between states that allowed for adoption between children
in one state and adoptive parents in another.
“ Excellent. And you’ve
passed all necessary background checks, your home has been
inspected for safety guidelines, and now the homestudy has been
approved. And you’ve already been identified as a match for Ruth
Mary.”
“ Yes, I’ve been calling her
previous casework Rita Sloan weekly for updates on the process. And
my own, Jenny Barry, too. Once I finished the classes and the first
steps in the process. They seem to think Ruthie and I would be a
good match, as I have met her, am familiar with her history, and
can provide appropriate counseling for the traumas she’s
endured.”
“ Yes. Both Rita and Mr.
Barry have noted your determination to care for Ruth Mary. And
we’ve had a few inquiries in the state, as well. But all have
fallen through.”
“ And that brings you to
me.” How could they have all fallen through in less than seven
months? On such a young child?
“ Yes. At this time, we here
at the agency feel that finding Ruth Mary a placement outside of
the area will be best. Away from…well…everything that her father
was involved in.”
“ Of course. I understand.”
He’d murdered how many young girls and women? She’d personally done
the autopsies on all of Travis Byrum’s victims and would never
forget what the man had done. “When can we arrange the first
visitation?”
“ Would Monday work for you?
That will give us a day or two to get her placed elsewhere, and
give her time to get settled in. I’ll discuss with her the next
stage of the process.”
“ Thank you. Guess this is
it, then, isn’t it?”
“ Certainly. Now, I need to
remind you that there are no guarantees. And I wouldn’t have called
had I not just received a message from her current foster home.
Once I reviewed her case and saw how far along you were in the
process to foster-to-adopt her, I felt I needed to touch base with
you. Make sure we were on the same page. Usually children like Ruth
Mary go out into the foster-adopt tract rather quickly. Hopefully
for her sake, the same will happen with Ruth Mary.”
Jules disconnected the call
a minute later and sat staring at the phone for she didn’t know how
long.
It was really
happening.
Shit.
She was so not ready for
this.
She had four days to get
ready for the first visit. She’d need to call Ed, and her assistant
Mia. She needed to book travel arrangements, and she needed to tell
Georgia and Ana. They’d been with her every step of the process
from the realization that she needed to do something for Ruthie, to
the prepping of her home for the homestudy portion of the
process.
Chapter
Twenty
* * *
“ Am I crazy?” Jules asked
two days after Christmas, and Al didn’t know how to
answer.
Paige ate half the hot dog
before she answered. “Probably a little. But if you feel that you
and this kid can make things work, isn’t that better than the
alternative?”
“ I hope so.”
“ So what’s so special about
this kid that you will completely redo your life for her?” Al
couldn’t imagine it. Could she make room in her life for some kid
like Jules was doing? Al wanted children, yes. And she wasn’t
against adoption, by any means. But she also knew she wasn’t ready
for a child right now. Of course, Jules was older than she, had
been married and widowed, had worked her career for several years.
She probably would be a good place for a lost and forgotten little
girl to be. And Al had seen her with Mattie, Georgia’s little boy.
Jules would probably make one heck of a good mother.
“ She’s so alone.” Jules was
picking at her food, and Al reached over and snagged half Jules’
nachos. The food court nachos were far better in taste than they
were appearance. And Jules never ate a full plate of anything,
anyway. “Her family took the brothers in, but left her in foster
care. She’s three and a half and nobody wants her.”
“ Except
in one state and adoptive parents in another.
“ Excellent. And you’ve
passed all necessary background checks, your home has been
inspected for safety guidelines, and now the homestudy has been
approved. And you’ve already been identified as a match for Ruth
Mary.”
“ Yes, I’ve been calling her
previous casework Rita Sloan weekly for updates on the process. And
my own, Jenny Barry, too. Once I finished the classes and the first
steps in the process. They seem to think Ruthie and I would be a
good match, as I have met her, am familiar with her history, and
can provide appropriate counseling for the traumas she’s
endured.”
“ Yes. Both Rita and Mr.
Barry have noted your determination to care for Ruth Mary. And
we’ve had a few inquiries in the state, as well. But all have
fallen through.”
“ And that brings you to
me.” How could they have all fallen through in less than seven
months? On such a young child?
“ Yes. At this time, we here
at the agency feel that finding Ruth Mary a placement outside of
the area will be best. Away from…well…everything that her father
was involved in.”
“ Of course. I understand.”
He’d murdered how many young girls and women? She’d personally done
the autopsies on all of Travis Byrum’s victims and would never
forget what the man had done. “When can we arrange the first
visitation?”
“ Would Monday work for you?
That will give us a day or two to get her placed elsewhere, and
give her time to get settled in. I’ll discuss with her the next
stage of the process.”
“ Thank you. Guess this is
it, then, isn’t it?”
“ Certainly. Now, I need to
remind you that there are no guarantees. And I wouldn’t have called
had I not just received a message from her current foster home.
Once I reviewed her case and saw how far along you were in the
process to foster-to-adopt her, I felt I needed to touch base with
you. Make sure we were on the same page. Usually children like Ruth
Mary go out into the foster-adopt tract rather quickly. Hopefully
for her sake, the same will happen with Ruth Mary.”
Jules disconnected the call
a minute later and sat staring at the phone for she didn’t know how
long.
It was really
happening.
Shit.
She was so not ready for
this.
She had four days to get
ready for the first visit. She’d need to call Ed, and her assistant
Mia. She needed to book travel arrangements, and she needed to tell
Georgia and Ana. They’d been with her every step of the process
from the realization that she needed to do something for Ruthie, to
the prepping of her home for the homestudy portion of the
process.
Chapter
Twenty
* * *
“ Am I crazy?” Jules asked
two days after Christmas, and Al didn’t know how to
answer.
Paige ate half the hot dog
before she answered. “Probably a little. But if you feel that you
and this kid can make things work, isn’t that better than the
alternative?”
“ I hope so.”
“ So what’s so special about
this kid that you will completely redo your life for her?” Al
couldn’t imagine it. Could she make room in her life for some kid
like Jules was doing? Al wanted children, yes. And she wasn’t
against adoption, by any means. But she also knew she wasn’t ready
for a child right now. Of course, Jules was older than she, had
been married and widowed, had worked her career for several years.
She probably would be a good place for a lost and forgotten little
girl to be. And Al had seen her with Mattie, Georgia’s little boy.
Jules would probably make one heck of a good mother.
“ She’s so alone.” Jules was
picking at her food, and Al reached over and snagged half Jules’
nachos. The food court nachos were far better in taste than they
were appearance. And Jules never ate a full plate of anything,
anyway. “Her family took the brothers in, but left her in foster
care. She’s three and a half and nobody wants her.”
“ Except
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