{Author's Note: Hey guys :) .I have tried to make the adoption process as realistic as possible, but obviously I don't want things drag on unnecessarily and make you read boring details and things, so I have tweaked some things to make it shorter and easier to read. Thank you so much for reading and voting!}
Grace's POV
An hour and a half later, we were at the adoption agency offices, waiting to meet the adoption caseworker. Thankfully, all our personal details, legal records and bank statements had been submitted online, along with copies of our IDs whilst we were in New Jersey, with the help of my mom. All that was left to do, was actually meet a child, get home visits and be approved as parents.
It was a tedious process, but I knew it was worth it.
Our caseworker walked in and gave us a warm smile. She definitely looked like someone who worked with children, because she was so friendly and sweet looking.
"Hi, Miss Helbig and Mr See. I'm Melissa" She beamed as she sat opposite herself and organised our information, which she had printed.
"Hi, Melissa. Nice to meet you" Chester responded before I could.
"First of all, I'd like to thank you for sending in all your information so early. It makes my job so much easier and it makes the process that much faster. But anyway, let's talk about adoption."
She spoke in a way that made me feel like I was in some sort of high school class. "Your forms say the reason for adoption is inability to conceive?"
"Yes." I nodded my head to confirm.
"Okay." She scribbled something down on a notepad. "Now, allow me to explain the process of adoption to you." She cleared her throat. "Since we already have all your records, you are eligible to be approved within the next 3-9 months. Throughout those 3-9, we will help you find the right child. From then onwards, you will be able to take the child home for a few days at a time, and during that period a home visit will occur to check that it is suitable for the child, and if that goes well, you become the adoptive parents of the child."
"That sounds great." Chester smiled and looked at me. I grinned back, to make sure he knew I was excited too.
"Fabulous! Could you please sign these two documents?" She rolled two pens towards us and we signed with haste. "Might I ask which age group or gender you'd like to adopt?"
"Personally, I would prefer a young child, but not a baby. Maybe between the ages of 5 and 7? I think it would be best for us." I looked over at Chester who nodded his head in agreement.
"Ah, very nice. We have quite a few little ones looking for homes. If you'd like, I could take you down to the orphanage in our second building? Or do you have somewhere to go?"
"We've got all the time in the world." It was cute seeing Chester so excited.
"Cool. Follow me." She sorted her forms into one big document wallet and led Chester and I through the offices to the orphanage. I nervously reached for Chester's hand and he gave it a comforting squeeze. Butterflies of enthusiasm and nerves swarmed in my stomach.
We walked in through double doors into a bright and sweetly decorated living room. Toy boxes lined one wall, craft tables another and tiny play sets and furniture were placed in neat corners. It was amazing to see how neat everything was, when children were constantly charging around and grabbing toys. I narrowly avoided being run over by little boys chasing each other with cardboard swords. I felt slightly awkward around such little people.
"This is the play area." Melissa informed us. "The kids come down here when they've come back from school and finished their homework. Let me show you the rooms."
Melissa led us to the girls wing, where we walked into all the rooms, each one identical. As we entered the last room, there was one tiny little girl who sat on the floor and quietly played with a stuffed Olaf.
Something drew me to her.
