Intertwined

Chapter 37

"Well, I really just wanted to come as soon as possible so I can hope to get these girls back before Christmas. Lila doesn't even know what Christmas is and Dani has probably never experienced a true Christmas. I want them to be with my family and I and get to feel what it is like to be a part of something and be surrounded by people who love them. I'll do whatever it takes to get them back. I even went to rehab and got better for them. I REALLY want them back." I say, not breaking eye contact with her. She nods understandingly.

"Okay, so how about you wait here for a moment, okay?" She says, I nod as she gets up and walks out of the room, only returning a couple minutes later with a stack of paper about as thick as five inches. My eyes widen in surprise. She sits down, placing the paper work in front of her. She begins to sort different paper work from one another. "Don't worry, dear. Most of these papers are asking for information on your background and stuff like your social security and other the rest of them are just contracts and agreements along with some other information you might need. We really just need these." She says, taking out a thin pack of paper from the large stack. "I can get any information about you on the computer through the papers I asked you to bring. Do you happen to have everything I asked for?" She asks. I nod, taking out the folder with all the papers and hand it to her. "Great!" She exclaims, grabbing the folder from my hands and looking at all the papers. "This will help speed things up by a lot. Now we don't have to go into a full investigation and background check on you. Here, I need you to fill out these five forms and once you are done I'll give you the two contracts you need to sign." She says handing me a clipboard with the forms on it. We sit there in silence as I fill out the forms and she inputs the information on the paperwork I brought into the computer.

After a while I finally finish up and hand her the forms. She reaches across her desk and grabs two sheets of paper, which I'm assuming are the contracts. "Okay, so these basically state that you will be a good parent and not neglect, abuse, disown, or anything along those lines to the children. In a summary, it is just a contract agreeing to treat the kids right or they will be taken away. The next one is having to do with finances and how we will routinely check up on you every now and then for the first two years that the children are with you. I'll need to call the department back in California so they can assign you a new social worker to do those check ups and work on your case since I can't really fly out to California every time I want to do a 20 minute check up." I just nod along as she talks. I take the pen she offers me and I skim over the paper, reading everything I can. I sign both papers.

"Is that all?" I ask her.

"No, I have contacted the court and sent them your case. Since I have already run background checks and all your personal information along the official police investigation on your, and the girls case about your relationship with each other, they should respond positively. I sent it all to my friend, Adam, who works there. So I should get a response any moment now. Do you want to stay or do you want me to just call you when I get word back from him?" She asks me.

"I don't mind staying, I have some questions anyways." I reply.

"Yeah, sure, go ahead."

"How are we going to get the girls back? Will someone go get them or...?" I drag the 'or' to finish my question.

"It can go however. I will inform the foster parents today and tomorrow I can either send two people to go to the separate foster homes or you can go if you want. It's up to you." She responds. I ponder on the choices for a moment.

"I'll go get them. My second, and last question is when can we leave back to California? Can I leave the day after I get the girls back?" I ask.

"Yes you can. And speaking of flights. I have Danielle's and Lila's paperwork here. It is stuff like their passport, case files, social security, you know, all that stuff. I'll-" She's interrupted by a ding coming from her phone. She picks it up and reads the, what I'm assuming to be a text message or email, and then looks at me and smiles. "You've been approved."