Court

A scream rips through the night, jolting Robert awake. Beginning to sit up, he feels thrashing next to him in the bed.

“Lucia?” He asks. “Are you ok?”

After a moment with no response other than unintelligible mutters and cries, he reaches for her, shaking her lightly, and then more firmly.

“What?” Lucia asks, finally awakening.

“I think you were having a nightmare.” Robert says. “You were screaming.”

“Oh…” Lucia says, shuddering. “I’m ok now. Sorry I woke you up.”

“Come here.” Robert says, pulling Lucia to him, and wrapping his arms around her.

“Mmmhhh…” Lucia purrs, pulling his arms tighter around herself. “Thank you.”

“Do you want to talk about the dream?” Robert asks.

Lucia shakes her head.

“Ok, sweet girl.” Robert says, kissing her head.

A moment later he feels the bed shift, and remembers that Amber had slept with them last night. Moving his head as far as he can without letting go of Lucia, he quietly asks. “Amber, you ok?”

“I’m fine, Master.” Amber responds. “I think I hear someone moving, and I don’t want them to knock on the door and disturb you.”

“Sorry.” Lucia mutters.

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Robert says, giving her another kiss on the head. “You can’t control your dreams.”

A few moments later, Amber returns. Coming around to the edge of the bed nearest to Lucia and Robert, she asks. “Master, Emily and Samira are a bit spooked. Can they stay in here for the rest of the night? I’ll make sure they give you and Lucia room. Or if you prefer, I can go sleep in their room.”

“Lucia?” Robert asks quietly.

“Can they come in here?” Lucia asks. “I wouldn’t mind some company.”

“They can come in.” Robert answers. “No Lindsey, I’m assuming?”

“She isn’t out here.” Amber asks. “Do you want me to check on her?”

“No.” Robert says.

“Can Samira cuddle the other side of me?” Lucia whispers.

“I’ll ask.” Robert whispers back, giving her yet another kiss. “Samira, would you mind helping me cuddle Lucia? She’s still a bit shaken from her nightmare.”

“Of course.” Samira says, coming over to their side of the bed. Robert shifts over, pulling Lucia with him, until there is room for Samira to slide in.

Robert feels Amber and Emily slide in on his opposite side, and then the cool skin of Amber’s back against his.

“Is this ok, Master?” She asks.

“It’s perfect.” Robert says, shifting slightly to rub his body against hers. “Let’s all try to get some rest.”

*****

Robert is next awakened by the sounds of crying, and a shushing noise. Opening his eyes, he sees Samira looking at him, and then at Lucia.

“What’s wrong?” He groans, tightening his grip on Lucia, who is the source of the crying.

“Another nightmare.” Samira whispers.

“My poor girl.” Robert says, showering the top of Lucia’s head with kisses. “I love you so much.”

“Love you.” Lucia weeps.

“Are the nightmares about the airport yesterday?” Robert asks gently.

Lucia nods, but doesn’t speak.

“It might take a while to put that behind us.” Samira says. “Especially Lucia. You may have noticed she’s a bit attached to you.”

“I have.” Robert says with a sad smile. “What time is it? Maybe we should just get up for the day.”

“Four A.M., Master.” Emily says.

“Local time?” Robert asks. “Or our time?”

“Local time.” Emily confirms.

“Then Lucia and I can stay up.” Robert says. “You girls can get some more sleep if you want. Lucia, are you good if we move to the couch, and cuddle there?”

“Emily and I will stay up with you, Master.” Amber says, rolling over to embrace Robert.

Robert glances over at Samira, who nods. “I’m awake, and I think Lucia could use the company.”

“Your choice then, Lucia.” Robert says. “Do you want to stay in bed, or move to the couch?”

“I need to use the bathroom.” Lucia says, squirming out of his grip.

Robert releases his grip, and Lucia climbs over Samira to get off the bed.

After a few minutes, Robert asks. “Should I go check on her?”

“I will, Master.” Amber says, sliding to the end of the bed.

Robert sees Amber knock, but doesn’t hear what she says, before she opens the door and vanishes inside.

“She’ll be ok.” Samira reassures him. “She just needs lots of love and positive attention.”

“I’ll give her everything I can.” Robert says. “I hope she knows that.”

“I’m sure she does, Master.” Emily says. “We all know she’s your favorite.”

Robert sighs. “I’m trying not to play favorites.”

“But she is special to you.” Samira says. “There is nothing wrong with that. You don’t treat any of us badly just because she is your favorite. It’s not realistic to expect you to have the same feelings for every woman in your house.”

“True.” Robert says.

When Amber emerges, she waves at the bed. “Girls, a minute please?”

“Is Lucia ok?” Robert asks.

“She’s fine. She’ll be out in a second, Master.” Amber says with a smile.

After huddling together, Samira and Emily go into the bathroom, leaving Amber alone with Robert.

“Master, Lucia’s nightmares are really bothering her.” Amber says. “When TSA threatened her, they were rather graphic. She mentioned that there was an incident before I arrived as well, where someone tried to grab her. I think the TSA incident brought that trauma back to the surface.”

“Shit.” Robert mutters. “What can I do to help? Last time, she and I weren’t actually together yet, and taking our relationship forward seemed to help her. But there is nowhere else to take our relationship, I’m as committed as I can be.”

“I talked to her, and we have an idea.” Amber says. “She needs you to claim her, gently, lovingly. I suggested that she starts off in control, until she is comfortable, and then you can really take her.”

“Whatever she needs.” Robert says. “Are the three of you staying?”

“We are going to be here in case she needs us, and to help a bit, but the focus is the two of you, Master.” Amber says. “If that is acceptable, of course.”

Robert nods. “Whatever she needs.” He says again.

Amber goes back into the bathroom, emerging again a short time later followed by the other girls. Lucia is at the rear, and when she reaches the bed, Robert embraces her, gently at first, and then more firmly. “Are you ok?” He asks.

Lucia nods, and whispers. “I love you.”

“And I love you.” Robert whispers back. “So much.”

“Can you lay back?” Lucia asks quietly.

Robert nods, lying on his back, curious about what exactly the girls have planned. Lucia lays next to him, moving his arm so that it is around her. “Ok, we are ready.” She announces.

At her words, Samira and Emily climb onto the end of the bed, before shuffling forward. When Samira is in place between Lucia’s thighs, and Emily between Robert’s, Amber says. “Begin.”

Robert looks at Lucia as Emily begins to suck on his dick, and she stares back at him. “Kiss me?” She asks.

Robert does, and after a few minutes of this, Amber says. “Stop.”

As the two girls sit up, Lucia breaks their kiss, and rolls onto Robert. Lining him up, she slides onto his dick, moaning as it enters her. “Yessss…” She moans as she reaches the end. Leaning forward, she rests her head on his chest, savoring the moment. Slowly she begins to move, sliding forwards and backwards, never letting the connection between them break.

“I love you.” Robert whispers to her again.

Lucia whimpers, tempo increasing, as she hears this. She nods, kissing his neck, before driving hard onto him.

A moment later, Robert feels a tongue on his balls. Looking past Lucia, he notices that Emily is no longer sitting up, and realizes it must be her. “Fuck…” He groans, unable to remain still, and pumps slightly into Lucia.

“Mmmm…” Lucia moans, and Robert increases the pace, his thrusts meeting her halfway.

Lucia stiffens, eyes rolling up, as she finally cums. Robert continues to thrust until he feels her body begin to go slack, gradually slowing the pace until he stops, just holding her.

Eventually, Lucia’s eyes open, and she glances up at Robert. “Thank you.” She murmurs.

“Anything for you.” Robert whispers.

“I know.” Lucia says. Sliding upwards, she kisses him, and then whispers. “Can we do missionary next? I want you to cum inside of me. Samira and Emily are going to clean us up afterwards. And then I’m going to have Amber send the video of all of this to Jane.”

Robert can’t help but give a tiny thrust at her words. Grinning, she says. “Oh, I see you like that idea.”

*****

When Robert and Lucia exit the master suite after their shower, the girls are waiting.

“Master, may I have a moment of your time?” Amber asks. “There is something you need to see.”

“And you can teach Emily and I how to cook breakfast.” Samira says to Lucia. “I can manage eggs sometimes, but…”

As the three girls enter the kitchen, Robert asks. “You didn’t want Lucia seeing whatever this is?”

Amber nods. “It’s hard to watch, and the last thing she needs to see right now.”

Amber motions to the couch, and when they are both seated next to each other, she hits play on her phone, holding it so that they can both see the screen.

As the video begins to play, Robert sees a man parading a woman, nude, and gagged, around a store, hitting her with a crop when she stops moving. Robert can’t see her face well, but she can’t be thirty yet, with golden skin and dark hair.

“The fuck?” Robert asks after about fifteen seconds of this, aghast at the images he is seeing.

“Apparently it happened yesterday, in Kansas.” Amber says, pausing the video. “It gets worse. Do you want me to keep playing it?”

“I don’t think I want to watch the rest.” Robert says, feeling vaguely ill. “Just tell me what happened.”

“He parades her around for a few more minutes, and eventually stops to let some bystanders hit her with the crop.” Amber says. “She tries to shield herself, which makes him extremely angry. The video cuts off when he knocks her to the ground, and begins kicking her.”

“Jesus Christ.” Robert says, struggling to keep his voice down. “No one tried to stop him?”

“If she is his property, he may not have violated any laws.” Amber says. “I haven’t found any information yet, just the video. But we obviously need to make sure Lucia doesn’t see it.”

“Agreed.” Robert says. “Samira and Emily have seen it?”

“A few seconds of it, Master.” Amber says. “They didn’t finish it either.”

Robert sighs. “We need to keep Lucia busy, so she doesn’t have time to scroll on her phone. Maybe this will get buried in a few days.”

“That’s the plan, Master.” Amber says. “They are both going to stick close to her today, and anytime she pulls out her phone for more than a moment, they will try to distract her. I’m going to go wake up Lindsey and make sure she is going to cooperate.”

“Thank you.” Robert says, reaching over to give her hand a squeeze. “I really appreciate it.”

“Of course, Master.” Amber says. “You don’t have any news on the results yet, do you, Master?”

Robert pulls out his phone, and seeing no new messages, shakes his head. “I’m sorry. I suspect they have the results, and are just dodging us. I’ll call at Eight A.M. If they don’t answer, maybe you can dial them every hour? I’m happy to do the talking if you get them on the line.”

“Thank you, Master.” Amber says, voice taking on the slight edge of nervousness. “I’m getting more and more concerned that they are going to try to cheat on the test. Maybe by using a different child’s DNA.”

“If they do, we’ll get a re-test done by the actual BAA, and ask to be present for the samples.” Robert says. “We aren’t going to let them get away with anything.”

“I know.” Amber says. “Thank you, Master.”

“I’m going to get to work.” Robert says. “If anything else comes up, please let me know.”

“Yes, Sir.” Amber says.

As Robert logs into his laptop, he notices a flood of emails that have come in overnight. Most of them are inquiries about company policies, benefits, etc. for concubines from various employees. “I really need to hire for my department.” Robert says, taking the opportunity to fire off emails to two of the employees who had shown interest in the positions.

Working from oldest to newest, Robert slowly chews through the emails, mostly by forwarding them to his boss Marsha to ask for the information they were seeking. Eventually, he stops forwarding them, and just starts making a list of how many people want which information.

“Breakfast is ready.” Samira says, putting a plate down next to him.

“Thank you.” Robert says, reaching over to slide the plate close enough for him to eat while he works.

“Do you think I could take Amber with me to the local **** store? There are a few things we need.” Samira asks, and then clarifies. “Girl things.”

“If the two of you are comfortable going out in public.” Robert says. “If not, we can swing by after court.”

“I’d like to get this before we leave.” Samira says. “I’ll go ask her if she is ok with going.”

“Ok.” Robert says. “If she says yes, just do the one stop, and try not to talk to anyone. The last thing we need is an incident.”

“I totally agree.” Samira says. “I wouldn’t be going if I didn’t think it was necessary.”

“Do I need to blow off work and take you?” Robert asks. “I didn’t realize we needed anything that urgently.”

“If Amber isn’t comfortable going with me, then maybe.” Samira says. “I know you need to get caught up on work though. I’ll let you know.”

Robert shrugs, and gets back to work, pinging Marsha on the company chat when she came online to ask if he can do the interview with her candidate for his department before lunch. When he has two interviews scheduled, he gets up to let the girls know.

Walking into the living room, he spots Lindsey and Emily deep in conversation. “Hello Ladies.” He says. “Where did everyone else go?”

“Mistress Amber and Samira went to the store.” Emily reports. “And Mistress Lucia is in the bathroom. She wasn’t feeling great after breakfast.”

“That’s not good.” Robert says with a frown. “Is that why Samira went to the store? If Lucia is sick, I’d have skipped work and taken her to a doctor.”

“Samira seemed to know what to do.” Lindsey says with a shrug.

“Should I go check on her?” Robert asks. “How long has she been in there?”

“We are checking on her regularly.” Lindsey says. “She asked for some privacy for now.”

“Ok…” Robert says, torn between the desire to respect her privacy, and the need to know that she is ok. “I’ve got video meetings for the next two hours. If something comes up, just step into the dining room and wait until I tell you it’s ok to talk, unless it’s an emergency, of course.”

“We will, Master.” Emily says reassuringly.

Robert takes a last glance at the master suite door on his way back to the dining room, but resists the urge to go inside. Closing the doors onto the living room, he takes a few minutes to set up his area for the video interview, and then joins a few minutes early. To his surprise, his first candidate is already in the meeting.

“Good morning.” Robert says, unable to fully keep the surprise from his voice.

“Morning!” The blond woman on the screen says in a cheery voice, while waving at the camera.

“You are a bit early.” Robert says. “I’m afraid I don’t have my interview questions up just yet, so bear with me a moment. I guess we can start with introductions. I’m Robert Wolfe, Director of BAA Relations.”

“Oh, I know.” The woman says with a smile. Robert guessed she must be in her early thirties. “I processed your promotion paperwork for Marsha. I’m Shannon. I’m in payroll at the moment, but Marsha usually just moves me wherever she needs me.”

“I’m surprised she is willing to give you up.” Robert says, hoping for an answer to why without actually having to ask.

“Payroll is well staffed right now, so they can spare me.” Shannon says. “And with your department starting from scratch, it’s where I could be the most useful.”

“Great.” Robert says.

The rest of the interview goes well, and afterwards, Robert pings Marsha again.

“You were right, Shannon seems like a good fit. How soon could we get her moved over from payroll?” He asks.

“Immediately. I’ll let her know, and forward over all of the emails you’ve been sending me. If you have any more, send them to her. Have IT work on getting a shared mailbox set up for these types of inquiries moving forward.” Marsha says.

“Thanks. I’ve got another interview shortly, I’ll let you know how that goes.” Robert says.

“I want to interview them after you. No offense, but if they are in my department, I need to talk to them at least once.” Marsha says.

“Fair enough.” Robert says.

Looking down at the clock, Robert realizes he has a few minutes to kill before the next interview. Stepping out of the dining room, he sees Lucia is back in the living room, looking a bit pale, but not nearly as bad as he expected.

“Hi sweet girl.” He says with a smile. “Are you still feeling awful?”

“I think the worst of it is over.” Lucia says. “At least, I hope it is.”

“Do we know how much longer Amber and Samira are going to be?” Robert asks.

“They are almost back, Master.” Emily says. “Probably ten minutes away at most.”

“Good.” Robert says. “Hopefully they have something to help you feel better, Lucia.”

“I hope so.” Lucia says. “I’m tired of feeling sick. This is the second day in a row.”

“Hopefully tomorrow is a better day.” Robert says, coming over to Lucia.

“Can I get a hug before you go back to work?” Lucia asks, sounding a bit pitiful.

“Of course you can.” Robert says, sitting down next to her and gently embracing her, before giving her a kiss on the forehead. More seriously, he asks. “Are you going to be ok?”

Lucia nods. “I’m sure I will.”

“Ok, good.” Robert says. “I guess we should start thinking about lunch, it’s about breakfast time here.”

“I suggested that Amber and Samira pick up some sandwich supplies.” Lindsey says. “That’s something Lucia can probably eat, and won’t be much work to make.”

“Works for me.” Robert says. “I’ve got to get back to work. I love you, sweet girl.” He bends down to kiss Lucia on the forehead one more time before walking back to the dining room.

“Love you too.” He hears faintly from behind him.

When he takes a seat at his desk, Robert sighs heavily. “I’m so ready to be home.” He thinks. Pulling out his phone, he texts Jane. He tells her about Lucia, about work, and asks if she’s seen the awful video that Amber found. He ends with. “I love and miss you so much. I can’t live without you.”

Putting up his phone, he logs back into his laptop, and prepares for the next interview.

*****

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay here?” Robert asks.

“I’ll be fine.” Lucia says. “And I’m going to support you and Amber. Jane wanted us with you to make a statement. I can’t help make that statement if I’m not there.”

“She should be fine now that she’s had some medication.” Samira says. “And I’ll bring more with me, just in case.”

Robert sighs. “Ok. If you start feeling worse, please let me know.”

“I will.” Lucia says, stepping up to give him a hug. “Thank you.”

“You are very welcome.” Robert says, careful not to squeeze her too tightly. “Let’s load up.”

As they get closer to the courthouse, Amber begins to get nervous. “Do you think Isabel will be there?” She asks.

“I honestly don’t know.” Robert says. “I think she should be there, but they really seemed to want to keep the two of you separated, which makes me think they won’t bring her. It’s probably best to assume they won’t, and if they do, it’ll be a pleasant surprise.”

“I wonder about that.” Lucia says. “Why are they so **** to keep them apart?”

“Maybe there is a lot of family resemblance?” Robert says. “It’s hard to argue that they aren’t mother and daughter if they look nearly identical.”

“That would make sense.” Lucia says.

“What if Isabel doesn’t like me?” Amber asks. “Or if she’s mad at me for giving her away.”

“I can’t imagine anyone not liking you.” Lucia says.

“And, speaking from experience, if she’s mad at you, all you can do is apologize, and try to make amends.” Robert adds.

“Experience?” Lucia asks with a frown. “Master, do you have a child we don’t know about?”

“No.” Robert says, and, trying to change the subject, quickly says. “What do you think you can handle for dinner tonight?”

“Un Uh.” Lucia says. “What do you mean by experience?”

Robert sighs. “Can we not talk about it? It’s a long story, and I’d really rather not get worked up before we walk into court.”

“Tonight.” Lucia says. “If you don’t tell me by then, I’m texting Jane.”

“She won’t tell you.” Robert says. “But we can talk tonight.”

“Do we get to hear the story?” Lindsey asks.

“No.” Robert says shortly. After a moment’s pause, he says. “I’d rather not tell any of you, honestly. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“It’s ok.” Lucia says, reaching over to pat his arm. “I can wait, if I need to.”

“Thanks.” Robert says. “I think that’s the right parking garage.”

As Robert pulls in, and parks, he looks over at Lucia, and nods. “I need to make a quick call before we go in. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Robert steps away from the van, taking out his phone, and dialing. When it connects, he asks. “Are you here? We are on the second floor parking deck.”

“I’m on the third floor.” The voice on the other end answers. “I’ll be right there!”

Robert paces, still holding the phone to his ear, for another minute, before going back to the van. “Ok, let’s get moving.”

As the girls file out of the van, a blonde blur bowled through them, knocking Amber against the side of the van.

“Amber!!!” Katie says excitedly. “It’s really you!!”

“Katie?” Amber asks, more than a bit stunned. “What?”

“I thought you might like to have her here.” Robert says. “She’s been texting for updates about you literally every day.”

“I missed you so much.” Katie says, still not letting go of Amber.

“I missed you too.” Amber says, voice cracking with emotion.

“No crying.” Lucia says. “We don’t need to redo makeup, we’ve got to get inside.”

Amber sniffles, holding in her tears. “Thank you for coming.”

Katie finally lets go of Amber, switching to holding her hand. “There is nowhere else I would be today. I’m still mad at you for ditching me at the truck stop, though.”

“I had to.” Amber says. “You would have kept driving me forever.”

“Probably.” Katie says.

“I’m sorry.” Amber says.

“I know.” Katie says. “Old news. Let’s get inside, and see about getting your girl back.”

As the girls walk together ahead of him, Robert can’t help but admire his girls, all in their black dresses they so recently picked out. Four very different girls, but all shown to their best. And Lindsey, but Robert didn’t spare her a second glance. This trip reinforced what he already knew. She just wasn’t one of his girls, and never would be.

*****

“All rise for the Honorable Judge Diego Sanchez-Martin.” The Bailiff calls as the judge enters the room.

Robert motions for the girls to get up, and rising himself, takes a moment to examine the judge. He is tall, with dark brown hair and mustache, and a light complexion that surprises Robert, given the name. The fact that this man was a judge, and not in a camp, is surprising.

“Be seated.” The judge says, taking a moment to look down at some paperwork, before looking around the courtroom. Looking at the Bailiff, he asks. “Are all parties present?”

“Yes, Your Honor.” The Bailiff says.

“Excellent.” He says, looking around the room again. “Parties for the Isabel Rodriguez case please rise.”

Robert and Amber rose, motioning for the rest of the girls to remain seated. Across the court room, Administrator Hunter and a man he didn’t recognize rose as well.

“Please approach.” The judge says, motioning to the empty area in front of the bench. Once everyone is standing there, he says. “I want to make this quick. As Jack here knows, there is a private auction in an hour, and I plan to be there.” He motions at the man next to Administrator Hunter. “As I understand it, Ms. Jones, you are stating that Isabel is your biological daughter, given up for adoption at birth. You now wish the state to return her to you. Is that correct?”

Amber nods nervously. “Yes, Sir.”

“Your Honor.” The Bailiff corrects her.

“Yes, Your Honor. Sorry, Your Honor.” Amber stammers.

Ignoring Amber’s apology, the judge looks at Administrator Hunter. “And you are questioning maternity, as well as fitness, is that correct?”

“Maternity is no longer in question, Your Honor.” Administrator Hunter reluctantly says. “But we still question fitness. Ms. Jones has a history of intimate relationships with now detained men. Her ability to properly raise a girl such as Isabel has to be questioned.”

“You are dropping challenge to her maternity claim?” The judge asks.

“The initial DNA test was inconclusive, so we did a direct comparison of the DNA samples for their initial testing, Your Honor. It is a positive match.” The man next to Administrator Hunter says. “The BAA is satisfied that Ms. Jones is Isabel’s biological mother.”

Administrator Hunter scowls as he says this, but doesn’t speak.

“Then we just need to determine fitness to parent.” The judge says. “Ms. Jones, one mistake with a Mestizo is one thing, but you then went on to have a relationship with a second detained person? Can you explain how this happened?”

Amber looks at Robert, shaking slightly. He nods, and she says. “When Isabel was born, my mother **** me to sign the paperwork for her adoption. A few months later, on my eighteenth birthday, she threw me out of the house with just some clothes. Becoming suddenly homeless at eighteen was very difficult, and I did not have many options. I regret some of the choices I made, but even more, I regret that my mother put me in a position to make those choices. If you allow me to parent Isabel, I will do everything I can to be the best mother possible, so that she never has to make those types of choices.”

“Is there anyone present who can attest to those circumstances?” The judge asks.

Katie pops up, and says. “I can, Your Honor.”

“Come forward.” He says, and when she does, he asks. “And you are?”

“Katie Johnson, Your Honor. I was Amber’s best friend and neighbor growing up.” Katie says.

“And is Ms. Jones’ testimony accurate?” The judge asks.

“She left something out, Your Honor.” Katie says.

“And what is that?” The judge says, a sudden gleam in his eye.

“That pig Luis **** himself on her.” Katie says. “She never wanted to be with him, but he kept pushing, and her mother was no help at all. She did throw her out after Isabel was born, despite her doing everything she asked.”

The judge looks at Administrator Hunter, and asks. “Is her mother present today?”

“No… Your Honor.” Administrator Hunter says.

“And why is that?” He asks.

“We didn’t think it was necessary.” Administrator Hunter says.

“Were you aware of the circumstances that Ms. Jones and Ms. Johnson have brought up today?” He asks.

“No, Your Honor.” Administrator Hunter says. “Even if what they are saying is true, Isabel is already settled in at our camp, and I believe that is the best place for her.”

“Ms. Jones, what is your relationship with Mr. Wolfe?” The judge asks.

“He is my Master, Your Honor.” Amber says. “I am a white card, but given my life so far, I need a strong figure in my life. He and his wife Jane were kind enough to be that for me.”

Looking back at Administrator Hunter, the judge asks. “Any claims about the fitness of Mr. Wolfe to raise Isabel?”

Looking at the man next to her for a moment, she pauses, before reluctantly saying. “No, Your Honor.”

“Thirty minutes until you need to leave for the auction, Your Honor.” The Bailiff says.

The judge nods. “This really isn’t that complicated. Even if we accept your reservations about Ms. Jones’ fitness, Mr. Wolfe is here, and you have no objections to him. Ms. Jones is a free woman, and has certain rights, including the right to claim her detained child, and to parent her. Given the **** around the original adoption, I’m inclined to allow Ms. Jones to reclaim her parental rights. The only question to be settled is compensation for the state’s loss of future value. Administrator Hunter, did you have a figure in mind?”

“Your Honor, we feel Forty thousand is a fair number.” Administrator Hunter says. “Isabel is an extraordinary child.”

Robert chokes, coughing loudly, which is thankfully covered by the Judge’s laugh. “No eight year-old girl is worth Forty thousand. Is the girl present?”

“No, Your Honor.” Administrator Hunter says.

“Jack, what does the average eighteen year-old sell for currently?” The judge asks.

“I don’t have the exact numbers, Your Honor.” Jack says. “But probably around Five thousand.”

“Your Honor, Isabel is far from average.” Administrator Hunter says.

The judge looks down at his watch, and thinks for a moment, before looking up. “Mr. Wolfe, Ms. Jones, any thoughts?”

Robert hesitates, unprepared to discuss the purchase price of an eight year-old. “No, Your Honor.” He eventually says.

“Administrator, I’m unhappy that you did not bring the girl here. Were she here, I could determine if she is actually an extraordinary child. I could postpone this hearing, but that would penalize Mr. Wolfe and Ms. Jones for your mistake. I’m setting the price of Isabel Rodriguez at Five thousand dollars, plus education camp expenses. We’ll call it Six thousand, Five hundred dollars in total. Mr. Wolfe, can you pay that today?” The judge asks.

Robert glances over at Amber, whose hands are white as they are clasped together. “Yes, Your Honor.”

“Excellent.” He says. “Then the adoption moves forward, pending the payment. Once payment is confirmed, the paperwork will be released to you. Administrator Hunter, you will release Isabel to the custody of Mr. Wolfe and Ms. Jones immediately upon their arrival at your camp with the paperwork. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Your Honor.” Administrator Hunter says reluctantly.

“Then court is adjourned.” The judge says, standing and walking from the room before the Bailiff can get everyone to stand.

Amber pauses, unsure of what to do, before Katie sweeps her into a hug. “You did it!!!” She shouts excitedly.

Robert hugs Amber quickly, before going over to Administrator Hunter and Jack. “I’d like to make the payment immediately, and pick up Isabel as soon as possible.”

“We’ve got a small BAA office downstairs, if you want to come with me, we can do the payment now.” Jack says. “Administrator, please return to the camp and get Isabel ready.”

Hunter huffs, walking off without a word.

“Sorry about her.” Jack says. “We haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Jack Hanson, Deputy BAA Director for the North Central California Region.”

“Robert Wolfe.” Robert says, shaking his hand. “Are you the person Tom’s been speaking to?”

“I am.” Jack says with a grin. “It’s a good thing he did too. The first test was ‘contaminated’, I think they were hoping that would push the hearing another day. When I found out, I ordered the comparison run directly from the database, and didn’t tell her until she showed up here.”

Robert grins back. “I bet she didn’t like that.”

“She didn’t.” Jack laughs. “That’s why Isabel and Amber’s mother aren’t here, by the way.”

“Thank you for that.” Robert says. “Is Isabel really that extraordinary?”

“I have no idea.” Jack says. “I suspect she was just trying to drive the price up though.”

“Master, can we go get her now?” Lucia asks, the rest of the girls and Katie behind her.

“Sorry.” Robert says, looking at Amber. “We need to go pay first. Do you girls want to come with me, or wait in the van?”

“Van.” Lindsey says immediately.

Robert fishes out his keys, handing them to Amber. “Stick together.”

As they walk away, Jack says. “Good looking group of girls. Are you in the market for any more? You could probably still make it to the private auction if you hurry. All girls between eighteen and twenty, virginity guaranteed.”

“The last thing I need is more.” Robert says. “I can barely keep track of the ones I’ve got, and I’ve got more at home.”

“Fair enough.” Jack says. “The office is this way.”

Robert follows him quietly until they reach the stairs, and the crowd thins out.

“So, what’s the deal with the judge?” Robert asks curiously.

“Diego?” Jack asks.

Robert nods, and Jack continues. “He’s from an old family in the area. He claims his great-great-whatever grandfather was one of the original grant holders from the Spanish government. The Spanish kept the local natives as slaves, and looked down on anyone who intermarried with them. Diego’s family has kept that prejudice to modern times. Apparently men in his family usually travel to Spain to find a wife, to make sure they don’t end up with someone who is ‘tainted’.”

“I’m surprised he’d be willing to buy concubines, given that.” Robert says.

“He only buys Asians.” Jack says. “For whatever reason, his prejudice doesn’t extend to them. He actually lobbied hard for Chinese and Japanese DNA to count towards the yellow/white/green card status, when this was still in the planning phase.”

“Odd.” Robert says.

“He’s an unusual guy.” Jack says. “He’s got interesting ideas about women in general, really. The fact that Amber has basically enslaved herself to you really helped. He isn’t a fan of women working outside of the home. Or of them voting. Or talking, really.”

“…” Robert starts to say something, but manages to keep it in.

*****

“I put it all on the credit card.” Robert says. “I wasn’t sure which other account had that much in it.”

“I’ll shuffle the money around.” Jane says. “Taylor had two vet jobs today, that should help. And we got into Layne’s online store. She’s actually got a decent balance in there that she never withdrew. I’m going to ask Tom about it, but I think we are probably safe to take that, in addition to any future sales.”

“That’s a relief.” Robert says. “We are going to get Isabel as soon as I get back to the van. Did you and the girls come up with any other ideas for us to get home?”

“Commercial flights are out of the question, the train is crazy expensive, a rental van that far would be expensive too.” Jane says. “Your options are flying semi-private, which bypasses most of TSA, so that security only takes like five minutes, or buying a SUV or van.”

“We really don’t have the money to buy a vehicle right now.” Robert says. “How much are the flights?”

“Most of them don’t go quite where we want, but there is one that’s a subscription service. I have to pay like $100 to join and get access to the actual prices. Do you want me to do that?” Jane asks.

“We may as well.” Robert says. “I’m almost to the van, if you all could figure that out, I’d really appreciate it.”

“We’ve got it.” Jane says. “I love you. Be safe.”

“I love you too.” Robert says, hanging up just as he sees the group of women crowded around the van.

“Everything done?” Lucia asks.

Robert holds up the folder. “Adoption certificate is in here, we are good to go.”

“Thank you so much!!!” Amber says, hugging him tightly for a moment.

“I’m going to follow you guys.” Katie says. “I’ve got a few more hours before I need to be home.”

“Sounds good.” Robert says. “Do you have the camp address, in case we get separated in traffic?”

“Yep.” Katie says, walking briskly to her car.

As they pull out of the garage, Amber practically vibrates with excitement.

“I’m so excited for you, Mistress.” Emily says. “Do you think she knows about you?”

“I don’t know.” Amber says. “Do people tell their adopted kids about their birth parents?”

“They should.” Robert says. “At least, if they know anything. Many don’t, though.”

“Is that something you know from experience?” Lucia asks softly.

Robert nods, throat tightening enough to keep him from speaking.

“I’m sorry.” Lucia says. “I’ll drop it.”

Robert nods again, and the conversation quiets a bit. After a few moments of silence, he says. “I spoke to Jane about travel arrangements. It looks like we are either buying a car, or flying back semi-private. We’d still have to go through some security, but not nearly as much. Apparently it’s normally a five minute process.”

“I really don’t want to go through any security.” Lindsey says. “Imagine going through that again, with a child.”

“That’s why we aren’t flying commercial.” Robert says with the tiniest bit of frustration in his tone. “From what I understand, it’s literally just one guy with a wand. I don’t think they even scan the baggage.”

“Driving would be better.” Lindsey says. “Then we don’t have to worry about security at all.”

“Driving has some other downsides.” Robert says. “Like, it’ll take us several days to get home, even if we take turns driving, and don’t stop for the night.”

“I’ll drive the night shift.” Lindsey says. “Get me a sleeping mask and ear plugs, and I can sleep during the day.”

“That still means buying a van or SUV.” Robert says. “Cross country rentals are impossible to find right now. And money is a bit tight at the moment.”

“What about leasing one?” Emily asks. “I think there are leases with almost nothing down.”

“Leases are mileage restricted.” Robert says. “If we used it for a cross country trip, we’d have to be careful about using it much it for the rest of the lease.”

“I’ll see if I can find something used with enough seats for us that is cheap.” Lucia says.

“What about electric cars?” Samira asks. “Doesn’t California give all kinds of tax breaks for buying one? Are there any big enough for us?”

“Even if we qualified for those, and I don’t think we do, I doubt an electric van would go very far before needing to charge.” Robert says. “Going across most of the country one-hundred and fifty miles at a time sounds awful.”

“We’ll figure it out.” Lucia says. Looking back at the rest of the group, she says. “If you find any options, put them in the girls’ chat.”

“The ever secret girls’ chat.” Robert says. “One day I’m going to have to find out what you all discuss in there.”

“Mostly stuff guys don’t want to know about.” Samira says. “Trust me.”

“I think I will.” Robert says, after only half a second of thought. “Forget I ever asked.”

Robert pulls into the camp a few minutes later, barely stopping the van before Amber unbuckles herself and throws open the door.

“Wait for me, Amber.” Robert says, getting out as quickly as he can.

“Paperwork.” Lucia says, holding up the envelope.

Robert reaches back in, grabbing it, before going through the door that Amber had just vanished into. As he adjusts to the darker room, he hears voices coming from the hallway to the Administrator’s office. Moving quickly in that direction, he finds a very different Amber waiting for him.

“… coming with the paperwork.” Amber says. “I want to see my daughter now!”

“We aren’t doing anything until we see the paperwork, and confirm it’s valid.” Claire says.

“It’s right here.” Robert says. “And it’s completely valid. If you don’t believe me, call Jack. But make it fast. The judge wasn’t amused by Hunter’s attempts to stall in court. I suspect he would be even less amused by you second guessing his paperwork.”

“One moment.” Claire says, picking up her desk phone. A moment later, Robert hears a faint ringing coming from the Administrator’s office.

“You have two minutes.” Robert says, patting his pockets, and realizing he has forgotten his phone in the van. “Either produce Isabel, or we’ll start making calls.”

Claire talks quietly into the phone, and Robert can’t quite make it out. After a few moments, she hangs up. “Administrator Hunter will be out in a moment to look at the paperwork.”

“She was in court, and she knew we were right behind her.” Robert says. “Isabel should have been packed and waiting at the door.”

“Relax.” Robert hears as the office door opens. “Isabel is on her way here now. She’s saying goodbye to her friends.”

“If this is another stalling tactic, I promise you, I will make sure the judge hears about it.” Robert says.

“It’s not.” Administrator Hunter says. “Just take a seat, she’ll be here momentarily. In the meantime, let’s see the paperwork.”

Robert gestures to the folder on Claire’s desk, and she opens it, scrutinizing the document carefully, even walking over to hold it to the window while she inspects the seal on it, before returning it to the folder. “It appears to be in order.” She admits.

“It’s ridiculous to think it wouldn’t be.” Robert says. “You knew we were coming, with the adoption paperwork. What did you think, we decided to skip the payment and find a forger in the last fifteen minutes?”

“You can never be too careful.” Claire says.

As Robert is about to speak, he hears footsteps behind them, and a muffled squeak from Amber. Turning, Robert sees her, face over her hands, staring at a little girl who could be her twin, if she wasn’t so short. Following her is a large black woman, neck covered in what appears to be a shock collar.

“You may go, Zuri.” The Administrator says. As the woman turns to leave, she continues. “Isabel, this is your new mother and father. You will be leaving with them now.”

Her face scrunches up, the same way Amber’s had done in her first days with them, when she was deeply confused by Robert and Jane’s treatment of her.

“I thought my mommy and daddy were here.” Isabel says. “Miss Zuri said they were.”

“You will never see them again.” Administrator Hunter says. “These are your new parents. And remember how you address your betters, young lady.”

“Isabel?” Amber says, dropping to one knee on the carpet.

“Yes?” Isabel says, looking at her nervously and wringing her hands.

Amber breathes in deeply, clearly steeling herself for an explanation of who she is, when the front door bangs open.

“Where are you guys?” Katie yells. Robert pauses, not sure if he should answer, when she appears in the hallway. “Oh my God!!!” She says, rushing towards them. “She looks just like you.”

“Who are you?” Isabel asks, shrinking away from her, and inadvertently, towards Amber.

“Katie.” Robert says. “Can you give us a minute, please?”

“Oh…” Katie says, seeing the look on Amber’s face. “Sorry.”

Robert looks at Amber, who appears to be frozen, staring at Isabel.

“Isabel, my name is Robert.” Robert says, getting down on one knee so the girl doesn’t have to stare up at him. “This is my friend Amber. And the loud lady is her friend Katie. We have a few more friends outside who would like to meet you too. We’d like you to come live with us.”

Isabel looks at him, and then back at Claire and Administrator Hunter. “Do I have to share my room?” She asks.

“You can have your own room.” Robert says.

Isabel hesitates, looking around the room again. “Do I have to call you mommy and daddy?”

“No.” Robert says. “You can just call us by our names.”

“Ok.” Isabel says, clearly nervous at the idea of leaving with strangers.

“What’s your favorite food?” Robert asks.

“Strawberry Ice cream!” Isabel answers quickly. “But not the stuff that comes with the wooden spoons. That’s icky.”

“That’s my favorite too.” Amber says softly, wiping tears from her eyes.

“Really?!?” Isabel says, really looking at Amber for the first time since Katie burst into the room. “Are you sad?”

“No.” Amber says, trying to compose herself. “I’m so happy.”

“Why don’t we go get some ice cream?” Robert says. “You can meet the rest of our friends while we drive to the store.”

Isabel nods, stepping closer to Amber. She holds out her hand, and Amber quickly takes it in hers, staring at her for another moment, before rising and forcing herself to slowly exit the room, so as not to drag Isabel. Robert turns around, grabbing the adoption paperwork from the desk, and leaves before either of the two BAA employees can say anything to ruin the moment.

When Robert emerges, he finds the van has emptied, and nearly everyone is gathered around Amber and Isabel. Seeing Isabel attempting to hide behind Amber’s legs, Robert intervenes. “Ladies, give them a little space. Maybe you can introduce yourselves one at a time, so you don’t overwhelm her.”

“Your phone keeps going off.” Lucia says from beside him, making him jump.

Taking the phone from her, he opens it, seeing seven missed calls from a number he doesn’t recognize. A few voicemails, and a text are present as well. Opening the text, he sees: “This is Shannon. We have a situation with an employee. I’ve already briefed Marsha. Please call me back as soon as you get this. It’s urgent.”

“Shit.” Robert mutters.

“Work?” Lucia asks.

Robert nods. “I need to return this call. Can you make sure they don’t mob the poor girl? Amber hasn’t gotten to properly introduce herself yet either.”

“I’ve got it.” Lucia says, stepping towards the crowd.

Robert dials the number, and Shannon picks up on the first ring. “Hey, Boss. Sorry for going to Marsha, but the situation is urgent.”

“What is the situation, exactly?” Robert asks.

“Apparently there is a video going viral showing one of our employees abusing a concubine in public.” Shannon says. “At least one news outlet has already reported his name. It won’t be long before they start reporting where he works.”

“Shit.” Robert says, and a moment later, it clicks. “This isn’t the video of the naked woman being beaten in a store, is it?”

“That’s the one.” Shannon says. “He’s one of our project managers.”

“Shit, shit.” Robert says again. “What did Marsha say?”

“She wants to talk to you about it, ASAP.” Shannon says. “How well do you know Marsha?”

“Not well.” Robert says. “This is the first incident we’ve had since I took this position.”

“Marsha generally expects people to walk into meetings with potential solutions.” Shannon says. “If you show up and ask her what to do, she won’t be happy.”

“I get it.” Robert says. “After all, if she wanted to figure that out, she wouldn’t need me.”

“Exactly.” Shannon says. “I can stall a bit on letting her know I’ve made contact with you, but you need to call her back as soon as you have an idea of what to do.”

“Obviously we have to fire him.” Robert says. “We can’t have someone on staff who creates scenes like this, when a decent proportion of the population isn’t exactly enthusiastic about the BAA in the first place.”

“True.” Shannon says. “But Marsha is going to want to know how we minimize the damage, if our company name gets reported. Simply firing him won’t be enough, in that case.”

“And we need him not to make headlines again, if we can help it.” Robert says. “I think I’ve got an idea there.”

“Great!” Shannon says. “Oh, and Marsha mentions you’ve got someone else starting soon?”

“One of my old direct reports, Bill.” Robert says. “He’s not used to the HR side of things, but I at least know his strengths and limitations. We still need one more, I’ll have to do more interviews next week. Bill is starting on Monday, I think.”

“That’s what Marsha mentioned.” Shannon says. “I’m happy to do the basic departmental on-boarding. I’ve taken the liberty of drawing up some basic departmental policies.”

“Sure…” Robert says. “Send over the policies, I’ll read them when I can. I should probably call Marsha now.”

As Robert hangs up, he looks up to see that everyone, except Katie and Amber, are back in the van. As he walks up, the two hug, and then Katie says. “I’ve got to get home, it’s a long drive back to Sacramento, and I don’t want to leave the kids with my sister for too long. She’s not really used to kids yet.”

“Thank you for coming.” Robert says. “I think it’s good that you two have reconnected.”

“I think so too, Master.” Amber says, wiping away tears. “Thank you, Katie.”

“Any time.” Katie says, giving her one last hug, before opening her car door. “Keep in touch.”

As she pulls away, Robert asks. “You ok?”

Amber nods. “Isabel took a bit to warm up, like in the office, but she seems good now. Excited about ice cream. That was a good idea.”

“After being in there for a while, I figured she might be craving something.” Robert says. “I’m just glad it’s something we can easily get.”

*****

When they pull into the grocery store parking lot, Robert glances around, gladly observing that there are not many people shopping on a Wednesday. He asks. “Can you girls handle this? I really need to make another work call.”

“We’ve got it, Master.” Amber says, opening the door, and holding out her hand to help Isabel out of the van.

Isabel ignores it, jumping out of the van in a way that Robert would not attempt for any amount of money. As the rest of the girls assemble, Lucia asks. “Do you want me to get you anything?”

“Chocolate maybe?” Robert suggests. “I don’t know if we are going to be here for more than another day, so just don’t go crazy.”

As they walk into the store, Robert makes the call to Marsha.

“So, Shannon did finally get ahold of you…” Marsha says.

“Sorry about that.” Robert says. “I was collecting Amber’s daughter… I suppose I should say, my daughter, from the camp.”

“Speaking of which, we need a copy of the decree to add her to your insurance.” Marsha says. “You have thirty days from today, or you have to wait for open enrollment. Shannon can handle it for you, if you send her a copy.”

“Thanks.” Robert says. “And she did make contact, and let me know what was going on. I had a few ideas about how to handle it, but I suppose we should start with figuring out what result we want. I’m assuming we want this guy off the payroll ASAP?”

“Off the payroll, but not quite immediately.” Marsha says. “First, we need to secure the concubine. The last thing we need is for him to do this again, and make even bigger news. In the meantime, he needs to be suspended. After a few days on suspension, we can tell him he’s being terminated.”

“Agreed.” Robert says. “Any ideas for how to get him to give her up, though? If he wanted to own her in particular, rather than just any concubine, he might not be eager to let her go.”

“That’s why we do the suspension first.” Marsha says. “We make it plain that in order for him not to be immediately terminated for conduct detrimental to the company, he must sell her to us. If he refuses, he’s termed. If he accepts, he gets suspended, and then termed.”

“Sounds reasonable.” Robert says, having no idea if this was standard in HR. “How does this normally go down? In the past I’d deliver the news as the supervisor, with someone from your team on the call in case it went sideways.”

“His boss was detained.” Marsha says. “They haven’t filled the role yet, and the CIO isn’t going to deliver the news. Given the nature of the situation, I’ve decided to let you run with it.”

“Thanks…” Robert says, trying very hard not to sound sarcastic. “I can send a meeting invite to him this evening, maybe for tomorrow morning. We are probably going to be traveling for the next few days, and I’d rather not do this on cell signal.”

“This needs to be done in person.” Marsha says. “After all, we need to take delivery of the concubine. He’s in Arkansas, I was thinking you could stop on your way home. We can do the actual firing virtually, if anything, that would actually be the preferred way to handle that.”

“Preferred, why?” Robert asks.

“Long term employees react poorly to being fired.” Marsha says. “Sometimes it’s just crying, but other times… Let’s just say, I wouldn’t be willing to fire someone while standing in their living room.”

“Great.” Robert says. “Does this guy have a history I need to know about?”

“He had a suspension a few years ago when he was passed over for a promotion.” Marsha admits. “He reacted… poorly.”

“I’ve got a little girl and five women with me.” Robert says.

“I don’t recommend taking them to his house.” Marsha says. “We can secure a conference room at a local hotel, that would probably be better.”

“It would.” Robert says. “If the hotel has security, that would be even better.”

“I’ll let you figure that out.” Marsha says. “You mentioned traveling for several days. I take it you aren’t flying back commercial?”

“I can’t.” Robert says. “It was a disaster last time. Nothing would get me to do that again, with a child in tow this time.”

“They probably wouldn’t hassle you as much if you have a child with you.” Marsha observes. “So, what’s the plan? Driving?”

“Probably.” Robert admits.

“That won’t work.” Marsha says. “It’ll take you at least two days to get there from your location. Even if you left now, you wouldn’t get there until the weekend. I don’t imagine you want to sit in Arkansas for days. And the CEO wants this dealt with ASAP.”

“No…” Robert sighs. “My wife is looking into other flight options, but I doubt I can afford it, even if they do go to a random town in Arkansas.”

“We have a contract with a company for executive flights…” Marsha says. “It’s usually a benefit that Director level employees get, but I’ll see if we can use it for this, since it’s work related, and time sensitive.”

“That would be helpful.” Robert says.

“I’ll send you an email when I have details.” Marsha says. “Do you know how to book hotels through the company portal?”

“I didn’t know that was a thing.” Robert admits.

“Once we get the flight figured out, have Shannon do it for you, then.” Marsha says. “She can take care of booking a conference room at the same time.”

When Robert gets off the phone, he pauses for a moment. “Shit, I didn’t ask what to do with the girl once I get her. Or if there is a budget for this.” He thinks. He fires off a quick email to Shannon to update her on the situation, and included a picture of the adoption paperwork, with the request to get Isabel on his insurance. “I need to add the rest of the girls too.” He thinks.

Getting out of the van, he paces and dials Jane’s number.

“Hey, honey!” He hears, Jane sounding slightly out of breath.

“Hey yourself.” He says. “You sound busy, do you have a minute?”

“Sorry, just trying to get this place cleaned up.” Jane says. “I just got back from taking Taylor to a vet job. She made us Three hundred bucks today, by the way.”

“That’s great.” Robert says. “We may have the travel situation at least partially solved.”

“How?” Jane asks, curiosity obvious.

Robert proceeds to explain the situation, stopping himself halfway through the story to tell her about picking up Isabel, before continuing on to explain the potential travel plans.

“So, how do we get you back from Arkansas?” Jane asks. “That’s closer than California, but it’s not exactly a popular destination.”

“I’m going to ask if they can just fly us on from there.” Robert says. “If not, maybe they can take the girls back, and I can fly commercial.”

“You sound super stressed.” Jane says. “I’d rather you kept someone with you.”

“Lucia’s been sick, Samira needs to stay with her, Emily and Amber shouldn’t be split up right now, and Lindsey is not helpful.” Robert says. “If they go back, I’d rather they all go.”

“Ok, Ok.” Jane says. “Should we keep looking at options? The cheapest I’ve found was like twelve grand, had three connections, and ended up with you about five hundred miles from home.”

“Just hold for now.” Robert says. “There is one other thing…”

“And that is?” Jane asks.

“The reason they want me to go in person is the concubine.” Robert says. “They want me to talk him into signing her over, or else be fired. I have no idea what they want me to do once I get her, so I guess she may be coming back with me.”

“Do we know what she was being punished for?” Jane asks. “I mean, is she dangerous? I should have sent Reyna with you.”

“You know everything I do.” Robert says. “And I feel better knowing Reyna is there with you.”

“Well, I’m glad you have peace of mind.” Jane says. “If you have to keep traveling for work, we are buying a second bodyguard.”

“We can’t afford anyone else.” Robert says.

“I need peace of mind too.” Jane says. “I’m not asking, I’m telling.”

Robert sighs. “I love you.”

“And I love you.” Jane says playfully. “Where are you now?”

“Grocery store.” Robert says. “I thought some ice cream might help Isabel settle in tonight.”

“Bribery does usually work with eight year-olds.” Jane says.

“Let’s hope.” Robert says. “She’s keeping herself together, but we probably should have brought fewer people. I can tell we are a bit overwhelming.”

“She’ll be fine.” Jane says dismissively. “Ice cream covers a multitude of sins.”

“Yeah...” Robert says hesitantly. “I need to go check on them. I’ll let you know when I hear back about the travel plans.”

“Have a good night. Text me later and let me know how Isabel is settling in before you go to bed.” Jane says.

Robert looks up when the call ends, seeing the girls coming his way, holding several bags of groceries, while Isabel eats a popsicle.

“Couldn’t wait until we got back to the Airbnb?” Robert asks.

Isabel shakes her head.

“Let’s get loaded up.” Robert says. “Plans have changed a bit, but it looks like we aren’t going straight home.”