Welcome Home!! Lovar 2003

Lovar, spring, 2003
Jorge and Jolie are 36, Grace Elise is 8, Ashley is 5, Esther is 1

The Dawson family couldn't be more excited, even Puggles submitted for a special bath. Today was the homecoming of thier two adopted daugthers. It was the final step of a very long road.

Shortly after agreeing to look into adoption, Jolie and Jorge spent several weeks researching adoption agencies. Since Apple Valley did not have a local orphanage, they had to look to interhood adoptions. They called up Fiona Kent, to set up a meeting to discuss the legal background of adopting.

"First, you'll need to determine what type of adoption you're interested in." Fiona started looking through thier paperwork.

"I don't understand, we want to have a legal adoption."

"Well, some agencies will delve more into your personal history and background than others. Especially considering which hood you adopt from."

"What do you mean? Questions like how long have we been married?"

"Yes and more. The questions will be very intrusive. They'll discuss your home. Do you think that a two bedroom home has enough space for another child? You already have a daughter and a dog taking up valuable space."

"Uhh..."

"Then they'll look at your financial situation. Do you think you're financially stable and able to care for another family member?"

"Well, we both have steady jobs..."

"Yes, but in this economy, how secure are your jobs?"

"Uhh..."

"Then of course, there is your medical history. They'll want to know about your visits with the therapist."

"Is that a relevant question?"

"Of course."

"Well...I don't know..."

"I have a list of hoods whose adoption mandates are not as difficult..."

After deciding on a hood and agency, the couple had to submit to a home study. Thankfully things went well.

The adoption caseworker also visited other residents to interview them about the Dawsons.

They met briefly with the agency in Fiona's office and recieved the good news that thier homestudy was successful.

"They were very impressed with your family! I never heard such rave reviews!" Thier adoption caseworker, Clarice, said.

"Now you can start your paperwork and wait for a referral." Fiona added.

---

They did not have to wait long, in fact, two weeks later (which is record time in a process that takes months, sometimes years!) they recieved the call.

"We found a child for you!" Clarice said on the phone.

"Jorge!!! Grace Elise!!! They found a child!!!"

"Actually, two children."

"Two children?"

"Yes, I'm sending the paperwork via courier. They're sisters, Ashley and Esther. Ashley just turned five and Esther is 14 months."

---

When the paperwork arrived, the entire family poured over the photos and documents of the siblings. They didn't think about how quickly the whole process was going. If they had, perhaps they would have wondered if Fiona was using her influence to get thier paperwork seen quickly. Instead they passed the photos of the little girls around.

"Is she going to be my new little sister?" Grace Elise asked holding up the photo of one of the girls. "I hope so, she looks like grandmom."

Jolie had to agree, the sisters looked like the children that she and Jorge could have biologically had. She looked over to Jorge to get his opinion, but found him wiping tears away. So it was quickly settled, Ashley and Esther would be joining the Dawson family.

The family sent thier last remaining fees to the adoption agency and arranged to meet thier new family members at the ferry. Unfortunately, the agency didn't allow for families to meet thier adoptive children near large bodies of water, so they arranged to meet the girls at the Starr Grey Administrative Building. It would be easier to finalize the paperwork immediately.

In a small hood, news travels quickly, so for a week, Jolie spent her days at work, home and running errands fielding questions.

"Are you excited?" Fiona Kent asked as Jolie was browsing through the gift shop.

"Yes, we're excited. We have been waiting for six years to have another child and now we have two!"

"Well, you and Jorge will be pretty tired with the new additions, I can offer you a family vacation package for wholesale cost if you're interested."

"Really? That would be wonderful!"
---
What the Dawsons didn't know is that one family's joy quickly became the hood's joy. What other explanation for the crowd of people gathered at the administration building waiting with them to welcome thier new family members. The hood council had donated use of the ballroom for the welcome home party (which originally was going to be simple cake at the house with the family and Jorge and Jolie's brothers and thier families (which to be honest is half of the hood)). Balloons were everywhere, almost every available table was filled with gifts. Jolie kept recieving hugs and "money handshakes".

"Here's a certificate to the store, stop buy and pick up some fresh fish for the family." Grex told the family that supported him during the grief of losing his son.

"Come to the studio when you're settled, I'll paint a family portrait of your new family." Antonio promised his brother and sister-in-law.

"Make sure you pick up some toys for the girls, here's a certificate to the store." Rebecca added on, ensuring that her neices would have the best and newest toys.

Finally, a blue van pulled up, it was one of the few vehicles allowed on the island and everyone recognized it. It was the van that carried social workers to and fro. Jolie and Jorge held thier breath and the van door opened. Grace Elise could feel the tension and she couldn't stop hopping from foot to foot.

When Ashley hopped out the van, followed by the Clarice holding little Esther, the crowd erupted in a cheer-"Welcome home Ashley and Esther!!!"

Jolie and Jorge couldn't hold back thier excitement any longer, they ran up to the girls and swept them in thier arms. Grace Elise quickly kissed her new sisters and proceeded to take Ashley to meet all her friends (which wasn't any, but she didn't know that).

Family and friends cooed and awed over the girls, ate thier fill of cake and appetizer platters, and clapped and cheered as presents were opened by all three girls (Grace Elise was given presents so that she wouldn't feel left out).

Then a dance party started with the residents shaking thier groove things to the beat and a short legal conference was held and legal jargon was passed around.

"Once these papers are signed, the girls will be a permenent fixture in your family." Clarice started. "Your funds will be used for the well being of the two girls."

"You are responsible for thier education, meals and upbringing, just as you would be if they were biologically your child."

"Of course, they will only learn from the best teachers available." Jolie piped up.

"You are responsible for thier moral education."

"Absolutely, they won't be joining any witch clan or anything of that sort." Jorge replied.

"We'll monitor who they interact with very carefully." Jolie added, anxious to get back to the waiting girls.

"We'll need to collect the final fee." Fiona stated once the adoption caseworker read through the rights and responsibilities of the two parents.

Jorge handed over the check while Jolie started signing the final paperwork.

"By the power vested in me," Fiona started. "On this day, the two minors will be known as Ashley Dawson and Esther Dawson. Congratulations."

After all the necessary paperwork was signed, Ashley and Esther were a permenant part of the Dawson clan. After a family photo, the family of five walked the short distance home with a crowd of residents following them into the sunset.

"I didn't know that you worked for Stern & Clerks. I'll have to tell Stern what a great lawyer you are, she better be paying you what you're worth." Clarice told Fiona after the Dawsons left the building.

-----

For the next few days, the family took some time to just bond with thier new additions. Grace Elise and Ashley were soon joined at the hip as the older sister shared the customs of the house with the younger.

"If you ask mommy for a snack, she'll give you a piece of fruit," Grace Elise shared. "But daddy will give you cookies, so he's your best bet for yummy stuff. But you have to be careful or mommy might realize what's going on, so ask her for a snack sometimes too."

The younger also shared insights with the older.

"At my old place, there was this game called tennis."

"Tennis?"

"Yea, you play with a ball, a net and a big paddle. You had to hit to ball really hard."

"Whoa, we don't have tennis here. We have catch."

"Catch? That's not a lot of fun."

Other times the two simply sat and played, the song of thier voices filling the house and thier parents' hearts with joy.

While Ashley had Grace Elise as a playmate, Esther was learning lots of new things. Jolie had taken a break trying to get the stubborn toddler to say anything more than "no, mine and boo".

While Jorge was content to tickle the little one into squeals of delight and numerous wet diapers. At those moments, Jorge passed Esther to Jolie, claiming he had "forgotten" how to change diapers.

Jolie let him get away with the lie for now, since she tried to spend as much time as possible with the girls.

In addition, plenty of games of peek-a-boo were played, jokes were shared and photos viewed. Visitors still stopped by to see how the family was doing, especially Jorge's brothers Antonio and Julio. Ashley and Esther were soon introduced to all thier Apple Valley cousins and were beginning to recognize thier cousins from other hoods. However the family craved and enjoyed the quiet evenings where they could relax at dinner and simply chat about the day's events.

After tucking the girls into bed, Jorge and Jolie whispered about thier additional blessings.

"You know what. Even though we tried for years for another child, I truly think that Ashley and Esther were meant to join our family."

Jolie couldn't help but agree.

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Congratulations to the Dawson family!