Worth Fighting For| B. Barnes

~Poison Ivy~

~~~~~
1995
~~~~~

On November 11, 1993 Ivy began the process of fostering and adopting Enrieta-Maria. The adoption was made final a year later in 1994.

Before Enrieta was adopted, her father raised her on his own, Enrieta's real mother passed away from giving birth to her which left her with only her father. It was always just her and her Papa, but all of that changed once she was taken in by her adoptive mother, Ivy Lee.

Ivy, a single young widow, wanted a second chance to love again after she lost her late husband. Ivy aspired to become a mother, and she figured adopting a child would give her a second chance to love again. She longed to love a child the way she knew a mother should, and her second chance came when she first fostered Enrieta.

By the age of two years old, Enrieta's father lost her to the foster care system after being found guilty of drug possession while Enrieta was still under his care. The state declared him an unfit parent and he lost Enrieta immediately.

Ever since that day, Enrieta had been in the care of Ivy Lee, but there were some days where Ivy couldn't help but wonder...was adopting Enrieta-Maria the right thing to do?

~~~~~

"Come on Now Enrieta, come along you're going to make us late." Ivy says rushing Enrieta out the door. It was a typical Sunday morning in Romania for Ivy and her daughter Enrieta-Maria.

Every Sunday Ivy made it a point to get out of their home early to make it to church in enough time for the sunrise service which typically start at 7:30 am...

"Enrieta, you are not moving quick enough, I said let's go!" Ivy shouts across the room to the 5 year old girl.

"But Mama, I'm tired..." Enrieta whined, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Enrieta-Maria...you know we do this every week, so when it's time to go, you know that it's time to get up and go...you can be tired later." Ivy said to the girl.

"I want to go back to my papa's house right now." Enrieta snaps back at the woman.

"Enrieta-Maria, I am going to count to five...if you are not at the front door by the time I get to five, you will be in big trouble and that is a promise..."

"I said I want to go to my papa's..." Enrieta.

"One..."

"TAKE ME TO PAPA'S!" Enrieta yelled back.

"Two...Three..."

"I want to go home!" Enrieta cried.

"Four..." by now Enrieta had tears in her eyes, and she had thrown herself on the ground and bawled her sad little eyes out.

"I-I want Papa back!" Enrieta yelled crying into her hands.

"Enrieta..." Ivy sighs softening her approach towards the girl. She wasn't sure how much reasoning with the girl would work, but she figured it was worth a try.