"We're not ready." I told Frankie in panic.
"I know, it's sudden. I wasn't expecting it either!" Frankie agreed.
I looked around the house, where were we going to put the child?!
"Okay, um. Okay so here is what we are going to do... Remember how we had someone come and expand the basement last week?" Frankie asked.
"Yeah?" I said.
"We move your office into that little room, and then he or she will move into that room."
"Oh god, are we getting a baby?! Or a child?!"
Frankie just looked at me.
I was beginning to panic, were we even cut out for this?
There was a knock on the door.
"Frankie." I gasped.
"I got it." She said.
She walked over to the door and I smoothed out my skirt and tried to offer my best welcoming smile as I walked to the door. The foster agent stood there smiling.
"You must be Clara and Frankie. My name is Amy." She greeted.
"Hello." Frankie said.
"I would like to introduce you to Leah." She smiled.
Walking up the walkway was Leah, I breathed a little bit of relief. A child would be easier then a newborn.
"Welcome Leah!" I greeted.
She just kind of smiled.
"Come in!" Frankie offered.
The agent and Leah walked in, the agent set down Leah's belongings on the ground.
"Now first thing is first, let's get Leah set up in her room." Amy told us.
"Of course, right this way!" I told them.
I shot a nervous glance at Frankie. What if the room wasn't big enough, or clean enough?
"Um, we didn't have time to get a bed." I told her.
"That's okay, Leah has a blow up bed." Amy told us.
"We'll get you a proper bed in the morning!" Frankie told Leah.
"No thank you." Leah whispered.
We just looked at each other as Leah began to unpack her things. One of the things included a huge stuffed animal cat, and the other was a small violin.
"Do you play?" I asked.
She shrugged as she set her backpack down by the bed.
"Leah, Clara and Frankie and I are going to go talk out in the kitchen okay?" Amy told her.
Leah nodded.
We walked out of the room closing the door behind us. All three of us took a seat at the kitchen table and Amy opened up a file folder she had with her.
"So, I know that this was very sudden." Amy told us.
"Is she alright? Was she in any trouble?" Frankie asked.
"No, unfortunately her father passed away and there are no other living relatives that she can go to."
"Does she know?!" I asked.
"We told her, but she seems to be in denial and believes that he will be coming back for her."
"That is so sad!" Frankie gasped.
"It's not the best situation, but I have no doubt that you two will take care of her. Now, a few questions starting with are you fostering with intent to adopt?"
Frankie and I just looked at each other.
"We haven't discussed it fully, but I believe that is the intent." I said.
"I would like too." Frankie said.
I looked at her before nodding, "Then yes, we will foster with the intent to adopt."
"Perfect, and are you available for any other children that we may need homes for in the future?"
"Yes." I said.
Frankie looked at me and smiled before grabbing my hand. It was a sudden answer and I wasn't even sure if Frankie would be okay with that. It just felt right, we had so much love we could share to those who needed it.
"Now Frankie, it says here that you are a police officer, is that correct?" Amy asked.
"Yes ma'am." She replied.
"And what are your hours?"
"Well, before I worked crazy hours, but last week I told the chief that I couldn't do overnights anymore. I wanted to be home for when we did end up getting a child."
"Wonderful, and Clara you paint?"
"Yes, freelance work mostly." I told her.
"Freelance, what is that exactly?"
"Oh! It's pretty much a stay at home job. I basically go online and do jobs for different companies or even regular people and they pay me for it."
"And you make a decent living off of that?" She asked, writing something down.
I began to get nervous.
"Yes, we have been able to pay our bills and have enough left over for savings."
"That's great!"
"Is that an issue, me working at home?"
"Of course not! In fact it'll look wonderful on your record! Having a stay at home parent, while the other one is out working but is home at night as well."
"Good." I said.
"Okay, well I think I have all the follow up information that I need! If you have any questions at all please do not hesitate to call me or the office!" Amy said standing up.
"That's it? We take it from here?" Frankie asked.
"I have all the confidence that you guys will do fine!" She smiled.
She handed us a packet of information about fostering and also a file on everything they knew about Leah. Her medical records, allergies, and things like that.
Just like that we were parents.
Frankie's POV"So how is it going?" Toby asked.
"I don't know, I think it's going okay." I told him.
"You don't know?" He said.
"Well she's still getting used to it, and we are adjusting. We just don't want to be pushy so we are kind of having her take the lead."
"That might be a good way to do it." He told me.
"It's just so overwhelming, but I am excited and Clara seems to be as well."
"You guys will do fine!"
"Thanks."
"Frankie! I need you to book this one!" The chief called.
"Coming!"
I hurried and met the chief at the booking door.
"This way. Come on move it!" I demanded.
"God you guys are pushy!" The girl snapped.
"Hush up!"
I led her to the fingerprint booth.
"Up against the wall and hold this up for me." I told her.
She grabbed the board and did exactly what I said before I led her to the cell.
"Alright, in you go." I told her.
"Can I get out now?!" Another prisoner asked.
"What do you think?" I snapped.
I shut the cell door and locked it.
Clara's POV"How are you doing in there Leah?" I asked.
"Fine." She said through the door.
I was standing outside of the bathroom. It was the second night of having her and I still wasn't sure what to say to her.
She walked out of bathroom.
"Do you want something to eat?" I asked.
"No thank you." She said.
"You know, maybe tomorrow we could go shopping for some things for your room! How would you like that?" I asked.
Frankie walked through the door. She hung up her things and walked over to us.
"No thank you, my dad will be coming for me soon. My room doesn't need anything else." She told me.
I looked at Frankie before bending down to Leah's level.
"Sweetie, your dad passed away. Do you remember Amy telling you that?" I asked her.
"Yeah, but my dad always told me he would always be with me. So he'll come back, I know he will."
I sighed and stood up, "Okay, how about you go in your room and play with your toys?"
"Can I read instead?" She asked.
"Of course." I told her.
I smiled as she picked a book and headed over to the couch.
Maybe this would be harder than we thought.
Welcome Leah! 
