Glowing Eyes || Adopted by Josh Dun

the feeling of family

Josh's POV

I was aimlessly waiting around my apartment for Lynn to get out of school. I planned on messing around and watching tv, maybe practicing or something. Instead, someone knocked on my apartment door.

Confused, I walked over to my front door and opened it. In front of me was Ms. Ricks, her short brown hair framing her face. "Hi Mr.Dun," the stout woman greeted me, her pink lips turned upwards in a sweet smile.

"Uh, hi Ms. Ricks," I scratched the back of my neck, glancing back towards my unorganized apartment uneasily. "I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting company."

"Not a problem," she waved it off. "I just wanted to talk to you for a few minutes. It won't take long."

"Alright, well you're welcome inside," I opened the door wider and stepped to the side. She walked out into the living room as I carefully shut the door behind her. "Do you want anything to drink or..." I trailed off sheepishly, not really knowing what to say.

"No thank you," she smiled, sitting down at my kitchen table. I followed suit, sitting next to her as she began, "I came here to talk to you about Lynn."

I nodded, my throat going dry. I looked down at my hands folded out on the table in front of me, "I thought so."

"Mr.Dun," she said softly, her expression turning solemn, "as Lynn's social worker, it's my job to decide what's best for her." I looked up at her, biting the inside of my cheek a bit too hard, dreading the next few words. She looked at me earnestly, "I'm afraid we're going to have to cut fostering Lynn short. It isn't in her best interest to continue under your care with your schedule."

I nodded a little, wincing at the words. "I..." I took a deep breath. "I wanted to talk to you about that, too, actually."

I stopped myself before saying what I had finally decided on with Tyler and my mom. I was scared for Lynn, but also for myself. What if this wasn't what was best for her or me? What if I was all wrong?

I decided to ask something else. "What'll happen to her?" I blurted. "You know, after I'm no longer fostering her? Who'll take care of her?"

Ms. Ricks looked a little hurt as she answered, her brown eyes glinting with something akin to sadness. "Well, the system is quite packed at the moment, and there aren't many families willing to take a girl her age yet, or willing to take on someone with her family history." I winced a little at the euphemism for what happened to Lynn. "Lynn will spend some transition time in a larger foster home with other girls until she finds another family."

I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. I couldn't imagine it, and I refused to imagine it.

"So what would I need to do to adopt Lynn?" I blurted suddenly, but I couldn't have been more sure of what I said.

Ms.Ricks seemed stunned at first, blinking for a few seconds, then smiled excitedly. "You want to adopt Lynn?"

I nodded, "Yes ma'am."

She smiled brighter, true happiness in her eyes, "That great! Well we would have to get her consent first, but after that I'd just have to get you to sign a few papers. Don't worry, I'll handle all of the confusing stuff," she laughed friendlily. "Have you talked to Lynn about this yet?"

I shook my head a little, but I couldn't stop smiling. "No, I haven't."

Ms. Ricks didn't seem bothered by it. She continued smiling, too. "Well, I'm sure she'll be glad to hear it," she stood up and sighed. "I'm going to head back to my office to gather the forms, then. Would it be alright for me to come back around..." she looked down at the clock on her phone, "five?"