by G. Benson
Visibly sweating, George seemed to realise he would have to answer. “No.”
The glimmer of hope that Lane had ignited in the hallway flickered brighter in Anna’s chest.
“During your investigation, did you see any sign that the children were being neglected or abused in any way?”
“…No.”
Anna couldn’t tear her eyes away from the scene unfolding between the now profusely sweating man in the chair and the calm, collected lawyer.
“And where do you think these children will be better off?”
“Cathy Larsen.”
Anna was sure that Scott almost rolled his eyes. “Why?”
“Because I spend my entire job fighting against a system that doesn’t always do what it should do. Because I return children to homes they should never be returned to and take children from homes they should stay in. And here, well, here is the easy option of putting children in a God-fearing, stable environment and thereby removing them from an unstable environment with no religion and, it appears, no morals. The choice is logical!” George Coleman was red in the face, straightening as if his beliefs gave him strength.
Scott let a meaningful beat of silence fall around them before saying coldly, “No other questions.” He sat down.
The judge turned to George. “Please take your seat, Mr Coleman.”
Breathing heavily, the man walked over and sat next to Lorna, who was staring steadfastly ahead with a very red face.
The judge looked down at the papers in front of him for a minute. Anna stared at him, waiting for him to speak.
After what felt like an eternity, he looked around the room and opened his mouth.
“Mr Coleman speaks only the truth.” The indignant voice of Cathy Larsen rang out, cutting off whatever the judge had been about to say. “If you have any belief in God at all, you’ll put those children in a home that will teach them true family values.”
Glaring, the judge spoke in a level tone. “Sit down, or you will be removed from this room.”
Anna didn’t even turn around to watch as she heard Cathy slowly take her seat.
“And I’ll have you not lecture me on Christianity, either,” Judge Gordon said. “The question in this court today is of the allegations of neglect directed at Doctor Foster in regards to Ella and Toby Foster. From the evidence put forth today, I see absolutely no sign of neglect or abuse. In fact, the only thing I can think of as harming them is removing them from what was obviously a stable and loving environment to be placed in foster care to investigate what are obviously nuisance claims put forward by a woman with her own vendetta—a case which should never have even ended up in my courtroom. The only reason it did is because a government employee has manipulated a system put in place to protect children to cater to his own religious beliefs.”
He looked directly at George Coleman. “You knew that your notice of concern, coupled with exaggerated and blatantly false accusations and your power in the department would lead to this knee-jerk reaction; and I’m guessing you pulled some strings. I will see that this is investigated and your actions prosecuted.”
He paused, sitting up straighter. “Sexual orientation plays no role in someone being legally fit to raise children in Australia, and it’s plain that this is what the allegation is. If I see you in my court again, Mrs Larsen, without genuine proof of abuse or neglect, I’ll have you arrested for false allegations and for purely wasting my time. I hereby put forward that Doctor Anna Foster will have temporary custody of both Ella and Toby Foster until the permanent guardianship hearing in one month’s time. However, these court proceedings will be going on record, and I wish anyone luck contesting the wish of the biological parents and of this court.”
The judge stood, looking across the room to Anna. “Good luck, Doctor Foster. You’re going to have your hands full with two young children and a full-time job. It’s refreshing to see someone with such an excellent support network, all of whom are so committed to doing what is best for the children in your care.” And with that, he swept off and left the room. Anna was left staring at his empty chair.
Scott, having stood up the second the judge did, looked down to Anna, beaming. “We won.”
Breathing hard, heart fluttering in her chest, Anna looked up at him. “We did?”
“We won!”
Unable to stop herself, Anna launched from her chair and hugged him. “Thank you! Really, really, thank you.” Then she was turning and walking down the aisle as fast as she could, pulling the door open, joy flooding her chest.
Her mother stood outside, watching the door as if willing it to burst open with news. She blinked, and a grin grew over her face as Anna powered towards her.
“We won?”
Nodding even as she pulled her mother into a hug, Anna felt torn between laughing and sobbing. “We won, Mum.” And she felt it then, a sob, escaping her chest, sheer relief finally making her crack. She pulled back, and her mother beamed at her. Over Sandra’s shoulder, Anna saw Lane walking towards them, three coffees in a carrier tray in hand and a hesitant smile on her face as she took in the sight in the hallway.
Without knowing how it happened, Anna was in Lane’s arms, grinning wide enough to burst, even as tears streaked her cheeks. She felt ridiculous, but it was as if all the tense, terrified emotion of the last six days had finally been allowed to break.
As Sandra rescued the coffee, Lane’s lips pressed against her ear. “You get them back?”
Anna nodded, unable to speak, and Lane picked her up, swinging her around. Both of them were laughing, even as Anna let out another half sob. Back on her feet, Anna squeezed Lane tighter.
Anna choked out words, needing to hear them again. “They’re coming back.”
“They are!”
Even while returning the kiss Lane gave her, an ecstatic laugh escaped Anna’s lips. “I love you.”
Lane’s grip slackened in surprise, then tightened around her, breath hot against Anna’s neck as Lane buried her face against it. “Good, because I’m pretty in love with you, too.”
Anna grinned against the soft curve where Lane’s neck met her shoulder. It was probably the most absurd place to say it, in a courthouse with her mother a few metres away. But the high Anna was on dominated any such thoughts.
“Anna?”
Remembering where they were, Anna pulled away, hand still clinging to Lane’s. “Lorna.” She swiped a hand over her cheeks, not used to tears in public. “Hi. Thank you.”
Lorna shook her head. “No, don’t be silly. Everything I said was true. Just…I can pick them up and get them to you anytime.”
“Now?”
Lorna laughed. “Now is good. Are you headed home? I’ll drop them there.”
“We’ll go home now.”
“I’ll meet you there.” She turned to go, and Anna turned back to Lane and her mother. “Oh, and Anna?”
Anna turned. “Yeah?”
“I am so sorry this happened to you.”
In spite of the serious moment, Anna couldn’t stop beaming. “Thank you.”
“Want to know a secret?”
“Always.”
“He’s needed to go for a long, long time. The good thing coming out of this is he finally will.”
Cathy walked out of the courtroom past Lorna, her eyes straight ahead, handbag clasped to her side as she marched down the corridor and left the building.
Lorna winked at Anna, pulling her keys out of her pocket as she walked away. “I’ll see you soon.”
Lane and Anna, hands still clasped, were joined by Sandra as they started walking out of the building.
“What about the other hearing?” Concern was clear in Sandra’s tone, but Anna just gave a slight shrug. “It’s in a month. But, uh, it sounds like the chances are good I’ll be keeping them.” She took a deep breath. “I j
ust want to enjoy the fact that I’m about to see them again.”
Lane squeezed her hand.
“Did I see coffee, Mum?” Anna asked.
“Uh…”
Lane turned to look at Sandra as they were walking. “Oh, yeah, you took them. Can I have one?”
“Um.”
“Mum?”
“Well, I was excited, and you two were having a moment.”
“You drank them?”
“I drank one of them and dropped the others in the bin because I was so nervous. I had to do something; the excitement was overwhelming!”
Anna shook her head, climbing into the passenger seat of the car as Lane took the back.
“Anna.”
Anna turned to look at her mother. “Yeah?”
“So what the hell happened in there?”
Anna filled them in on the proceedings as they drove home.
Sandra shook her head. “But those people are supposed to be preventing these things from happening.”
They pulled up to the house. “I think most of them are there for that,” Anna said “From the sounds of it, this guy isn’t going to be there much longer.”
“Good!” Sandra was bouncing from foot to foot on the walkway and looking uncomfortable. “Oh, good God, I have to pee.”
With a grin, Lane watched her go. “Serves her right for throwing away our coffees.”
Anna looked at Lane as they took a seat on the front step. “They’re coming back,” she said again, still not quite able to believe it.
“On their way now, in fact.”
Anna turned back to the road, finger picking at her thumbnail.
Lane put her hand over Anna’s, stilling the nervous habit.
“Are you okay?”
Anna shrugged. “I am.”
“Really?”
“I’m…I’m so excited to see them. Just…are they going to be okay?”
Lane pulled her hand onto her lap. “They won’t be, completely. But they’ll be back with you, and they’ll slowly be okay again. They weren’t okay when you came here, but you helped them, then. Like you will this time round.”
Anna let out a slow breath.
A car turned onto the street, silver and new. Tyres crunched on the road, and Anna’s heart sped up.
The grip she had on Lane’s hand was probably too tight. “Lane.”
Unable to tear her eyes off the car, Anna felt Lane push her up so she was standing.
Ella turned her head in the back seat just then, eyes wide and her hand pressed to the glass. Before Anna knew what had happened, the door pushed open and Ella was flying over the grass in an orange Conversed blur.
Anna squatted down, and Ella hit her at full force, arms and legs wrapping around her so tightly that Anna fell backwards, sprawled on the grass and not caring that the damp ground was soaking through her skirt. Ella’s fingers dug into her back and it didn’t matter one bit; all Anna could do was hold her.
There was a hiccup in her ear, then a sob, and she held Ella tighter, auburn hair pressed into her face as Anna gripped the little girl with everything possible. Somehow, through Ella’s sobbing, she heard a sound that made her split into a huge grin even as it brought forth another sob. She looked up from Ella’s neck.
“Na!” Somehow smaller and yet bigger than she remembered, Toby was fighting to get out of Lorna’s arms.
He slid to the ground, grinning so hard his dimples showed; he was clearly delighted to see her. Like every time he got too excited and ran, he tripped and fell, then pulled himself back up, still smiling. The next moment he was in her arms as well, half climbing her and Ella to be closer.
And Ella finally pulled back, hands grasping Anna’s cheeks as she stared at her, almost nose to nose. Toby was buried in her neck and Ella’s green eyes were bright as she stared at Anna.
“Hey, Ella Bella.”
“Aunty Na.” Lips trembling, Ella finally gave her a slight smile. “Can we have pancakes for dinner?”
Anna couldn’t help but laugh.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Feet up on the coffee table, back against the couch, Anna let herself truly relax for the first time in a week. Her hand rubbed slow circles on Toby’s back; he was fast asleep on his stomach, face against her collarbone and legs to either side of her waist. She should have taken him up to his bed, but he had been incredibly clingy since getting back, and, if she was honest, she felt pretty clingy herself. He smelt of baby shampoo and was warm against her chest, his breathing deep and even.
Ella was pressed tight into Anna’s side, wrapped in her other arm. They had Aladdin turned down low, Ella only half watching as her hand clung to Anna’s.
Anna’s mother had left after half an hour, hugging the kids and telling Anna that she had spent that Wednesday with them and Anna needed to get them settled. Lane had gone home even sooner. She’d whispered in Anna’s ear that they’d talk later.
Ella was mostly quiet.
And that was okay.
Quiet was something Anna got, especially with her niece. Unfortunately, everyone was right in saying they were similar. She’d seen it the weeks after her brother passed away. And she’d been concerned, but had let it play out, understanding more than anyone what Ella was doing. The counsellor at school hadn’t been too concerned, so Anna had left it. And slowly, ever so slowly, Ella had reacted and lashed out and responded and had started, Anna hoped, to heal.
Anger bubbled up again inside her, and Anna had to swallow it back down. Whatever Cathy and George’s motivations, it had been damaging, to all of them, but Anna worried especially for Ella, who had been eating dinner when someone had turned up and all but ripped her from her house.
So Ella was quiet.
And Anna was letting her be, tonight.
But Anna also wanted Ella to talk to her, so she could reassure her. The look on Ella’s face when she had asked, “Don’t you want us?” still haunted her. Because, God, this little girl was going to have abandonment issues if she didn’t realise that of course Anna wanted her—she wanted the two of them more than she had ever even realised.
But tonight wasn’t the night for that. Anna was just soaking up the joy that she had them back, that the kids were delighted to be back.
Stilling her movements, Anna cupped the back of Toby’s head, the silky soft strands of his brown hair in her hands. Just as Jake’s hair had in his baby photos, Toby’s was starting to curl at the ends. She tugged her arm tighter, hugging Ella against her, and she heard a small giggle.
“Why you laughing, Ella Bella?” She spoke softly, mindful of Toby.
A shrug shifted Anna’s arm slightly. “You were squeezing me.”
“Because I don’t want to let you go, that’s why.”
Ella was quiet.
Anna didn’t push it, then. But she would need to soon. Wriggling her fingers, Anna tickled Ella again, smiling softly at the little giggle it caused. Ella settled back into Anna, and Anna rested her cheek against her head, dropping a kiss on top of it first.
There was nowhere else she would rather be.
A small foot had dug into Anna’s back, and a hand was flung over her face when she woke up. Opening her eyes, she relaxed as she saw Ella sprawled on her back, arms and legs thrown out, her auburn hair a cloud around her head. She looked so young when she slept.
While Anna had put Toby into his cot, Ella had done the fastest job of brushing her teeth ever. Anna had walked into her room and found Ella curled up in her bed. Not saying anything, Anna had crawled in beside her and wrapped her arms around her, pulling the little girl into her. She hadn’t fallen asleep until she’d heard Ella’s breathing even out.
At one a.m., Toby had woken up almost hysterical. His cries had scared Anna awake, and she’d run into his room in a panicked state. He had settled when
she pulled him to her arms and soothed him, but his hiccups had taken too long to slow, and she’d finally brought him into bed with her and Ella. He fell asleep in her arms as she sat up against the headboard, looking down at him.
Ella blinked sleepily at her. “He did that every night we were gone. But he didn’t stop this quickly then.”
Anna swallowed the lump in her throat and brushed her hand through Ella’s hair as she drifted off again.
Now, she had two tiny bodies half crushing her. Rolling over, desperately trying not to wake the kids, Anna reached for her phone.
Lane.
First night back with them…you must be ecstatic. Still want to hang out today? It’s okay if you want one-on-one time with them. x PS Even though it’s totally okay, I missed you last night. :)
Anna smiled and wrote a quick reply, adding a photo of Ella and Toby sprawled out over her and the bed.
So happy to have them back. Park this afternoon? I’ll ask Kym and Mum. You finish at three this afternoon? Say four? And I missed you, too.
She opened a text from Kym.
When can I see them? When can I see them? When can I see them? When can I see them?
There was a second one from her, too.
Seriously, when can I see them?
Anna laughed quietly and wrote back.
Park at four? Meet here and we’ll all head over?
The reply was almost instant.
Yay!
A message came through from Lane straight after that.
That sounds like the best of plans. Can’t wait to see you and the kids again. :)
Warm fuzzy feelings had taken over Anna’s chest. She put her phone back down after texting her mother about the park and rolled over to see Ella watching her with sleepy eyes.
“Heya, Ella Bella.”
