Today was finally the day and Lisa couldn't be more elated. Lisa was squirming in her chair because she couldn't wait.
Jean was looking at her paperwork with a tiny smirk. She and Lisa were going to visit the city's orphanage. They were going to meet the children there and look into the process of adoption. They had scheduled a visit more than a week ago and Lisa couldn't stop talking about it since then. Right now she was patiently waiting for Jean to finish her work so they could be on their way.
Truth be told, Jean had finished her work a while ago, but she found Lisa's behaviour too amusing to end things soon. So she pretended that she still had work to do while she laughed to herself about Lisa's attempt to control her excitement.
Jean had to admit, she found Lisa's excitement so endearing and it warmed her heart. She couldn't wait to start a family with Lisa and she really hoped that they could give one of the children a fantastic loving life.
Jean decided to stop teasing Lisa. She put her work down and that immediately grabbed Lisa's attention.
"Shall we be on our way, love?" Jean asked, standing up from her chair. Lisa jumped out of her chair and nodded.
"Yes! Let's go darling! I'm so excited to meet all the children. Oh gosh this week couldn't have gone by any slower."
Jean chuckled as she put her coat on. She led Lisa out of her office and locked the doors. The two walked hand-in-hand to the city's orphanage while Lisa was practically bouncing on her feet.
When they got to the orphanage, the orphanage director greeted them at the door.
"Grand Master Jean, Miss. Lisa, how are you two today?" The kind elderly lady asked.
"Oh Maryland, we're so excited. Aren't we Jean?" Blurted Lisa.
Jean smiled and nodded in agreement. "Lisa is correct, we are very excited to meet the children."
"Well come on then, the children are just helping the chef prepare dinner." Maryland held the door open for Lisa and Jean.
The inside of the building was very cozy and looked very warm. Jean allocated a good amount of the city's funds to ensure that the building was sustained well. Maryland and her team did a fantastic job running the place. The children didn't have families, so the least they deserved was a warm, clean, and safe place to live.
There were kids of all ages sitting around the living room. Off to the side, there was a doorway that led to a large dining room and a kitchen was attached to the right. Jean could see a group setting the table with utensils while another group was in the kitchen with the chef.
"Children!" Maryland said to the group in the living room. "Please welcome Miss. Lisa and Miss. Jean. Tonight, they will be joining us for dinner so please make them feel welcomed. Okay, darlings?"
"Yes, Miss. Maryland!" They said in unison. The children all had bright smiles on their faces that they directed to the pair. Some went back to what they were doing before while others bravely stepped up to talk to Lisa. Jean stood off to the side with a smile as she observed her beautiful witch interact with the children.
They asked her all sorts of questions, ranging from questions about her large witch hat to her work as a librarian. Lisa answered each and every question with enthusiasm and patience. One child, who Jean had to guess was about 3, crawled into Lisa's lap and didn't say anything. All they did was stare up at Lisa's face with big round curious eyes.
Lisa smiled down at the child and patted their head soothingly while she returned to answering the other children's questions.
While Jean was observing Lisa, she noticed there was a young girl sitting alone by the fireplace. The girl looked a little nervous and out of place. She kept fidgeting with her fingers and eyeing the child in Lisa's lap. Jean slowly walked to the kid who had noticed her approach a bit later.
Jean could see the nervousness in her eyes so Jean slowed down and smiled a warm smile at the young girl. Jean knelt down to her level and offered a small wave.
"Hello there. My name is Jean, what's your name?" Jean asked as nicely as she could. She could see the girl was eyeing her hand questioningly and she hesitated to answer but she eventually did.
"Hannah." The young girl whispered, not making eye contact. When she didn't reach out for Jean's hand, Jean smiled and pulled her hand back.
"It's nice to meet you Hannah. Is that your sibling over there with Miss. Lisa?" Jean inquired since she saw the way that Hannah eyed the little kid in Lisa's lap earlier.
Hannah nodded. "Yes...that's my brother Oscar."
"That's a very nice name. How old are you two?" Jean asked. She swapped her position so she was sitting cross legged beside Hannah.
"I...I'm 7, Oscar is 2." Jean nodded. Her heart cracked a little. They were so young and already lost their parents, it was so not fair.
Jean suddenly chuckled a little when she noticed that Oscar was trying to climb up Lisa's shoulders. Even Hannah had to smile a little at that.
"Oscar likes to climb things that he shouldn't." She said quietly.
"He's certainly adventurous for a 2 year old." Jean commented.
"Are you here to adopt someone?" Hannah asked abruptly, throwing Jean for a loop.
Jean blinked a few times. "We are. Miss. Lisa and I want to start a family, so we decided to adopt. We want to meet everyone first though to make sure we're a good fit."
Hannah nodded understandingly. She was quite used to couples coming and going. Sometimes children left with them, other times that was not the case.
"Leon has been here the longest, apparently." Hannah said, pointing to an older boy who looked to be about 15. He was carrying a younger girl by the hips so she could place some utensils on the dinner table since she was too small to reach the top on her own.
"Or maybe, you would like Lilly." Hannah said, nodding towards a girl around her age who was sitting around a pile of books. "She's smart and loves learning."
Jean sat quietly by Hannah's side as she ran through a list of everyone in that orphanage and explained why they'd be good to adopt. Jean was amazed at how observant the young girl was but one curious thing stuck out to Jean.
"What about you and Oscar? Would you two like to be adopted as well?" Hannah frowned and shrugged her shoulders. "We're okay here I guess." Hannah didn't offer an explanation and Jean didn't feel right asking so she left it at that.
Even if she did ask, she probably wouldn't have the time to receive an answer because shortly afterwards, the voice of Maryland rang through the area.
"Dinner time, children! Please wash your hands and come to the table. We have some delicious stew and toasted garlic bread for everyone tonight."
Almost immediately, all the children scattered and left the room. Lisa stood up with Oscar in her arms and Jean stood up too. She offered a hand to Hannah who hesitantly took it. She allowed Jean to lead her to where the rest of the group congregated. Lisa appeared by Jean's side with a smile on her face. She smiled down at the young girl and greeted her.
"Hello there, I'm Lisa. What's your name cutie?" Jean saw the young girl blush at the term Lisa used and Jean had to laugh to herself because she completely understood how the girl felt when being addressed by Lisa.
"H-Hannah. That's my brother Oscar." Hannah said, looking at the toddler in Lisa's arms.
"Oh what a beautiful name! Now that you mention it, I can see the resemblance. You two are adorable." Lisa giggled. Jean smiled when Hannah unconsciously gripped her jacket. Sometimes Lisa could make people uncomfortable with her compliments, but her dear witch meant no harm.
Jean chuckled quietly when she heard a grumble come from Hannah's little tummy. "Let's go eat, shall me?" Hannah nodded embarrassed but she led the two grown ups to the dinner table. Hannah sat between Lisa and Jean while Oscar remained seated in Lisa's lap.
The dinner was a lively event. Everyone spoke kindly to each other and there were many laughs shared over the good food. Lisa and Jean helped some of the kids clean up. Jean's heart was exploding with happiness when she noticed that Hannah hadn't left her side throughout the whole time. It was such a drastic progress from the shyness Hannah showed at the beginning. And Oscar was practically glued to Lisa's chest.
Eventually, the two had to leave. Hannah was upset by that news but not as much as Oscar who was wailing and trying to grasp at Lisa's clothing. Hannah had to pry her brother off of LIsa and held a squirming thrashing baby in her arms. Eventually Oscar calmed down and passed out from exhaustion. Lisa's heart was broken and she really wanted to tug Oscar back into her arms but she knew she couldn't.
With a heavy heart, the couple said goodbye to the children. They met Maryland outside the orphanage.
"So how was that?" She asked with a brilliant smile. "I saw you two really bonded with Oscar and Hannah."
Lisa nodded. "He is so sweet! Those two are adorable."
Jean agreed. Maryland's smile brightened. "I'm so glad to hear that. I know Hannah really wants her and her brother to be adopted but she isn't very hopeful. She often thinks that no family wants to adopt them because their biological parents dropped them off and didn't look back. It absolutely broke her heart. They've been here for two years now. Oscar was actually only a month old when he came. I'm actually quite surprised Hannah stuck by your side, Jean. She usually likes to be alone or she hovers her brother."
Jean and Lisa looked at each other sadly. What an awful story. Hannah and Oscar were such lovely children. Anyone would be happy to adopt them.
"Thank you for the information Maryland. We have a lot to think about tonight. We'll stop by more in the future to get to know everyone more."
Maryland nodded. "We'll be happy to have you two back again, the children seem to love you. Have a good night, you two." Maryland waved once more to them before walking back into the orphanage.
Lisa hooked her arm through Jean's. Each were lost in their own thoughts as they made their way home. Neither spoke until they laid beside each other in bed.
"I want to adopt both of them, Jean." Lisa whispered.
Jean caressed Lisa's cheek. "I feel the same. But let's get to know them a little more before we do."
Lisa nodded. "Love it. Oh Jean, I'm so happy!" Lisa gushed, kissing Jean on the lips. Jean smiled into the kiss and hugged Lisa closer to her.
Jean and Lisa joined the children for dinner a few more times that week. Each time they left with smiles on their faces. Hannah was opening up to them more and more and it confirmed in their minds that adopting her and Oscar was meant to be.
Now they were sitting in Maryland's office going through the paperwork to make it official. All they had to do was talk to Oscar and Hannah about it. If they accepted then they could go home with Jean and Lisa that night.
Jean and Lisa held each other's hand nervously while Maryland went to get Hannah and Oscar. The door opened again and a nervous Hannah walked in with Oscar in her arms.
"Hi Hannah. Hi Oscar." Lisa gushed, waving to the little boy whose eyes lit up. He immediately extended his arms out towards Lisa. Hannah took the cue and handed Oscar off to Lisa.
"Hello." She said, a little perplexed.
"Miss. Lisa and Miss. Jean are here today because they have a question they would like to ask you."
Hannah tilted her head cutely. "A question?"
Maryland chuckled and nodded her head. "Jean? Lisa?"
Jean smiled and grabbed Hannah's hands gently. "Hannah, dear, Lisa and I were wondering..." Jean's eyes teared up a little. "Would you and Oscar like to join our family?"
Hannah's eyes widened and she gasped. Her eyes filled with tears to match Lisa and Jean's.
"R-really? Do you mean it?" She asked, looking between Lisa, Jean, and Maryland. They all had smiles on their faces.
Lisa and Jean nodded. "Yes, dear, we really mean it. We have all the paperwork signed, we just need your approval. So what do you say, darling?" Lisa asked.
"Yes! Yes!" Hannah screamed, jumping into Jean's lap. She hugged Jean around the waist and sobbed into her body. Little Oscar, being as young as he was, didn't quite understand what was happening but he bounced excitedly in Lisa's lap and clapped his hands wildly much to the amusement of everyone in the room.
Within an hour, everything was finalized and they had Hannah and Oscar's stuff packed. THe two said their goodbyes to everyone at the orphanage before leaving. Hannah was so excited, she walked between Lisa and Jean while holding onto their hands. Oscar was quietly nestled into the crook of Lisa's free arm.
When they opened the door, Jean and Lisa couldn't contain their excitement. Hannah's eyes widened when she stepped into the large cosy house. A warmth washed over her and her eyes held a bright glimmer.
"It's been a long day, you must be tired. How about we show you to your room and tomorrow we can give you a tour of the place?" Jean asked, caressing Hannah's soft hair. As if on cue, Hannah let out a great big yawn. Jean and Lisa chuckled.
Jean scooped a tired Hannah into her arms. Hannah wrapped her little arms around Jean's neck and laid her head on Jean's shoulders.
Lisa and Jean carried the pair up the stairs to their new rooms. They first laid Oscar in his new crib and wrapped a warm green blanket over his body. They left a bit of a crack in the door in case Oscar needed something. Next they took Hannah to her room.
It was a modest sized room with a twin bed pressed to the far end. A little desk and chair was set to the side. There was a box of toys in the room and a large dresser sat beside it. Even in her tired state, Hannah marvelled at the room and the colours. Each wall had a nice hue of different colours, one was a light blue, another was a pastel link, a lavender, a light green, and red.
"Wow, is this my room?" Jean smiled and laid Hannah on her soft bed. Jean pulled the blanket up to Hannah's chin and tucked her in.
"It is, do you like it?" Jean and Lisa kneeled beside Hannah's bed. Hannah yawned. "I...love it. Thank you."
Lisa caressed Hannah's soft hair. "Sleep now darling. We have a lot to show you tomorrow."
Hannah nodded sleepily. "Okay."
"Good night, Hannah." Jean whispered, kissing Hannah's head.
"Good night, darling." Lisa said, pressing a kiss to her cheek.
"G-good night." Hannah murmured before falling fast asleep.
Jean and Lisa smiled lovingly at their new daughter before quietly leaving the room.
Jean lifted Lisa into her arms and twirled her around in their room. She kissed her giggling wife deeply before dropping her onto the bed. Jean hovered over Lisa.
"Happy?" Jean asked.
Lisa wound her arms around Jean's neck. "Absolutely. We have a family, Jean!" Lisa whispers-shouted.
Jean grinned. "We do have a family."
"I love you Jean."
"I love you too, Lisa." Jean whispered. She leaned down and kissed Lisa lovingly.