The chance at a better life
The principal brought the two of them to meet the brother and sister pair. When they talked with them for a bit, they noticed that the boy in question, Daniel, was very smart. A person whose talents would definitely be wasted if he was forced out into the streets at the age of 18. The girl, Lidia, was the same girl that had been playing with Amira all day and was a sweet and lovable little girl. After a short ten minute talk with the two of them, they began to share the boy's sentiment of not wanting to separate them. So, Jenny and Jason, sharing a single glance at each other, made a big decision after their formal introduction with the two children. In that look with one another, they had carried out the entire conversation they needed to have without speaking a single word and they had decided then and there that they would be adopting them both. At least if they were willing.
Jenny turned back towards the two of them and asked them the important question. "Daniel...Lidia...Jason and I have something we want to ask you. The principal has told us a bit about your situation and if you agree, we would like to take you home with us. We understand that you will soon turn eighteen and might not exactly be looking for parents but we can play whatever role you want us to play in your and your sister's life. We can be a mom and dad to you both, to just your sister or neither of you and just provide you with the means to help you take care of her. All we ask is that you continue your studies and give yourselves the chance at a better life." Jenny saw that neither of them could believe what they were saying. They had been rejected so many times in the four years that they had been living in the home, that being chosen by people like Jenny and Jason seemed like a dream come true. Though they didn't know what to expect when the principal asked them to come into this room together nor when they saw the long-time benefactors of the orphanage enter, it certainly wasn't this.
Jenny took their silence as them at least not having been rejected so she continued saying what she had in mind. "I know this is a lot and we by no means want to pressure you into accepting our idea of family. If that is what you wish, we will even accept you leaving our sides after you are able to stand on your own two feet. You can come live with us or we can arrange a house for you two to live in away from us. Though we would love for you to come to see us as your mother and father and for you two to live under our roof as part of our family, but in the end all that matters is what you two want. Whatever you want, we are willing to make it happen. All we need to know from you two, if you see a match in us like we see in you and if you are willing to leave with us after today."
After hearing the words they had been waiting on for so long. The words they had dreamed about each time a couple came to visit the home. But each time someone was even remotely interested in adopting either of them, when they heard about them being a package deal, their interest soon faded and shifted over to one of the other kids. They had given up all hope at getting adopted as a pair and Daniel had forsaken all hope at getting adopted at all. He was already planning what to do once he turned eighteen and would be forced to leave the home and now he was suddenly told that he no longer needed to think about that, no longer needed to worry AND he wouldn't have to separate from his sister?! This was too good to be true.
Jenny and Jason watched their surprised faces turn. One lighting up and showing a big, bright smile and the other starting to laugh in disbelief as they felt relief and joy wash over them. They hugged each other and tears started to form in the corners of Daniel's eyes. Tears he quickly wiped away before they could come rolling down and before he turned to Jenny and Jason and said, "If you really mean what you say and I can stay with my sister, we are definitely willing to leave with you after today. We would even leave this second. I will study where you want me to study, I will sleep wherever you want me to sleep, as long as you keep your promise to get the two of us out of here and give us a roof over our heads, I will do whatever you want me to do."
With a gentle smile Jenny grabbed Daniel's hand and said, "There is nothing we want you to do sweet boy. You have done enough. You have been brave all this time, despite probably being worried about your sister, and scared about what to do next. From now on, just do whatever it is you want to do. We just want to help." Hearing these words, the tears that Daniel had been forcing back, came pouring down. Causing him to quickly lower his face. While one trembling hand was clasping tightly onto Jenny's extended hand, the other was hiding the tears that were falling from his eyes. As his little sister placed a hand on his leg and tried to look at his face and tried to comfort him, Jenny got up and took a seat on his other side. She pulled the boy against her chest and patted his back as she said, "It's okay. You did great. Everything is going to be fine now." She repeated these words over and over, as some kind of comforting mantra, until his tears dried up and stopped falling. Until he was ready to walk out with the hand he had grabbed onto and start a new adventure as a Westwood.