I was proud of my kid for helping out America. Lord knew the kid had been hard to love, but now that she wasn't with her mother she was almost a different person. Sofia/Maria had been toxic. America began to spend more and more time at our house. She was a frequent guest for dinner and Felix and Raina were starting to fall in love with her.

It was Friday night and America was staying the night. We'd ordered pizza for delivery and the girls were in high spirits. They'd decided to make a concoction of different sodas in the kitchen. They were currently mixing together Sprite and Mountain Dew.

"Mr. Miranda! Try it!" America said, holding out a cup for me. I eyed it suspiciously then took a sip.

"That's disgusting," I said, handing the cup back.

"Whaaat?" She protested.

"And call me Lin, please," I told her. "Don't make a mess."

The spent a while mixing together four or five different types of sodas. They started laughing and soda was being spurt out their mouths. I just rolled my eyes, and then the doorbell rang. I signed the credit card receipt and took the three boxes from the delivery boy. Soon, the seven of us were around the table eating.

"America, look!" Felix said, putting two pepperonis on his eyes. She laughed at him.

"Seb, don't play with your food," I gently chided him. He popped them in his mouth and grinned at me.

After dinner, the girls retreated to Cam's room. They blasted music and pigged out on more junk food. Around 8:30 when it was time for the twins to go to bed I had to remind them to keep it down. Pippa and I went to bed around 10:30 and they were still up giggling.

"They seem to have hit it off," Pippa commented as we both read in bed.

"Pretty ironic," I commented. "They finally decided to stop hating each other."

"I guess I have too," she said. America hadn't been our favorite child for a while, as she had caused both Cam and Molly problems. She was a new kid.

Around 1:00 I was awoken by loud giggling. It had been the second time already. I sighed and stepped out of bed and wandered down the hall. I needed my beauty sleep and I also didn't want them waking the twins. I knocked and heard shooshing from inside. I pushed the door open and both were hiding under their covers.

"Girls," I said. "You need to pipe it down. The twins are right next door."

"Sorry, Daddy," Cam said beneath her covers, and America giggled. She poked her head out from under the covers with a phone in her hand, and took a picture of me.

"Bed head!" she announced and I rolled my eyes.

"If you want pancakes tomorrow, I better not have to come in here again," I threatened and they immediately got really quiet. "Good night, girls."

I heard quiet giggling as I wandered back down the hall.

____

The girls didn't appear until after 11:00, not surprisingly. I made them both a cup of heavily sugared coffee and heated up some of the leftover pancakes. They began eating silently, groggily as they scrolled through their phones.

"Uggghh..." America commented, setting her phone face-down. "My mom has court on Tuesday."

I hadn't wanted to pry about her personal family business, but I was curious as to what Sofia/Maria was facing. She'd been arrested last week and was awaiting official charges.

"You don't have to go, do you?" I asked her as I unloaded the dishwasher.

"No," she said. "But I guess I'll know more about how long I'll be at the orphanage."

I nodded, feeling badly for her. "Can't you go into foster care?"

She shrugged. "I guess. But I might get moved around. No one wants teenagers."

The kid was growing on me. I wondered if Pippa would be open to us fostering her. I didn't bring it up, not wanting to get her hopes up. America went home mid-afternoon and Cam decided to take a nap. The twins were playing quietly and Molly was doing homework in her room, so I sat with Pippa on the couch.

"I don't like America being at the orphanage," I told her, sipping another cup of coffee.

"It's certainly not ideal," she admitted. I nodded and was quiet for a few moments.

"What do you think about fostering her?"
She stopped reading and looked at me, checking if I was serious. I was.

"Really?"

I nodded. "She needs a stable home. She and Cam are best buds now."

"What about Molly?" she asked.

"Does she not like her?"

"She's still upset about her violin strings," she said.

"Well, I think that's minor," I said. "She'll get over it."

Pippa breathed out, thinking. "Isn't there some process we'd have to go through? A bunch of paperwork? Interviews?"

"Yes," I said. I'd already looked it up. "We can handle it."

She nodded, considering. "We already have four kids, Lin. They're a handful."

"I think she'll rise to the occasion," I told her. "I think she'll help out with the little kids."

She sighed. "Let's sleep on it."

"Thanks," I told her, leaning over to kiss her gently.

___

I gave Pippa some space, not wanting to hound her about it. Two days later, America came back to our place after school, looking upset. She went straight to Cam's room and Cam hung back.

"Did something happen?" I asked my daughter.

"She found out about her mom's charges," Cam explained. "She's being charged with fraud, false identity, and child endangerment."

I winced. "Does she have a trial date?"

"It's, like, six months from now," she said. I could tell Cam was torn up about it too. She hated to see her new friend distraught. I breathed out, wondering if I should tell Cam about my proposal. I looked around and lowered my head a little towards her.

"Keep this quiet," I said in a whisper. "But I'm trying to get Pippa to agree to foster America."

Her face lit up with excitement. "Really?"

"Mmmhmm," I said, glad to see she was happy about it. "We'd have to fill out paperwork and do an interview. First, I have to convince Pippa. Don't tell America yet."

She nodded and then grabbed some cookies from the pantry. She disappeared to her room to be with America. A while later, America wandered out to use the bathroom. As she stepped out I called to her.

"Cam told me about your mom," I began, studying her. It looked like she'd been crying. "Are you doing okay?"

She shrugged. "I don't know how to feel, honestly," she told me. "Part of me's glad not to be with her but I miss her cuz she's my mom, you know?"

I nodded in understanding and I could tell she was struggling to keep it together. "Can I ask you something? Where's your dad?"

"I don't know who he is," she told me. "I'm not sure my mom knows either."

I nodded, crossing my arms. "Have you ever wanted to find out?"

"Yeah," she said. "I've had dreams about him showing up and taking me away."

Poor kid. She'd never had a stable home.

"What happens when your mom gets out?" I asked.

"Not sure," she said. "We might move again. Might have to change her name."

"Have you had to change your name?"

She shook her head. I reached out and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Well, if you ever need an adult to talk to, I'm here."

She nodded and gave me a small smile. "Thanks, Mr. Mir-, I mean, Lin."

"No problem, kiddo," I told her. "Hang in there."

I watched her walk back to Cam's room. Before, she had walked confidently, though it may have been a front. She walked now slightly hunched over, looking defeated. I had to get Pippa to say yes.