Adopted by Phan

Chapter 3

Dan's POV
I woke up the next morning with my beautiful husband sleeping next to me. I crawl out of bed and go into the kitchen. 7:30am. I boil the kettle and I heard Phil getting up in the next room. I make up both a drink. As I pour the milk, I feel two strong arms wrap around my waist and Phil's head resting on my shoulder.
"Morning Philly" I say.
"Morning" he says sleepily. I put the milk away with Phil still attached to me. We eventually sit down silently at the table chewing our cereals. We didn't even need to talk. We both knew we were thinking about the interview. I raised the first question.
"So where have the referred us to this time?" I asked.
"A place called Joan's Orphanage for children" Phil replied.
"Hmm, imaginative name" I said raising an eyebrow. This made him laugh.
"I suppose so but from what I've heard it's not a very nice place" he said.
"Well, we need anywhere" I said putting both out empty bowls into the dishwasher.

An hour later we were in a taxi driving down dirty alleyways and shifty looking streets. The driver pulled up outside a tall thin building with buildings attached on either side. We got out and gave each other a nervous glance. Hand in hand we paid the taxi driver and went to ring the bell. We heard shouting and the sound of the door being unlocked.
"Yeah" a woman who looked to be very drunk appeared at the door.
"Hello, we're Mr and Me Howell-Lester" I said.
"We were referred here by the adoption agency" Phil said squeezing my hand.
"Oh yeah, I'm Joan, come on in" she said. We gave each other a strange look. No comment about gay marriage or anything, good start, she takes us through a grimy looking hallway into ape hat looked like an office. "so you request a child between 18 and 13"
"Well yes but any child will do" Phil said.
"Well, I doubt you'll want the girls" she snarled "they prefer to be together"
"How many are there?" I asked.
"Three" she said.
"A bit too many for us" Phil broke in before I said anything else.
"Ah, Sophie" she said picking up a folder and handing it too us "look through that and tell me whether you want an interview. We looked through the folder.

"Sure we'll meet her" Phil said handing back the folder.
"Sophie!!!!!!" She yells from the office door. We hear a patter of feet and a small head pops round the door. She was quite tall for her age and she had long straight blonde hair with the ends dip dyed purple. She was wearing a black and grey Nirvana top with low sides, a pair of dark denim shorts and a pair of purple canvas trainers.
"If you'd like to follow me" Joan said. We were taken to a room leading off the office. It had five comfy looking chairs and a wooden coffee table.
"Take as long as you need" Joan said. She shut the door and staggered off singing a song to herself.

"So Sophie, tell us about you" Phil said.
"Well..." She began "I was brought here when I was three. My dad went off the fight in the army and my mum couldn't cope with me anymore. That's what's I've been told anyway. I've lived here ever since"
"But what about your likes and dislikes and stuff?" I said.
"Well I like rock music, YouTube" she paused bit her lip then carried on "my favourite animal is a dog, my favourite colour is purple, my favourite food is pasta"
"And dislikes?" I said when she paused again, it was as if she was scared to mess things up.
"Well, I don't have any apart from certain people" she said "have I messed up?"
"Honey, no of course not!" Phil said. I noticed her hands were shaking and she was picking quickly at a finger nail. She was obviously desperate to get out of here.

Xxx