ymms drafts

adoption (1)

Mike and Clara Jauregui, unable to have kids, try adoption instead. Not even a draft, just an idea that sparked and I had to get it out of my system. Figured I'd post it in the drafts series. Not really much Camren in this, it's pretty much just fetus Lauren getting adopted by Clara and Mike.

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When Mike and Clara Jauregui find out that they're unable to have children, they decide to go with adoption. At first, they look for a baby – the idea of raising a child from babyhood is the thing most appealing for Clara – but after years of waiting, they decide to look into adopting an older child, and giving someone who needs it a loving home.

Looking through the files the adoption agency had given them, at first they're set on either a little boy named Chris, or a girl called Taylor. They can only afford to take one child in at the moment, and while Clara wants to take them all in and give them a loving home, she knows she can't.

They've been talking things over for months, looking through all of the files, and when they think they've finally made a decision, the lady from the adoption agency emails Clara another file. As Clara and Mike had said they wanted to give a child who really needs it a loving home, the woman from the agency adds in her email that it may be a good fit.

Not many people have shown interest in her, the email adds, but she's one of the sweetest little girls I've ever met.

Curious, Clara waits until Mike gets home, and they look through the information together.

Lauren, aged five. Date of birth: 27/06/1996.

Lauren has been in the system for nine months, and was found in her biological parents' house, severely malnourished and with several injuries. After coming to us, Lauren was diagnosed with autism. She has limited speech and is very shy, but is incredibly loving once she gets over the initial apprehension of meeting people, doesn't like being touched and needs a forever home rather than a foster one. Will need a lot of patience initially as she is so shy and apprehensive around new people.

Included with the file is a photograph of a tiny little girl – she looks more like a toddler than a five year old – with big, haunted green eyes. Instead of being lit up and happy, they're dull. Almost grey. Clara can see how sad this little girl is from one look at a photo.

After long conversations, Clara and Mike finally come to a decision. They're going to adopt Lauren.

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A few weeks later, and Clara and Mike get a call, saying that they've been selected for Lauren, and if they are available, they can come and meet her in a week and see if the placement is really right.

(On the phone, they're also told not to say anything that would imply to Lauren they're adopting her. One family had met her, mentioned that she might be going home with them, and she'd gotten so excited that she'd packed up all of her things, only to find out that the family had pulled out after the meeting and decided to adopt a different child.)

When the day of the meeting arrives, they're ushered into a room in the agency that looks a little too formal for a meeting with a kid, but when their agency worker comes into the room with shy, tiny little Lauren following her, they don't mind much.

It's supervised, and Lauren won't look up at them, her eyes trained on a small, tattered stuffed lion on her lap.

Wanting to make it feel more natural, Clara smiles at Lauren, trying to make eye contact. "It's nice to meet you. What's your name?"

"Lauren," The girl answers. It comes out more like 'Lo-wen', and Clara smiles in response.

"That's a lovely name," Clara answers, "I'm Clara Jauregui, and this is my husband, Mike."