Finding Her Family

Page would need to do more to get the girl to open up. “Are you sure there’s no one we can call for you?” When Ruby didn’t answer, Page stood and walked closer to the bed. “Where’s your mom?”

Ruby paused on a channel. “Dead.”

Oh. “And your dad?”

“Don’t know. My mom told me his name and that he was from Detroit, but I’ve never met him.”

Page watched as the girl scanned more channels, although she didn’t seem interested in any one in particular. “There’s gotta be someone who’s worried about you.”

Ruby turned her attention away from the TV screen and glared at Page. “There’s no one who looks out for me but me. Got it?”

Page sure did. She had been about Ruby’s age when she realized her parents were more concerned with themselves than they were about their only daughter. They may have been living in the same house, but neglect was neglect. She’d been ignored unless it was convenient for them to use her in their continual war against each other. She’d learned to take care of herself because no one else was going to.

“Did you run away?”

Ruby laughed, but the sound was anything but cheerful. “You gotta have a home to run from.” She returned to flipping through the channels. “Are you done with the questions?”

“Nope.” She took a step closer. “Where are you going to go when they release you from here?”

“Why do you care?”

Page gave a one-shoulder shrug. “Because maybe everyone needs someone who worries about them.”

“I don’t need you.”

“Well, it seems I’m the best you’ve got right now.”

Ruby turned off the television and placed the remote on the bedside table. “You serious?”

The strange thing was Page had never been more serious. The idea of taking care of this girl had been planted hours before, as she’d mulled over Ruby’s circumstances, and it had taken root, watered by her worry and concern. This girl claimed to have no family, and the thought of offering her a home had bloomed. Maybe it was because she wished someone had helped her when she was Ruby’s age. That an adult might have seen her circumstances and gotten her out of a bad situation. Who knows what might have happened if someone had stepped in. What pain and loss she might have avoided. “You know I’m a nurse, so who better to take care of you?”

“I told you. I take care of myself.”

Page well remembered what that was like. Making her own meals. Buying her own clothes with what little money she had. Taking care of her own needs because her parents had checked out of her life early on. She took a seat in the chair beside Ruby’s hospital bed. “How long have you been doing that?”

Ruby looked down at her hands. “Almost a year. My mom died, and they put me in this horrible foster home back in Oklahoma. I ran away as soon as I could.” She sat up straighter in the bed. “You’re not going to send me back there, are you?”

“No.” She hoped she wouldn’t have to.

She wilted back into the pillows. “I won’t go. I’ll run away before that happens.”

“What happened after you left the home?”

“I started to make my way here. My mom told me stories about when she met my dad here. It wasn’t like I had anything keeping me in Oklahoma.” She sniffed and seemed to be holding back tears. “My boyfriend took off when I told him about the baby.”

“Have you decided what you want to do about the baby?”

“I don’t know. I keep changing my mind.”

“That’s okay.”

Ruby looked her over. “What happens if I agree to live with you?”

“You take care of the baby you’re carrying, and I’ll watch over you. At least for now.”

Ruby shrugged. “Maybe that could work.”

Page patted her bald head. “You should know that I’m fighting cancer.”

Ruby glanced up at her head. “Figured that was what it is. So do you get sick a lot?”

“Sometimes. But I’m still able to take care of us. They wouldn’t let me keep working here if I couldn’t.” She moved and sat on the edge of her seat. “So what do you think?”

Ruby nodded. “I guess.”

It wasn’t a lot, but it was better than a refusal.

* * *

WITH THE FILE saved on his office computer, Mateo turned off the machine and prepared to leave. He wasn’t due in court until Wednesday, so he still had plenty of time to prepare his opening argument. His client, a twelve-year-old accused of tagging graffiti on a freeway bridge, was at least willing to work with him on his defense. The memory of Scotty made him stop and reflect, but he shook it off as he picked up his briefcase.

Outside, he pressed the button on the key fob to unlock his car door just as his phone chirped. He brought the phone up to his ear without glancing at the screen. “Mateo Lopez.”

“Do you always answer your phone so professionally?” his sister, Lulu, asked with a giggle. “Or are you always working?”

“More like the second one. What’s up?”

A pause. “I’ve got some news, and I don’t know how you’re going to take it.”

A bunch of alternatives bounced through his brain. “Your husband got a promotion, and you’re moving out of state?”

“Don’t even joke about that.” His sister sighed. “Dad’s dating somebody.”

Mateo missed the step down from the curb and almost fell onto his car. “Dad is what?”

“Dating. Some lady from church. Tia Laurie called and asked me if I knew, but I swear I didn’t. He hasn’t said a word to me. You?”

He’d had dinner with his dad last night, but he hadn’t mentioned anything like dating someone. Hadn’t said anything about forgetting his wife and Mateo’s mother. “No. Is Tia Laurie sure about this? That doesn’t sound like something Dad would do. He still loves Mom.”

“He can love Mom and still date other women. She’s been dead for thirteen years, Mateo. He’s probably lonely.”

Lulu made it sound like it was a foregone conclusion that their father would make such a ludicrous decision. “Or she’s a gold digger.”

“Then she’s looking in the wrong place, isn’t she?” Lulu took a deep breath and then let it out. “Can you call and ask him?”

Why did he have to be the one to call him? Lulu was just as capable of talking to their father, even if Mateo had a closer relationship with him. “Why don’t you do it?”

“Because you’re his son, and he tells you things that he doesn’t share with me.”

“You’re his princess and have him wrapped around your finger.”

“Please, Mateo. I think we need to know, don’t you?”

No, he didn’t need to know. Frankly, Mateo would rather stay blissfully ignorant. His phone beeped from another incoming call. “I gotta go. It’s a client.”

“Call him.”

“Maybe.” He’d mull this over for a few days, or a week, before talking to their father. “Love you.” He hung up with his sister. “Mateo Lopez.”

“Good, you answered. I need some advice.”

He frowned, trying to place the familiar voice. “I’m sorry. Who is this?”

“Oh, it’s Page. I need a lawyer. Stat.”

He smirked at the thought of her contacting him when it wasn’t too long ago that she wouldn’t give him the time of day. Or the time to apologize properly. “Are you in jail? Do you need to be bailed out?”

“It’s not for me. Uh, it is a little. I need a family lawyer.”

He opened his car and got inside. “Page, what have you gotten yourself into?”

“That’s the thing. I’m not sure what I’m about to do. All I know is that this girl needs somebody, and I want that somebody to be me.”

“You’re talking in code and I’m not following. What do you need me for exactly?”

It was several seconds before she finally answered. “I have a patient who’s a minor that I’d like released into my care, but I don’t have the first clue about how to go about it.”

Did this woman know what she was asking? Did she realize what she was about to take on? “Released into your care?”

“Yes, I want to be her foster mother. Can you help me?”

“I can. But let me ask you a question—why did you call me?”

A pause on the other end, then her voice was soft, hesitant. “Because Sherri says you’re the best lawyer, and that’s what I need. The best.”

“And the personal stuff?”

“We can keep this professional, can’t we?”

He could. But even as they made plans to meet, he couldn’t help but wonder why she’d even considered him in the first place.

CHAPTER THREE

PAGE PACED HER living room, pausing every few minutes to glance out the front window for Mateo’s car. She checked her watch. He said he’d been close to her neighborhood. Was she crazy to think she could do this? To foster a pregnant teenager while she struggled with her own health issues? Would a judge even sign off on this?

A car pulled to the curb, and she sprinted to the front door and pulled it open.

Mateo strode up the walk and the two steps to her home. He gave her a nod and entered the house. “Thanks for agreeing to meet with me.”

His scent of spice tickled her nose. She took a deep breath and let it out. She had to get her awareness of him under control.

“Page, do you realize what you’re asking?”

She didn’t need to think about her answer. “Yes.”

He shook his head as if she was clueless. “You’re talking about accepting responsibility for the welfare of an adolescent that you barely know.”

“If you knew a child needed you, would you step in and do something or would you let her get lost in the system?” She stared at him hard. “Sherri’s told me about all the work you’ve done with the youth in the community, so I know what you’d say. Now I’m in the position to help this girl, so please show me how.”

He sighed and put his briefcase on the sofa next to him. “You’d be on the hook for her physical, financial and emotional well-being. Why would you put that on your shoulders when you have so much else to deal with?”

She couldn’t help but start to take this personally. “Did you ask Dez the same questions when Marcus needed a foster home? I’m just as capable.”

“I’m questioning you because a judge will be asking you these same things when we get to court.”

“You said when we get to court, not if. Does that mean you’ll help me?” She gave him a smile, relief settling her nervous belly.

“Yes, I’ll take your case, but you shouldn’t get too confident in our chances.” He flipped open his briefcase, pulled out a thin stack of paper and handed it to her. It was an application for emergency foster-care placement. He nodded toward it. “Fill in as much as you can now, and I’ll reach out to a contact I have in Child and Family Services. Brittney will make sure we get this fast-tracked. When will Ruby be released from the hospital?”

She wondered if the contact was a girlfriend, then dismissed the thought. “They’re keeping her overnight, but because of her youth, maybe two days to be safe. We have about a day to make this happen.” She got a pen from a mug that sat on her kitchen counter. Taking a seat on a stool, she started to complete the form. Name. Address. References. She brought up her head. “References?”

Mateo walked over to her. “People who will vouch for you. April, I’m assuming. My cousin, Sherri. Do you have any family?”

Page thought of her parents. The last thing she needed was her mother trying to talk her out of this. And her father had no contact with her. “None that I want involved in this. You’d agree if you knew my mom. That won’t hurt my chances, will it?”

“It would look better if she could be included, but it’s not crucial.”

She perused the rest of the application. “I fill this out, you call your friend, then what?”

“I can get a home study done pretty quickly. We’ll get you fingerprinted and a criminal background check completed tonight, I hope. After that, it’s in the social worker’s hands.” He brought out his phone and made a call. “Hey, Britt. Mind if I ask a favor?”

He walked out of earshot, so she returned to the application. It asked her about her financial details and medical history. She paused before writing cancer in the appropriate section. That wouldn’t keep her from being able to care for Ruby, would it? It had already claimed so much from her, that she didn’t need this to be stripped away, too.

* * *

MATEO ENDED HIS phone call and found Page working on the application. Her bald head bent over the form, she scribbled answers and didn’t seem aware of him watching her. What was she thinking? She had bigger problems to worry about than some pregnant teenager. She needed to stay focused on fighting cancer, not look after some girl she didn’t really know.

And yet, he admired her for it. How many able-bodied and healthy people turned and looked the other way rather than make a difference in a needy child’s life?

She glanced up at him—big hazel-green eyes in a thin, pale face. She handed him the form. “Can you check it over to make sure I’ve filled in everything?”

He took the paper and examined it, reading it over with a critical eye. She’d given more than enough information, and he had a feeling that it would get approved despite her health issues if he got the case in front of the right judge. “You’re sure you want to do this?”

Page nodded. “I haven’t changed my mind. I’m even more determined to help her.”

“You haven’t answered why.”

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I was just like her at that age. Alone. Terrified. I ran away from home several times and lived on the streets until a cop found me and took me back. Maybe if an adult had seen my living situation, things might have turned out differently. I might not have married the first man who I thought could rescue me.”

He looked at her for a long moment, seeing the grief in her eyes. There was so much more to her than he’d realized before. She didn’t need to be rescued because she took matters into her own hands. Did she not see that? He glanced at his watch. “I have a few friends at the police department who can take your fingerprints and run the criminal background check now. Do you have any plans tonight?”

She gasped and stood up quickly. Too quickly. “I have to call April to let her know I won’t be making it to dinner. How long do you think this will take?”

“After we get you fingerprinted, you should ready a room for Ruby. The more prepared you are for her to enter your home, the better.”

She nodded. “I’ll fix up the guest room. Not that I have many guests, but you know.”

“That would be a good idea. We want to show the social worker that you’ve considered everything, including opening your home, as well as your life, for this girl.” He put away his cell phone. “I can help you out with that.”

He put a hand at the small of her back to nudge her out of the house. The contact, as light as it was, sent a bolt of awareness through him. What was happening to him? First, he’d been questioning what he always wanted to do with his life professionally, and now this. This was Page. He had no interest in her romantically.

And yet, as he drove her to the police station, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. About everything she’d said back at the house. Sympathy for her story had opened his eyes to seeing her differently. Maybe he could see her like she’d asked him to.

As they entered the precinct, he gave a wave to Sergeant Shelby Novakowski, who met him at the front desk and looked Page up and down. “What brings you by, counselor? Another client?”

“Yes, but not in the way you’re thinking. Page needs to get fingerprinted, but for a criminal background check for her foster-care application.”

Shelby turned to Page. “Foster care, huh? That’s a tough gig. Are you sure you can handle it?”

Page bristled and gave a short nod. “I’m tougher than I look.”

“Good. You’ll need to be.” She winked at Mateo and motioned to an empty interrogation room. “Go ahead and take a seat. I’ll see to this myself.”

“Don’t you have staff for this kind of thing?” Page asked.

Shelby laughed and pointed again to the room. “Consider this a favor. Now, go. Sit. I’ll be right there.”

As Page had her fingerprints taken and the data entered into the system, and filled out the necessary paperwork, he joked with one of the cops on duty. It felt good to be at the station for a different reason than bailing a client out. He was relaxed and could chat with the officers, most of whom he knew by name.

Once everything was taken care of at the station, Mateo escorted her back to his car. Page fastened her seat belt and turned to look at him. “Do you know all the cops?”

“I know quite a few, but then that’s part of my job.”

He drove them back to her house and volunteered to make up the guest bed with fresh linens. As he watched her prepare her place for her new charge, he had to admit Page was an interesting mix of strength and vulnerability, and he was drawn to her.

So, there he was, tucking the ends of a cotton blanket underneath a mattress because he couldn’t leave her to do it alone.

Page put her hands on her hips and surveyed the room. “This will do for now. Ruby and I can always go shopping if we want to later.”

“You realize that you have a lot of big hoops to jump through first, right? This isn’t a guaranteed placement. There’s a chance that she’ll have to stay in another home before she can come here while we get everything approved.”

Page paused in smoothing the surface of the blanket and looked up at him. “I thought you said we could get this fast-tracked so she could come here.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s overnight.”

Her optimism seemed to fade a little, and she sagged onto the edge of the bed. “Oh. I guess I figured you could make it happen that way.”

“I’m a criminal lawyer, not a miracle worker.” She looked up at him with those big eyes, and he felt a punch in his belly. He knew he’d do everything he could to make this happen for her. He sighed. “I’ll do the best I can.”

“Ruby is alone and pregnant, and I feel for her. No one should ever be alone in the world. I want to be sure she’s safe.”

Mateo knew the feeling. Despite his own reservations regarding her health and her ability to care for herself, much less someone else, he wanted to help Page in this quest to provide a home for a homeless teenager.

* * *

PAGE HAD THE following day off, but she arrived at the hospital early and waved at her coworkers before walking down the hall to Ruby’s room. She found the teen dozing with the television on, so Page picked up the remote control from the bedside table and turned the TV off. Ruby opened one eye to glare at her. “Hey, I was watching that.”

She highly doubted that. “How are you feeling today?”

Ruby rubbed her rounded belly and shrugged. “Okay, I guess. The pains haven’t started again, so that’s a good thing, right?”

“Very good.” Page looked up and peered into Ruby’s eyes. “Your color looks better. Have you seen the doctor this morning?”

“She stopped by an hour or so ago.” Ruby shifted in the hospital bed and reached behind her for a pillow. Page stepped forward and helped her get more comfortable. “She thinks I can get out of here later today or tomorrow morning, but they’re waiting on some test.”

“Sounds about right.” She sat in the chair next to the bed. “I’ve been working all night to get a place ready for you at my house. Do you still want to do that?”

Ruby looked at her. “I guess.”

Page doubted she could have gotten anything more enthusiastic from her. Ruby appeared to be jaded and cynical no matter what, albeit for good reason. “We’re just waiting on social services to sign off on my application, but my friend Mateo, he’s a lawyer, is hoping to get that finalized by tomorrow.”

Ruby’s brow furrowed. “What happens if it isn’t, and they kick me out of here?”

“You could end up in another foster home.”

Ruby started to shift as if she was going to get out of the bed. “Oh, no. I’m not doing that again.”

Page put a hand on her shoulder, wanting to reassure the girl, but she realized it was a feeble attempt. If Ruby wanted to leave, she could. “It would only be a night or two until you can stay with me.”

Ruby grasped Page’s hand. “Don’t make me go to a foster home, please.”

The fear in the girl’s eyes made Page even more determined to bring this girl home with her. “I’m doing my best.”

Ruby nodded.

Page took a seat on the hospital bed. “Can you tell me anything more about your family?”

She kept her gaze on the window across the room. “What family?”

Page was losing patience with the girl. How would she ever help someone who didn’t meet her halfway? “They’re going to check out your story, so be sure you’re telling us everything. No grandparents? Aunts or uncles?”

Ruby folded her hands in her lap and kept her gaze on them. “It was just my mom and me until she died. If there were any relatives, she didn’t tell me one word about them.”

“How did she die?”

Ruby raised her eyes to Page. “Don’t matter now. She’s just dead.”

“Did she know about your baby?”

“I found out just before she died. I didn’t know how to tell her. I didn’t want her to be disappointed in me.”

“I’m sure she would have loved you anyway.” When Ruby nodded, Page could tell that the bond between the two had been strong. “I don’t want you to think that I’d be taking your mom’s place if you come and stay with me. Maybe you could think of me as a friend, though.” She pulled a notebook and pen from her purse. “And I thought you could write a letter for the judge telling him where you want to live.”

Ruby took the notebook and opened to a clean page. “You mean with you.”

“I thought it would help our case.”

Ruby peered at her. “You really want this?”

“I do.”

“What about when the baby comes?”

Page already knew the answer. “We’ll figure it out together, no matter your decision.”

Ruby gave a short nod then started to write.

A nurse entered the room to check Ruby’s vitals, ending the conversation. Page stepped back so that Tiffany could check over Ruby. She gave her a nod before leaving the room. Ruby raised an eyebrow at the exchange. “Friend of yours?”

Hardly. “I think she’s after my job.”

“There’s always someone who wants what you got.” Ruby nodded as if she was the older and wiser one.

“You’ve got that right.”

* * *

MATEO HUNG UP from his phone call with Brittney and pumped his fist in the air. Together, they had been able to work a miracle. He scrolled through his contacts and found Page’s name. He pressed his finger on it and waited for the call to connect. “It’s Mateo. Where are you?”

“With Ruby at the hospital.”

“Do you think you can meet me at your house ASAP? Judge Bond has agreed to hear our case at three this afternoon, but the social worker wants to complete a home inspection before that.” He glanced at his watch. “She can meet us at your house within the hour. Does that work?”

“Yes, of course.” She muffled the phone and relayed the news to the girl. “Thank you, Mateo. Ruby thanks you, too.”

“Let’s take this one step at a time before you get too excited. We still have a ways to go.”

Mateo just hoped that the judge would agree that Page was Ruby’s best option.

* * *

HE ARRIVED AT Page’s house and saw Brittney’s car parked in the driveway. He walked up to the front door, found it open and stepped inside. “Hello?”

Page popped her head from around the corner and waved him down the hallway to the guest room. He entered and greeted Brittney. “Thanks for being on the ball with this, Britt.”

“Don’t thank me yet. We still have to convince the judge.” She turned and gave a bright smile to Page. “But I think we’ll get what we want.”

Page sighed and placed a hand to her chest. “I want to do everything I can for Ruby.”

Brittney left to inspect the rest of the house. Mateo stepped closer to Page. “Has she opened up more about her family?”

“According to her, there isn’t any. None she knows of anyway. It was always her and her mom until the mom died. She did say she knows her father’s name. Thomas Burns.” She rubbed her bare arms and looked down at her T-shirt and shorts. “Guess I should get changed for court.”