Play Date

5 Charlie Mackerel.

They take Riley's car downtown, near to the theater where they won their Emmys two years ago. He pulls into a parking lot on Spring Street and hands the valet a five-dollar tip in advance. He'll tip the guy again on the way out. This is just a little something to ensure the valet handles the Maserati with care.

The inside of the building is a throwback to Raymond Chandler's Los Angeles. The halls are long and dim. The hardwood floors show wear from decades and decades of foot traffic. You can feel the thick, multiple layers of paint.

Paige and Riley navigate an upper floor, reading the business names stenciled on pebbled glass office doors.

"I don't know why I let you talk me into this," Paige says. "It is so not going to work."

"Love your can-do spirit dear." Riley spots their destination. Paige is still unsure.

"There's no guarantee this will get us anywhere with Jerry," she says. Riley sympathizes.

"We can turn around right now and take Webster's offer. But once we go down that road, there's no going back. Is that what you want?" Paige lets out a long sigh. She does not want to work in reality television. "We're good at what we do," Riley presses on. "But we need a little booster rocket. I believe in us and I'm not ready to pack it in yet. Are you?"

"You really still believe in us?" Riley kisses her. "All right," Paige gives in, "Let's do this." Riley smiles and opens the door that reads: "Charlene Mackerel, Family Law."

The office is not a dive but nothing fancy. Seated at an ancient wood desk in an inexpensive business suit, Charlene exudes positivity.

"I have to say right off the bat how commendable it is that you're interested in an older child," Charlie says. "Like black cats, they're just plain harder to place into adoption."

"Adoption?" Riley questions. "That sounds so permanent."

"It is."

Paige steps in. "Ms. Mackerel..."

"Call me Charlie."

"Charlie," Paige continues, "We're looking for something a little more temporary."

"Temporary?"

"A try-before-you-buy sort of thing," Riley explains.

"To make sure we're right for parenthood," Paige corrects Riley's levity. Charlie raises an eyebrow.

"You want to kick the tires."

"That's a good way to put it," Riley says.

"We're talking about a human life." Again Paige tries to set things right.

"I assure you we are taking this very seriously," she says. Charlie leans back and thinks for a moment.

"We could look into fostering," Charlie offers.

"How do we do that?" Riley wants to know.

"First there's a thorough background check. Arrests... financials." Riley and Paige stumble over an assurance there is nothing criminal in their past and their money situation is solid. That last part wasn't exactly a white lie, more of a beige. But Charlie has more to say.

"Followed by a series of interviews and a home inspection. It's a safety inspection to make sure the environment is child-friendly."

"We could change a few things," Riley understates. Charlie has even more information.

"There are training courses required. Depending on need, we could place a child with you in twelve months or so." That's not great.

"Twelve months?" Riley asks, omitting the 'are you kidding' running through his mind.