The young woman removed her glasses as she watched the teenager across the room read a few brochures. He held a small infant in his arms carefully. She smiled some. “Sir? May I help you?” She asked him, standing up from her desk.

Smudge looked up at the woman as she walked over. Was he not suppose to be here? He folded the paper in his hands and returned it with this others. “No thanks. I was just leaving. Sorry.” Smudge shifted Melanie in his arms and stood.

“Are you interested in adoption?”

He looked at her a moment. “Yeah,” he answered, nodding. “I guess.”

She smiled and took Melanie’s small hands. “You already have a child?”

Smudge shook his head. “No, this is Melanie, or Mellie. I’ve been thinking about adopting her.”

She smiled at him. “You want custody of her then,” she told him and he nodded. “How old is she?”

“Around four months.”

The lady nodded some, taking a different brochure. “Here, sit down. We’ll go over it. Where are her parents?”

Smudge sat down in chair next to her. “Her mother passed away a month or so ago. Her father wasn’t able to take care of her. He wanted to put her in an orphanage, but I told him I’d take of her. I figured her mother would have liked it better if someone she knew was raising her.”

“Sounds very nice. Your case might be easier then. The biological parents have agreed that you can watch her. How old are you?”

“Eighteen. Is that too young?”

“Usually we like them to be older. Around twenty-one. But exceptions have occurred. Does your wife know you wish to adopt her.”

“I have to be married?”

“Well we prefer the child to have a mother and a father. If not both, then at least a mother. Especially a little girl.”

“Well,” Smudge thought a moment. “My girlfriend will help,” he told her, praying Charity really would. He had not really brought up the subject of adopting Mellie.

The lady nodded a moment. “Have you thought about the responsibilities in raising a child?”

“Like feeding, changing, and clothing?”

“That and bringing her up in a good home. Educating her. In the long run, it can become very expensive. Do you have a stable job?”

Smudge glanced at Mellie a moment. He would eventually get a better paying job. “Yes,” he lied.

The lady handed the paper to him. “Read this over then. When you feel you are one hundred percent positive, please come and we will give you the papers,” she smiled at him.

“Thank you.” Smudge smiled, taking the papers.

“You’re welcome. I hope to see you again.”

Smudge hoped he would see her again as well. He had thought about adopting Mellie a week before and ever since then, it was the only thing on his mind. He thought that by doing this, it would bring Charity and him even closer together. Taking care of Mellie would be something they could do together. He also hoped that it would help Charity move past the abortion of their child.

Smudge wrapped his arm around Charity’s thin waist as she scooted closer to him. She took Mellie’s hand in hers and played with it lightly. She smiled at her and glanced at Smudge a moment. “How’s she been?”

He smiled at the two of them. “She was a little cranky earlier. But, she’s calmed down some.”

“Well you’d be cranky too if you had to stay outside in this heat.” A smile appeared on her face as she played with some of Mellie’s hair a bit. She sat back again, leaning against Smudge a little.

“True.” He laughed some. “I try to keep her out of the sun as much as I can. It’s hard to find shade.”

“I know. Bet she help get more people to buy from you though.”

“Sometimes.” He nodded, fixing Mellie’s outfit a little on her shoulders. “Mostly to the women, younger ones. Older ladies sometimes just look at Mellie a moment before moving on. I don’t understand why.” He shrugged. A part of him knew though. A father with a child and obviously no mother.

“Me either. Who cares though, right?” She smiled and grabbed the flask that was sitting next to her, taking a drink.

“Right. Then when she gets hungry in the afternoon, I have to try to quiet her before I can get back here.”

“Is it hard?” She looked at him. “Taking care of her, watching her and all.”

Smudge looked over at Charity and nodded. “Sometimes it is. Feeding her, changing her, making sure she’s happy. Putting her down for a nap in the afternoon.”

The seventeen year old frowned some at the comment. “Ever regret saying you’d take care of her?”

“No,” he answered without hesitating. “Not at all. I mean, sure, sometime it’s hard. I knew it would be. But I love doing it. Knowing she’ll grow up well taken care of, it’s nice.”

She bit her lip and nodded. “Bet it is.” She took a couple drinks from the flask.

Smudge watched her for a moment. “And knowing you’re here to help me.”

“For as long as you keep me around. If I knew how happy this stuff would have made you I would have told you…”

“I’ll always keep you around.” He looked at her a moment. The abortion. “I wish you would have…but, it’s all right…” he told her. He really did wish she would have. He would have been supporting and caring. They would be sitting in the lobby on the lodging house, holding their own child. Not Promise’s.

She nodded a little. “You got what you really wanted after all anyway so…” Charity shrugged some and took another drink.

He sighed some and looked down at Mellie. “Angel didn’t want to take care of her..”

“Angel’s going through a bad time.”

“Is he? He can always come see her if he wants.”

“He’s going to be staying here for a while but…you might not wanna bring Mellie too close.”

He nodded. “All right. I’ll try.”

She took another drink, sighing some when she finished it off. “Thanks. He has to get better.” She closed her eyes a moment and took a breath.

Smudge took her hand and squeezed it lightly. “He will. Don’t worry. He has good friends here to make sure of that.”

“I’ll need to be with him most of the time though so that’s…less time I can be with you.” She smiled. “You got enough to worry about anyway.”

“Oh…” He smiled some to hide his disappointment. “Well, as long as you’re helping him.”

“Gonna do my best.” She shook her head. “Can’t loose Angel too.”

“You won’t. None of us will let that happen.”

She smiled and kissed his cheek. “I know you guys won’t.”

“We won’t.” He smiled. “You want to hold Mellie?” He wanted her to get use to her. To become attached.

“Sure.” She smiled and took her gently from Smudge. She looked down at her and laughed lightly. “She’s getting heavy.”

Smudge laughed. “I know. Always getting bigger.” He watched them together. As Charity smiled and so content Mellie seemed in her hold. “She seems so relaxed and calm when you hold her.”

Charity rolled her eyes. “You’re just saying that.”

“No, really!” He smiled at her, holding her closer. “She does..”

“Yeah?” Charity grinned slightly and looked down at the child.

“She likes you a lot.” He told her, rubbing her side.

She glanced at him. “She tell you that?”

“She sure did. Look at her. How she just looks up at you with that hint of a smile.”

A laughed escaped her lip. She looked down at her, her smile fading. “Wish she was mine,” she said, sort of to herself.

He heard her though. This was it. The cue. He looked at her and rubbed her shoulder. “We could always adopt her together…” Smudge felt her freeze a little. He watched her just look at Mellie. He swallowed a little, afraid he should not have said that. He should have kept it to himself. It wasn’t the right time to bring the topic up.

Charity glanced at him and looked at Mellie, rocking her some. “She looks tired..”

He ran his hand through his hair. “Yeah, she probably is. I’ll go put her to bed.”

“Can I? You can stay down here…”

Smudge was surprised at the offer, but smiled. He nodded. “Oh sure. Of course.” He watched her slowly and carefully stand up with Mellie in her arms. He smiled at them as she exited towards the stairs.

“Have you decided then you want adopt her or if you are? I mean, if someone finds out she’s here, they could take her away…”

Smudge looked at his girlfriend a moment, a few weeks after he had brought the topic up of adopting Mellie. “Actually, I’ve been thinking about it. Since I’m eighteen, I want to adopt her. Sometime soon I hope.”

Charity nodded a little. “Will they let you? I mean,” she glanced around a little. “with where you live and work as and all…”

“That’s the thing I’m worried about,” he sighed some. “If they don’t let me adopt her, they’ll know she’s here anyway. Maybe I can make something up…”

“Like what?” She sat up behind him and started rubbing his shoulders a little.

“I don’t know. I can just tell them I have a job somewhere. Maybe in a restaurant.” He turned his head slightly to look at her. “You think they would check?”

She leaned down and kissed him. “I doubt it,” she told him, shaking her head.

Smudge smiled. “Good. Then I’ll just give them this address. I won’t tell them it’s a lodging house.

“What if they find out though? I don’t want her to end up in an orphanage.”

Smudge knew what she meant. She didn’t want Promise’s child being raised as she herself was. “That’s the last thing I want…” He understood completely. “I don’t know.” He looked at the blonde haired girl before looking down at the child. “Maybe I can tell them it’s an apartment building that we just moved into…”

“Yeah, that would work.” She smiled a little and massaged his neck and shoulders.

“That feels nice…” he smiled some.

“She’s gonna be taking your last name, I guess too, huh?”

“I don’t know yet. I’m not sure if she should keep Promise’s last name.”

“Might wanna figure that out soon then.”

“I know. Which do you think is better? Smyth or McDoyal?”

“I don’t know…your last name might be better for her it you’re gonna raise her as your daughter and all…”

“True. I guess you’re right.” He looked at Mellie a moment, not really sure if he should ask the question that was on his mind. But he knew it had to be asked sometime or another. “You um, you’ll come with me…right?”

“Why would you need me with you?”

“You help take care of her too. I mean, and they might be more willing to let me adopt her it I have a girl with me. I don’t know…” he shrugged lightly.

Charity brushed his hair back and then nodded a little. “Oh. Yeah, sure. I’ll come.”

“I might have to put your name down on the paper too, along with mine. Is that okay?”

“Well, what does that mean? That I’d be adopting her too or…what?”

“Um…” He paused to choose his words carefully. The last thing he wanted was to upset her on this topic. “Well…you’d be helping me. So in that case, yes, you’d be adopting her with me…”

She bit her lip. She was quiet for a while, thinking it over. “If I have to for you to be able to have her then…” she nodded. “Okay.”

“I don’t want you to agree if you don’t want to. I just thought it would be nice if we adopted her together…”

She looked away. “I’m not old enough anyway…and what if you aren’t either? What if you have to be 21?”

“Then I’ll wait. Or tell them I’m 21.” He rubbed his forehead and sighed some.

Charity leaned forward and kissed his head. “I’m sorry. If you wait too much longer someone might take her away.”

“No one will take her away.” Smudge looked at her. “No one.”

“They took Jane away from Mel…” Charity stopped, deciding not to try and argue. She nodded and put on a small smile. “Yeah. You’ll make sure of that right?”

“Right.”

“Don’t worry. Be optimistic, right? That’s what you’re always tell me.”

“I know. It’s just…I want to adopt her so badly. I don’t know what I’ll do if they say no and take her.”

“Why would they? You’ve been doing a good job watching her so far…”

“True. It’s just…it’s the state. I’m an eighteen year old guy wanting to adopt a kid.”

“You’re an eighteen year old guy with a seventeen year old girlfriend wanting to adopt our dead friend’s daughter. That’s different. I mean, that should make a different, shouldn’t it?”

“I should.” He nodded and smiled some. “I guess I’m just being silly.”

Charity smiled. “When do you plan on seeing if you can adopt her? If you’re old enough and all…?

“I guess I’ll go down there tomorrow. Without Mellie. Just to get the basics and all.”

“Good.” Charity looked at him a moment and seemed to hesitate. “Could I watch her while you’re gone? I won’t leave the house and as long as you’re not gone too long…”

Smudge looked over at her and smiled. “Of course you can. You don’t even have to ask.”

“Sure I do. She’s yours, not mine.” She kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”

“It’s no problem. She’s yours too.”

Charity shook her head some and looked down at Mellie. “She does look a lot like Promise you know…”

“She does. The nose, eyes.”

“Every time I see her, I think about her.”

“Me too…But I think that’s a good thing. Remember her and all.”

“I think it is too,” she mentioned, biting her lip some.

“She’s gonna look just like her.”

“Yeah…good luck keeping all the guys away once she gets older.”

Smudge laughed lightly. “That’s going to be tough…”

“I’m sure you’ll manage,” she told him as she rubbed his neck and shoulders a little again. “Do you think you’ll be able to send her to school eventually?”

“I would hope so, but I doubt it. I’ll teach her myself if I have to. Read and write. Count.”

“I’m sure you’ll be a great teacher too.” Charity smiled a little and kissed his shoulder.

“You’ll help?”

“No. I can hardly even do any of that. Well, I can count fine…”

He looked at her. “I can help you if you want.”

“You have enough to do already.”

“No, I don’t mind. Really.”

She nodded some. “Okay…if you want to.” she smiled at him. “Thanks.”

“It no problem. I’d love to.” He kissed her. “It’ll be fun.”

“Right. Just like when you tried to teach me how to swim. I think we only got in like three lessons before everything here just started going to hell.”

“Well, we need to start that back up again too.”

“Yeah. In between teaching me how to read and write better and taking care of a kid, right?” Charity smiled.

“Hey I can do it. Tiptoe or someone can watch Mellie while I teach.”

Charity smiled at him. “You take on way too much sometimes.”

“I don’ t mind,” he told her, shaking his head.

“Good.” She playfully and lightly ruffled his hair before kissing his cheek.

Smudge sat with her on the couch as she held Mellie in her arms. It was a perfect picture and he had only hoped that Sean was there to capture the moment. Charity had taken care of Mellie while Smudge had gone to get the adoption information. “Did she give you too much trouble today?”

“Well at one point she wouldn’t stop crying and I didn’t know what do. Got a little upset but other than that no. No trouble at all.”

“I’m sorry.” He smiled some at her.

She shrugged slightly and looked at Mellie. “It’s okay. Did you talk to the adoption people?”

Smudge nodded some. “I did, yes…”

She quickly glanced at him. “And?”

“I told them I knew of a friend who was taking care of a child. That her mother has passed away. She said she would have to meet with Mellie to make sure she being taken care of. And possibly check out the living situation. Meet with the people taking care of her too…”

Charity sighed and nodded. “Oh. Guess that doesn’t help us much huh?”

“Well, checking out Mellie will be fine. She’s not sick or anything. Living situation…if we clean up right before they come, tell everyone to not be here maybe, it’ll be fine.” He took a look at her. “I hope.”

“What about meeting us? I mean, you’ll be fine, but…Maybe it would just be better if you did it alone."

“And you’ll be fine too. I wanted you to be apart of it though."

“I know but I’m just gonna hurt your chances.”

“How? You’re wonderful with her. You watched her most of the day.”

“I have scars from trying to kill myself. Plus I’m only seventeen and what if they ever fine out what I…what I did to ours…”

Smudge sighed some and looked at her. “You can wear long sleeves. And…they won’t find out. It won’t be mentioned. Besides, how would they find out? I’m not going to tell them and I’m sure no one here will tell.”

“I know but, still…”

He looked at her a moment and then down at Mellie. He thought for a moment. “Do you really not want to?”

“I don’t know what I want.”

He watched her as he ran his hand through his hair. “Well, do you want Mellie to be ours?”

She nodded. “If it mean you can adopt her.”

“No Charity. Pretend you didn’t have to do anything to help me adopt her. Would you still want to be a part of her everyday life?”

“She’d be with you so I’d have to apart of her everyday life no matter what.”

“You have a choice.”

“Not a good one.”

“What do you mean?”

She shook her head. “Nothing. Forget it.”

“No, tell me.”

Charity sighed. “I don’t think I should adopt her. I mean, it’s only been like three months and I don’t think I deserve to have her after doing that. But I want to help you get her.”

“You deserve anything you want.” He paused for a moment, looking at Mellie. “But if that’s how you feel.”

“I’m sorry…”

“Don’t be sorry. I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to.”

I do. I just don’t think I should,” she responded quickly.

“I think you should. But, it’s fine…”

“Do you think you’ll be able to her alone?”

“I’ll try. Don’t worry about it.” The last think he wanted was for her to feel upset about not wanting to adopt her with him. He had to respect her reasons and opinions.

“If they won’t let you tell me and I’ll adopt her with you.”

“Thank you…” he looked at her and nodded some.

“It’s just scary..” she glanced at him a moment. “Good luck.”

“I’ll need it.” He took her hand and squeezed it. “What’s scary about it?”

“Everything. One mistake and you could ruin her life.”

“That is scary,” he agreed. “But we’re bother so food at watching her.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s why I so upset when she wouldn’t stop crying,” she answered sarcastically.”

“You obviously got her to quit. What’d you do when you got upset?”

“What do you think I did?”

“I don’t know what you did.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“All right. It’s okay…”

They both turned when year old Hummer walked in outside. He quickly looked at them and nodded a moment before going to the kitchen.

“God…I didn’t even ask him if he was all right.”

Smudge rubbed her shoulder. “Hey…It’s all right…”

She shook her head and looked at Mellie a moment. She was quiet for a few minutes. “I cried.”

“You cried?”

She nodded. “I didn’t know what to do. See that? I’d make a lousy mother.”

“Oh, sweetie, I walked in here and you had her completely calm. She was probably hungry or needed changing or something. You’re not a lousy mother. Not at all…”

Charity sighed some. “I don’t know how you can do it everyday.”

“Just try my hardest to get her calm. After watching Mel with Jane or Penny with Kyle. Just practice I guess. Sometimes it’s hard though and I have no idea what to do.”

“Well, what do you do if you don’t know?”

He smiled at her. “I try feeding her, changing her. Putting her down for a nap. Anything.”

“Changing her…God, that was horrible.”

Smudge laughed at her expression. “I’m sorry. I usually try to get Tiptoe or someone to do that…” He glanced over at Hummer as he reentered that lobby, sitting in a chair.

“Who’s that?” Hummer asked, looking at Mellie.

“Oh, this is Mellie.” Smudge smiled, holding the baby up more so he could see her better.

“She’s pretty.”

He nodded and smiled. “She is…”

Charity looked at her hands and glanced at him. “Wanna hold her?” She looked at Smudge. “Can he hold her?”

“Of course. I don’t mind.”

Hummer smiled. “I’ve held babies before. Sometimes some of the guys who worked in the factory, their wives would visit and I use to have to watch their kids sometimes when they wanted to talk or get away.”

Charity smiled and stood up. “Here you are then.” She handed Mellie over to the boy carefully. She sat back down beside Smudge.

Hummer held her gently and smiled at Smudge. “Is she yours?”

“Mine? No, not yet anyway. I’m going to adopt her. She’s Promise’s little girl.”

He smiled some. “Oh…well I’m sure you bother will do a great job. She’s so calm.” he grinned at them. “How did you manage that?”

“That was all Charity here.” Smudge smiled and nudged her a little.

She shrugged some. “Just rocked her for a long time.”

Hummer laughed slightly. “Sounds like you’re good with kids.”

“I’m not really, but thanks.”

Smudge smiled at her. “Hey, he said you were.”

“And I meant it…” Hummer added. He stood up and handed Mellie back to Charity. “You’re a natural. You two have a good night.” He turned and hurried upstairs.

Smudge watched him and smiled. He glanced at Charity and wrapped his arm around her. “You’re a natural.” He smiled and kissed her.

“I’m not sure how much I should save up. But I don’t think I can wait much longer. I see her everyday and want so much for it to be on paper that I’m her legal guardian. I can’t explain.”

The two teenagers sat on the couch of the lobby, curled up together. Smudge had his arms around her, playing softly with her blonde hair. It was one of the things he liked doing best.

“You don’t have to.” Charity smiled and kissed him. “I’m sure they’ll let you too.”

“Me too. Makes me a little nervous. More nervous than I was around you,” he laughed.

She grinned some at him. “Don’t worry about it. No reason to be nervous.” She took his hand and squeezed it lightly for reassurance.

“I guess you’re right. I mean, even if they don’t let me, I can still keep her. Right?”

“Of course. And if they don’t want you keeping her we can just pack up and leave so they can’t take her.”

“Where would we go though?”

“I don’t know. Just somewhere away from here until they forget about it. Manhattan? Queens..?”

Smudge nodded. “Yeah. Well, hopefully it won’t come to that. And you would actually pack up and leave with Mellie and me?” He smiled some at her.

Charity shrugged some and nodded. She hesitated a moment before answering, thinking the question over in her head. “Yes…”

“Thank you.”

“Hey, got nothing for me here if you left, anyway,” she smiled a little.

“You have so much for yourself everywhere you go. But I would be lonely without you. I wouldn’t know what to do.”

She smirked at the comment. “You’d probably find someone else to a matter of days and within a couple weeks would have forgotten all about me,” she grinned a bit.

“Never,” the boy grinned. “I could never look at another girl the way I look at you.”

Charity rolled her eyes some. “Right…” she smiled. “Doesn’t mean you still couldn’t find someone else if you left.”

“I wouldn’t want to find anyone else. No one can compare to you.”

She grinned and blushed slightly. “Thanks…”

“Just the truth,” he told her, kissing her hand lightly.

“Hope you get to keep Mellie…”

“So do I.” he smiled at the thought. “Then the three of us can be as happy as ever.”

“Yeah…just like she was ours. Though she will really be yours.”

“And yours too,” he reminded her.

“That’s only if you need me to sign too though, isn’t it?”

“Even if I don’t need you to sign, she’ll still be yours too.”

Charity bit her lip slightly and nodded. “Maybe.”

He looked at her a moment. “Sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?”

Smudge shrugged a moment. “Last time I brought it up, it didn’t go so well.”

“Oh…right,” she glanced at him. “Sorry. Don’t have to worry about that now though.”

“Don’t have to worry about you getting upset?”

She shook her head. “I’m not going to get upset. And it I do you won’t even be able to notice,” she flashed a smiled at him.

“Why wouldn’t I be able to notice? I want to know when you’re upset.”

“What for? I can just pretend to be happy and I’ll get over what ever is bothering me soon enough.”

“Don’t pretend. If you aren’t happy, tell me. Don’t keep it inside to yourself.”

“Yeah but then you’ll worry and I don’t want you worrying. And over this, I know it’s what you want and I should be over all this kid stuff by now.”

The abortion. No matter what anyone was talking about, the abortion was still in the back of her head. Smudge didn’t mention it to her, but it was in the back of his as well. Everything about it. Why she had the abortion and things like that. But also about the baby. Was it a boy or a girl? Did it look more like himself or more like Charity? What it grow up to look like? He asked the questions to himself a lot.

“Hey…I don’t expect you to be over it. A part of me isn’t over it. I want you to be happy with a decision that affects both of us.”

“But I want you to be happy too. And…” she shrugged. “I’ll do whatever you want me to if it’ll help make you happy.”

“But what if it doesn’t make you happy? Then what?”

She shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me. I mean…I’ll get use to it.”

“Do what makes you happy, all right Charity?”

“I don’t know what’ll make me happy, then.”

“Thank about what you would do in that situation. Only you.”

Charity sighed and leaned back on the couch. “I don’t know…I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

She smiled some and glanced at him. “Wouldn’t it be easier if you just told me what to do?”

“Where’s the fun in that?” He smiled. “I don’t want to seem like the type of guy to just tell you ‘do this’ and ‘do that’.” He didn’t want to be his stepfather.

Charity smiled. “But it would make my life so much easier,” she told him, jokingly.

He smiled at her. “All right. Fine, here’s what you have to do. You have to have a great tomorrow with me. A wonderful day. Then, you have to join me and Mellie for dinner. That’s it.”

“I think I can handle that,” she kissed him.

Smudge rubbed his hands and stood in front of the door to City Hall. He didn’t make any movement to go inside. The reason, he wasn’t sure of. He had to go inside. He had to get the papers.

He had waited long enough. That afternoon, he had seen a couple in the park. A fairly young couple just walking together. He watched the father bend down and open his arms to a little girl who was running full speed towards him. Smudge watched as the little girl hugged the man tightly. He wanted that. That would be him and Mellie one day, he knew it.

He looked up at the building once more. He nodded some and shut his eyes. He took a deep breath and walked inside. It was different from the last time he had been in the building. Nothing had changed, it just felt different.

“May I help you?”

Smudge glanced at the lady behind the desk. “Yes.”

The lady looked at him, waiting for him to ask what he wanted. She laughed lightly. “With what, might I ask?”

“Adoption.”

“You are looking for papers or information?”

“Papers. I-I want to adopt. Or…get custody.”

The lady smiled and motioned for him to come closer. Smudge hesitated, but walked towards her. He watched as she looked through a filing cabinet full of papers. She pulled out about six papers and laid them on her desk. “Here they are,” she slid them towards him.

“Thank you.” Smudge looked at the papers that would legally say that Mellie was his. “I can take this home?”

“Yes you may. Just turn them back in here and we will get back to you soon. After that, there is a waiting period where he decide if the adoption or custody is good. With good parents. Then you will have to go before a judge with your wife to have it finalized.”

“Thank you,” Smudge repeated. He smiled at the lady and took the papers. He walked out of the building, grinning. He couldn’t help himself. He pocketed the papers and hurried home to find Charity.

“Charity?” Smudge looked around the lobby and hurried upstairs. He checked the boys room and didn’t find her there. “Charity?” He checked in the girls bunkroom and smiled when he saw her.

She looked over at him and smiled. “Yeah?”

“There you are.” He smiled and kissed her cheek. “How are you doing?”

“All right I guess. You?”

“Pretty good actually. The papers, I got them,” he smiled at her. “For Mellie.”

Charity grinned slightly. “You did? And? Have you read them over and all?

Smudge grinned, not able to hold his excitement in any longer. “I’m in the process of doing that. Filling them out and all that stuff. They said to come back when I was ready.”

“Is there a lot?”

“Few pages,” he nodded. “I with I could just tell them I want to adopt her and it would be done.”

She smiled some. “If only it was that easy…what does it ask? What does it say? Of what you’ve read so far…”

“I haven’t read much. I wanted to tell you I got the papers first.”

Charity smiled. “That was nice of you…” she laughed quietly. “I can’t believe this is really happening now. She’s gonna be yours so soon.”

Smudge grinned. “Ours.” He hugged her and kissed her cheek. “I can’t wait Charity.” He really could not wait. This was it. This was what would make their lives wonderful. Complete. It would help Charity through the abortion and it would help her learn to be closer to Mellie. Like a family. This was what he wanted.

more to come...