A story about modern day adoptation. Warning there is brief profanity in the beginning of this story.
Squinting my eyes to the morning sun, I exited the precinct. I was just coming off the nightshift. It had been an extremely long night and I just wanted to go home, shower and pass out for a few hours. Even after three years on the late shift, I still missed being out during the day. Reaching for my sunglasses in my pocket, I walked to my car. My car was a primed-out, older model Camaro. I looked at the car and reminded myself that I really needed to finish the bodywork. The car was my pet project when I had a day off that I didn’t catch up on sleep. I was getting in the car when my old partner drove up in his new Cadillac SUV. I cringed when he stopped near my car. I knew what was coming.
“Nice ride, Lt. Lender.”
I started the engine and listened to it purr for a moment before I responded. “It runs.”
“You need to upgrade your appearance. It makes the force look bad for you to drive around in that pile of shit. Oh I’m sorry. I forgot that I might offend your principles. You don’t like curse words do you?”
“No apologies necessary. My principles are flexible. I’ll think about changing my appearance. In fact, maybe I’ll follow your example.”
“That’s the idea,” was his sarcastic remark.
I tried to hold my tongue but I couldn’t stand the righteous smile on his face. “Yeah tonight I’ll go out and find a gullible woman with a trust fund. Then I’ll con her into marrying me even though I’m still fucking anything that shows interest. When she catches me with the lady of the week I’ll just tell her it’s my massage therapist.” I watched his face turning red but I kept going. “And to top it all off, I’ll be naïve enough to believe her when she tells me that she’s not fucking the pool boy. Isn’t that about right…Detective?”
He rolled up his window and drove off in hurry.
“Wonder what I said.” I laughed out loud as I closed the door to my car and put it in gear.
My mind wandered while I drove home. I shouldn’t have said what I did to my old partner but it was nice to have it all out in the air. My shift that past night had driven me to the edge and my old partner’s jeers had pushed me over. Normally I wasn’t as straightforward or crass. I prided myself on keeping myself above the level of the others in the squad room. I got along with the other officers; they were all good men. My only problem was that they all gossiped like old hens. I was looking forward to a day off.
Before I knew it, I was in my driveway and parked in the garage. In my daze, I locked the car and headed up to my apartment. I grabbed my keys to open the door and the door opened in front of me. Jaime stood there staring at me. Wondering what was going on, I walked through the door into the living room. I was surprised to see the blinds closed and a candlelit breakfast on the table. Looking back, Jaime just smiled and motioned to the chair nearest the window.
“This is wonderful. Let me get cleaned up and I’ll be right back.”
Jaime sat down while I walked to the hall closet. I removed my service revolver and locked it in its case. Then I went into the bedroom and removed my belt and uniform top. The mirror’s reflection of my face reminded me to stop in the bathroom before returning to breakfast. I stood in the bathroom and washed my face and hands. Studying my face in the old mirror, I wondered what the special occasion was. Jaime should have been long gone to work before I ever got home. My eyes were circled with dark rings from my lack of sleep. Gray hairs were beginning to be more prominent then the black ones. A paler version of my once tanned skin grinned back at me from my reflection. As I looked at my graying five o’clock shadow and I wondered what had happened to the younger self that used to smile at me in the mirror.
“Are you coming?” Jaime called.
Drying my face, I replied, “Yeah, on my way.”
I grabbed a shirt on my way out into the dinning room. Jaime sat facing the window. On the table was a five-course meal. I couldn’t believe my eyes as they wandered over the food before me. Steam rolled off the quiche that sat on the hot plate. Toast was piled high beside it. The smell of maple-flavored sausages led my eyes to find the dish of links to the right of a pitcher filled with orange juice. Hash browns were already on the plates. A small plate of hotcakes sat near Jaime. Individual bowls of cut fruit were in a larger ice-filled bowl.
“So what’s the occasion?” I asked.
“Nothing but I wanted too.” Jaime replied.
We ate in silence. After breakfast Jaime handed me an envelope. I looked at it with reservation and then resolved myself to open it. I only got through the first line.
We are please to inform you that your application for adoption has been granted.
For a moment, I couldn’t move. I hear Jaime’s voice but only as a vague whispering. Then the excitement took over my body. I stood up and took Jaime by the waist. And we kissed with the passion of new lovers.
A few hours later, I called into the agency for more information. They told me that we could pick up the baby the next day. I called into my captain and took some of my long overdue vacation time. Jaime and I were so excited that we went out and bought all the things we thought we would need for a new baby. Then we called some of our friends and we completed the nursery that we had been working on for many months.
It was times like this that I was glad for the inheritance that my parents had left me. In all practicality, I didn’t need to work. I had more money than I knew what to do with. Jaime didn’t know until we moved in together that I had the money and no one on the force even suspected that I had money to burn. Living a low-key lifestyle was my preference. But in reality, I know that my financial situation helped the adoption.
The next day we arrived at the social services office. We were both wearing freshly pressed suits. With our hearts beating wildly, we entered the building. Our caseworker met us in the lobby. She was all smiles and courtesy as we walked down the hallway towards her office. When we got to her office she told us we had some paperwork to sign and after that she told us about the mother.
“The young lady would like to met you. She is 20 years old and a sophomore at the University of California. She is studying architecture and graphic design. The father has already signed over his parental rights and has agreed not to contest the adoption. I warn you that the birth was very hard on the girl, she is not in the best condition. Would you mind meeting her? She would just like to meet the people that are gong to adopt her baby. We can meet at the hospital.”
We met at the hospital and when we got up to the room, Marcy, our caseworker, opened the door to the room. And a young girl looked at us from the bed. Her smile was warm though somewhat forced. Her eyes were puffy as if she had just been crying. But she started the conversation.
“My name is Hailey. This beautiful little girl,” she nodded to the baby suckling on her breast, “is your new baby.” Her voice choked up for a moment, but she continued. “Marcy has both my and the father’s medical records and family histories in case you need them.”
My eyes wandered through the room picking at details that I always seemed to notice since I became an officer. The bed was set in a sitting position and a wheelchair was within reach on the left side. Her arms moved freely but her legs seemed to be motionless under the sheets. A few bruises on her right arm were visible when she moved the baby to suckle from the other side. My eyes scanned the room for more tiny details when she caught my gaze. Embarrassed to be caught in my police routine, I turned away.
“The wheelchair is a new addition and it’s not genetic. The baby’s father got drunk a few nights ago and decided it was my fault that his football team lost. I was lucky enough to have a friend in the house to call 911, but not before he stabbed me in the back. He severed my spinal cord and I will never walk again. The doctors have assured me that she is no worse for her 3 week early delivery,” again she nodded to the baby, “and that she has suffered no damage. I decided it was in her best interests to live in a home with two functional adults.”
Marcy spoke up. “She also specified that she would like a male couple to have the baby.”
“You did?” Jaime asked.
“Yes, I did. I believe that the your sexual orientation should have nothing to do with your opportunity to raise a child. So I asked for a long-standing, financially secure couple to take the baby. Marcy immediately suggested you. I do have one request though.” She took the sleeping baby from her breast and placed it over her shoulder and gently began patting its back.
It was my turn to speak. “What’s your request?”
“I would like to be part of her life when she’s older. I don’t want to be a nuisance or a complication but when you decide she is ready to know the truth, I would like to be there for her.”
The baby burped and she gently wrapped the baby in a blanket and handed her to me with tears in her eyes. I handed the wrapped bundle to Jaime and he nodded at me. Turning back to the young girl, I took her hand.
“I think that can be arranged. By the way, how are you paying for the hospital visit?”
“I don’t know. I don’t have any family. The hospital said something about state insurance. And there was something about the crime. I haven’t thought that far ahead, yet.”
I pulled out my checkbook. “I’ll take care of the hospital bill and anything else you need. Marcy said that you are in school?” Hailey nodded in disbelief. “Are you on financial aid of some sort?” Again she nodded. “Tell the school to send the bill to me. I’ll pay for the loans you already have and the rest of you education.” Hailey finally started to object.
“You can’t do that… I mean thank you but I can’t accept it. It’s too much for a Teacher and a Police officer.”
I looked back at Jaime and he grinned. I replied with a smile, “Honey, I can afford it. Don’t you worry about us. I’ll go one further. When you get out of here, you come see us and we’ll work out when you can see the baby.” I repeated to myself ‘the baby’, and then I realized that the child needs a name. “Do you have a name in mind for the girl?” She said something but I couldn’t hear her. “I’m getting old Hailey, you have to speak louder then that.”
“Nicole…”
Jaime responded. “That was my mother’s name. I like it. How about you, Austin?”
“I like it too.” I responded.
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