Chapter 53

Jenna POV

All of us were anxious and nervous Tuesday morning. Samantha had had a rough day at school on Monday because she couldn't stay focussed. Her friend Jill had called her over the weekend and tried to cheer her up, and on Monday stuck by her as much as possible.

None of us were very hungry for breakfast but we knew Samantha had to eat, and Josh made her his famous cheesy eggs, bacon, toast and chocolate milk.

She picked at her food but managed to eat most of it.

"Good luck, you guys," Josh said. "See you when you're a family of three!"

He smiled at us as we collected our jackets and whatever paperwork we had that we thought we might need.

"Dinner's on me tonight," Josh said, as we went out the door.

I watched Samantha in the back seat of the car. She was chewing her thumbnail and staring out the window. She was so nervous and I felt so terrible. I couldn't wait for this to be done.

We drove to the courthouse in silence. I kept checking on Samantha.  She looked up at one point and looked at me. I smiled at her and reached back to pat her knee. She tried to smile at me.

Tyler found a parking spot close to the doors and turned off the car.

"Here we go," he said. "Samantha, you ready to start a new chapter in your life?"

She looked up at him and tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Still scared?" He asked. She nodded.

We got out of the car and Tyler wrapper in a tight hug.

"It's going to be okay, okay?" He said to her. She sniffed, wiped her eyes and nodded. She took Tyler's hand, and then reached for mine. I put my arm around her and took her hand with my free hand. I gave her a kiss on the head.

"Let's go make you our daughter, okay?" I said to her. She gave me a half smile.

We walked up the steps to the courthouse.

Marie met us just outside the courtroom. She looked upset.

"Marie, everything okay?" Tyler asked as we walked up.

She sighed.

"Not exactly,"

Samantha looked at us and then Marie.

"You see?!  I told you!" She cried. "I told you he was going to find a reason to stop this!"

Samantha made to run, but Tyler held on to her and pulled her in to him.

"Let's hear what Marie has to say, first, okay?"

Samantha's face was wet with tears.

"Marie, what happened?"

"Stanley sent a lawyer. He's not contesting the adoption. I'm not sure why the lawyer is here though. The lawyer won't tell me and said as he represents Mr Deitz it's attorney client privilege and we'll have to wait until the hearing."

Samantha turned into Tyler and started crying harder.

"I don't understand," I said. "If he's not contesting the adoption, what could he possibly want?"

"I don't know. I think he's playing his last game. He knows he can intimidate Samantha easily. On the one hand, this doesn't look good for him. To play this hand on the day her adoption order is being signed, it's pretty low."

Marie knelt beside Samantha and put her hand on Samantha's back. Samantha turned her head from Tyler's chest and looked at Marie, her eyes red, tears staining her cheeks.

"Samantha, we'll find out what the lawyer is doing here, but your dad, Stanley, isn't contesting the adoption. You will be going home with the Josephs today. You will legally be their daughter today."

Samantha nodded.

"Okay," Marie said. "Let's go into the courtroom and get this done.

She smiled, but we could all see the nervousness in her eyes.

Marie motioned for us to take seats near the front of the courtroom and she sat beside us. We weren't the only adoption hearing today and we saw a few other families sitting in the rows.

The judge heard a few other cases before he called us. We followed Marie to the front of the courtroom and sat beside her. Samantha was motioned to a chair just behind us.

"I have to say," the judge said. "These days are some of my favourite. I love that I'm literally making families all day today. Although this is the first time I've had a lawyer appear on behalf of the parent whose rights have been terminated and who evidently isn't even contesting the adoption.

But first, I'd like to talk with the Josephs and Samantha." He said.

Marie stood up.

"You're the social worker?" The judge asked.

"Yes, your honour," she said.

"And you've observed Samantha with her foster parents and prospective adoptive parents?"

"I have your honour," she said.

"What can you tell me about the Josephs and Samantha?"

"Your honour, the Josephs became acquainted with Samantha when she wound up in their back yard. She had fled her father's home to avoid a beating. Neighbours heard him threatening her and witnessed him chasing her into a rainstorm.  Samantha scaled a ten foot fence into the Josephs back yard, not knowing where she was actually about to land, to escape the threats from her father. Mr. Joseph heard Mr. Deitz's threats when he came out to his yard to see what had set off their motion lights.

Upon discovering Samantha, he approached her and caught her when Samantha fainted. He brought her into his home, which he shares with his wife, Jenna.

Samantha is a type one diabetic and was suffering an extremely low blood sugar, which the medical records indicate.

Mr and Mrs Joseph offered to become Samantha's foster parents that same night. They called 911 when Samantha clearly needed it, and even accompanied her to the hospital. They stayed the night with her, even though they didn't know this child. They were granted an emergency approval for foster care and Samantha went home with them the next day.

After another medical crisis, Samantha was referred for counselling because of the obvious physical abuse and psychological abuse. During that first counselling session, Samantha revealed the truth behind her mother's death. Mr. Deitz's rights were terminated and he was remanded into custody.

Samantha has thrived with the Josephs since living with them. They have made sure she takes the proper doses of her insulin, something her father denied her. They've already had her at her doctors and they enrolled her in a school local to them, at Samantha's request.

Samantha has her own room at the Josephs, and the room is furnished to accommodate a teenager. They've gotten her her own computer, a phone. She has her own bathroom and, since she came to them with just the clothes she'd run from home in, they have taken her to get appropriate clothing.

While Samantha still struggles with certain mental health and psychological issues, the Josephs have been understanding, kind and patient.

Samantha is doing well in school, based on a one month assessment, as she's only been at the school for a month. She's making friends, and even managed to take charge when her friend was visiting and had a seizure.

Samantha is learning to trust again. The Josephs have opened not only their home, but their hearts. They asked to adopt her when they learned her father's rights would be terminated.

They have the means to accommodate Samantha's medical and psychological needs, have a safe home in a safe neighborhood and have ensured Samantha has balanced and healthy meals and snacks, keeping her diabetes in mind."

"Okay. Sounds great. Mr. Joseph. What is it that you do for work?  How do you provide fir your family?"

"We'll, uh," Tyler said. "I'm a musician."

"Well, musicians are a dime a dozen. That's not always very consistent work," the judge said.

"Well, your honour, uh, we're pretty successful. My drummer and I."

"Your drummer?  You and your drummer are successful?  How successful?"

"Josh and I are the band TwentyOne Pilots," he said.

"Are you?" The judge raised his eyebrows. "Check that?" He said to the bailiff, who went to a computer and typed on it, then nodded to the judge.

"Yes sir," Tyler said. "I mean your honour."

"Mrs. Joseph, what do you do?"

"Well, I'm lucky that Josh and Tyler are as successful as they are.  I'm able to stay home. So if Tyler is working on an album or touring, I can be home for Samantha."

"Would you take Samantha on tour with you?"

"I think so. Probably during school holidays, summer break, maybe."

"I see," he said. He then peered at Samantha.

"Miss Deitz. Do you mind if I call you Samantha?"

"I'd prefer it, your honour," she said.

"How has it been living with the Josephs?"

She looked over at us nervously. I smiled and nodded at her.

"Well, your honour, it's been, kinda, great. They took me in when I wound up in their yard, and they took me to the hospital and stayed with me. They didn't even know me. They always make sure I take the right amount of insulin and when I have trouble doing it, because my - Stanley - never let me take the right amount, they would always be encouraging and real patient. They never get mad when I have trouble dosing.

They made sure to get foods I can eat. Like sugar free chocolate milk mix so I can have chocolate milk.

I've had some problems while I've been living there, and they never got mad. They didn't get mad when I broke a plate or a glass. When my blood sugar got low and I got angry and broke a plate, they didn't yell. They got me calmed down and got my blood sugar up.

They get up in the night to check my blood sugar. Stanley never did that. He never let me test at night."

"Do you feel safe with the Josephs?" The judge asked.

Samantha smiled at me, a real smile.

"I can't remember the last time I felt so safe," she said, confidently.