A Preschool Promise [A Bensler FanFic]

Forty-Five

Noah was released a week after he was brought to the hospital. He was still tired and had a cough, but between his home breathing treatments and his nightly oxygen, he was starting to get better.

"So, he is tiny... but will he ever be big like me?" Josiah asked as he laid on the floor in front of Noah, as the small baby lifted his head to look at Josiah.

"He's getting bigger, Josiah. Don't worry. He'll be big like you in no time." Olivia smiled. She finished patching up Josiah's jeans before sighing.

"Come here, shorty," Olivia spoke, and Josiah sighed.

"I'm not short, Momma!" Josiah whined as he stood. Olivia nodded slowly as she reached out for her son. Josiah stood in front of his mother as she helped him put his jeans back on. He looked down at the patch before shrugging and going back to laying down in front of Noah.

"Grow up faster, Noah. I wanna play catch with you." Josiah sighed before reaching forward and tugging on Noah's small brown curl that fell in the middle of his forehead.

Noah quickly started to move his arms around until he managed to grab onto Josiah's hand and he held on for dear life.

"Your hand might be covered in spit, but you are still the best little brother in the world," Josiah whispered.

Olivia looked over at them as tears welled in her eyes. She couldn't believe that Noah fit in so perfectly and that even Josiah was happy having him around from the moment he had started to be fostered by them nearly a month ago.

///

"So, guess what Josiah said this morning," Olivia spoke, as she and Elliot got ready for bed that night. Noah was sleeping in the bassinet at the foot of the bed, with his oxygen nubbins placed in his nose to help him breath easier overnight.

"What did our silly little boy say? Because if he's anything like Mo-"

"He called Noah the best little brother in the world," Olivia spoke, as she looked over at her husband as he wiped a little bit of toothpaste of the corner of his mouth.

"Really?" Elliot asked as he turned to look at his wife.

 "Elliot, Noah is our son. I know he is. He has to be." Olivia breathed.

"He is our kid." Elliot smiled. He leaned over and kissed his wife several times.

"I want to apply for adoption. I want to see if they will let us start filling sooner." Olivia breathed.

"Maybe. I think we might be able too. We need to talk to his parents though." Elliot replied.

"His mother is in jail, El. What if she still wants him or is gonna get out in a year or so and can try and get custody back?" Olivia asked, nervously.

"We just have to deal with it when the time comes," Elliot replied, as their bedroom door opened. Elliot and Olivia walked out of the bathroom and saw as Maureen and Josiah sneaking in to see Noah one last time before everyone went to bed.

"What are you two doing?" Elliot asked, and the kids looked up at their parents with wide blue eyes.

"Uh, we wanted to say goodnight to you and Momma," Maureen spoke, as she smiled as sweetly as possible.

"Yeah right. Say goodnight to Noah then head back to bed. You two are going to be too exhausted for your lessons tomorrow." Olivia spoke, as she moved forward and lifted Josiah onto the bed. Maureen climbed up beside him and they both reached out and gently touched Noah's hands.

"Night, Noah," Maureen whispered, as she leaned forward and kissed Noah's chubby little cheek.

"What's adoption?" Josiah asked out of the blue. Olivia and Elliot exchanged glances quickly before Elliot spoke.

"It's when a baby who wasn't born into a family ends up getting taken in by the family..." Elliot trailed off.

"So Noah is apart of our family now?" Maureen asked.

"Not officially, but we hope so soon," Olivia replied.

"Good. Because I want him to stay with us forever, Momma. He's so cute and sweet." Maureen grinned.

///

A week later, Olivia and Elliot went to have a meeting with Noah's caseworker. She asked to meet at Rikers Island prison, and when they arrived, Olivia was scared that this meant Noah's mother wanted him.

"So, we are going to talk about Noah today. With his mother." Gretchen spoke.

"With his mother? Doesn't she still want him?" Olivia breathed, as they waited in line to get searched.

"She does. But maybe, just maybe, she'll see how much you two love Noah and how much you two want to adopt him."

"When is she getting released?" Elliot asked as they got up in line and had to surrender their items while they were visiting Ellie Porter.

"She is in here for several counts, she'll be out on Noah's 5th birthday," Gretchen replied.

"But he could stay in foster care that long, and then he could be released back into her care, right?" Elliot asked.

"Yes," Gretchen replied plainly. Olivia frowned because she felt like none of this was going to really happen. Olivia and Elliot would raise Noah for almost 5 full years, just to have him be ripped from their house to live with his druggie and prostitute of a mother.

///

"So, you have kids?" Ellie asked as she sat in front of Olivia, Elliot, and Gretchen.

"We do. A little girl and a little boy." Olivia spoke.

"And you are the ones taking care of my baby?" She asked as she smiled from ear to ear as she brought up her baby.

"Yes. We have been." Elliot replied.

"Is he good? Is he growing and sitting up by himself?" Ellie asked as she stared at them with wide eyes.

"He is a little delayed. He hasn't been sitting up by himself, only with the help of a pillow or one of us." Olivia replied.

"What are you doing here? Did you just come by to tell me about him? Because I'm so-"

"Ellie, we'd like to adopt your son." Olivia breathed, and Ellie went still and absolutely silent.

"Okay, Ellie, we are going to leave you to think about it. There are two months left before they can start to file for adoption, so you have till then to decide when or if you want to give up custody of your son."

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