Page 18 of Defy
Me:Hey, you at home or work?
Emerson:Home. What's up?
Me:Can I come over. I need to talk?
Emerson:Of course. Everything okay?
Me:Yes. I'm on my way.
I'm notsure where to start with the adoption process, but hopefully, Emerson will be able to lead me in the right direction. I would think working at the hospital she would at least know what happens to children in situations where the parents abandoned them. She did tell me they are turned over to the state and placed into foster care. Maybe that is my first step. Becoming a foster parent.
Twenty minutes later I'm knocking on Emerson's apartment door. When she opens the door, the first thing I notice is how tired she looks. "You okay?" I ask when she motions for me to come in and I toss my purse on her sofa.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just got off shift."
"Em! Why didn't you tell me when I texted you?"Shit, now I feel bad.
She waves me off. "Don't sweat it. It always takes me an hour or two to wind down enough to go to sleep. I'm not one of those people who can fall asleep as soon as their head hits the pillow." She assures. "I was just about to have some coffee; you want some?"
"No thanks, but I'll take some juice if you have any."
Walking over to the refrigerator, Emerson pulls out a bottle of orange juice and pours me a glass. Setting my glass down on the coffee table in front of me, Emerson sits next to me with her mug and tucks her legs underneath her. "So, what's going on?" She asks.
"How are you doing after what happened at the clubhouse over the weekend?" I ask her. "I hope you didn't get turned off by what that piece of shit did. I want you to know none of the guys wouldn't ever let anything happen to you. Especially Quinn." I say with concern. I hate that some asshole was able to drug her and take her outside of the clubhouse. I hate even more that I wasn't paying close enough attention to her. My stomach turns at the thought of what happened to her could have been much worse. Thank God Logan found her in time. Just not soon enough. Emerson still carries a faint bruise on her cheek from where that son of a bitch slapped her. The guy is lucky he's still alive. Logan told me Riggs handled the prospect. But he also said Quinn disappeared from the clubhouse not long after the prospect was sent away, and when he returned an hour later his knuckles were busted up. One guess as to what he did. "I know the guys are feeling like shit about the whole situation too. The club would never stand for a woman to be treated such a way," I continue.
"Seriously, I'm fine. And I know the guys would never allow something like that to happen. I promise I'm okay. It's not the first time I've had to deal with scum, and it won't be the last. Now enough apologizing and let's talk about why you're here." she chides. Though I want to question her further by what she means when she said she's had to deal with scum before, the look on her face tells me she doesn't want me to press.
Deciding to bite the bullet and just come out with it, I tell her. "I want to adopt Baby Doe.” I wait for a second to see what her response is going to be, but when I look over at her, she has a big smile on her face. Emerson does not seem to be the least bit shocked at my statement.
"I knew by the second day you spent with her this was going to be the outcome," she tells me.
"What? You did?"
Emerson smiles behind her cup. "I did. The second day you visited her, I snuck up to the NICU to check on you. You didn't see me, but I watched you. When you were holding her, the way you were looking down at her and she was looking up at you, I knew that you two belonged to each other. You two meeting was meant to be. Her mother abandoned her, you were lost, and you both found each other."
For the second time this morning I'm crying. Emerson sets her cup down on the table and inches closer to me on the sofa hugging me. Pulling away from her, I use the sleeve of my shirt to wipe my eyes. I'm thankful I decided to forgo makeup today. "Do you have any advice as to what my first step should be?" I ask.
Standing, Emerson walks into the kitchen and over to the counter where her cell phone is. "I have a friend that works with Social Services. I'm going to call her and see about getting the ball rolling on you becoming a foster parent. The adoption process could be lengthy and if you were able to foster, then at least the baby would be able to stay with you and Logan during that time."
Suddenly feeling nervous about my chances of being accepted, I ask, "What about the club? No way will the state approve us with Logan being a member of an MC."
"Don't you worry about that. My friend owes me big time. She will come through for me on getting you accepted." Sagging with relief, I wait and listen as Emerson makes her call.
Later that evening I'm preparing dinner and waiting for Emerson's call. When I left her apartment, she assured me her friend was going to pull some strings and get Logan and I accepted. Hearing the front door open, I look over my shoulder and smile when I see Logan walking through. Striding into the kitchen, he takes his cut off and hangs it on the back of the barstool then walks up behind where I'm standing at the stove and wraps his arms around me and kisses my neck. His touch sends shivers down my spine.
"Hi, Angel," he rasps into the crook of my neck.
"Hi," I whisper back just before his mouth claims mine.
"You get things sorted out today?"
"I hope so. I went to see Em this morning, and she called in a favor. She said our best bet is to become foster parents first that way Bree could live with us while we file for adoption."
"That's good, babe. When will we hear something back?"
"Em said she'd call me soon. I'm nervous Logan. What if they say no? I can't stand the thought of Bree getting shuffled from one foster home to the next, or her ending up with bad people." I choke out.
"Don't let those negative thoughts creep inside your head. Everything will work out." Blowing out a breath, I allow my body to relax back into Logan's frame.
