Bringing the Light

15. Steve

"Happy birthday, dear Stephen, Happy Birthday to you!" Mandy sang as she brought a cake into the dining room after dinner.

"Sixteen!" David said, punching me lightly in the shoulder. "Sixteen, old enough to learn how to drive, and time to start thinking about college, huh?"

I wasn't thinking about college. Sixteen put me two years away from aging out of the foster care system. If I didn't get a full ride to any college, I'd either be buried in student debt for the rest of my life, or I wouldn't be going to college, and I'd wind up in some low-paying job living in some flop house if I was lucky. The day I turn eighteen, I'm no longer the State's problem.

"Make a wish and blow out your candles," Mandy smiled. I looked around the table. Mandy and David had been amazing. I'd been living here for almost two years and was happy. I had two sort of siblings that I really cared about. Erin and Toby were great. When my mom died, David and Mandy told them why I was sad and why we weren't going out for pizza; Erin came up to my room and lay beside me on my bed.

I made a wish and blew out my candles. It was a dumb wish, but it was mine.

"What did you wish for?" Erin asked.

"He can't tell you, stupid! It won't come true then!" Toby said.

"Hey, don't call Erin stupid, stupid," I said to him.

"Don't call me stupid, stupid!" Toby shot back at me. But we were all grinning at each other.

"Stop calling each other stupid," Mandy said. "You're all stupid."

We all started laughing. I loved this. But in just a couple of years, it could all disappear.

"Stephen, why don't you start cutting the cake while David and I go get your gift."

"Wait, you're expecting me to share MY birthday cake, with these two brats?"

"Hey!" Toby said.

"I'm not a brat!" Erin countered.

"Well, it's my cake. None for you," I stuck my tongue out and picked up a fork.

"Stephen, stop teasing them," David laughed from the other room.

I wondered what they were doing and why it took both of them to get my gift. I doubted it was a car. For starters, I don't even have my license. And second, they're not going to buy the foster kid a car. They weren't rich, but they were pretty comfortable.

I cut Toby and Erin pieces of cake and then cut one for myself. I cut Mandy and David a piece and put the plates in their places.

They came back into the dining room with the biggest smiles on their faces and a flat box, smaller than a pizza box.

"Happy Birthday, son," David said. I still loved it when he called me 'son.' My first foster father did, and it made me feel like maybe I did matter.

I raised my eyebrow at them, wondering what it could be. Probably clothes. I started undoing the ribbon and then pulled the lid off the box. Inside was a photo frame with the words 'Family is Forever' on it and a picture of the five of us taken last summer.

"Thanks," I said, a little confused. Maybe I was getting moved again, and this was for me to remember them? My heart rate increased. That had to be it. Arlene was coming to move me for some stupid reason. Tears came to my eyes. I didn't want to leave.

"Don't you like the present?" Erin asked me, smiling. Was she happy I was leaving?

"Yeah," I said. "It's great."

I put the picture down on the table and looked at the box. There was something else in the box. An envelope. I looked up at David and Mandy. They both had tears in their eyes and were smiling.

"What's going on? Are you guys getting rid of me?" I asked, unable to hide my fear.

"Open the envelope, Stephen," David said.

I opened the envelope and pulled out a bunch of papers. I read the top sheet and stopped. No. That couldn't be right. It couldn't be what it said.

I looked up at David and Mandy and then over at Toby and Erin. Despite the tears in their eyes, David and Mandy were smiling and nodding. Toby and Erin were bouncing in their seats.

I read the papers all the way through a second and then a third time. I couldn't believe what I was reading. It couldn't be right.

"No," I whispered. "You didn't."

"We did. I know we should have asked you first, but we wanted to make it a surprise for your birthday."

I read the papers again.

"Family Court of Ohio

The petitioners, Amanda Foster and David Foster, have entered a petition for the adoption of:

Stephen Jacob Freud

A minor child and a Ward of the State of Ohio.

The Court hereby approves this petition."

I looked at David and Mandy, and tears streamed down my face. Mandy came over and wrapped me in her arms as I sobbed like a baby.

"Stephen, aren't you happy?" Erin asked.

"Uh huh," I said, my face in Mandy's shoulder.

"Then why are you crying? Don't you want to be our brother?"

"Uh huh," I said, still sobbing.

"He's happy, sweetheart," David said. "Stephen is happy that we wanted to make him a part of our family forever and officially."

I nodded into Mandy's shoulder. David pulled me away from her and wrapped me in his arms, too.

"Welcome home, Stephen. Welcome home, son."