The first time I saw them in person, it was inside a visitation room with harsh lighting and mismatched chairs. The four of them sat crammed together on one couch, shoulders and knees pressed tight.
I took a seat opposite them.
“Hey, I’m Michael.”
Ruby buried her face in Owen’s shirt. Cole focused on my shoes. Tessa crossed her arms, chin lifted, all suspicion. Owen studied me like someone far older than nine.
“Are you the man who’s taking us?” he asked.
“If you want me to be.”
“All of us?” Tessa asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “All of you. I’m not interested in just one.”
Her lips twitched slightly. “What if you change your mind?”
“I won’t. You’ve had enough people do that already.”
Ruby peeked out. “Do you have snacks?”
I grinned. “Yeah, I’ve always got snacks.”
Karen let out a soft chuckle behind me.
After that came court.
The judge asked, “Mr. Ross, do you understand you are assuming full legal and financial responsibility for four minor children?”
“Yes, Your Honor,” I answered. I was terrified, but I meant every word.
The day they moved in, the silence in my house disappeared. Four pairs of shoes by the door. Four backpacks dropped in a heap.
The first few weeks were tough.
Ruby woke most nights crying for her mom. I’d sit on the floor beside her bed until she drifted back to sleep.
Cole pushed every boundary.
“You’re not my real dad,” he yelled once.
“I know,” I replied. “But it’s still no.”
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