A Melwood Story

/ chapter thirty-nine /

A Melwood Story
Chapter 39

Melissa

"Hey, Mel," David says. "I know you have a lot on your plate right now, but I was wondering if you could come to the children's hospital. There's a kid here that I wanted you to meet."
"Um, yeah, okay, I'll be there as soon as I can," I tell him.
"Great!" he says. "I'll let you know where we're at."
"Okay."
He hangs up. And I call Chris immediately after.

"David called," I tell Chris when he answers the call. "He said there's a baby that was just born that he wants us to meet."
"When do you finish on set?" he asks.
"In an hour, probably," I say.

It's been nearly three years since Chris came back from Paris. Nya is thirteen. The twins are now ten. Sofia is six. Kaleb is five and Adaline is four. We have been fostering two brothers for three months now, but they are leaving in two weeks to a family who is adopting them. Chris and I have decided to look for a younger child to adopt, since the two brothers were fostering now are eleven and twelve. Matteo and Isaac.

David has been helping at the local hospital and has been letting us know when babies are born that are going into foster care.

"Do you want to come home first or go straight there?" Chris asks.
"I can meet you there." I say.
"Nya could stay with the twins and Matteo and Isaac and I can bring Kaleb and Addy," he suggests.
"Sounds good." I hang up just as I'm called to set.

Melissa! You're on in five!" someone calls from the other side of my trailer door.
"Okay! Thank you!" I call back.

I set my phone down and head out the door.

Chris

I stand up from the couch and head upstairs to Nya and Lulu's room.

"Nya," I say opening the door. "I'm taking Kaleb, Sofia and Addy to the hospital in an hour to meet a baby. You're staying here with Matteo, Isaac and the twins, okay? You're in charge."
"Got it," she says, not looking away from her book.

An hour has passed when Melissa texts that she's on her way to the hospital now.

I get the three kids I'm taking ready and in the car within fifteen minutes with few protests.

Melissa

My mom calls when I'm a few blocks away from the hospital.

"Hi, mom," I say. "I'm a little busy."
"Too busy to talk to your mother?" she asks.
"Yeah, a little," I tell her. "I'm going to the hospital to see a baby that Chris and I might adopt."
"What?" she says. "What about the two boys you have now?"
"They're getting adopted next week by their aunt or something," I explain. "I thought I told you this."
She sighs. "You might have. Anyways, darling, I'll let you go. Tell me how it goes when you get back."
"I will."
"I love you."
"Love you too."
She hangs up just as I pull into the hospital parking lot.

I sit in the waiting room for around five minutes before Chris arrives when Kaleb, Sofia and Adaline.

Together, we walk up to the floor David texted me to go to and we see him immediately. Standing in front of a glass wall.

"Melissa! Chris!" he exclaims with a big smile on his face. "I'm so glad you could make it."
"Thank you for letting us know about this," Chris says.
"No problem," says David. He turns his head towards the glass and points. "The baby is a boy. Five hours old. Born at thirty-two weeks. Birth mother made a last minute decision to give the baby up, so there's no pre-arranged parents for the little guy. No name either."

Chris and I look at the baby. The note above his head reads 'Baby Blue,' unlike the other babies with names like 'Isabella' and 'Reuben' above their heads.

"Another thing is that he doesn't have a social worker yet, but if you want, you can put your names on his file and as soon as he does you'll get contacted," says David.

I look at Chris and he smiles at me. "What do you think?" I ask.
"I think we should at least try," he says.
"Me too." I smile. "Let's do it."