Friday, October 4th, 2019, After School

“Baxter, Mrs. Taylor will be here in a few minutes. Before she arrives, are you worried about meeting with her, or concerned about anything she might want to know?” Mrs. Mayhew asked.

“Other than how long it’s going to take until I’m adopted, I’m really not concerned about anything. It’ll be a big change in the way I’ll be living compared to being here and compared to living with my mom. I’ll have two fathers and a sister. That is very different. I’ve only just met the Chois, so I don’t know them very well, and they don’t know me very well either, but so far I think everything is good. I think the only thing I’d be concerned about is that they end up not liking me for some reason, and I’d have to come back here. That is what would happen, isn’t it?”

“Oh, Baxter, don’t be concerned about the Chois not liking you. I know they are going to love you unconditionally.”

“Yeah, but what if they got killed like what happened to my mom — or some other way? Where would I go then?”

“In case something terrible happened to the Chois while you’re under their foster care, and since we are your placement agency as well as a private foster and adoption facility, you would come back here while we looked for another placement.

“If you’d been adopted by the Chois and something happened, then you and Elizabeth would probably move in with a family that’s related to them.

“Baxter, those things are just speculation. You shouldn’t worry about them. There’s something that John Lennon said that I’d like you to think about and remember:

“Baxter, what do you think that might mean for you?”

He thought about it for several seconds, then looked up and stared at her. “For me it means that everything is going to be okay. I should concentrate on how great it will be living with the Chois, and my searching for a new family and a new life is finally at the end.”

“That’s an excellent point of view.” She smiled.

Mrs. Mayhew stood and held out her arms to Baxter. He stood, and they hugged.

“Thank you for everything you’ve done and are doing to help me be fostered and adopted by the Chois. It’s going to be wonderful to be part of a real family again.”

Then he realized the meaning of what he’d just said.

“Both Rob and Vincent said they have families of their own. Does that mean like grandparents and sisters and brothers and cousins and nieces and nephews? Is that right?”

Mrs. Mayhew nodded. “Yes, of course.”

“That means I’ll have a real family with lots of relatives.” He broke out in a big smile. “That is so cool! When can I ask them about their relatives?”

“Any time you’d like. Ask them when you’re on your scheduled visit this weekend.”

“Really?”

Mrs. Mayhew grinned. “Really. Now, I have some other news for you. Mike Miller has also been selected to be fostered and adopted. It’s by the family from Walnut Creek that he met this week. I noticed he just went upstairs. I’m sure each of you is eager to talk about the good things that happened today. Why don’t you go on up to your room and talk to him?”

Baxter smiled. “Thank you, Mrs. Mayhew. I’ll go see Mike right now.”

Baxter rushed upstairs, but he didn’t run — Mrs. Mayhew didn’t like the boys to run on the stairs.

But he did burst into their room without knocking. Mike was sitting on his bed and looked up with a big smile. He jumped up and rushed at Baxter and grabbed him in a tight hug. Then he pulled back and grinned.

“Baxter! I’m being adopted!”

“That’s fantastic! Congratulations!” They stood, smiling at each other.

“Mike, guess what? I’m being adopted, too!” They hugged again.

“Oh, my god! That’s stupendous! I can’t believe it! Both of us being picked on the same day!” Mike said. “That is so totally unbelievably wonderful!”

“I know! I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy,” Baxter said. “So tell me about your family. What are they like? Do they have any kids? Mrs. Mayhew said they live in Walnut Creek. Will you still go to Las Lomas?”

“Yes! I will still go to Las Lomas. My family is a young couple, Tom and Cathy Stewart. For some reason, they can’t have babies of their own, so they decided to adopt. At first, they thought they’d choose a little baby, but they decided that their lives are so busy that adopting an older kid would be best.

“They told me they decided on a young teen, and we met, and they decided it’s going to be me.” Mike grinned, raised his eyebrows, and tapped his chest several times with his right thumb. “It’s ME!

“They’re great. I like them, and they said they like me, too. I’ll be with them during the day on the next two weekends, then in another week I’ll move in and live with them from then on.

“Their house is really nice, and there’s a basketball hoop on the garage. Tom played basketball in college, and he’s going to help me with my shooting and dribbling. I’m going to have my own room and bathroom. They bought me a laptop and a desk and a bed for my room already. Once I move in, there’ll be one of those post-placement thingies for six months.”

“Where do they live?” Baxter asked. “Can you walk to school or ride a bike? We should look up where we’re going to be living and see how close we’ll be.

“It’s walkable to Las Lomas, but it’s about two miles. So I’ll ride my bike. There’s a bus stop about half a block from the house so I can take the bus if it’s raining.

“Baxter, you haven’t told me where you’re going to be living yet. So, how about you? What’s your family like? Is your in-home-post-placement — or whatever it’s called — scheduled?”

 “Mrs. Mayhew calls it an in-home period, it’s easier to say it that way,” Baxter said. “Just like you, I’m going to visit them for the next two weekends and spend the nights back here at Groveland. Then I’ll move in permanently in another week.”

“Where does your family live?”

“They live in Walnut Creek, about a mile from Las Lomas High. Now, let me tell you all about the Chois and Elizabeth and their house and yard and my room, and my bathroom has a urinal and….” Baxter continued with what he knew about the Chois, and Mike was eager to hear the details.

Baxter finally finished his description. “I think it’s very cool that I’ll be in a mixed-race family. Vincent is Chinese, and Elizabeth is black, and they both have black hair and brown eyes. Rob and I are white. His hair is blond, he has blue eyes, and he doesn’t have freckles. Mrs. Mayhew said Rob and Vincent have lots of relatives and that’s something I’ve never had.

“I hope it stays warm enough to have you come and visit and go swimming and play tennis and jump on the trampoline with Elizabeth and me.”

“It’s great that both of us will still be going to Las Lomas,” Mike said. “It would have been a bummer if one of us ended up at Northgate or some high school in another town.”

“Yeah. One of the best things is we will be able to hang out after school and do what we want to do — as long as it’s okay with our new folks, of course — instead of having to come right back to Groveland the way we have to now. Maybe I can invite you to come over, and we can use the pool or play tennis, and you can stay for dinner. And even stay overnight if you want.”

Mike grinned. “I’m jealous that you have a pool. But I’m so glad that my very best friend in the entire world has a pool. Visiting each other will be great. Especially me visiting you and using your pool. And staying overnight.” ‘Hmm… what does that about staying overnight mean?’ Baxter thought.

Mike wiggled his eyebrows and grinned, and that made Baxter grin, too. “This whole thing about being adopted is wonderful, isn’t it,” he said.

“Yeah, it is. And I’m especially glad that you’re finally going to be adopted. I can’t even begin to think what it must have been like for you being here for way over a year with no one interested in talking to you.”

“I think it was worth it. Now I have two dads so they’ll understand about me being gay. And just to keep things straight, that’s what my new sister is. She’s straight. I think the two of us will have some interesting conversations!”

“Baxter, do you think your adoption will be finalized?” Mike asked.

“Yes, I do. I have relatives in Canada, but we’ve never even met each other and they signed a paper saying they won’t fight my being fostered or adopted by someone here. I’d rather live here, anyway. The weather’s better, no freezing cold winters, and I’m not an ice hockey fan.” Baxter grinned.

“What about your adoption being finalized, Mike?”

“I’m in the same situation as you. The family that took me in as a foster baby ended up being killed in that plane from Indonesia that crashed in the ocean a few years ago and was never found. Their daughter Donna became my foster mom; she was in her twenties, and I like her a lot. But when she was transferred to Japan for her job she couldn’t take me outside of California. So I ended up here at Groveland.

“I met with the Stewarts twice, and they told Mrs. Mayhew that they want to foster and adopt me. They are going through a three-week training class, and their house has to be inspected to make sure I’ll have a room of my own, and I’ll have a bathroom that I can use, and that the house is kept clean, and stuff like that. Does your family need to go to the training class and the inspection?”

“They have to inspect my bedroom and bathroom, but since they completed the fostering and adoption of Elizabeth, Mrs. Mayhew said that they won’t have to retake the training class.”

Mike grabbed Baxter’s shoulder. “I want to make sure we keep in touch, ya’ know?”

“I agree. You’re my very, very best friend, and I don’t want anything to change that,” Baxter said.

Mike looked at Baxter. “I want to keep us as best friends, too. You’re the best — the bestest — friend I’ve ever had. Of course, that you have a pool makes it extra cool!”

“I didn’t know that you’re a poet,” Baxter said.

“What?” Mike said, looking at Baxter with an expression that showed he didn’t understand.

“What you said was a two-line rhyme: ‘that you have a pool, makes it extra cool’ — get it? It even has the same number of syllables in each line.”

Mike chuckled. “I guess I have all sorts of hidden talents. Unfortunately, most of them are hidden from me. And where did you learn all that stuff about poems? Anyway, you’ll get in touch with me, right?”

Baxter waved his cellphone. “Absolutely! I have your email address and cell number right here, and you’ve got mine. You’ll still have the same cell number, won’t you?”

“Yes, I asked the Stewarts about that, and they said they might buy me a new phone, but I’d still have the same number.”

“I’ll text you with my street address as soon as I finish moving. My email address won’t change. That’s one of the advantages of using Gmail.”

“True that! I’ll have the same email address, too. I’ve got your email and cell number already, and I’ll send you my street address, too. With pictures of where I’m going to live!” Mike said.

“That’s a great idea! I’ll send you pictures, too. Including the pool, the tennis court, and the trampoline, my dad and my pop, and Elizabeth, and my room and especially the urinal in my bathroom.”

What Baxter said about the urinal made Mike burst out laughing, then he exclaimed, “Especially your urinal? That is so bizarre!”

Baxter joined in with Mike’s laughter.

They hugged. It was hard for Baxter to keep from shedding a few tears, which he tried to hide from Mike. But then he noticed that Mike’s cheeks were wet, too. He decided that it was okay for both to tear up. This was a huge deal for the two best friends.

Friday, October 4th, 2019, Mrs. Taylor

The door to the room Baxter and Mike shared was open, so Mrs. Mayhew knocked on the doorjamb.

Baxter looked up. “Hi, Mrs. Mayhew. Is Mrs. Taylor here?”

“Yes. She’s waiting to see you in the small meeting room.”

She led Baxter downstairs, and they entered the room. She introduced Baxter and Mrs. Taylor.

Baxter had expected that Mrs. Taylor would be about the same age and size as Mrs. Mayhew. She wasn’t. She looked young and was tall and slender. She reminded him of his mother.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Baxter said.

“I’m glad to meet you, too, Baxter,” she replied.

“Betty, please come to my office when you and Baxter have finished, so we can talk,” Mrs. Mayhew said.

“I will.”

Mrs. Mayhew left the room and closed the door.

“You’re probably wondering what I’m going to ask you,” she said. “I guarantee it won’t be a third-degree interrogation. Let’s start with something you’ve probably had to do once or twice when you were in school. Tell me something about yourself.”

Baxter laughed. “On the first day of ninth grade, in our homeroom, each of us had to do exactly that. Actually, I found it was fun. Not the having to talk about myself part, but listening to the other kids talk about themselves.”

“Well… this time you’re the one who’ll be telling about yourself first. Then I will tell you some things about me and how we’ll be working together.”

“Okay. About me.” He told her about his dad and his mother and what happened to them, about going to Walnut Creek Intermediate School and Las Lomas High, about his classes and grades, his plans for college, his friends including Mike Miller who was his best friend, and what it was like at Groveland. Then he told her how frustrating it had been that no one seemed interested in talking to him about being fostered or adopted and why he thought that being gay was the reason. He told about the Chois, how he liked having two fathers and a sister, what he thought about them, and where they lived. Finally, he wound down.

“Now it’s your turn, Mrs. Taylor.”

“I’m a caseworker for California Child Protective Services. But I’m sure you know that already. One of the most important parts of my job includes being your caseworker during your transition from Groveland to being the foster son of Robert and Vincent Choi then being adopted by them as their son. Note that I don’t use the term ‘adopted son’ — we want your placement to be the son of the Chois. Period. That’s what they want, too.”

“I never thought about that,” Baxter said. He sat and was quiet for a while. “That’s really nice of you and the Chois. I can see how that’s important, especially for kids in middle and high school; if they get tagged as being ‘a foster kid’ or ‘an adopted kid’ it would make them different than most other kids. “So my school records won’t show me as adopted?”

“That’s correct.”

“But if I change my last name to Choi, won’t that will be on my records?”

“Yes, but it will be recorded as a name change. Of course, you can tell your friends that you’ve been adopted. I recommend you do that.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. They already know that I’m living at Groveland, and that it’s a foster facility for kids who don’t have parents or relatives where they can live.”

“Baxter, you checked ‘Yes’ next to the ‘Gay’ sexuality choice on your fostering intake form for Groveland. Has that been a problem for you?”

“Yes, as far as adoption goes, because it took fifteen months for anyone to say they wanted to meet and talk to me. I think that’s because I outed myself. But if I hadn’t checked that box, I would have been lying. I don’t lie. Ever. For me, lying would have been a bigger problem.”

“How about at school?”

“Gay kids at Las Lomas aren’t hassled or bullied. I joined the GSA and have met others who are open about being gay, and they say the same thing.”

“How about at Groveland?”

“It’s about the same, though there aren’t many guys who are open about being gay.”

“Are you worried about having two gay men as your parents?”

Baxter leaned back in his chair. “You think they’d try to do something with me? Why would I be worried about that? Rob and Vincent are married. That question is offensive.”

“I know it is. It’s one of the mandated questions I’ve been told to ask any boy who’s being fostered or adopted by a gay man or two gay men, regardless of the sexuality of the boy. I think it should be reworded to read, ‘What do you think about being fostered by someone who’s gay?’”

“That’s a lot better. The first way you said it made it sound like you were accusing them of molesting me.”

“Will it be okay if I quote what you just said in an email to my superiors? With your name?”

“Yes, but to use my name, I think you need to ask Mrs. Mayhew first. Or, you could wait until I’m officially being fostered by the Chois.”

“I know her point of view, and I don’t think she’ll object. Well, maybe she’ll have a problem if I use your name. But that’ll be internal only, and won’t be put on Facebook or anywhere else.”

“Facebook? Hmm — it could improve my rep if I was on Facebook.” Baxter turned his head and squinted at her with a smile that was almost a smirk.

Mrs. Taylor looked at Baxter, then laughed. That made Baxter laugh, too.

“Got ya!” she said. “But I have to say, that was an amusing expression, Mister Hansen.”

“Soon to be Mr. Choi. I hope. I really do hope,” Baxter responded.

“I’d like to answer the question the way I reworded it. Okay?”

She nodded. “Okay. What do you think about being fostered by someone who’s gay?”

“I think it’ll be great. I’m gay, so I know my dad and my pop won’t throw me out of the house for being gay. They’ll be able to answer questions I might have, too.”

“So, Baxter, tell me which classes you’re taking that are your favorites.” That started a conversation she found more open, and with more real information about Baxter than she’d ever had with the other kids she’d case-managed. She liked him.

October 12–13 and 19-20, 2019
Weekend Introductory Visits

Visiting with the Chois on the next two weekends made it seem like when Baxter and his mom would take day trips to interesting places around the Bay Area. Rob and Vincent took him and Elizabeth to the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, and to San Francisco to visit the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. They also spent time on the patio in the backyard and talked. Baxter learned about their families, and Rob showed him family pictures and two charts showing how they were related. One had all of Rob’s relatives, the other all of Vincent’s. All Baxter was able to say was, “Wow! It’ll be great to have so many relatives!”

Since Baxter wasn’t staying overnight at the Choi home, it didn’t feel permanent. Of course, it wasn’t permanent, yet. Regardless, the introductory period visits were fun, and they all got along so well that it seemed like they were already his family.

Rob and Vincent would pick up Baxter at Groveland Saturday morning at eight a.m., and return him that evening at eight-thirty p.m. That schedule would repeat on Sunday, and the same on the following weekend.

They spent more of their time talking. Baxter found out about Rob and Vincent’s young relatives, his new cousins. He was excited — he’d never had cousins before.

On the last Sunday of the introductory period, Baxter was getting ready to return to Groveland. Rob walked into what would be Baxter’s bedroom. “Baxter, the furniture for your bedroom will be delivered on Tuesday,” he said. “Everything will be set up and ready to go when you move in permanently next Saturday.”

“This is amazing,” Baxter said. My new bedroom is so much bigger than the one I had when I lived with my mom.”

“I suppose it’s also a little larger than the room you shared at Groveland, isn’t it?”

“My bathroom here is probably bigger than the bedroom I had to share with Mike.”

That made Rob laugh.

“Another thing, ten of us had to share the showers, sinks, and toilet stalls in one of the communal bathrooms. We actually needed a schedule on the wall to make sure we’d all finish so we’d all be able to get to school on time. Those are things that will be much better when I move in with you guys, but what is best is that you picked me and you are going to adopt me, and now I’m going to have a family. The best family, ever!”

Baxter grabbed Rob in a hug, then pulled back. “I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am. How happy you and Vincent and Elizabeth have made me. And how much I love you two and Elizabeth.”

“Well, I can tell you how happy Vincent and I are that you’re going to be our son and how happy Elizabeth is that you’re going to be her brother, and how much we love you, too.” They hugged again, then it was time for Baxter to return to Groveland for the last time.

Baxter and Mike kept each other up-to-date about what it was like to visit with their new foster families. They exchanged addresses and home phone numbers and sent pictures of their houses and families. For both, it was the same: it felt like they each would be moving into a real home. The introductory period seemed to drag on forever for both boys.

Friday, October 25th, 2019

On Friday at the end of their last week at Groveland, the staff held a party for Baxter and Mike at dinner. It was standard procedure; what was unusual was having two boys being picked for adoption on the same day. Usually the boy being adopted could choose what he wanted for dinner; Baxter and Mike let Mrs. Mayhew pick for them so it would be a surprise. She knew that they both liked fried shrimp; and so that was what she chose. They picked out their own favorite desserts, chocolate cake for Baxter and hot apple pie with vanilla ice cream for Mike.

The rest of the evening was spent with the other Groveland boys. After describing their new families and showing pictures of where they’d be living, they answered questions the boys asked.

Would they still be going to Las Lomas High? (Yes.)

When would they move in with their new families? (Both would move the next day, Saturday.)

What was the coolest thing about where they would be living? (Baxter’s family had a pool, a tennis court, and a trampoline; Mike had a gaming PC and his own TV, and a basketball hoop on the garage.)

Could the boys at Groveland come to Baxter’s for a pool party? (Yes, when it was warm enough and the timing was agreed to by Mrs. Mayhew and Baxter’s fathers.)

What would it be like for Baxter to have two dads? (Great because he’d be able to talk to them about being gay and they’d understand.)

What were their bedrooms like? (Both were large with queen size beds, both had their own bathrooms; Baxter’s bathroom had a urinal.)

What was Baxter’s new sister like? (She was black, in the eighth grade at WCI, was cute, super friendly, a lot of fun, and they got along great.)

Would they get an allowance? (Neither Baxter nor Mike knew.)

Were they taking all their things with them when they moved from Groveland? (Yes.)

That latter item made both Baxter and Mike realize that they needed to get to their room and pack all their things. They asked Mrs. Mayhew if she had packing boxes and tape they could use, and she showed them where the boxes were stored and gave each a tape dispenser.

“I think four boxes will be enough for me,” Mike said.

“Do either of you need a hand?” she asked.

 “I don’t,” Baxter said. “I have mostly clothes and books, my laptop and printer, and the stuff in my desk. It oughta fit in four boxes plus my duffel bag and backpack.

“I have stuff from when I was living with my mom, and I’ll want to get some of it. It’s in a storage locker. I have the key and an inventory, so I assume I can get it without any problems.”

“What would you need from a storage locker?” Mike asked.

“My bike and skateboard, my hiking boots, my skis and snowboard, and my heavy jackets for when it’s cold and for when we go to the Sierra to go skiing and play in the snow.”

Saturday, October 26th, 2019

Saturday morning, Rob and Vincent picked up Baxter to take him to his new home. Elizabeth came along for the ride and to welcome her new brother.

The Choi’s — and now Baxter’s — home was a lot closer to Las Lomas High than the Groveland Foster Facility. He had memorized where the house was located, and the address, which was 116 Orchard Lane. He had saved it in the contact list on his cellphone and sent it in a text to Mike. Riding his bike to school would be easy, probably about five minutes. Even walking would be okay, about 15 minutes when the weather was nice. Vincent would take him to and from school when it was raining.

Rob unlocked the front door, and he and Vincent walked in. Elizabeth took Baxter’s hand and led him into the living room. Baxter couldn’t believe what he saw. There was a big banner on the wall above the fireplace that read:

Welcome to Your New Home, Baxter

Baxter couldn’t help himself; he cried. He grabbed Elizabeth since she was closest, and he hugged her. Vincent and Rob walked over, and Baxter turned and hugged them.

“Why are you crying, Baxter?” Elizabeth asked. She looked concerned.

“I’m crying because I’m so happy! This is amazing! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” He wiped his tears on the sleeve of his jacket.

“It seems like it’s been forever waiting for someone who’d want to talk to me about being fostered or adopted. But I’m glad no one else ever did because it means you’re the ones who…” he started to cry again, but soon was able to stop. He took a deep breath, and continued, “…you’re the ones who were the first to talk to me. There’s no other family that I could ever have that could be better. You’re the greatest. I love my new dad and pop and my new sister Elizabeth!”

“I love you, Baxter,” Elizabeth said. “And I know Dad and Pop love you, too.”

“Baxter, both Rob and I have come to love you in the few weeks we’ve known each other,” Vincent said. “You’re exactly what we wanted: a son.”

And you’re exactly what I wanted, too,” Elizabeth said. “A brother.”