The Artist [h.s.]

twenty five

Laughing and giggling children ran around the room. There were so many of them and Carter was overwhelmed.

She leaned into Harry as they walked, their eyes roaming around the room to find the child that they were meant to adopt, "How are we going to pick just one?"

Harry smiled down at her softly, "We don't have to pick just one. As many as you want, all you have to do is say so."

Carter bit her lip as she looked up at him, "You really wouldn't mind?"

Harry leaned down and kissed her forehead, "Not at all. C'mon, let's keep looking."

A few children were staring at them as they passed, but there was one girl in particular that caught their attention. She was sitting in a corner near the back, her head ducked down and a pencil in her hand.

Carter stopped walking and watched her for a moment. The girl didn't seem phased at all by the chaos going on around her. Lead filled the page smoothly and deliberately, her pencil slow and precise.

It was her.

Carter tugged on Harry's hand and notched her head in the girl's direction. He saw the pencil and the paper and the look on Carter's face and he knew it just as quickly as she did.

Harry squeezed her hand and looked down at her with his award winning smile, "Let's go say hello."

Carter's heart was racing just like it had when she'd walked down the aisle. She was afraid that the girl wouldn't like them because of the art that littered their skin.

Harry could feel her tension and gave her hand another squeeze, "Relax sweetheart, there's nothing to worry about."

Her blue eyes were worried as they met his, "What if she doesn't like us?"

Harry sighed softly and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, "Then it isn't her."

Carter smiled as he kissed her forehead. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, but she didn't have to because her eyes said it all.

The noise level in the room seemed to drop off almost dramatically as the two made their way to the girl in the corner. Each of them thought that it was weird, but neither of them mentioned it.

As soon as they had made it to where she sat, they sat down beside her. The girl didn't seem to notice at first, which made each of them smile.

In hopes of getting her attention, Harry cleared his throat a little awkwardly. Her pencil stopped moving and she looked up with a confused expression. People came by all the time to adopt children, but they were never interested in her.

Harry and Carter smiled, but Harry's smile was much brighter because he wasn't as nervous as Carter.

"Hi, I'm Harry and this is my wife, Carter."

The girl looked between them for a moment, her expression no longer confused, but curious, "Poppy."

Carter adored her name and found herself asking in a soft tone, "Why are you over here all by yourself?"

Poppy frowned and shrugged her shoulders, her head hanging slightly, "The other kids don't like me."

Harry and Carter frowned with her. There wasn't anything wrong with her, sure, she was a little older than most of the kids that were there, but that was hardly a reason to not like her.

Harry offered her a soft smile, "Well, then, that sucks for them."

Poppy tried to hold back her smile but failed, "Why's that?"