A loud knock woke Donna from her sleep. She opened her eyes and turned to Robert. "Wake up, Robert." She said, shaking his arm.

                                         He lifted his head and looked at her.

                                          "Someone's at the door." She said, getting out of bed. He rubbed his face before getting up and following her. "Maybe it's CPS." He told her as they approached the stairs. Donna reached the first floor first, and opened it. Sure enough, the two agents who tried to remove Mark and Delilah from the Beaumonts' farm were there, in their black suits, clipboards in hand.

                                            "Miss Beaumont," greeted the male agent, visibly displeased with her lack of attire. "Are the children and Mr. Hess present?"

                                             "Yes, they are." She said as Robert came down behind her.

                                             "We're here for our home study, can we come in?"

                                             "Of course." She said, letting the two of them in.

                                               The two agents came in and took a look around the living room. "The first thing we need to do, is check and make sure your house is a safe environment for the children." said the female agent.

                                               "Okay, um, you can go ahead if you want." Said Robert with a shrug. This felt awkward, being investigated by a government agency to become parents to your siblings. He shifted uncomfortably as the two agents disappeared down the hall.

                                                He and Donna watched as the female agent pushed the 'Test' button on the smoke alarm, causing it to emit a beeping sound, then wrote something on her clipboard. "Are there any firearms present in the home?" Asked the male agent.

                                                "No. Never." Answered Robert. The male agent headed into the kitchen, inspecting the child lock that was in place on the cabinets beneath the kitchen sink, where all the bleaches and cleaning sprays were kept.

                                                 His heart was beating rapidly. This was the day that would determine whether he would lose Mark and Delilah for good, or become their adoptive father. And standing right by his side was their adoptive mother. Even if he didn't love her as much as he should, he was lucky to have her.

                                                  "Do either of you have any medical conditions?" Donna looked at Robert nervously, unsure as to whether she should answer that.

                                                  "It doesn't necessarily preclude you from adopting, we just need to know if the two of you are physically capable of raising children." She explained, catching Donna's reluctant expression.

                                                 "I have asthma, but it's controlled." said Donna.

                                                 "And I have well-managed anxiety." said Robert with a sigh. Maybe Donna's condition wouldn't preclude them, but he had always been told mental illness bars you from pretty much everything.

                                                  The female agent scribbled again, and then said, "Can we see the kids' bedrooms?"

                                                   "Absolutely," said Donna, leading the agent to Delilah's room first. She opened the door gently, as Delilah was still sleeping.

                                                   "Delilah," She called softly. When Delilah raised her head, she caught sight of the female agent, recognizing her instantly. The young girl gasped, and ran to Donna, wrapping her arms around her waist.

                                                   "It's okay, sweetie. She's just here to make sure our home is a good place for you guys to be." Explained Donna, picking her up.

                                                  "That's all it is, sweetheart. I promise." Said the female agent with a smile, stepping forward and examining various things in the room. When she finished, she came back to Donna.

                                                    "And this is a kinship adoption following the death of the birth parents, correct?"

                                                    "Yes, that's correct." Replied Donna.

                                                    "Technically, I'm not allowed to make a decision right now, but I can see you're doing good for these kids. I think it's safe to say you're going to be eligible." Said the female agent with a smile, before heading back down the stairs.

                                                   Donna sighed with relief, leaning her head back against the doorframe and smiling down at Delilah. "Does that mean you can adopt us, Donna?"

                                                   "That's exactly what that means." She said happily.