027. parental guidance

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It's a Tuesday when they meet him. It's sunny and the sky is blue and everything is perfect. Addison turns off the ignition and sits silently, gripping the steering wheel.

"Addie...you okay?" Charlie says, reaching over and resting a hand on her wife's arm.

"What if he doesn't like us?" She says whispers quietly.

"He will. I know it." Charlie says and meets her wife's eyes, giving her a smile.

*

"Hi, Clark. I'm Charlie and this is my wife, Addison." Charlie smiles and settles down into the chair next to the 13-year-old. He stares down at the games console in his hand. "What you playing there?" She asks. Clark doesn't acknowledge her and continues rapidly pressing the buttons.

"Why don't you and I talk," Olivia says to Addison. She follows her into the kitchen to discuss Clark's case.

Charlie just quietly sits next to him and watches him play. "I'm playing Mario." He quietly mentions. Charlie smiles at his comment, he slouches down in his seat and moves as to show Charlie the screen of his console. "Do you play Mario?" He says after a couple of moments of silence.

Charlie nods her head and begins to list all the games she plays. They sit for a while discussing games when Clark suddenly excitedly says; "Can you come and play basketball with me?" He grasps Charlie's arm and pulls her out to the garden.

"He's had a lot of trouble over the past year or so, the father isn't in the picture and the mom comes back every so often with promises to take him home." Addison looks out of the window of the foster home, watching Charlie and Clark play basketball together, she smiles. "What he needs right now is a stable loving home, can you do that for him?" Olivia asks her, and Addison nods, her focus shifting from her wife to the woman in front of her.

"We can do that, yeah."

"Well then, I'll put this forward to the judge. It'll take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks but after that, hopefully, you'll be able to go down as his foster parents and he'll be able to go home with you."

"You got a favourite team?" Charlie asks, throwing the ball into the hoop. Clark just shakes his head. "Ah well then. As brilliant as Seattle is, in our house Boston all the way. I'm talking the Red Sox, the Patriots, the Celtics." Clark smiles and nods his head as he grabs the ball. "If this works out, would you like to come live with us? With me and my wife?" Charlie asks him. Clark just gently nods his head and smiles.

*

It takes a while for the judge to approve them, mainly because of Charlie's past and her recent overdose. It takes many house visits from their social worker to see how they were at home together. Charlie talks about her overdose and her time at the rehab, she's honest, completely honest. She even mentions the incredibly brief time in jail when she was 16 for joyriding.

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