Vanessa poured herself a cup of coffee the next morning, hoping it would work its magic.  It would be a 3-cup morning, likely.  Alexis's nightmares had returned, and on top of that she was sick.  With a 4 month old baby on top of that, it was making for some sleepless nights.  Lin walked in, yawning as well, letting a hand rest on her hip as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"You okay?" He asked gently.  Vanessa shook her head. 

"I've got 3 meetings this morning and I'll be in court all afternoon," she told him.  "I think I might fall asleep at the defense table."

Lin let his fingers run up and down her back.  "Hang in there," he told her.  "Keep chugging back the coffee."

She chuckled humorlessly.  "I need it in IV form," she commented as Sebastian ran in.  He was full of energy, of course.  "Sebastian, come give mommy a kiss goodbye."

Sebastian ran to his mother and gave her a sweet hug and kiss.  "Bye, mommy!" He told her, ready to run off with his toys.

"I'll give the lawyer a call again today," Lin told her as she gathered up her things.  "Love you."

"Love you..." she yawned, "too."

Vanessa left, leaving Lin alone with 3 children.  Lexi would be holed up in her room for most of the day.  Her temperature had gone up to 101.2 overnight, and she'd begun vomiting as well.  They were doing their best to keep her clear of Sebastian and Francisco.  The last thing they needed was two more sick, young children.

Sebastian seemed to be happy playing with his toys, so he picked Francisco up and took a seat on the couch to make a phone call to the lawyer.  He got through and the lawyer cut right to the chase.

"I got in contact with their lawyer," he reported.  "And a translator.  Their lawyer isn't that well-versed in American law.  I tried to convince him that the will is pretty air-tight, but they seem to be counting on the fact that Emma and Alexis might choose to go with them."

Lin breathed out.  "We've let the girls know, and they're pretty upset about it," he said.  "They have zero interest in moving overseas right now."

"I imagine they'll be making the trip over here for formal court appearances, so I think we'll need to prep the girls for what will happen," he said.  "They'll have to take the stand and state their wishes."

Lin rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingers, hating that it was coming to this.  He'd never personally had to take the stand in a court room, but knew it must be intimidating.  They would do whatever it took, though, to keep the girls.  Lin thanked the lawyer and hung up, not really feeling any better about the situation.  He decided to go check on Lexi, since she had yet to make an appearance that morning.  He set Francisco down in the play pen and walked back to her room.  Knocking, he gently pushed the door open.  Lexi was curled up in her blankets like she was in a cocoon.

"Morning, sweetheart," he told her, stopping before he got too close to her bed.  "Are you hungry?"

She shook her head.

"Well, you should try to eat a little something," he told her.  "How about some toast?"

"Okay," she croaked out.  Lin nodded and disappeared to the kitchen to fix her some toast and get some water.  When he came back, she was conked out again, so he just set it on her bedside table.  Lin pulled up his laptop and did a Google search about adoption home study questions.  The list was extensive, as his lawyer said. He copied and pasted the list of questions into a Google Doc.

There were several main categories – family background, community, health, school, financials.  He began typing in responses to the questions the best he could, then shared it with his wife's account.  He was sure she'd have better answers than him.  More lawyerly answers.  He was interrupted by the sound of Lexi running to the bathroom, followed by puking.  Lin sighed and closed the lid of his laptop.

"Wexi's sick," Sebastian observed from his spot on the floor.

"Yes, she is," Lin agreed, standing up.  He stood up and walked to the bathroom.  Throwing up was never a pleasant sensation.  To Lexi, it was still an upsetting experience.  After she was finished, she started crying.

"Ssshhh..." Lin tried to comfort her.  "Why don't you wash out your mouth," he suggested, filling up a Dixie cup for her.  Lexi did as he suggested.  She swilled out her mouth and wiped at her eyes.

"Do you think a bath or shower would feel good?" He asked her.

Lexi nodded.  "Maybe a bath?"

Lin walked over to the tub and turned it on.  "Bubbles?"  She shook her head.  Lin made sure the water was a nice temperature and plugged the drain.  "Take your time," he told her.

Lin went to her room and found a fresh pair of pajamas and underwear for her, and left them outside the door.  By that time, Francisco was crying, wanting some attention.  Lin first washed his hands and then scooped up his son, planting a kiss on his cheek.  "Are you feeling neglected?  I'm so sorry," he told his son, laying down on the couch to rest Francisco on his chest.  It was a welcome moment of rest in a day that would consist of caring for two small children, a sick tween, and trying to get some work done in between.

___

The bright side of not being able to do ballet was that she had time to hang out with Alex after school.  Most days, they ended up meeting halfway between their schools.  They would just sit and chat at a coffee shop, walk around the shops, or find a quiet place in Central Park to make out.  As teenagers, these feelings were new and exciting, and they couldn't get enough.  After a passionate make out session on a bench, Emma pulled back and smiled.

"Do you wanna come meet my parents?" She asked him.

"Your parents?  Is that what you're calling them now?" He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"They're adopting me," she reminded him.

Alex smiled, knowing that made her happy.  She'd also told him about her grandparents showing up out of the blue.  That had really upset her.  He was relishing the extra time with her.  Over the past week, he'd taken her to Liberty Island, Times Square, the World Trade Center Memorial, and several other places.   As a lifelong New Yorker, he knew all the best places to visit and most importantly, he knew the subway system.  They hopped on and off, holding hands and stealing kisses.

Emma tried to be home by 6 so she didn't get too many questions.  Vanessa in particular always had questions when she spent time with Alex.  Not that she didn't like sharing about her time with him, but she didn't want the probing questions.  Vanessa had sat her down the week before to have "the talk".  Emma had assured her that they weren't even thinking about sex at this point, but if they did she would be safe.

She arrived home to noise, which wasn't unusual.  Vanessa was trying to juggle both boys, as Lin was out doing some interviews.  Lexi was still wiped out and likely tucked away in her room.  Vanessa looked like she could use a helping hand.

"Need help with anything?" Emma offered as she set her backpack down.  Vanessa gladly accepted. 

"Could you drain that pot of potatoes for me while I go change Francisco?" She asked, the wailing baby impatient on her hip.  Sebastian had chosen the kitchen floor to play with some of his cars and was playing happily, oblivious to his mother's stress.

Vanessa disappeared with the baby and Emma took over finishing off dinner.  She assumed Vanessa was making mashed potatoes, so she added a half stick of butter to the drained pot and started mashing.  The oven went off, so she pulled out the casserole with oven mits and set it out on the stove.  She then got busy setting the table for 6.

Vanessa returned a few minutes later with a happier baby.  She set him down in his high chair and sprinkled some Cheerios on the tray to keep him busy.

"Oh, thank you Emma," she said, pushing her bangs out of the way.  "You're a life saver."

"No problem," she said as she stirred some milk into the mashed potatoes.  It was nice having an older child around to help out with things like cooking and laundry.  Emma was a huge help to her parents most of the time.

"Lin just texted me that he's still gonna be a while," she said, filling up a sippy cup for Sebastian.  "We'll go ahead and eat without him.  Will you go tell Lexi dinner is ready?"

Emma disappeared as Vanessa began dishing out the dinner.  She knocked on her little sister's bedroom door and heard a weak reply.  Lexi had been binge-watching Netflix most of the day on her laptop.  There was a bucket next to her bed in case she couldn't make.  Emma tried to keep her distance, not wanting to catch the bug.

"Are you hungry?" She asked.  "We have mashed potatoes."  She knew that was one of her sister's favorite foods.

Lexi decided she might be able to stomach some mashed potatoes, as it was bland and shouldn't upset her stomach.  She made a stop at the restroom before plopping down in her chair at the dining room table.

"Feeling any better?" Vanessa asked as she tried to get Sebastian situated.

"A little," Lexi said as she picked up her spoon and started on her potatoes.

"I'll take your temperature after dinner," Vanessa said.

"Do you have diarrhea?" Sebastian asked.

"Sebastian, that's not appropriate talk for the dinner table," Vanessa told her son.

Emma could tell her sister needed a laugh, so she brought the crook of her elbow up to her mouth and let out a loud farting noise.  Sebastian immediately started cracking up and Lexi laughed.  Vanessa gave the oldest child a look, but couldn't help but smiling.  It was good to see Lexi crack a smile.

Sebastian, of course, tried to imitate Emma, but couldn't quite get it.  Emma gave him some tips and he was able to get out a few rude sounds.

"Alright, everyone, that's enough," Vanessa said as she finally began eating.

Lexi was able to eat all her mashed potatoes and a bit of casserole, but didn't want to push it.  She immediately went back to bed, and Vanessa promised she'd come to check on her in a few minutes.  Emma kindly did all the dishes as Vanessa began the boys' bedtime routine.  She pulled out their pajamas and let them play for a few minutes before bathtime.

Vanessa went into Lexi's room with the thermometer a few minutes later.  Her temperature had dropped back down to 100.3, so she appeared to be on the mend.  "Have you had any nightmares today?"

Lexi shook her head no.  Vanessa supposed it was the stress of hearing about her grandparents that may have stirred up some bad feelings inside her.  Almost every night, she'd had a nightmare about the car accident that had killed her parents.  Vanessa silently cursed the girls' grandparents for setting Lexi back into a tailspin.  Hopefully Lexi would be well enough by Saturday to attend therapy, which the girls still attended every week.

Emma had homework, so Vanessa tackled bathtime with the boys single handedly.  She was a pro, though, and had done it many times before.  Sebastian took off running naked down the hallway afterwards, which he usually did at least once a week.  Emma and Alexis had gotten used to it by now, and didn't think anything of the 3 year old running around buck naked.

Lin arrived home as Sebastian ran around the living room.  "There's a naked child in my living room!" He announced, causing Sebastian to laugh.  He ran to his father and Lin picked him up.  Lin immediately began carrying him back to the bathroom to wrangle him into his pajamas.  Vanessa heard her husband's voice and was thankful to have some backup.

"Hi, little man!" Lin greeted his youngest son, who was laying on the bath mat getting dressed into his pajamas.  The baby smiled at the sight of his father, letting his arms and legs move around in excitement.  Lin helped Sebastian into his nighttime Pull Ups and pajamas, then picked up Francisco for a cuddle.

"I've got bedtime, V," Lin told his wife, knowing she must be exhausted.  "Go relax."

Vanessa didn't argue and went to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of wine.  She put her feet up on the couch as she let herself unwind.

Lin sat down on the rocker in Sebastian's room with both his sons on his lap.  They pulled out a couple favorite books and read through them.  Then he told Sebastian to get into bed and he'd be back to tuck him in after putting Francisco down.  When he arrived back, Sebastian was jumping on his bed.  Lin grabbed him and laid his energetic son down in his bed, tucking him in.  Vanessa often sang him to sleep, so Lin started singing Dear Theodosia.

"You didn't write that song," Sebastian said. "Mommy wrote that song."

Lin smiled, but didn't correct him.  Vanessa sang him this song constantly.  Sebastian soon settled down and Lin kissed him good night.

___

Since Vanessa was exhausted, Lin didn't bring up the adoption that night.  The following night, after being able to catch up on sleep, they sat on the touch sipping wine after the kids had gone to bed.

"Do you think they're going to come see the girls before the court date?" Vanessa asked her husband.

"I would hope so," Lin said.  "I don't see how seeing the girls for the first time since the funeral in court would quite be the right approach."

"Well, they've been doing things a bit backwards so far," Vanessa pointed out, twirling a few strands of hair in her fingers.

"True," he agreed, swishing his wine around in the glass a bit.  "I'm worried about Lexi."

Vanessa nodded.  "Her nightmares are back.  She'd been doing so well.  Her temperature's down to 99.5 by the way."

"Oh, good," he commented.  "She can probably do school again tomorrow."  Making up online school was a lot easier than regular school.  Another perk.

"So, how should we prep the girls?" Vanessa asked.

Lin ran his hand through his hair.  "I don't know," he admitted.  "I guess we could do some mock interviews."

"What if..." Vanessa paused, and Lin looked over at his wife.  "What if they decide they want to go with their grandparents?  Do we just let them go?"

Lin put his wine glass down on the coffee table and scooted closer to his wife, taking one her hands in his.  "Baby, I don't think we need to worry about that," he said gently.  "Their whole life is here in New York.  They're just adjusting to being with us.  They're not gonna want to move across the ocean."

"Are you sure?" She asked.  "I mean, they are family.  If my parents died, I'd probably want to be with family."

"Your family is close," Lin pointed out.  "Their grandparents have been largely absent.  They'd be living with strangers."

"It is a possibility though," Vanessa got to the point.  "I mean, I don't think it will happen either, but it is their choice."

Lin nodded and stroked his wife's hair.  "No use getting worked up about it," he said.  Lin got up and brought the wine bottle back with him.  He refilled both their glasses.  Neither of them wanted to think about losing the girls, but it was a possibility.  A small possibility, but one big enough to cause them some worry.

____

A couple weeks later, the time had come for the adoption agency to do a home visit.  Lin and Vanessa made sure the apartment was spotless.  They arranged for Sebastian and Francisco to be with Vanessa's parents for the afternoon.  Emma and Alexis would stick around and be interviewed separately and simultaneously.  The girls dressed nicely, and had been prepped with some practice questions.  Around 2:00, the doorbell rang and two suited people appeared.

There were pleasantries exchanged, and drinks offered.  The adoption agency workers accepted waters and gave the family a run down for how the afternoon would go.  First, they did a walk through of the home.  They observed the girls' rooms and common areas, taking notes as they went.  Then, they were divided up. Lin and Vanessa would meet with one worker in the dining room, and the girls would meet with the other in the basement.  They all dispersed to their areas and took a deep breath.  Not that they had anything to worry about, but it was still nerve wrecking to have strangers come scrutinize their home and family.

"Alright, we'll start out with some basics," the male worker said to Lin and Vanessa, turning his notebook to a fresh page.  "You're both gainfully employed?"

"Yes, I'm a lawyer and my husband is a playwright and actor," Vanessa told him.

"And how often would you say the girls would be home alone due to your work schedules?" He probed.

"Most days I'm home when they arrive from school," Lin said.  "My work is flexible enough that I can work from home.  Both girls have extra curricular activities, though, so they're often out in the afternoons as well."

He nodded and scribbled some notes.  "And you have children of your own?"

Vanessa smiled.  "Yes.  Sebastian is 3 and Francisco is about 5 months old now."

"Congratulations," he said.  "And how do you juggle 4 children?"

"Tag teaming," Lin told him.  "Between the two of us, we seem to keep things running.  Emma's pretty helpful, though.  She helps with cooking and laundry and taking care of the boys."

"How much responsibility does she have?"

"School.  Ballet.  Chores," Lin said.  "She's taking several AP classes and goes to a ballet studio several times a week.  She keeps pretty busy, but she's happy."

"And where do the girls attend school?" The questions kept coming, and the man didn't smile or offer much praise.  He was very matter-of-fact.

____

Downstairs, the girls were getting some of the same questions.

"I go to LaGuardia High School," Emma said.  "It's a performing arts school."

The woman who was interviewing the girls was a bit more welcoming.  She asked the girls a lot about their lives and seemed genuinely interested.  "Really?  What art are you into?"

"I do ballet," she said proudly and pointed to her splint.  "I got injured recently, but I should be getting this off next week."

"How did you get injured?" She asked.

"I had shin split that turned into a fracture," she explained.

"Did Lin and Vanessa take you to the doctor when you had the splint?"

Emma felt her heart drop.  She didn't think about the fact that Lin and Vanessa might be held responsible for her not getting treatment.  "Um, they wanted me to, but I didn't end up going.  I didn't think it was that serious.  But it fractured while I was competing."

"Sorry to hear that," she scribbled down a note.  "Alexis, tell me about yourself.  Where do you go to school and what do you do in your free time?"

"I do online school," she said.  "Cuz I don't really like regular school.  I'm doing way better online.  I like to play sports, especially volleyball and softball."

"Do you play on any teams?"

"Yep," Lexi answered.  "I'm in city leagues for both sports.  Lin and Vanessa come watch me almost every game."

"Great," she said.  "And how do you both feel here at Lin and Vanessa's?  Are you happy?"

Both girls nodded, smiling.  "Yeah, it's been good.  I mean, it's taken a while to get used to each other, but we really like them."

"Have you had any disagreements?"

Emma and Lexi looked at each other.  "Just minor stuff, I guess," Emma said.  "Normal teenage stuff for me like school and boys and curfews."

"Do you think their rules are fair?"

The girls shrugged.  All kids wished they had fewer rules, but they had to admit the Mirandas were pretty fair.

"They won't let me get a cell phone," Lexi reported.  The worker smiled and took note.  "But I have a computer.  For school."

___

Back upstairs, the adoption agency worker was getting into the nitty gritty of their financial situation.  They were showing financial documents showing how the Parkers' house profit had gone into a college fund for the girls.  They also had to prove their income and provide estimates for how much money was spent on each kid each month.  Vanessa didn't think she'd been to an interview quite as detailed and grueling as this one.

"Do the girls go to counseling?"

"Yes," Vanessa replied.  "Every Saturday."

"And how do their therapists report their progress?" He asked.

"He says they're doing well," Vanessa said.  "There are certain things that are confidential between the girls and their therapists of course, but they say they're making good progress."

"Any anger issues?  Violence?"

"No," Lin told him.  "Just normal teenage outbursts with Emma.  Lexi got into a fight at softball once, but she was provoked."

"And how do you handle misbehavior?"

"We try to do it calmly," Lin began, looking at his wife.  "They know there's a line not to be crossed, and if they do there will be consequences.  They're really pretty good, though."

"Have either of you ever lost control?  With the girls or your own boys?"

"Lost control?" Lin sought some clarification.

"Gotten angry and snapped?  Gotten physical?"

"No, never," Lin said.  "If I feel myself getting angry, I walk away.  But that rarely happens."

___

Downstairs, the girls' interview was wrapping up.

"So, Lin and Vanessa have talked to you about adoption, right?" she asked the sisters.  The girls nodded.  "And how do you feel about that?"

"Good," Lexi started.  "We've known them all our lives and we've been living with them for 5 months."

"I agree," Emma said.  "They love us and we love them and their boys."

"If you were asked to appear in court, would you be willing to tell a judge your wishes?"

"Yes, ma'am," the girls both said.

"And your wishes are..."

"To be adopted by the Mirandas," Emma said, and Lexi nodded in agreement.  "We want to stay here.  We don't want to go with our grandparents."

The worker wasn't going to get into the grandparents.  That was being handled by another set of workers.

"Alright, girls," she closed her folder.  "Thank you for your time.  Do you have any questions for me?"

They shook their heads, relieved the interview was over. 

"I think my colleague is still talking with your parents, so I'd like you to stay down here for now.  I'm going upstairs to see if I can be of any help."

The woman headed upstairs and the girls relaxed on the couch.

___

"Have either of you ever been arrested for possession of drugs?"

"No," they both said decisively.

"Ever convicted of a felony?"

"No," they repeated as the woman joined her colleague at the table.

There were a few more questions and then they politely wrapped things up, saying they would follow up with their lawyer.  As Lin closed the door, they all took a breath of relief out, then collapsed on the couch.

"We told them about how you beat us," Alexis deadpanned.