Trev had to admit he was nervous. Not so much that the kid would be ugly or disfigured in some way, since that wouldn't change his decision, but because he'd sort of created a picture in his head of what Derek would look like. They knew he had brown hair and dark blue eyes, but had no hints otherwise. So Trev imagined him as looking a bit like Lewis and Jane's oldest, except with the different color hair and eyes.
Which was absurd, of course.
Mr. Morris was already there, seated on a bench near the park's playground chatting with a few mothers of the dozen or so children playing there. As Trev and Deb approached he looked up, spied them, and clapped his hands, calling towards the monkey bars. A small figure detached from them and trotted over to stand with the caretaker, although when he saw the approaching couple his steps slowed, shy or nervous. When the boy reached Mr. Morris he half hid behind the man.
After all Trev's expectations, the most surprising thing about Derek was that he looked . . . perfectly ordinary. His hair was darker brown than he'd expected, almost the same color as Sam's, and his eyes close to the same blue as Jane's. Those eyes were big as saucers now as the boy peeked out at them from behind Mr. Morris's leg.
“Derek,” the caretaker said, stepping aside and crouching down to rest a hand on the boy's shoulder. “These are the people I told you about, Trevor and Debra Smith.”
Deb crouched down too. “Hi, Derek,” she said gently. “It's nice to meet you.” Trev nodded and smiled, feeling awkward.
Derek nodded back solemnly, but he didn't smile. Maybe nervousness didn't quite cover it: the kid looked absolutely terrified.
Even after Trev and Deb spent some time talking to him in the gentlest voices they could manage, then watching him play on the playground with the other children as Mr. Morris filled them in on pertinent details and told them a bit of what the boy was like, that fear didn't go away. Even when they all went and got sodas at a nearby store, walking through the thriving capitol city as Derek got more comfortable around them and his shyness disappeared, Trev still caught glimpses of it on the boy's face in unguarded moments.
He finally realized what it was: Derek wasn't afraid of them, he was afraid they wouldn't want him.
Just the thought of such a young, fragile person dealing with those kind of ego-shattering issues broke Trev's heart. They were still near strangers, but it was at that moment he realized he'd made up his mind to adopt the boy.
He looked at his wife, who had a soft look in her eyes as she listened to Derek talk about the new kittens the orphanage's cat had just had. Deb looked up and met his gaze, and the unspoken agreement passed between them.
They returned to the park, and Deb let the boy tug her hand and lead her to the swings. As she pushed him on one Trev took Mr. Morris aside and told him they'd decided to go forward with the adoption.
“We want to make the transition as smooth for him as possible,” he added. “We can visit him in Manti a few times to help him get used to us, and bring him to our home in Aspen Hill for short visits and then bring him back to the orphanage. Whatever's best for him.”
The caretaker shook his head, smiling slightly. “That's thoughtful, but not necessary. After we've finalized a few things I can have one of the orphanage's workers bring him out to your town, where he can spend the day getting used to his new home and being with you. If he's agreeable we'll have him stay with you, and touch base every week for the first few months to make sure the arrangement's working out.”
“Okay.” Trev shifted uncertainly. “We just want to make sure . . . I don't know, that it works out. That he's happy.”
Mr. Morris smiled and briefly rested a hand on his shoulder. “Don't worry, Mr. Smith. You seem like good people, and Derek is a good boy. It's normal to be a bit nervous, a bit unsure if you're capable of being the parents an orphan needs. I see it all the time. But rest assured, we all want this to work out. And from what I've seen on this visit I'm sure it will.”
They wanted to stay longer, but Mr. Morris informed them that it had been a good length for a first visit, and anyway he needed to get Derek back to the orphanage for lunch.
Deb hugged the boy as they said goodbye, while Trev solemnly shook his hand. “It was good to meet you, Derek,” he said.
“You too,” Derek replied, equally solemn. His tone became slightly hopeful, but with an undercurrent of doubt that tugged at Trev's heartstrings. “I hope I see you again.”
As Mr. Morris led the boy away Deb settled against Trev's chest, pulling his arms tight around her. “What do you think?” she asked him.
Trev watched the departing orphan and caretaker. “I think we made the right choice.”
She turned in his arms to look up at him, eyes glistening with tears. Trev was used to seeing that, but for the first time in what seemed like forever they were tears of happiness. “I do too.”
His wife's radiant smile made his heart soar, and Trev pulled her close and leaned down to kiss her fiercely. On the playground a few kids noticed and started exclaiming in disgust, and Deb laughed slightly as she pulled back and put her head on his shoulder.
“We've got a lot to do,” she murmured.
Trev nodded. They needed to get a room ready, and find everything Derek would need, as well as toys and things like that. He should probably get a baseball or basketball or something so they could play catch out in the yard. That was important, right?
And they'd need to let their family know once things were finalized, although they'd kept everyone in the loop about the adoption process and everyone was already excited at the prospect. The Halsson kids couldn't stop talking about having a new cousin.
It was terrifying and exhilarating. After so long spent visiting doctors and hospitals with no success Trev's grief and hopelessness had started to drag like a lead weight, but he'd felt it lifting as they began making arrangements to adopt. For the first time in a long time he looked at the future and saw something brighter than him and Deb, alone together as the families of their loved ones grew around them.
He gently pulled back and reached out to take his wife's hand. “Come on, let's go home.”
End of Book Three
The story continues in Going Home
Book Four of the Nuclear Winter Series
Table of Contents
Author's Note
PART ONE
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
PART TWO
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Epilogue
Nuclear Winter | Book 3 | Chain Breakers Page 34
