“Baxter, would you like to go out to dinner with us?” Vincent asked. “You can pick the kind of restaurant you’d like.”

“Really? Did Mrs. Mayhew say it’s okay?”

“Yes, she did,” Vincent replied. “What we have to do is tell her that we’re leaving and approximately what time we’ll have you back. So, what kind of food do you like?”

“I can pick any kind of restaurant?”

“Yes. But no fast food, please,” Rob said.

“Would a Mexican restaurant be okay? I mean that has real Mexican food, not just fast food stuff like the burritos we get at school?”

“There’s a Mexican restaurant, Rancho Cantina, that we like. Would you like to give that a try?” Rob asked.

“Sure. When do you want to go? It’s only four-fifteen. It’s probably too early for dinner.”

“We thought you might like to see what our house and yard are like,” Vincent said. “We can go there first and give you a tour, then go to the restaurant and have dinner at around five-thirty.”

Baxter smiled. “Thanks, that sounds great.” He realized that being taken to see their house was a big deal. A big deal that he hoped would become an awesome deal for him.

Thursday, October 3rd, 2019, Late Afternoon

When they pulled into the driveway, Baxter was surprised. Based on hearing they had a pool and a tennis court and a trampoline, he’d expected a mansion. But their house wasn’t a mansion. It was a nice single-story house in a nice neighborhood. From the front, it appeared to be a little larger than the house where he’d lived with his mom. That house was now occupied by a family that rented it from the trustee of the estate he’d inherited. ‘Trustee’ and ‘estate’ were words that meant little to Baxter. Even though they’d been explained to him, he didn’t have a concept of how they actually worked; someday he’d have to find out.

The front yard of the Choi family home was nice, with trees that provided shade on the front of the house. It was larger than the yard where Baxter and his mom had lived. The lawn was spacious, and there were a lot of flowers, including roses and others he couldn’t identify.

“Come on, Baxter,” Elizabeth said, grabbing his arm and pulling to encourage him to get out of the car. “Dad, can I show Baxter the pool?”

Rob chuckled. “Sure. Just bring him back so we have enough time to show him the house before we leave for dinner, okay?”

“Okay!” she replied. Then she pulled on Baxter’s arm again. “Come on. The pool is fantabulous! You’ll love it!” she enthused.

Baxter grinned. He liked how eager Elizabeth was and how excited. She led him through the living room and family room, so he got a feel for the house. It wasn’t ostentatious. It was comfortable with modern furniture and lots of art on the walls. He liked the house; it felt like being at home. It also made him feel a sharp pang of regret for what he’d lost when his mom died.

Elizabeth led him outside through a sliding glass door in the family room. The backyard was huge! There was a large partially covered patio across the back of the house with a table and chairs and a barbeque grill. It was edged by trees which provided shade.

There was about twenty feet of grass between the patio and the pool, and a stone slab walkway led to it. The pool was enclosed by a fence made of decorative iron bars.

“The fence is designed to prevent little kids or animals from getting in and falling into the pool,” Elizabeth told him as she unlatched the gate. They walked up to the pool. It was rectangular and long. There was a retractable pool cover over the water. It was surrounded by a wide coping made of the same stone slabs as the walkway. There were several lounges and chairs for relaxing and sunning. Baxter noticed there wasn’t a diving board.

To the left of the pool, there was a building. Baxter wondered what it was. Elizabeth saw him looking at it, so she led him inside.

“This is the pool house. When people come over to visit, they can use the pool house to change into their swimsuits and put their clothes and cellphones and stuff into a locker. Afterward, they can take a shower to wash off the pool chemicals and get dressed. There are bathrooms, too. There’s a girl’s side and a boy’s side. Pool toys and some of the pool equipment are stored here, too. There’s a refrigerator for sodas and things we want to keep cold, and it has an icemaker. Also, there are a sink and dishwasher for when we have a barbeque or a pool party.”

“Wow! This is really nice.”

“Lemme show you the tennis court!”

It was behind the pool house, between it and the back fence. “It can be set up for either singles or doubles, and the fence is real high so we don’t hit balls over it very often,” Elizabeth explained. “I like to play tennis. You said you like to play?”

“Yeah, I do,” Baxter replied. “It’s really cool, having your own tennis court. I haven’t played much tennis — except during PE — since I moved to Groveland. I also see that there’s a basketball hoop installed at one end of the court. I like to shoot baskets.”

“So do I. I like to play horse, too.”

“Where’s the trampoline?” he asked.

“Over there.” She pointed toward the other side of the yard.

“Okay, I see it. Is that a fence around it?”

“That’s a screen so if you mess up, you won’t bounce off onto the ground or end up falling into the spaces between the springs and hurt yourself,” Elizabeth explained. “You ever jump on a trampoline?”

“No. I’ve seen people jumping on them on TV. It looks like a lot of fun.”

“It is. It takes a little practice, but it’s a blast. Let’s go inside. Dad and Pop said they want to show you the house.”

“Which one is Dad, and which one is Pop?”

“Rob is Dad, Vincent is Pop. I decided I wanted to use those two words for them, and in alphabetical order. So, Rob is Dad because Rob’s name comes before Vincent’s in the alphabet, and Dad is before Pop in the alphabet. And vice versa for Vincent.”

Baxter had another question as they walked toward the house. “Do you have any pets?”

“No. I have allergies, and I’m allergic to dogs and cats and rabbits and hamsters — pretty much anything with fur. Dad and Pop didn’t have any pets before they adopted me, so it wasn’t a problem.”

“When was that? When they adopted you?” Baxter asked.

“My adoption was granted one year ago last month.” Elizabeth stopped walking, so he did, too. “That was the absolutely best day of my entire life. I was adopted and we moved from Stockton to Walnut Creek. Two perfect things.” She stopped, looked at Baxter, and smiled. That made Baxter smile, too.

“That sounds wonderful. I….” He decided not to complete the sentence.

Elizabeth grabbed his arm. “I hope they decide to adopt you, Baxter. I like you a lot. You’ll make an excellent brother. We even mostly look alike.”

Baxter laughed. “Uh… I have red hair and gray eyes, a pale complexion, and freckles, and I’m a boy. You have black hair and brown eyes, a dark complexion, and no freckles, and you’re a girl.”

“Yeah, but we both have hair on our heads, two eyes, two ears, one nose, and one mouth, two arms, and two legs.” She waved her arms around. “See, just like I said, we mostly look alike.” She grinned.

“I never thought about it that way. You’re right! We do mostly look alike,” Baxter responded, and they were both laughing as they walked back to the house.

They walked into the family room where Rob and Vincent were sitting. That the two kids were smiling and obviously happy was noticed by the two men.

Baxter was enthusiastic. “Elizabeth gave me a tour. Your backyard is fantastic. I love it, especially the pool and the tennis court. And the basketball hoop.”

“Thanks,” Vincent said. “The pool gets a lot of use in the summer and early fall when the weather is warm enough to swim.”

“Would you like a tour of the house?” Rob asked.

“Yes, please. I’d like to see it.”

Rob led the tour. They started in the family room and walked through the living room, both of which Baxter had seen when Elizabeth led him outside. He was shown the dining room, and they walked past the kitchen. “Through the kitchen, there’s a laundry room with access to the garage and the backyard, and a half-bath for guests and for Elizabeth to wash her hands before meals,” Rob explained. Baxter noticed that Elizabeth blushed about the hand-washing comment. He grinned. He knew this was the sort of thing parents did to embarrass or remind their kids about something. He missed the similar interaction he’d had with his mom. It made him realize how much he missed her.

Vincent took over as the tour guide. “The bedrooms are down the hall. Each of the bedrooms has a private bathroom. On the right is the master bedroom, Rob’s and my room. There are three bedrooms across the hall. The first is Elizabeth’s room. The second is not being used yet; there’s no furniture and that’s something we’ll have to purchase. However, the bathroom in that bedroom is unique. Go on in and take a look, Baxter.”

Baxter walked through the bedroom and into the bathroom. “Wow!” he exclaimed when he returned. “There’s a urinal in that bathroom. I’ve never seen a urinal in a bathroom in a house before. So, this bedroom and bathroom are probably for a boy, right?”

“A urinal is probably more useful for a boy, but a girl could use the bathroom and just ignore the urinal,” Rob said.

“Or the girl could plant flowers in the urinal,” Elizabeth mumbled. That made Vincent and Rob grin and shake their heads, and Baxter chuckled. “If you plant flowers in it, you’d have to make sure you never flushed!” he said, which made Elizabeth laugh.

Vincent continued the tour. “The last bedroom at the end on this side is for guests.” Baxter saw it was already furnished.

“Sometimes we have relatives who come to visit. At the end of the hall on the right is the home office that Rob and I use.”

Baxter looked in the office. It was large, and there were two computer desks with keyboards and displays, bookcases with lots of books, and two file cabinets. There were two office chairs, two side chairs, and a couch.

“Nice computer setup. Elizabeth, do you use one of these computers to do your homework?” he asked.

“I have my own computer,” she replied. “A Microsoft Surface Pro 4. It’s a convertible laptop and tablet. It runs Windows 10. I can use the pen to do my drawings on the screen. It’s really cool. I’ll have to show you sometime. Do you have your own computer?”

“Yes. I have an Acer laptop. I’m glad I have it. It means that I can do my homework without having to find time to use one of the PCs in the computer room at Groveland or to use the computer lab at school. I also have an eight-inch Samsung tablet with the Kindle app for reading books. And a cellphone, an LG V30.”

“Well, I think that’s the whole tour,” Vincent said.

“Can I see your kitchen?” Baxter asked.

“Sure,” Vincent answered, a little surprised. “Follow me.”

Elizabeth giggled. “All boys ever think about is food, but Baxter also wants to know where it’s cooked,” she said in a stage whisper.

When they walked into the kitchen, Baxter was amazed. It looked like something from one of those TV shows where someone is remodeling a house. “What a great kitchen,” he said, as he looked around. “This stove is professional looking. It’s got six burners and an oven. Besides that, you’ve got a separate double oven and a microwave, too. You’re all set for cooking for the holidays.”

“Are you interested in cooking?” Rob asked.

Baxter nodded. “Yes. I like to cook. My mom would get home from work late, around six-thirty, so I’d usually fix dinner during the week. Mom would do the cooking on the weekends.”

“Did you cook from scratch or use a lot of prepared meals?”

“Mostly from scratch, using a cookbook, or recipes I’d find in the Sunday paper. I’d make a list each week, and Mom and I would do the grocery shopping on Saturday. I’d fix a casserole, or make stew, or cook a pot roast, things that would be enough for several meals. We liked leftovers, so maybe three days a week I could reheat something I’d already cooked, and I’d fix a vegetable and make a salad. That took a lot less time. Once in a while, I’d cook fish. And, we’d keep some of those microwave meals in the freezer for when we were in a hurry.”

“Let’s go to the family room where we can sit and talk until we leave for dinner,” Vincent said. “Would you two like something to drink?”

“I’d like some ice water, please,” Baxter said.

“Ice water for me,” Rob said. “And me, too,” Vincent added.

“A Coke for me,” Elizabeth said. “I’ll get them.

“I’ll give you a hand,” Baxter told her.

They got the drinks, then returned to the family room. After distributing them, they sat down.

Rob asked Baxter about his mother. This was both a sad and happy topic for Baxter. It was sad because she was gone. It was happy because he’d loved her and they’d had such a good life together. So he told them about her.

“Would you like to see her picture?” he asked.

“Yes, we would,” Vincent replied.

“I took a bunch of pictures of her, and selfies of the two of us.” He showed them some of her pictures on his phone.

“She’s beautiful, Baxter,” Vincent said, softly. He wasn’t sure if he should ask how she died. Baxter solved that dilemma by telling them what happened.

“My mom was in a traffic accident fifteen months ago. She was stopped at a Caltrain railroad crossing in Palo Alto. A big truck slammed into the back of her car and pushed it through the crossing gates onto the track just as a commuter train got to the crossing, and it hit her.”

“Oh, my god, that’s terrible,” Rob said. “Do they know why the truck didn’t stop?”

“The police report said the truck driver fell asleep. My mom had known a lawyer, and when he found out what happened, he said he’d be my lawyer and sue the trucking company. He did, and he got me a settlement. I had to sign an agreement so I can’t tell anyone how much, but it was a lot.”

 “That settlement is in your trust now?” Rob asked.

“Yes. There’s more than enough for me to go to Cal and get my bachelor’s and master’s degrees and pay for the dorm and meals and books and labs and… and I guess whatever else I would need for a long time after that.”

Everyone was quiet after hearing about Baxter’s mother.

“I’m hungry,” Elizabeth finally said. “Isn’t it time to go to the restaurant?”

Vincent looked at his watch. “Yes, it is,” he said. “Let get ready and head out.”

Baxter enjoyed the dinner. It sure beat the burritos they served in the cafeteria at school. During dinner, they talked about school and the classes Baxter was taking, where Baxter had traveled when he went on vacation with his mom, his favorite books and music. Rob and Vincent talked about themselves, their relatives, going to the Sierra in the winter to ski, and where they liked to go on vacation. Baxter was impressed that Rob and Vincent never once talked down to him or Elizabeth.

“You didn’t ask me about religion. I want you to know that I’m not religious. Is that a problem?”

“No,” Rob said. “Vincent and I aren’t religious. Our parents weren’t either, so going to church isn’t something that we do very often. Elizabeth goes to the Mount Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church most Sundays, and we drive her there and back. Vincent and I have attended a few times. We’re fine if you’re not interested in going to church, or if you decide to start going.”

“I probably won’t go to church. I don’t like the idea of organized religions. They aren’t accepting of gays, especially gay kids like me.”

“Baxter, you might like the Unitarian church,” Elizabeth said. “It’s very gay-friendly. You could come with me one time to see what it’s like.”

“Okay, I’d like to do that,” Baxter said.

“We go to the Christmas services to listen to the music,” Vincent said. “I think you’d enjoy it when you come with us at Christmas.”

“I like Christmas music, so that would be great,” Baxter said.

He realized that the Chois were talking about ‘when’ instead of ‘if’; that encouraged him to think there might be a chance for him to become their adopted son. Still, he didn’t want to get excited until he heard a definite ‘yes’ from the Chois and Mrs. Mayhew.

After they ate, they drove Baxter back to Groveland. Vincent and Rob met with Mrs. Mayhew for about an hour. While they were meeting, Baxter showed Elizabeth around Groveland and the facilities. Then they sat in the lounge and talked and watched TV with some of the other boys until it was time for the Chois to leave.

Thursday, October 3rd, 2019, Evening

After they left, Mrs. Mayhew met with Baxter in her office. She asked him how he liked the two men and their daughter.

“I like Rob and Vincent a lot. They are friendly and treated Elizabeth and me like we’re adults. Elizabeth is a lot of fun. She said she’d like me to be her brother, and I’d like that, too. Their home is really nice, with a big pool and a tennis court and a trampoline. They have a bedroom with a private bathroom for the boy they adopt. And the bathroom has a urinal! That’s so cool.

“We went to a Mexican restaurant in Lafayette, Rancho Cantina, for dinner. It was great, the best Mexican food I’ve ever eaten.”

Baxter stopped a moment, clearly remembering something that was important to him about his visit with the Chois. “We talked a lot about what it would be like if they adopted me. They live in the Las Lomas High attendance area, so I’d still go to school there. Vincent teaches English at Las Lomas so I could ride to school with him. Thing is, he has to get there at seven-thirty so he has time to prepare for his classes and meet with his students if they have questions. So, if I was tired and wanted another half-hour of sleep, I could ride my bike to school.

“They think my objective to get good grades so I can get into Cal is a good idea. Rob was excited about helping me pick Advanced Placement classes at Las Lomas that will be best for a computer science major. He said he could hook me up with some online programming classes I could take on my own and be ahead when I graduate from high school and go to Cal.”

“Baxter, it sounds like you would like to be considered for adoption by Rob and Vincent Choi. Am I right?” Mrs. Mayhew asked.

“Oh, yes! It would be fantastic. Is that really a possibility?”

“Yes. Vincent and Rob were very impressed by you and the way you fit in with them and Elizabeth.”

Baxter blushed. Like many teens, he was embarrassed when he was complimented. But that didn’t keep him from smiling.

 “That really makes me happy, Mrs. Mayhew. What’s next? What has to be done to change from the Chois considering to adopt me to actually adopting me?”

“First, there is the placement. That will take about two weeks to be arranged. You’ll have a CPS caseworker who will meet with you and go into detail about what’s involved.”

“When will I find out who my caseworker is going to be?”

“We know who it is already. Her name is Mrs. Betty Taylor. She’ll meet with you tomorrow after you get home from school, and talk about the details of the process and answer your questions.

 “There will be an appraisal of the Choi home and the room they will have for you. I’m sure that they won’t have any problem with the approval process since they went through it successfully when they fostered and then adopted Elizabeth. You’ll meet with the Chois during the next two weekends. That way, you can get to know them better, and they can get to know you better. Meanwhile, you’ll continue living here at Groveland. They’ll pick you up Saturday and Sunday mornings and drop you off each evening.

“Once they’ve been approved, you will move out of your room here and move into the Choi home. We’d schedule that for a Saturday. Assuming all goes according to plan, it will be about three weeks from now. You will be placed as the foster son of the Chois. That means they have full responsibility for your care, support, health, and well-being. They will receive foster care support from the state while you are their foster son.

“Once the Chois apply to adopt you, there will be a post-placement in-home supervision period; let’s just call it the in-home period — that’s simpler. Your status as the Chois’ foster son will continue during this period. Your CPS caseworker will meet with you and with the Chois at least four times during the in-home period. The objective is to make sure that everything continues to be satisfactory for both you and the Chois. It will let you settle in and make sure the placement is working.

“She will have separate meetings with you, with Rob and Vincent, and with Elizabeth. The caseworker will talk with you about how you like living with them; if you’re happy there, how you and Rob and Vincent get along; how you and Elizabeth get along; if there are any problems, and if you still want to have your adoption finalized. She will ask the Chois, including Elizabeth, similar questions.

“Baxter, do you have any questions?”

“How soon would the Chois apply to adopt me?”

“They could apply as soon as they are approved as your foster parents.”

“I’m sort of confused. There’s my placement as their foster son, and then there’s the in-home period for them to adopt me. What’s the difference, and do they overlap or… or what?”

“The time is used to make sure the Choi family is a good fit for you and that you have a good relationship with the Choi family.”

“How long is the adoption in-home period?”

“It’s usually six months, though, in special situations, it could be shorter or longer.”

“Why would it be longer?”

“It depends on several things. There has to be a family assessment and a home inspection. The Chois completed the assessment when they adopted Elizabeth. All they will require is the home inspection.”

“Didn’t they do that part when they adopted Elizabeth?”

“They lived in a suburb of Stockton when the adoption of Elizabeth was competed. Then they moved to Walnut Creek, where they live now, when Vincent started teaching at Las Lomas High. So, a home inspection will be required. The inspection itself will only take an hour or so. Scheduling it shouldn’t take longer than a week, depending on availability of the staff that does the inspections.”

“When could it be shorter?”

“Your grandmother is your only known relative in the USA, but because of her age and health problems, she wouldn’t be a candidate to foster or adopt you. You have relatives in Canada. Because they are outside of the United States they are unlikely to be candidates. They sent a Statement of Non-Responsibility to CPS. What that means is they won’t contest either your being fostered or adopted by others. Of course, they could go to court, but from what CPS has learned, they don’t have the money or time or desire to do that.

“What that means is, officially you’re an orphan with no known relatives who could foster or adopt you, so your in-home period for adoption could be shorter.”

“How much shorter could it be?”

“It could be as short as three months from the date your foster parents apply to adopt you.”

“When will I find out if it’ll be shorter for me… or not?”

“That’s up to your CPS caseworker, based on your background and interviews with you and the Choi family members.”

“At the end of the in-home period, if everything’s approved, then I’d be adopted and be the son of the Chois, right?”

“Yes. That’s the third part, where your adoption by the Chois would be finalized. This is handled by the family court with your caseworker as your advocate and your adoptive parents attesting their approval.”

“How long will it take to finalize the adoption?”

“It would depend on how busy the court calendar is, but they’ll usually schedule it so it will be concurrent with the end of the in-home period. The court session usually takes less than two hours. The judge will ask you and your caseworker and the Chois questions about your placement. He might want to talk to you privately during the court session. He will ask you if you want to change your last name to Choi. In that case, you’ll receive a new birth certificate with your new name.”

“Okay. I guess it makes sense. Still, it seems like it’s going to take an awfully long time to become adopted.”