Laughing and giggling children ran around the room. There were so many of them and Carter was overwhelmed.

She leaned into Harry as they walked, their eyes roaming around the room to find the child that they were meant to adopt, "How are we going to pick just one?"

Harry smiled down at her softly, "We don't have to pick just one. As many as you want, all you have to do is say so."

Carter bit her lip as she looked up at him, "You really wouldn't mind?"

Harry leaned down and kissed her forehead, "Not at all. C'mon, let's keep looking."

A few children were staring at them as they passed, but there was one girl in particular that caught their attention. She was sitting in a corner near the back, her head ducked down and a pencil in her hand.

Carter stopped walking and watched her for a moment. The girl didn't seem phased at all by the chaos going on around her. Lead filled the page smoothly and deliberately, her pencil slow and precise.

It was her.

Carter tugged on Harry's hand and notched her head in the girl's direction. He saw the pencil and the paper and the look on Carter's face and he knew it just as quickly as she did.

Harry squeezed her hand and looked down at her with his award winning smile, "Let's go say hello."

Carter's heart was racing just like it had when she'd walked down the aisle. She was afraid that the girl wouldn't like them because of the art that littered their skin.

Harry could feel her tension and gave her hand another squeeze, "Relax sweetheart, there's nothing to worry about."

Her blue eyes were worried as they met his, "What if she doesn't like us?"

Harry sighed softly and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, "Then it isn't her."

Carter smiled as he kissed her forehead. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, but she didn't have to because her eyes said it all.

The noise level in the room seemed to drop off almost dramatically as the two made their way to the girl in the corner. Each of them thought that it was weird, but neither of them mentioned it.

As soon as they had made it to where she sat, they sat down beside her. The girl didn't seem to notice at first, which made each of them smile.

In hopes of getting her attention, Harry cleared his throat a little awkwardly. Her pencil stopped moving and she looked up with a confused expression. People came by all the time to adopt children, but they were never interested in her.

Harry and Carter smiled, but Harry's smile was much brighter because he wasn't as nervous as Carter.

"Hi, I'm Harry and this is my wife, Carter."

The girl looked between them for a moment, her expression no longer confused, but curious, "Poppy."

Carter adored her name and found herself asking in a soft tone, "Why are you over here all by yourself?"

Poppy frowned and shrugged her shoulders, her head hanging slightly, "The other kids don't like me."

Harry and Carter frowned with her. There wasn't anything wrong with her, sure, she was a little older than most of the kids that were there, but that was hardly a reason to not like her.

Harry offered her a soft smile, "Well, then, that sucks for them."

Poppy tried to hold back her smile but failed, "Why's that?"

Harry looked at Carter and she smiled at him in return, "Because we like you."

The poor girl looked like she wanted to cry. Carter wanted to hug her but she didn't want to make her feel awkward or anything.

"Really?"

Harry nodded, "Mmmhhmm, really. So, Poppy, what do you like to do?"

Poppy wiped her eyes and smiled brightly, this was the first time in four years that someone was genuinely interested in her and she was so happy, even if they ended up not adopting her in the end.

"I like to write poetry, but I really love drawing."

Carter beamed, "We love drawing too."

Poppy looked at them curiously. She had said we, which meant that both of them were artists. Was that really possible? Usually, Poppy had only ever seen couples with one artist because they ended up disagreeing over artistic visions and whatnot when they were with another artist.

"We?"

Each of them nodded, but Harry spoke first, "Yeah! Would you like to see some of our stuff?"

Poppy tried not to be over enthusiastic because she didn't want to turn them away and she really wanted to see some of their work, "Yes, please!"

Harry laughed lightly in return and the way that his wife looked at him made Poppy smile, "In that case, I will be right back. My wife can show you her work while I get mine from the car."

He pressed a loving kiss to Carter's forehead before standing and leaving the two girls alone.

Poppy was curious and couldn't stop herself from asking, "How long have you two been married?"

Carter's cheeks flushed slightly as she thought about it, "Almost a month. It feels like longer though because we've been together for so long."

Poppy smiled and asked her how long they had been together, to which Carter replied happily, "Six years."

Carter found herself laughing lightly because of how Poppy's eyes had widened, "Six years!?"

She nodded, "Yes, six years. He proposed after two, but then I broke his heart and left for around two more years. Turns out, the man doesn't give up easily and he won me back and, well, here we are."

Poppy smiled because Carter had been honest with her and her answer solidified that problems in love could be overcome, "What kind of artist are you?"

Carter beamed, "I'm a tattoo artist. I draw, just like you, but I like to leave my art in places that won't last forever, but will make someone's part of forever special. Wanna see some that I've done?"

Poppy nodded quickly, her smile matching Carter's as she watched the woman search her skin. Carter was glad that she'd decided to wear shorts because most of the tattoos she'd done on herself were on her legs.

After a moment, she pointed to the clock on her thigh, "I did this one and the mandala flower on my arm." Carter pointed to each and then continued, "Did you see the tattoos on Harry's arms?"

Poppy thought about it for a moment. She had seen some of them and they were amazing, "Yes."

Carter sat up a little straighter and Poppy grinned with her, "I did some of those too. You know, I taught him how to tattoo and he has given me some too."

"No way!"

Carter laughed and nodded to confirm, "Yes way! I can't show you them right now though, because I'd have to move my shirt a bit and the workers will definitely take it the wrong way. They aren't in bad places, I promise, but I will show you as soon as I can."

A spark of hope sent Poppy's heart racing. Did that mean that they were going to adopt her?

Carter noticed the change and smiled a little brighter, "Wanna know a secret?"

Poppy nodded eagerly. Carter turned around to make sure that Harry wasn't coming back just yet. She leaned a little closer to Poppy and Poppy did the same.

"I have a cherry blossom branch on my stomach that I got because he made me feel like there were beautiful flowers blossoming inside of me. He doesn't know that though, I wasn't exactly letting him in when I got it done."

Poppy thought that it was sweet, "Is that what it feels like to be in love?"

Carter nodded, "That and so much more."

Harry plopped down beside Carter moments later, a sketchbook in hand. Poppy noticed how it was practically vomiting with pages and photographs sticking out at various angles and she was fascinated.

"What kind of artist are you?"

Harry smirked, "I'm a jack of all trades artist."

Carter laughed loudly and explained, "He does pretty much everything, but he really likes to draw, just like you do."

Poppy laughed as he made a face at her and mumbled, "That's no fun."

She really liked them already and she really hoped that they would be the ones to adopt her.

Harry flipped to a random page and turned the sketchbook around so that she could see. Poppy's eyes widened. He'd drawn a beautiful nature scene with a few little houses in the back and the enrapturing feeling of winter.

A few photographs had fallen out when he turned the sketchbook and Poppy picked them up with careful and curious hands. Some of them were beautiful pictures of skylines and mountains, but a few of them were of him and his wife and her heart swelled because she knew that they had so much love to share.

"These are beautiful."

Harry offered her a soft smile, "Thank you."

Poppy timidly ran her hands over the sketchbook in her lap. She didn't show anyone her drawings, but she wanted to share them with Harry and Carter. And not just because they had shared their art with her.

"W-would you like to see some of my drawings?"

Carter and Harry nodded enthusiastically, but they didn't push her and let her take her time.

She started off by showing them her favourite. Sometime in the previous year, she had seen a beautiful bird outside her window and she'd drawn it and the branch that it had stood on. Poppy showed them that one because, when she'd drawn it, she had the hopes of being able to be free like the bird and she knew that they would understand.

Carter was the first to speak after having thumbed through a few pages, "These are amazing. Did you teach yourself?"

Poppy felt the blush rise to her cheeks as she nodded. Harry stopped looking through the pages, closed the book, and returned it to her with a soft smile.

"You know, if you want, I can teach you how to do some really cool things with texture. Actually, I could teach you anything that you want."

Poppy looked at him with hopeful eyes, "You would?"

Harry nodded, "I will."

Tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes as she looked between the two, it sounded like they really wanted her to be a part of their family, but she had to ask to make sure that it was real and that she wasn't dreaming again.

"Does that mean that..."

Poppy couldn't finish her sentence and tears rolled down her cheeks. Carter and Harry nodded, but Carter was the one that confirmed it with tears in her eyes as well, "Yes, we would love to have you as a part of our family."

Poppy forgot all about her sketchbook and her pencils and hugged Carter tightly, "Thank you so much. Thank you so so so much."

She hugged Harry next and repeated herself. Harry shook his head, "No, thank you."