Post-Nesting Life III

The foster care application process is very, very s l o w . We began in January and were finally approved in June. During those six months I had to take a lot of time off from teaching in order to be home to meet with DHEC, the Fire Marshall, various workers from the Department of Social Services (DSS), and what seemed to be myriads of others involved in inter-county placements. My principal, Colin Taylor, was none too happy, but there were no other options. In the meantime, Anna was thrilled with the prospect of having a home. Although somewhat hesitant, I was just as thrilled to have her as part of our family. The only other possibility for her was to live with her adoptive grandmother who, according to Anna, had too many health problems to care for a teenager. One afternoon while eating lunch with some of the girls, one of them blurted out, "It would sure be nice if Anna and I were sisters!" Anna and Anya had been quietly plotting. Their names were similar. Anya was one year older. People who didn't know would think they really were sisters. The facts that one was black and one white and they had different last names (not all that unusual), but had the same parents, made them giddy. Imagining the quizzical looks they would get set them into hysterics! Bob and I went back on our knees . . .again. It wasn't long before Anya was going to be a part of our family as well.