Adopted by Heathers- The Threequel!

Chapter 4

Catlynn was at work, and I was trying to grapple with what she told me last night. She had a feeling that putting Veira in the foster system was her only option, but that isn't what she truly wants to do. Neither of us want to do it. But with my wife's PTSD, it might be the road we have to go down.

"Red?" Veira asked, poking her head in the room. "Can I come in?" I nodded and the little six year old skipped in the room and climbed in my lap. She was so adorable, I couldn't bear to even think about giving her up. Which was ironic, considering that when we found her, I was the one that was a little skeptical of having a third child. 

"Does Catlynn not like me?" Veira mumbled from my arms. I sighed and held her a little tighter, she must've heard Cat's meltdown last night. I took a deep breath, not knowing what to say or how to say it. Veira was still so young, she didn't need to know the trauma my wife went through when she was younger.

But part of me had a feeling she was about to find out.

"Hey, Viera? Why don't we go make ourselves some lunch, doesn't that sound nice?" I asked. Veira gasped and slid off my lap. I laughed and said, "Lemme go get your brother and sister, and then we can go downstairs."

With Veira out of the room and out of my hair for at least a few minutes, it gave me a few minutes to think about what to do with her. Obviously, Cat's mental health was important to me, but at the same time, I didn't want Veira to possibly go through more trauma at such a young age.

Then the doorbell rang, and I ran to answer it. 

"Hey, Red! Are you home?" someone said from the front door. I opened the door and a tall, thin woman with bleach blonde hair pulled back in a ballet bun, bright blue eyes, black glasses, and a oversized black T-shirt was standing at the door. She was Josie Block, one of Cat's best friends from her high school days and was a few years younger than her and I. I lost count, but I think Josie was still in college. 

"Josie! How are you?" I asked, giving Josie a hug. Josie smiled and said, "Good! I heard you got a third child!"

"Well, uh, we found a third child. It's not official yet." I pulled Josie in the other room and said, "She's Cat's biological younger sister. Yes, Thomas had another kid."

"What?"

"Yeah, and Thomas was just as much of an abusive jerk to Veira, that's the kid's name, as he was to Catlynn. And um...I think it's making Cat's PTSD act up, and Cat thinks the only option at the moment is to put Veira in the foster system. Which neither of us really want to do at this point, I think both of us are pretty attached to her."

"Well, um, if you want, I could take her in." Josie said, shifting awkwardly on her feet. 

"Josie, you're twenty years old and not even out of college, and you're saying you want to take in a kid? I mean, that's super sweet of you, but are you sure you can handle something like that?"

Before Josie could say anything else, Catlynn burst through the door and Veira ran up to her.

"Hey Red. Josie!" Catlynn said, giving Josie a hug. Josie laughed and said, "Hey, how was work?"

"Amazing! How's college going?"

"Good! Harper proposed to me last week, I forgot to tell you two! I figured I'd leave you alone, given Veira and all that." Josie said. Catlynn and I gasped and said, "Congratulations!" at the same time.

"Wait, Josie, did Red tell you about Veira?" Catlynn asked. Josie nodded and then Catlynn said, "Well...I made my decision last night."

"Well?" I asked.

"I think I'm going to keep her."