This is Chapter 8 of the Jake and Jessica series. Special thanks to Todger65 who continues to be an excellent editor.
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Chapter 8: Ella & Planning To Settle Down.
Jessica awoke the next morning next to Jake who was sleeping peacefully. She got up and went into the kitchen making her cup of coffee. She sat at the table with the card for Mrs. James in front of her. She heard Amy's door open and saw Amy come out and join her with her cup in hand.
"Morning, I've been up for almost an hour." Amy said. "If you look at that card any harder, you are going to burn a hole in it."
"Is this what I really want, I want children of my own. I just can't stand to see Ella in pain. It reminded me of losing my dad!" Jessica said as tears fell down her cheeks.
"I know Jess. You do realize that if you applied, they would question if you are single or married. Your relationship with Jake could be exposed." Amy said to Jessica.
"I told her my husband was with Ella waiting with her last night." Jessica realized.
"Look, why don't we all go together. I can provide character witness for you both." Jessica reached for Amy's hand.
"Thank you Amy." Jessica picked up her phone and punched in the number for Mrs. James.
Mrs. James answered.
"Mrs. James, it is Dr. Edwards. Can we meet to discuss adopting Ella?"
"Yes, I could come to your home. Just give me the address."
"I live in an apartment" She gave Mrs. James the address and apartment number. She stated that she would be there in an hour. She got Jake up and they all took showers and got dressed. Thankfully Jessica and Amy kept a clean apartment. An hour later they heard a knock on the door.
Jessica opened the door. "Mrs. James, thank you for coming."
"My pleasure." They went in and sat at the table. Jake and Jessica were on one side and Amy was on Jessica's right with Mrs. James sitting across from Jake and Jessica.
"So you all live here?" She asked.
"No, Amy and I live here and Jake is still attending Georgia Tech. He graduates in December and so does Amy. We still attend Emory." Jessica replied.
"How did you become a doctor so early?"
"Well, I was put into the MD fast track program Emory was offering. I took it and pretty much studied and started my internship early. I just officially got my MD license last month. I signed a contract to work at Piedmont Medical ER until December when I will go to work at Northside Medical Family Practice and be a Pediatrics and Early Teen doctor."
"Well, that's good as you and Jake here can provide a stable home to Ella being married." Amy knew that was going to be mentioned.
"Mrs. James, I said Jake was my husband but we are not married."
"You two wear wedding rings, so what is the catch?"
"Mrs. James, please understand when I say this. Jake and I are fraternal twins. I realize this is not considered a marriage by law but we are man and wife in our eyes. I know this could potentially prevent us from being parents in the eyes of the state. We are good people and we care for our loved ones. Amy and her family are family to us." Jessica said hoping that she could understand.
"I'm sorry but incest is illegal. I can't allow you to adopt Ella under these circumstances. I'm sorry but I will leave now." She got up to leave.
"Mrs. James, what if I knew of a loving couple who always wanted another child to call their own?" Amy piped up.
"Well, if they meet all of the criteria for being adoptive parents, then they should have no problem adopting." She said to Amy.
Amy looked to Jessica and Jake. "Jess, I'm sorry. I know how badly you want to be a parent. I can at least talk to them to see if they would be willing. She's 10 years old and they could certainly do it." Jessica was crying but nodded to her.
"So who is this couple?" Mrs. James asked Amy.
Amy looked to her, "My parents." She paused before continuing.
"My mother said she always wanted another child but had complications after my birth and was unable to have any more children. She treats LJ as if she was hers as much as your mother does. I can't promise they will say yes but I can at least talk to them about it for Jessica. You see Mrs. James, Jessica and Jake lost their father in a traffic wreck in August of 2015, the same day their little sister was born; her birth brought on early as a result of the wreck. Ella reminds Jessica of the hurting that they suffered after that and would like to give her a loving family as Ella lost her father to the War in Afghanistan when she was just a year old. She just lost her mother and now she feels alone and abandoned. Jessica is a caring and compassionate person who I believe would make a very loving and caring mother to any child. If you can't allow her to adopt, then I should see if I can get my parents to accept Ella to add her to our family."
Jessica looked to Amy who she loved as she was the other rock in her life. She had just laid out Jessica's case for wanting to take Ella as her own.
"If your mother and father would want to take Ella as their own then I would be willing to expedite the process for them."
"Thank you Mrs. James." She left and Jessica moved to hug Amy.
"I'll see what I can do Jess." As Jessica hugged her.
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A few days later Amy, Jessica and Jake drove Ella to see Jill and Mike. They opened the doors of Jake's Charger and Ella ran free from the car towards the house. Jill opened the door, wondering who this little girl was.
"Hello, who might you be?" Jill asked.
"I'm Ella!" Jill looked to Amy who was right behind the little girl.
"Hi mom, can we come in?" Amy asked as Jessica and Jake were right behind her.
"Sure." She let Ella on by her and looked to Amy.
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"So, who is she?" Jill asked Amy and Jessica who were sitting in the living room with Mike as Jake was with Ella in the pool.
"Mom and dad, that is Ella Newman. You see Jessica treated her last week in the hospital. She and her mother were in a wreck. Ella was fine but her mother died, Ella has no family now. Jessica was talking with the DCFS worker and because of her relationship with Jake, she can't adopt because of the illegal nature of their marriage." Jill looked at Jessica.
"I'm sorry Jessica; I know you would be a great mother." Jill said.
"Mom, I know you told me that you wish you had another child. Is that still true?" Amy asked.
"Yes Amy, I wish I had another child after I had you. What are you asking?"
"Would you and dad be willing to adopt Ella?" Amy asked.
"Amy, I don't know what to say to that. It's just so sudden."
"If she doesn't get adopted quickly, she will get lost in the foster care system. My father told me the things that happened to him in the foster care system, I don't want that to happen to her. Please Jill, I'm asking not for myself, but for Ella and for my father." Jessica pleaded.
"I understand what you are saying Jessica, Jim told me the stories and I have probably heard more of them than you. If you girls could give Jill and I a few minutes to talk." Mike said to the girls.
Amy and Jessica left and went out to join Jake who was throwing Ella into the deep end of the pool. She had a smile on her face as she was thrown.
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Jill stood at the sliding glass door to the backyard and looked as Jake was swimming with Ella. She saw a beautiful child who was showing signs of laughter and happiness. Mike walked up behind her and put his hand on her right shoulder.
"What are you thinking Jill?" He asked.
"I'm thinking and the thinking is hurting. Help me out here." She said and turned around.
"Well, you want pros and cons or moral obligation?" He said to Jill knowing how she always weighed any decision she made right down to what to have for dinner.
"How about straight and no sugar coating." She replied as she didn't want to bullshit around the topic.
"Okay, what we have here is a 10 year old little girl named Ella who just lost her mother to a car wreck. She lost her father fighting for our country in 2009 and never ever got a chance to know him. She has been without a father for 10 years. Now, our daughter and Jessica come here persuading us to adopt her. You work with 'at risk' children and teenagers and you know what can happen here if we turn our back on her just as much as I do. I think if you were to talk to Anne, she would want you to adopt Ella." Mike was steadily looking into her eyes.
"We both wanted another child after you gave birth to Amy. It was just bad luck that you had to have a hysterectomy after giving birth. If you want my vote as a yes or no; I give it a yes. We do it for Jake and Jessica but more importantly we do it for Ella." Jill reached for his face with her hands.