Green [Chaelisa]

thirty one

"A group home?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "For a three year old?"

"It's the best we could do given the circumstances," the woman attempted to explain, but Chaeyoung shook her head.

"You're positive she has no family? No family friends?" Chaeyoung refused to believe the older woman.

"Honey, I've done as much as I can," the woman shook her head. "I assure you, the group home will be fine until we can place her in a b-,"

"Fine?" Chaeyoung raised her voice, taking Lisa by surprise. "You're really going to settle for 'fine' for a child? A living child? You really want to mess her up at this young?" She sat up taller.

"I don't know what you expect me to do," the woman looked back and forth between the two girls. "I'm only doing my job."

"You need to do more than just your job," Chaeyoung shook her head, standing up and motioning to the girl in Lisa's arms. "That is a life, not just another number on your stupid paycheck. That's a living, breathing human with an entire future ahead of her. You're in charge of her future and she has no control over it. You have to be her voice. And right now it just sounds like you're settling."

"Again, I don't know what you expect me to do," the woman shook her head.

Chaeyoung could feel it. She didn't even have to look to know that Lisa's eyes were looking at her pleadingly. She sighed, taking a deep breath before sitting back down on the bed.

"Well, what about us?" Chaeyoung spoke up, taking even Lisa by surprise.

The woman grew confused. "What about you?"

"What if we take her?" Chaeyoung bit her lip, running a hand through her hair. She wasn't used to doing these kind of things. But something inside of her was pushing her.

"You can't just 'take' her," the woman laughed at Chaeyoung's words, which only angered the blonde girl more. "You'd either have to apply for adoption, which is a long process. Or you'd have to have a foster license."

"How do you get a foster license?" Chaeyoung asked. Lisa watched her intently from her spot on the bed, holding the timid child protectively in her arms.

"It's a case by case basis. Sometimes i-,"

"Well how do we get one?" Chaeyoung interrupted her, making Lisa struggle not to laugh from behind her.

"You have to apply for one, it's a pretty complicated p-,"

"How do we apply?" Chaeyoung asked once more, ignoring the annoyed look on the woman's face. That wasn't her concern.

"Give me a moment," the woman sighed, grabbing her things and slipping back into the hallway. As soon as the door shut, Chaeyoung groaned and fell back onto the bed.

"What are you doing?" Lisa whispered in confusion.

Chaeyoung sat up, turning to Lisa and biting her lip. "I don't even know," she laughed nervously and shook her head.

"You really want to... you know?" Lisa nodded down to the girl in her arms.

"I, uh," Chaeyoung swallowed the lump in her throat. "I mean, I thought you... I just..."

"Rosie," Lisa laughed, placing a hand on her wife's arm to try and calm her down. "Do you want to?"

Chaeyoung took a deep breath before nodding softly. "Toby and Maia said there's never a right time. And... and she needs someone, you know? I know it's a rush decision but I've always wanted kids and I assumed you did too and m-,"