Noble pulled her hands away like her husband was made of hot coals. "That's not funny."
"You don't want to adopt her?" Fort furrowed his brow.
"We talked about this when we first came. I refuse to try to replace Seb." Noble swallowed, feeling the stinging sensation in her eyes once more.
"We can never replace Seb. But there is no doubt in my mind that he would be overjoyed to know we opened our home and our hearts to another. Love is not finite. Surely you know that." Fort took up her hand once more, this time determined not to let it go.
Her eyes fixed squarely on the ground, Noble's voice was strained. "Even if we have the desire, there is no way to adopt her. You know how the laws work. We were told very firmly when we were approved for Seb's adoption that a family is only allowed to adopt once. They tried to dissuade us from wasting our one time on a child so old. I don't think it was a waste at all, for the record. I would do it again in a heartbeat. But it limits our options right now. Unless you are suggesting I join one of the Legacy Clans. They have enough power to get around the more mundane ordinances…"
"I am not suggesting you join a legacy clan," Fort said firmly. "I would never ask that of you. In searching through our paperwork, I found another loophole. I have since had it confirmed."
"A loophole?" Noble felt like she was being thrown for a loop herself. What nonsense was her husband talking?
"In the unfortunate event that the adopted child dies, the family is released from their agreement. Our status currently is just like it was before Seb legally became ours." Fort explained. "We can adopt again."
"But the expense! We used all of our money the last time and even had to borrow from my mother. We cannot afford to do that again." Noble did not let her husband fan the ember of hope in her soul. They had only just finished paying back her mother before Seb was infected.
Adopting a child was insanely expensive. The cost was one of many preventative measures to keep the population stable and prevent too many from escaping the outskirts.
While Noble had no doubt this adorable little child would be wanted and adopted by someone, most children in Orphanage 113 would never remotely have that chance. It was a sad fact of life. Money couldn't solve all problems, but having enough of it certainly did help.
"I have some news on that front." Fort straightened his shoulders. "I have been offered a promotion. I will work directly for the deputy director of my department. It comes with a considerable pay raise. We might still have to borrow some from your mother, but not nearly as much as last time."
Noble pressed her lips together. "I refuse to borrow from Mom. It is unfair of us to ask her to do that again, though I know she would be willing."
Fort deflated like a balloon.
"Before you get too unhappy, I think I may have found a solution before knowing there was a problem. I was going to tell you tonight. Today is my last day at the Orphanage for a very simple reason. I called yesterday and accepted the position at the Awakened Academy. We still have to settle a few things but I go in on Monday to finalize my new job. I am going to be a professor." Noble let the words sink in.
"An Awakened professor?" Fort blinked a couple of times. "My love, that's wonderful! You will help so many young people, probably helping to save their lives!"
"I realized while volunteering here that helping others is something I really enjoy. I know you already told me this before, but now I believe it too. I can make a difference at the Academy for the good of humanity." Noble blushed slightly.
She felt a little pompous declaring her own worth in such a way, but she would work hard to live up to those words each and every day.
"I'm so proud of you for taking this step." Fort leaned out of his chair and hugged his wife.
"Thank you," Noble felt her heart flutter with his praise. "I am very excited for you and your job as well. I should have said it sooner."
"You were a little distracted by my statement right before. You can congratulate me later." Fort winked.
"It seems we will have a few things to celebrate. With our combined incomes, we should have enough to fund the adoption without asking for help." Noble's eyes became so deep blue they were purple. It was a color that Fort hadn't seen in months and it made his own heart soar.
"So then, you agree? You want to become parents again?" Fort waited, watching his wife's face carefully.
"If it were any other child, I would think we were out of our minds. But that little one is special. She needs a home. And I think it should be ours." As Noble spoke the words, she felt a great weight be lifted from her shoulders. "Let's tell Opal we would like to start the paperwork."
"No need." The handsome man suddenly looked like the cat that ate the canary. "She already has most of the paperwork she needs."
The woman froze. "What do you mean? There are the evaluations, interviews, home study, trainings…"
"Which have all been completed before and expire only after four years." Fort opened his hands, grinning like a fool while his wife did the math. "The only one I had to have updated was the home inspection since we moved into our home right after we got married. I called in a favor to get that part expedited while you were gone last week."
"You…you've been planning this since last week?" Noble's head began to spin.
"I felt the pull as soon as I saw the little angel as well. You coming back here over and over only confirmed my initial thought. The least I could do was get all of the pieces in place to make that dream come true." Fort was taken aback as his wife flew from her chair and wrapped his arms around his neck.
She kissed him long and hard before pressing her forehead up against his. "You are the most wonderful man I have ever known." Her eyes opened wide. "Wait, did you send Opal the adoption papers this morning? Is that what made her change her mind?"
The facilitator had been surprised by whatever Fort had sent but had quickly altered her decision to let the child stay with them while they painted.
Fort frowned slightly. "Yes, I did. Are you upset that she knew before you?"
"How can I be upset? I could never be upset about such wonderful news!" Noble kissed her husband again. The whole conversation had been a roller coaster of emotions, but neither of them would have changed a thing.
There was a knock at the door. "May I come in?" Opal asked calmly.
Fort tilted back his forehead and smiled warmly at the beautiful woman. "You hear that, Bee? The future is knocking."
Returning to her seat, Noble was barely able to contain her joy. "Come in!"