Nobody’s Son: All Alex ever wanted was a family of his own

‘Yes, absolutely,’ Debbie agreed enthusiastically. Lin nodded. ‘Cathy, I appreciate Alex has only been with you a few days, but if you could tell us how he’s settled in, it would be helpful.’

‘Yes, of course.’ I was half expecting this. Foster carers are often asked to speak near the start of a meeting about the child they are looking after, as they usually have the most up-to-date information on the child.

‘Rosemary and Edward have already been made aware of what Alex’s previous carer said about him,’ Lin added.

I nodded and looked at Rosemary and Edward as I spoke. ‘Alex is a delightful child who appears to be coping very well with all the changes in his life. I could see he felt rejected at having to leave his previous carers, but it hasn’t come out in his behaviour. He’s eating well – he likes a range of foods. He’s sleeping well and is in a good routine. His self-care skills are good. He likes all things that the average boy of seven does: playing games, riding his bike – he had a new one for Christmas – and watching television. He’s getting on well with my son, who is the same age, and also my daughter, who is four years younger.’

‘That’s reassuring,’ Edward said. ‘Our son is just eighteen months older than Alex. One of the reasons we chose him.’

‘It was a matching consideration,’ Lin corrected. The way Edward had phrased it made it sound as though they’d gone to a store and chosen Alex.

‘Thanks, Cathy. Anything else you can add?’ Debbie said to me.

‘Alex is healthy, up to date with his dental and opticians check-ups and is doing well at school.’

‘Yes, he is,’ Rosemary put in. ‘We have a copy of his last school report. Our son, James, is doing well at school too. We have a tutor who comes to help James, and Alex will have the benefit of that too.’

‘My wife and I consider education very important,’ Edward added. ‘We both went to university and we expect our sons to do the same.’

I smiled politely.

‘Anything else?’ Debbie asked me.

‘I don’t think so, other than Alex is looking forward to meeting you both,’ I said to Rosemary and Edward. ‘He said to tell you he’s so pleased you will be his mummy and daddy and that he loves you already.’

‘That’s sweet,’ Rosemary said, while Edward looked slightly uncomfortable.

‘He hasn’t met us yet,’ he said pragmatically.

‘No, but it’s fantastic he’s so willing to accept you,’ Lin pointed out.

Jill and I nodded. ‘He can’t wait to have a family of his own,’ I added.

‘I know,’ Rosemary said quietly, and I saw her eyes mist.

Chapter Four

A Joyful Meeting (#ulink_1eb180dd-bffc-5a88-a5af-73d2c7b02fec)

‘OK. Now to the actual planning,’ Debbie said, and we all opened our diaries. ‘I suggest we start the introductions this weekend and, if all goes well, Alex will move in two weeks’ time.’

‘The sooner the better,’ Rosemary said, glancing at her husband. He returned her smile.

‘Lin and I will be phoning the three of you [Rosemary, Edward and me] for regular updates in between the visits,’ Debbie said. ‘If we feel we need to slow the pace we can do so, but I don’t foresee any problems.’

‘Neither do I,’ Lin agreed. ‘We started preparing Alex for this when he was at his previous carers’, and it was positive from the start. He’s more than ready for his own family and knows a little about Rosemary, Edward and James, but hasn’t seen a photograph of them yet. Did you remember to bring the album with you?’ she now asked Rosemary and Edward.

‘Yes, of course.’ Rosemary dipped her hand into her bag on the floor beside her. She and Edward would have been asked to prepare a little photograph album with pictures of themselves and their home for Alex, so that when he met them they and their home were already partly familiar. It’s standard practice when any child is moved to permanency.

‘Could you talk Cathy through the photographs, please, so she can tell Alex,’ Debbie said to Rosemary and Edward.

Rosemary slid the album across the table to me and I opened it at the first page, positioning it between Jill and myself. Lin and Debbie had already seen the album; indeed, Lin would have advised Rosemary and Edward on what to include.

The first photograph was of the outside of their house – the first view Alex would see when he stepped from the car. ‘Very nice,’ I said. ‘Where do you live?’ I would have known this and other details about them if I’d been the foster carer involved at the start of the adoption process.

‘We live in Churchwell,’ Rosemary said. ‘It’s a small village about an hour’s drive from here.’ The picture showed a large detached modern house on the edge of countryside.

‘We have five bedrooms,’ Rosemary said, ‘so there’s plenty of space. James likes to have friends stay over sometimes. I’m guessing Alex will want to do the same.’

‘I’m sure he will,’ I said. ‘That’s great.’ I turned to the next page: a portrait photo of Edward, Rosemary and James, dressed very smartly and posing for the camera. Even before Rosemary said it, I knew it had been taken by a professional photographer.

‘It’s our official Christmas photograph,’ she said. ‘We have one taken every year for our Christmas cards.’ I smiled and felt that my Christmas cards with their standard pictures of robins and reindeer might be rather lacking.

‘And next Christmas there will be four of you on the card!’ Lin exclaimed gaily.

‘Yes, indeed,’ Rosemary said, smiling. ‘Alex will love it. We always have some fun posing for the photo, don’t we?’

‘Absolutely,’ Edward agreed, and glanced at his watch. I wondered if he was pressed for time.

James looked as self-assured as his parents in the photograph, and although he was taller and broader than Alex, his colouring wasn’t dissimilar – brown hair and pale skin – so he could easily pass for his brother. Another matching consideration is that ideally the adoptive family should be physically similar to the child and preferably of the same ethnicity so the child blends in, although given the multiculturalism of most large towns and cities now, this was becoming less important.

I turned the page and the next photograph showed the inside of their house – the lounge hall, so spacious it comfortably held a chaise longue and an oval mahogany table, on which stood a magnificent china vase of fresh flowers. A brief image of it going flying as the boys chased each other up and down the hall while playing crossed my mind, but I kept that thought to myself.

Rosemary continued to talk me through the photographs: the dining room with a long, highly polished table and a dozen upholstered dining chairs around it; an exquisitely furnished living room with cream sofas; a morning room with a smaller table and matching oak chairs. ‘That is where we usually take our meals,’ Rosemary explained. ‘Unless we’re entertaining, and then we use the dining room.’

I nodded, smiled and turned the page to a luxurious modern kitchen. ‘Very nice indeed,’ I said. Then there were pictures of the bedrooms and the two family bathrooms.

‘We’ve just had both boys’ bedrooms redecorated,’ Edward said. ‘James’s room was only done last year, but we wanted to decorate Alex’s room and we couldn’t leave James out.’

‘No, indeed,’ I said. ‘I like the blue. I’m sure Alex will love it.’

‘I hope so,’ Rosemary said. ‘There’s a big walk-in cupboard for his toys.’

‘Where will he keep his new bike?’ I asked. ‘He’s sure to ask me.’

‘In the outbuilding behind the garage, with ours,’ Edward said. ‘We didn’t take pictures of that.’

‘They all like to go for bike rides together,’ Lin said. She would know the family well as a result of the matching and adoption process.

I smiled, impressed.

‘James goes for a ride with his father most weekends,’ Rosemary said. ‘I join them if the weather is good.’

‘They go sailing as well,’ Lin added. ‘And horse riding.’

‘Wonderful,’ I said, even more impressed.

‘I don’t suppose Alex has been riding before, coming from a deprived background.’ Rosemary said.