#the walking queue

[thewalkingplumbob]

Previously / Legacy Tag

Transcript below:

Meanwhile...

Daycare associate: Can I help you?

???: I'm here to pick up Luca Francisco. There's been a...family emergency.

Daycare associate: Oh? Well I can only release him to you if you're one of his safe contacts--

"Naomi": I'm his Aunt, Naomi Kibo.

Daycare associate: Okay... Well you're on the list. So just sign here and you can take him.

Kiara: It's going to be alright, my baby boy. You're back where you belong.

[thewalkingplumbob]

Previously / Legacy Tag

Transcript below:

*splish* *splash*

*unintelligible fish noises*

Luca: I a fishy mama!

[thewalkingplumbob]

Previously / Legacy Tag

Transcript below:

*water running*

*Luca reading loudly*

Emely: Looks like someone's tired and ready for bed.

Reila, whispering: He's pretending so he doesn't have to get a bath.

*actually wide awake*

*splash*

Reila: See, bath time isn't so bad. It's just like when you play in the pool outside.

*sounds from Luca's room*

Reila, reading: ...and Denny the Dino said "Rawr! You won't hurt my friends again, Mr. Caveman!"

[thewalkingplumbob]

[Beginning] [Previous] [Next]

English class was over and Aubrie gathered up her textbook, ready to follow Liam out to the hallway. Before she could leave, Mr. Olsen called her over to his desk.

Mr. Olsen: You’re Aubrielle Burke, right? Uh... Mrs. Douglas mentioned your name in her notes to me.

Aubrie, surprised: She did?!

Mr. Olsen: She said you’re a very talented writer. Judging by your homework assignment, I’d have to agree with her assessment.

Aubrie didn’t know what to say. She was flattered, but for some reason she felt uneasy receiving the compliment from Mr. Olsen.

Aubrie: O-oh. Well, um, thanks.

Mr. Olsen: The reason I wanted to talk to you was to invite you to join my after school writing program. It mostly focuses on essay and short story writing. It’s meant to help prepare students for the SATs, ACTs, college English classes... Y’know, stuff like that.

Aubrie: I’m flattered. But--

Mr. Olsen, standing up: Just take a day to think about it.

Aubrie, small smile: I will. Thank you for the offer, Mr. Olsen.

Aubrie gave a polite smile and started walking towards the door, eager to meet up with Liam and tell him about the offer. Mr. Olsen didn’t follow her. Instead, he simply watched her leave, a sly expression on his face.

Mr. Olsen, quietly: This is going to be fun...

[thewalkingplumbob]

Previously / Legacy Tag

Transcript below:

*has the right to remain silent*

Emely: C'mon buddy, you can do it. Say "please" and "thank you".

Luca, quiet: No wanna, mama...

Emely, sighing: Okay. We've been at this for too long anyway. Want to go play?

Luca, happy: Yeah! Pway time!

[thewalkingplumbob]

Get an apartment, they said.

It'll be fun, they said.

[thewalkingplumbob]

Previously / Legacy Tag

After about a ten minute wait, Reila and Emely were finally called up to the second floor to meet with Officer Clifford.

Officer Clifford: Thanks for taking the time to meet with me. I imagine the wait couldn't have been easy. Our forensics department has been behind, so I'd like to apologize on their behalf.

Reila: I'm just glad you called to update us on the case.

Officer Clifford: Of course. So forensics was able to remove the ink covering the name on the birth certificate. Do either of you know anyone by the name of Kiara Francisco?

There was silence as Reila and Emely looked at Officer Clifford in shock. Luca was Kiara's baby? Why did she abandon him? Why did she abandon him on their front porch? How did she find their address? They had so many questions.

Officer Clifford: It seems you're surprised by this information. Did you know her?

Reila: Y-yeah. She was my college dormmate for while. But I haven't seen her since, geez, it's been a long time.

Emely: Are you sure it's her?

Officer Clifford: Yes, her fingerprints were also all over the birth certificate.

Reila: So what happens now? Does she get Luca back?

Officer Clifford: Well, despite knowing her identity, we haven't been able to locate her. Newcrest law states that abandonment of a child for longer than 30 days will result in parental rights being terminated.

Emely: So that means...

Officer Clifford: It means that Luca is now a ward of the state. He'll be placed in a permanent foster home as soon as we find one.

Reila: What about us? We put in our application to foster but we haven't heard anything back. It's been weeks.

Officer Clifford: You didn't get a call? It says here that you have a home visit from a social worker next week.

Reila and Emely: What?!

Officer Clifford: Your application has been approved and all that's left is a home inspection. It's mostly a formality; it's just to make sure your home is fit to raise a child in. If that goes well, you should be able to foster Luca right away.

Reila: Thanks for letting us know, Officer Clifford.

[thewalkingplumbob]

Previously / Legacy Tag

Reila and Emely were finishing getting ready for their night out when the doorbell rang.

Reila: Were we expecting company tonight?

Emely: I don't think so?

Reila headed downstairs wondering who could be visiting without calling ahead. She looked through the peephole but saw nothing. Confused, she opened the door. What she saw had her yelling for Emely to come quick.

On their front porch was a sleeping baby boy in basket with an envelope attached.

Emely, nearly out of breath from running: What the--

Reila, still in shock, opened up the envelope. A crinkled up piece of paper fell out.

Reila: I...I don't understand. Who would just leave a baby here, to us?

Emely: I have no idea. But we should call the police. Maybe he's been kidnapped or something.

Reila bent down and picked up the sleeping infant, who slowly opened his eyes and stared up at her with nothing but trust in his tiny gaze.

Reila: Yeah, we need to call the police. But babe? I don't think he was left here as a mistake. I think whoever his mother is, she wanted us to have him.

Emely, quiet: Are we even ready to raise a baby? Let's...talk to the police first.