett into my arms for a big hug and kiss.

"Be good for Nana and Pops, okay? I love you, and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay, Mommy. I love you," he said and gave me a big wet kiss.

"Thank you, buddy," I laughed as I placed him back on the floor.

He ran over to Carmen, asking to be picked up, but she still had her arms full. Rosalie was reaching for me, but she wasn't frantic yet, so I wasn't too worried about her. She could stay with Carmen for a few more minutes because I had another hug and kiss to give out before I could hold her again.

I walked over to Carlisle, and he seemed to sense my intent because he placed Jasper on the floor next to him before pulling me into his arms. I hugged him tightly, memorizing the feeling of my favorite place since I knew we would be apart for another night. Carlisle nuzzled his face in my hair and rubbed my back as he held me, and I sighed in contentment.

When I pulled back from him, he reached up and held my face in his hands. I couldn't help but smile as he looked down on me with his eyes filled with so much love. If his love for me wasn't enough already, his love for Emmett, and now Rosalie and Jasper, was almost overwhelming for me to witness. This man was perfect for me, my true other half in every way.

"I love you," he said softly before pressing his lips to mine. We kept it chaste since Carmen was in the room as well as three sets of little eyes, but the love conveyed was still as strong as in our more passionate kisses.

"I love you, too," I whispered as his lips trailed up to my forehead. After one more peck at my hairline, we separated and returned to reality from our little bubble.

The first thing I noticed was the little body that was sandwiched between our legs. I looked down and Jasper was reaching up for one of us to get him. I scooped him up, and he smiled as I help him.

"I guess someone felt left out," Carlisle laughed as he took Jasper from me. I nodded in agreement and kissed Jasper's cheek before turning back to get Rosalie.

She was still reaching for me, but her expression had changed. She looked very contemplative, and I assumed my exchange with Carlisle had caused the change. That was something I hadn't thought of. It could be possible that seeing me with Carlisle would help Rosalie accept him. If that was the case, Rosalie would have many opportunities to observe us. Carlisle was always very affectionate with me, and I was with him as well.

I wasn't surprised to see Carmen smiling brightly after watching us. She always enjoyed seeing Carlisle and I together after the years she spent wondering if we would ever find each other again.

"You two are so sweet," she gushed as she passed Rosalie to me. Once she was in my arms, she finally relaxed and laid her head against my shoulder.

"Well actually, you are all sweet," she amended. "If the world could see you, I bet they would try to covet you, but you are all mine."

Carlisle and I both chuckled at her, but I knew she was right. We had all been blessed by having our amazing family, and it was definitely a family others would strive to have.

Carmen went around the room and placed a kiss on everyone's forehead before picking up Emmett. He had been waiting rather patiently, at least for him, but patience was something he was going to have to learn more of. After a final round of goodbyes, Carmen and Emmett left to find Eleazar who was somewhere in the administrative part of the hospital.

Once they were gone, Carlisle and I double checked to make sure we had everything we brought down to the office. I placed the empty sippy cups in the bag Carmen had brought. The bag was still full, and I was ready to go through it to find out what all she had brought for Rosalie and Jasper.

Before leaving the room, Carlisle wrapped Jasper's blanket around him, and I wrapped Rosalie's blanket around her. She pulled the end of it over her head and settled against me once more. I patted her back but didn't remove the blanket. If having her head covered made her feel safer as we walked down the hall, I wasn't going to stop her.

We finally made it out of Carlisle's office and began the trip back up to Rosalie and Jasper's room. We walked slow, taking our time as we enjoyed our quiet time together.

"So you're working in the emergency room this evening?" I asked as we walked.

Carlisle nodded. "Yes, I am. And it should be pretty slow since it's Wednesday, so I'll probably be able to check on you guys every once in a while before I leave."

I smiled and returned his nod since it sounded like a good plan to me.

By the time we got to the room, Jasper was already asleep. Carlisle laid him down in his crib and then grabbed a new diaper and some wipes so he could change him. I sat down in the rocking chair with Rosalie and watched him as he worked. I remembered the first time he had changed Emmett's diaper when I was in the hospital. Now, he was no longer hesitant and was able to expertly change a diaper without even waking Jasper up. When he was finished, he covered Jasper with the blanket and leaned down to give him a kiss before leaving him to sleep.

"I guess I'll see you later," he said as he stood in the doorway, not wanting to come any closer to me and scare Rosalie.

"Have fun working," I said and blew him a kiss.

He reached out and caught it, placing it in his pocket before walking out the door.

I chuckled softly at his antics but quickly stopped because Rosalie was almost asleep as well. I thought her eyes had closed for the last time until Charlotte came into the room which made her want to stay awake.

Unfortunately, it was time for Charlotte to change her diaper which led to another round of tears. I tried to soothe her with my words, but I couldn't lie beside her this time. Charlotte wanted me to watch her so I would be able to do it on my own during the night if need be. I was still nervous about seeing the damage that monster caused, but I quickly got myself together to listen to what Charlotte was telling me.

From what I saw, I could tell the stitches were well on their way to dissolving. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting, but it still hurt me to see. Her pain was now my pain, and I wished I could bear it all for her. Charlotte demonstrated as quickly as possible how to apply the antibiotic ointment. It didn't seem to be that much different than applying diaper rash cream, and I was confident that I would be able to change her without any help.

Once Charlotte was finished and Rosalie's pajamas were back in place, I took her back to the rocking chair. I sang to her again as I rocked, and she calmed much faster than the other times she had been changed. I took it as a sign of progress, and I hoped it would continue to be less and less traumatic each time.

Rosalie's pacifier had been left in the room while we were downstairs playing and having it back also helped calm her down. It only took a few minutes after she was completely relaxed for her to fall asleep, but I didn't place her in her bed. I needed the closeness as much as she did.

Charlotte stayed in the room and talked quietly with me as Rosalie and Jasper napped. She was under the orders of Peter to rest after she had been on her feet for a few hours. She rolled her eyes jokingly as she told me, but I knew Carlisle would be the same way with me whenever I got pregnant.

I still had a feeling that Carlisle and I would have a biological child. It probably wouldn't happen soon, but eventually it would. But until then, we would hopefully have new editions in our lives. Being able to take care of Rosalie and Jasper meant as much to me as giving birth. They could never not be my children, and I was ready to do anything to be able to keep them. In a few short hours, we would know for sure, and it both thrilled and terrified me.

The rest of the evening was very quiet. Since their naps had begun so late, they slept through the normal dinner time. When they did wake up, Charlotte and I fed them. Even though they ate most of the hospital food, I could tell they still didn't like it. Hospital food didn't hold that much appeal to me either, but Peter brought Charlotte and me some sandwiches from a deli that was close by. I shared some of mine with Rosalie and Jasper, and seeing them eat it confirmed my suspicions. They had no issues with eating. It was only the mediocre food that deterred them, so I would have them fattened back up in no time.

Peter and Charlotte left the hospital before it go too late. They had both been there all day and were planning to be back in the morning. Peter told me that the social worker would be coming at nine, and he was going to include Carlisle in the meeting. I didn't feel bad about not being included. The children needed me with them more than I needed to be in the meeting. I was confident that Carlisle would be able to handle everything for us.

Charlotte unhooked Rosalie's IV before she left so she could sleep more comfortably. She was going to re-hook it in the morning for hopefully the last time, which I knew Rosalie would be very happy about. She hated having something stuck in her hand.

Once I was alone with Rosalie and Jasper, I started working on getting them ready for bed. I decided to sleep with both of them in the hospital bed. It would be much easier with them beside me if they woke up, and they were both happiest when they were cuddled up to me.

It took a few minutes for us to all get comfortable, but once we were settled, I read several books to them. Even after the nap, they were still tired from all of the excitement of the day. It didn't take long for Rosalie to fall asleep, but Jasper was trying to fight it. I couldn't get up to go rock him without disturbing Rosalie, so I continued reading.

Jasper was still awake when Carlisle came to check on us for the last time of the night. He could tell that Jasper was fighting sleep, so he picked him up and took him to the rocking chair. Carlisle rocked him while humming softly, and the soothing motion made sleep unavoidable. It only took a few minutes before Jasper was out cold, and then Carlisle gently placed him beside me and tucked us all in.

Since Rosalie was already asleep, he was able to kiss me goodnight. He also kissed Jasper again and Rosalie. She smiled in her sleep when his lips touched her cheek, and I already couldn't wait for the day that would happen when she was awake.

When Carlisle left to go get Emmett, I remained awake. My mind was still swimming with everything I was thinking about. Our future was going to be determined the next day. One man or woman unknowingly held my heart in his or her hand. The decision made would forever affect Carlisle and me, not to mention Rosalie and Jasper. No matter what, they deserved to have a wonderful life, and I prayed that God would give them that.

After a few minutes of organizing my thoughts in my mind, I managed to calm down enough to get close to sleep. Focusing on their quiet breathing and the feel on them in my arms finally lulled me into a light sleep as I dreamed about the many possibilities of the day to come.

A/N: Sorry about not having an extra update! My semester is close to being over, and the professors have crammed so many things into these last few weeks. So unfortunately, studying has to come before writing (even though I'd much rather be doing this!). ;) But there will definitely be an update sometime next weekend.

The next chapter will be the meeting with the social worker, and I'm sure everyone is excited to find out what's going to happen!

Thanks for remaining patient with me, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!