As the middle of February neared, Portia found her life stretched taut. While she prepared for the adoption hearing, she still had to juggle the rest of her life with her other free hand.
It all began with little Alex. The little one was only months old, but his advancement from preemie to infant came at such a rapid rate that it was merely astonishing to every one of his supporters. Chief among htem, of course, was Portia.
“Come on, little man, let’s get you into something a little more comfortable.”
Portia changed Alex’s diapers and popped him into one-piece golden honey bear footie pajamas. When he smiled, she could not help but laugh.
“You are the most beautiful bear in the whole of the wilderness!” said Portia as she took Alex’s feet in her hands and clapped them together and sang a song. Alex giggled uncontrollably, enamored with his mommy. So, too, was Portia in love with her little bear.
“Let’s go shopping,” she said, “I want to get something special for Darren.”
Little Alex was an agreeable tag-along, riding along in mommy’s arms to the car and then into the car seat beside his mommy and then in the papoose on her belly. He rested his tiny knob of a head on her neck as she walked through the grocery store.
“Let’s get some formula for Alex and some Cream of Wheat for mommy. How about we share an easy-bake pizza, too?”
Alex cooed at his mother, not yet able to understand a single word she said.
“Okay, you can drink formula and watch me eat pizza. I guess that’s fair.”
After she spent the last of her paycheck on the shopping spree, she returned home to unload her groceries.
“Hello, dear. Give me that little boy of yours.”
“Here you go, ma.”
As Portia worked in the kitchen, she planned the pending conversation in her head. When she felt she had everything mapped out, she returned to the living room.
“Portia,” interrupted her mother, “I don’t think this Mr. Unger is in his right mind.”
“Oh?”
“Why should I have to provide evidence to be Penny’s legal guardian. I’m the only good option for Penny.”
“Mom, it doesn’t…”
“I know, it doesn’t work like that. Someone really needs to fix that. If the birth parents are not available, the next natural choice is the father’s parents.”
“Why not Ramona’s parents?”
“You and I both know they’re a mess.”
Just then, Mr. Gatteau returned from his own field trip to the bank.
“Hello dear,” he greeted Portia as he kissed her gently on the forehead, “What’s going on?”
“I’m talking to mom about the hearing…”
“What are you talking about?”
“Portia keeps telling me how to handle this Mr. Unger person. I know perfectly well how to handle him. I’ll give that court a piece of my mind.”
“Victoria…”
“No, they need to be told off for once and for all.”
“It doesn’t work like that.”
“I hear what you’re saying. Everyone’s saying it. Quit worrying about me, I’ll fix everything.”
Portia combed her fingers through her hair as she exhaled deeply. If Portia was certain about one thing, if the Allegheny Probate Court thought they had everything figured out, they had another thing coming.
Portia used Valentine’s Day as an evening to let loose a personal steam valve. Darren had organized everything. He got a deal on a limo through friends at work. Then, he took Portia to the fanciest dinner she’d ever seen. A tiny corporate restaurant on the top floor of the Pittsburgh Paints building overlooked the junction of the Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela Rivers.
A garcon, dressed in black tie, led them to their table. While they cut through the formally dressed crowd, Portia peeked through the full-length window at the gleaming city below.
“Where is our table?” asked Portia.
“It’s here in the back,” said the garcon.
“Oh.”
“Is this not okay for you?”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Nonsense,” said the garcon, “Wait here just one moment. Let me check something.”
They waited in the middle of the restaurant floor, between a pair of occupied tables. Portia stood awkwardly, moving to one side, trying to be invisible. Soon enough, the garcon returned. He motioned with a single white-gloved finger.
“Is this better?”
“Oooh,” said Portia.
“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.”
Portia nodded enthusiastically.
The garcon held her seat and even placed the linen across her lap as he helped move her chair into place.
“You know, I’ve been here before,” she confided to Darren.
“Really?”
Portia nodded.
“When?”
“A year ago today.”
“Oh, no…” gasped Darren.
“It’s alright. I like the food and the company is, well, much, much better.”
“We should go somewhere else.”
“Nonsense. It’s Valentine’s. The only place we could get a seat is McDonald’s. This is just peachy.”
Darren smiled and nodded. Even with the old history of the restaurant, Portia’s night was flawless. Dinner, after all, wasn’t really about the location or even the height of the cuisine. It was about the person sitting across the table.
As they returned to the lobby and waited for the valet to fetch Darren’s car, Portia snuck her fingertips across Darren’s wrist and into his fingertips. She ran a fingernail across his palms, tracing those unique love and life and heart lines sprawled across his palm. It was warm and inviting.
No, it wasn’t about the money at all. It was about the time spent with her loved one. Portia breathed easily as Darren accelerated over the old steel girder bridge toward home.
It wasn’t until the morning of February 17th that Portia felt uneasy again. She woke the earliest. Before she could go to court, she’d have to make a few side trips.
“Dad, can you do me a favor?”
He nodded.
“I need you to take care of mother today.”
“I’ve got it under control.”
“Alright, Daddy. I gotta scoot.”
First thing, Portia stopped by her old stomping grounds at high school. After stopping by the front office, she walked directly to Mr. Tanner’s classroom in the rear of the building, where he was teaching a class.
“Hey, everyone, it’s Portia!”
“Hey, everyone!”
Most faces were still familiar. Even the new crowd of freshmen contained a handful of familiar faces. Mr. Tanner gave her a hug before fetching the little envelope containing two reference letters – one for Mr. and one for Mrs. Gatteau.
“I can’t think you enough,” said Portia.
“You probably can’t,” he chuckled, “but I knew your parents quite well. They’re generally good people and they raised you, didn’t they?”
“That’s just what my mom says.”
Mr. Tanner gave her a shrug and a smile before she said goodbye. As she stopped by the front office to sign out, she ran into Mr. Coffman.
“Well, if it isn’t Phoebe Gatteau. I thought I saw your name on the register.”
“I just stopped in to see Mr. Tanner.”
“Is everything okay?”
“I’m going to Probate Court today.”
“That’s not wrapped up yet?”
“It’s about Penny’s adoption. I needed reference letters from Mr. Tanner.”
“Why didn’t you say so? I’m sure I could write one for you.”
“Really?”
“Have a seat.”
“Actually, it’s for mom and dad…”
“Oh…” stammered Mr. Coffman, “Well…that’s no problem. I’ll have my secretary type something up and put it on letterhead.”
Portia waited impatiently as the secretary typed the letter and fidgeted with the printer. Afterwards, she quickly signed it for Mr. Coffman and stuck it in an envelope.
“Shouldn’t Mr. Coffman sign it?”
“I sign everything, dearie.”
Portia took the second magic white envelope and stuck it in the papoose between her and little Alex before heading out again.
The next stop was school. She quickly dropped her term paper off with the secretary. She dropped Alex off at the daycare center at school and headed to court.
Hearings were already underway when she arrived. She slipped in quietly and sat next to her father.
“Where’s mom?” she asked.
“Shhhh,” whispered her father.
When the bailiff announced the Gatteau hearing, Portia and her father entered the hearing area with Mr. Unger and Ms. Jaygo.
“Now, it looks like we have a petition for Penny Gatteau. Can we have the petitioners approach the bench?”
Mr. Gatteau and Mr. Unger walked towards the judge.
“And where is Victoria Gatteau?”
“Uh,” said father, “She’s very sick and could not come today.”
The judge nodded.
“It’s a little unusual, but not something we can’t quickly overcome. Ms. Jaygo, can you approach the bench?”
“Yes, your honor.”
Ms. Jaygo patted Portia on the shoulder as she brushed past her.
“Can you give testimony that Mr. and Mrs. Gatteau would be fit custodians for Penny?”
“I can, your honor. In addition, there is a full support system at the Gatteau house. Penny’s aunt is living there with the Gatteaus. She is a part-time caretaker. With both Mr. and Mrs. Gatteau being retired or at home most of the time, Penny will have a complete and full circle of support.”
The judge nodded.
“It all looks reasonable. Does Allegheny Family Services have any problems with this adoption?”
“No, your honor.”
“It says the birth father is deceased. Where is the birth mother?”
“She’s incarcerated in the county jail, your honor.”
“And there is no dissent from the maternal grandparents?”
“We never got a response,” offered Mr. Unger, “Here’s the copy of the certified mail receipt.”
The judge took a quick look at the receipt before passing it back to Mr. Unger.
“I find in favor of the petitioner’s. They can talk with the bailiff at the front of the court room and fill out the necessary paperwork and pay any remaining fees.”
He grabbed the gavel and clapped it once.
“That’s it?” asked Portia.
“That’s it,” said the judge.
Portia wanted to hug the judge. Instead, she gave him a firm, but happy handshake. She skipped to the back of the courtroom. Her father and Mr. Unger signed the forms and waited for the bailiff to date and stamp them.
“Now, we submit this to family services,” said Ms. Jaygo, “The last part should just take a couple of hours and I’ll deliver Penny to your house. How does that sound?”
“Fantastic!” exclaimed Portia.
Portia returned to school to deliver the good news to Wendy.
“Let’s celebrate!” said Wendy.
“With what? I spent all my money on stuff for little Alex.”
“My treat. I know this little sub shop…”
As they shared an Italian sub sandwich, one half minus banana peppers, one half double banana peppers, Wendy divulged her secrets to child raising.
“Nobody can do it alone.”
“I’ve got Darren.”
“Even with Darren, it’s hard starting out. You should really consider applying for WIC.”
“An entitlement program?”
“That’s a load of bull. It’s not an entitlement program. Every great country depends on the next generation. WIC is Women, Infants, Children. It provides the proper food and nutrition to help you get to where you need. It’s no different than that Financial Aid you get for college or those tax easements for housing contractors or even tax credits for global corporations. All these things are in place to make this country stronger.”
“All right, you win! I’ll check into it,” laughed Portia.
After they ate, they made their weekly stop at the building site, where they helped spread tarps over the roofing and windows while workers finished installing the outer insulation and plywood walls. By the time they were finished, Portia received a call from home.
“Penny’s here!” said her mother.
“I’ll be right home!”
“I can’t go,” said Wendy, “This is my house.”
“Alright, I’ll see you later.”
Portia took her helmet, work gloves, and hammer to the crew foreman.
“Where are you going?”
“I’ve got to go see my niece. We just finished the adoption hearing today and she was delivered to my parent’s house just a little while ago.”
“Alright, have a great day. You’ve been a great volunteer. Have you ever thought about signing up for your own Habitat Home?”
“Ah, not now,” said Portia.
“ “You’d be the perfect candidate for it.”
“Thanks.”
Snow began to fell as Portia piloted her car home from the worksite. She not only thought about the Habitat Home, but what Wendy said at lunch, too. There were social opportunities out there – things to help Portia cross a few bridges of her very own.
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