Left Out (Demi Lovato)

Chapter 46: Together

Demi's POV

I drop Hayley off at school, an anxious feeling building in my stomach. I have an appointment with a lawyer at the court today. At arrival to the court, I walk inside.

"Hello," I say to the receptionist, "I had a meeting to confirm an adoption."

"Demetria Lovato?" she asks and I nod. "Right," she replies, "the judge will be right with you."

I sit in the lobby until the judge comes to meet me.

"Hello. Are you Demetria Lovato?"

"Yes," I reply.

"Okay," he says," why don't you come with me to my office?"

"Alright." I stand up and follow him to his office.

"I understand that you are considering the adoption of Hayley," the judge says with slight confusion at her name once we're sitting in his office.

"Not just considering," I mention. "She's lived with me for a while already."

"Well," the judge continues, "I do have to ask you about Hayley's last name. Would you like her to have her parents' last names or take Lovato as her last name?"

"Lovato," I reply. "I already asked her."

"Okay, you do need to sign some papers and it will take a while for the adoption process to be complete, but our inspection revealed that you seem to be a suitable parent, so unless you get a strike, it should come through."

I internally cheer. "Thank you."

"I do have one more question," he says. "There is some overwhelming information about Hayley Lovato's past. Would you like me to tell you?"

"Yes, please," I answer, becoming a little nervous, "and also, what is her full name?"

"When she was born, her name was Hayley Alexis Jackson-Peters. Then when she was four, her last name was changed to Unknown, and now, her full name is Hayley Alexis Lovato."

"Okay, thank you."

"Now, for the past information," he says, "I must ask you not to repeat this to others without Hayley's permission and to not discriminate her based on her past."

I nod. "I won't," I promise.

"Okay," he says, "let's get started."

---

Leaving the court, I feel overwhelmed by the information that I have just received. I have to eat a late lunch and go pick up Hayley from school  in an hour. I wonder how her first day at the new school went. I hope that she's okay.

Puling up at the school, I don't see Hayley anywhere. Tons of kids are leaving the school, but she isn't anywhere. Then, I see her. She looks like she'd been crying and everyone basically ignores her as she walks to the car.

"Hi," I greet. "Was it that bad?"

"Basically," she replies, climbing into the passenger seat beside me.

We are silent as I drive us back home after the stressful day.

"Would you like to just eat supper and watch a movie?" I ask.

Hayley nods, even though I know that she won't want to eat.

The evening is relaxing and I am exhausted as we go to bed in our separate rooms that night.