Please, Miss (GirlxGirl) ✔️

51 | finale

O N E Y E A R L A T E R

"Stop fidgeting, you're making me nervous."

"I'm sorry," I sighed, my left leg still trapped in an uncontrollable dancing frenzy. "I can't help it."

Alex rolled her eyes, placing her hand on my leg to steady it and turning towards me. "Evie, stop. It's all going to be fine. We've already been approved, this meeting is just to agree on all the final details. There's nothing to be scared about, I promise you."

I took a deep breath, nodding in agreement. "Okay, you're right."

She planted a kiss on my cheek. "I love you."

I smiled at her before a door opening opposite interrupted my thoughts. I quickly glanced towards it, plastered a confident smile at my lips as I stood and outstretched my hand.

"Ah, Evelyn, Alexandra, come in," Mary said, shaking my hand and then Alex's. She welcomed us into the office and we took a seat, sitting opposite four chairs, three of them filled.

Mary offered us a cup of tea, and after we politely declined, she sat down, placing her hands on the desk. "Right, you already know of David and Sue, Delilah's foster parents, but this is Kate, her social worker. They're all just here to make sure we all agree about the arrangements moving forward."

We nodded simultaneously, and suddenly my mouth was so dry from the rising anxiety that I wished I'd accepted Mary's offer of tea.

"Right, well the adoption has been approved and we've done all the scheduled visits we needed to, so now we just need to get her moved in. You say you're happy for that to be today, yes?"

"Absolutely," Alex said confidently, and I was grateful that one of us still had the ability to speak.

I'd been so nervous that something would fall through, that it would all collapse around my feet. Even though the wheels were already in motion, it didn't give me a break from my fears.

"Perfect," Mary said. "Kate, do you think Delilah is ready for that today?"

Kate nodded with a small smile. "I think so, she's actually very excited. I think this is going to work very well."

Mary smiled. "Lovely. David, Sue, does today suit you, or will you need more time?"

My eyes suddenly moved towards the scraggy looking pair on the end of the desk, neither of whom looked particularly interested in this conversation. David shrugged, running a hand through his long greasy hair. "Fine. All her stuff's packed anyway. Take her whenever."

"Right...good," Mary muttered. "Give me a moment to finish signing this paperwork off and then we'll sort out timings for later on."

"Of course," Alex said beside me. "Take as long as you need."

I felt her hand on mine below the desk, and she squeezed lightly.

We waited for another five minutes, making an awkward attempt at small talk with Delilah's foster parents, who apparently had no interest in engaging in any sort of conversation with us.

"Okay, all set," Mary said, scribbling at the bottom of one final piece of paper before sliding it across the table towards us. "Just need both for signatures at the bottom there."