school this fall.”
He didn’t comment knowing any further discussion should be out of the house.
Rachel walked into a small bathroom. “There’s my treasure.” She grinned down at the baby being wrapped into a towel. “Come see me.” She reached down and scooped up the baby making her giggle. “Connie, this is Steven. Can you get him Ricky’s file? I’ll get this squirm into her jammies.”
A tall heavyset woman with flyaway curly blonde hair stood up and wiped a hand down her jeans before reaching for Steven’s hand.
“Thanks for coming.”
He grinned. “It’s no trouble.” He watched her walk out quickly. Turning he followed the sound of a chattering woman and giggling child. He found Rachel on the floor with a bouncing dark haired little girl wearing a diaper now.
Steven leaned against the door and watched quietly. The small child looked up at him with huge eyes for a moment before grinned showing her tiny teeth.
“Haley you’re such a flirt!” Rachel laughed as she scooped her up and dumped her on the bed playfully. “We have to get you dressed.”
He watched her playfully wrestle the child into a sleeper, with the child giggling and trying to escape.
“It will take me longer to get her to bed now.”
He turned to see the tall woman standing behind him and grinned. “She’s good at getting kids going, but can settle them down when needed.”
Connie nodded. “She should run a day care or foster home or something, she never tires of them.” Blowing the hair back from her eyes she smiled. “I used to think I was like that.” She held out a folder. “This is Ricky’s, we keep everything in a folder in case they are adopted out or move on.”
Nodding he took the folder. “I will want to take this with me, if that’s okay. I’m going to run some tests on him once I see what needs to be done.”
She crossed her arms and leaned back against the railing. “Anything you can find out would be great. He’s such a sweet kid, he doesn’t deserve the life he’s been given.”
He nodded not knowing what else to add to that.
Rachel stepped out with the cuddling child. “You have to go back to Connie now my little treasure. I have to go see Ricky.”
He watched the child cuddle into her neck and hold her.
She laughed. “Cuddling up isn’t going to get you out of bedtime. Give Rach a kiss ’nite.”
The chubby little hands grabbed Rachel’s face and pressed her lips to her. Turning he was surprised when she reached out to him. He closed the folder and pulled her out of Rachel’s arms. The tiny body cuddled into his shoulder immediately. “She’s going to be a heart breaker,” he said to Rachel with a grin on his face. Lifting her head the sweetfaced child grabbed his face and kissed him.
Connie pulled the clinging baby out of his arms. “I’ll see if I can get this little flirt to sleep while you go see Ricky.”
Rachel stood there and gave Steven a teary look. “He’s this way.” He watched her serious look disappear and a big smile replace it as she walked to the end of the hall and opened a door peaking in. “Hey buddy, guess who is back.”
Steven watched a pale blonde haired child smile.
“Rach,” the boy whispered.
She was beside the bed in a few strides and pulling him into her lap. “Good day, bad day?”
He rested his head against her chest and wrapped thin arms around her. “Bad. I keep going to sleep.”
She hugged him gently. “Well, when your body needs it, Bud, it just does it.” She looked over at Steven. “I brought a friend with me.”
He watched the frail child turn his head and study him silently.
“I told you my friend was a doctor, remember? He wanted to come along and meet you.”
The blue eyes moved over him slowly. “Does he play football too?”
Steven smiled and sat on the end of the bed feeling as large as he probably looked to the small boy.
Rachel laughed. “I don’t think so. Let’s get you propped up here so we can talk.” Moving she flipped his
He didn’t comment knowing any further discussion should be out of the house.
Rachel walked into a small bathroom. “There’s my treasure.” She grinned down at the baby being wrapped into a towel. “Come see me.” She reached down and scooped up the baby making her giggle. “Connie, this is Steven. Can you get him Ricky’s file? I’ll get this squirm into her jammies.”
A tall heavyset woman with flyaway curly blonde hair stood up and wiped a hand down her jeans before reaching for Steven’s hand.
“Thanks for coming.”
He grinned. “It’s no trouble.” He watched her walk out quickly. Turning he followed the sound of a chattering woman and giggling child. He found Rachel on the floor with a bouncing dark haired little girl wearing a diaper now.
Steven leaned against the door and watched quietly. The small child looked up at him with huge eyes for a moment before grinned showing her tiny teeth.
“Haley you’re such a flirt!” Rachel laughed as she scooped her up and dumped her on the bed playfully. “We have to get you dressed.”
He watched her playfully wrestle the child into a sleeper, with the child giggling and trying to escape.
“It will take me longer to get her to bed now.”
He turned to see the tall woman standing behind him and grinned. “She’s good at getting kids going, but can settle them down when needed.”
Connie nodded. “She should run a day care or foster home or something, she never tires of them.” Blowing the hair back from her eyes she smiled. “I used to think I was like that.” She held out a folder. “This is Ricky’s, we keep everything in a folder in case they are adopted out or move on.”
Nodding he took the folder. “I will want to take this with me, if that’s okay. I’m going to run some tests on him once I see what needs to be done.”
She crossed her arms and leaned back against the railing. “Anything you can find out would be great. He’s such a sweet kid, he doesn’t deserve the life he’s been given.”
He nodded not knowing what else to add to that.
Rachel stepped out with the cuddling child. “You have to go back to Connie now my little treasure. I have to go see Ricky.”
He watched the child cuddle into her neck and hold her.
She laughed. “Cuddling up isn’t going to get you out of bedtime. Give Rach a kiss ’nite.”
The chubby little hands grabbed Rachel’s face and pressed her lips to her. Turning he was surprised when she reached out to him. He closed the folder and pulled her out of Rachel’s arms. The tiny body cuddled into his shoulder immediately. “She’s going to be a heart breaker,” he said to Rachel with a grin on his face. Lifting her head the sweetfaced child grabbed his face and kissed him.
Connie pulled the clinging baby out of his arms. “I’ll see if I can get this little flirt to sleep while you go see Ricky.”
Rachel stood there and gave Steven a teary look. “He’s this way.” He watched her serious look disappear and a big smile replace it as she walked to the end of the hall and opened a door peaking in. “Hey buddy, guess who is back.”
Steven watched a pale blonde haired child smile.
“Rach,” the boy whispered.
She was beside the bed in a few strides and pulling him into her lap. “Good day, bad day?”
He rested his head against her chest and wrapped thin arms around her. “Bad. I keep going to sleep.”
She hugged him gently. “Well, when your body needs it, Bud, it just does it.” She looked over at Steven. “I brought a friend with me.”
He watched the frail child turn his head and study him silently.
“I told you my friend was a doctor, remember? He wanted to come along and meet you.”
The blue eyes moved over him slowly. “Does he play football too?”
Steven smiled and sat on the end of the bed feeling as large as he probably looked to the small boy.
Rachel laughed. “I don’t think so. Let’s get you propped up here so we can talk.” Moving she flipped his
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