Shoulders

Chapter Five - We can and will

Joel's POV
We had Amber in our home for ten days so far, and we had fallen in love with her even more. Moriah and I had discussed what to do now, and we agreed that we would ask her if she wanted to stay with us and let is adopt her or not. So, I waited nervously that morning as she came down. We prayed, and then Moriah set her fork down, and broached the subject.

"Amber, I- we have a question for you." She looked confused.
"Did I do something wrong?" Moriah laughed gently.
"No. We had discussed this before you came to live with us, and we finally decided. But first, and I want you to answer honestly. Are you happy here?" She looked at us, slightly confused, but she nodded.

"Yes, I- I'm happier here than I can ever remember being. You guys are like the whole family that I never had." I smiled, reaching across the table and taking her hand.

"That's wonderful, because, well, we want to adopt you, if that's alright with you." I said, watching for her reaction. Her fork hit the ground, and her mouth opened and closed several times before she could comprehend what I just said, and then she burst into tears. I got up and went around the table, and folded her into a hug.

"I'm sorry," she said, sniffling.
"I just can't tell you how long I've waited to hear those words. I would love to be a part of your family, because I.....I love you." Moriah came over, folding her arms around the both of us, and we stayed that way for a few minutes.

Katelyn's POV
I was just pulling into the parking lot at my apartment, when my phone rang. Amber. I had been told she was being fostered, but I didn't know who she was with. I answered, praying that things were working out, even with the bad news I had just found out, which Mrs. Thompson, with a smug smile had told me, and sadly, Miss O'Neill had confirmed the news.

"Katelyn, you're not going to believe this! Guess what?" I smiled.
"I don't know. What?" She laughed joyfully, something I had never heard before.
"Joel and Moriah Smallbone have decided to adopt me! Isn't that amazing?!" I smiled, but then I remembered what Mrs. Meanie (our name for Mrs. Thompson) had told me.
"That is, but there's something you need to know, and you're not going to like it." She paused.
"Wh- what is it?" Her voice shook.
"Miss O'Neill said she'd call tomorrow and tell you, but I think you deserve to know now. Someone, who has all the correct papers, is claiming to be your biological father."

Amber's POV
I couldn't even comprehend what I just heard. Moriah- mom, was downstairs in the phone with Miss O'Neill, talking about my adoption. My biological dad left when I was four, and hadn't been heard from since! I barreled down the stairs, and mom was hanging up the phone, looking like she was about to cry.

"It's true, isn't it?" Mom looked at me, and a look of realization crossed her face.
"Katelyn told you about him, didn't she?" I nodded, a lump in my throat forming.
"Wh- what's going to happen now?" Mom sighed.
"Since we had expressed that there was a possibility we were going to adopt you, he has to get a judge to transfer custody, or finalize the adoption. Ms. O'Neill's sister has agreed to take this case for free." When she finished saying that, I bolted to my room, throwing my face into the pillow and sobbing. I cried for about twenty minutes, and then I sat up, and I went in bathroom. My hands shook as I opened the medicine cabinet, looking through the pill bottles. I took out the aspirin and opened it. There were about twenty pills. Good. That was enough. I went back to my room, putting the bottle under my pillow, and then I went back downstairs, and I got a glass of water, and I heard Joel- dad, pulling in, so I hurried back upstairs. If someone was calling themselves my dad, and there was a possibility they could get me, I didn't want to be alive for it. I was happy here, and I didn't wanna go anywhere. I wrote a note explaining that, putting it on the nightstand. I took the first two, and then two more, and soon, it was empty. I felt dizzy and I dropped the glass, and it shattered on the ground. Then, I heard someone knocking, and that was the last thing I remembered.

Joel's POV
Moriah explained everything to me, Ms. O'Neill's message, what that meant, and she told me Amber had gone upstairs almost a half-hour ago, and hadn't come down since. So, I went upstairs, and knocked on the door. No answer. I knocked again, and when I didn't get an answer, so I opened the door, and I saw her lying on the bed.
"Okay," I thought.
"She's asleep." But then, I heard crunching, and I saw shattered glass on the floor, and I saw the aspirin bottle on the nightstand, and I panicked.

"MORIAH!" I hollered, going over to Amber and feeling for a pulse. Moriah stuck her head in, and I tossed her the bottle, and she read it, and then called 911. I held Amber in my lap, crying. The paramedics arrived, and Moriah went with Amber. I stayed home, even though I didn't want to, but I had a meeting for the tour in twenty minutes. I changed, and left, calling Luke as I headed for the meeting. Shoot. No answer. As I drove, I prayed out loud.

"God, take care of her. I know this is selfish of me, but don't let her die. I love her like she was my own child. I can't lose another child. Please, God, heal her." I pulled up, seeing that Luke was already here. I wasn't sure how, but I knew they had to know about Amber.

"God, help me know what to say." And with that, I headed in.

Author's note- Hello, and please don't kill me for this. This was my original plan, so don't hate me! I really do love you guys, but I had to go with my imagination.-Christianwhovian