ROMANOV AUTUMN
Chapter Five

Two days later, Esther took Olivia and Jack, who was nearly fully recovered, to the local courthouse. Jack coughed hard every so often, still finding that he felt weak and exhausted. "You’re all right," Esther encouraged, rubbing his back once they were seated in the lobby of the large building. Jack nodded, but only started coughing again.

"Would he like a glass of water, Ma’am?" the secretary asked, frowning as the coughing continued.

"Please," Esther replied, feeling a cold wave of fear fill her body. Jack took the glass of water from the stranger once she brought it over, and downed most of it in three gulps. The water helped considerably, and he managed a weak "Thank you" afterwards.

"You’re welcome. Mr. Wagner will be with you in about five minutes." She smiled at them, and went back to her desk to continue typing. At last, the lawyer came to them, dressed in an awful yellow suit.

"Good afternoon. I am Joseph Wagner." He shook hands with each of them, and led the way to his office. "Now, I hear you wish to adopt these children, Mrs. Williams?"

Esther nodded, following him through one of the oak doors. Inside, there was a long desk with several chairs surrounding it. The single window was open a crack, and a warm breeze flowed through, ruffling Olivia’s curls as she sat down in the chair closest to it.

Jack sat next to her, fiddling in his new gray suit. The high-collared, crisp white shirt and tie choked him, and he squirmed impatiently in his seat. Esther touched his shoulder, raising an eyebrow in warning, and Jack tried to settle down as best as he could.

"Yes…I was not certain of what steps I would need to take before the adoption became legal."

Mr. Wagner smiled at her, and folded his large hands on the table. "Well, unless you are a blood relative of these children, you technically have no right to them at all. The only exception to the rule is if there are no other family members who would be willing to take them in, whether they be dead or otherwise."

Esther cleared her throat and glanced at Olivia, who was chewing on the corner of her nail, swinging her feet and bouncing. "Olivia, dear, stop fidgeting, please," she ordered, and the child turned to her, blushing a little.

"Our parents died in a fire, sir," Jack explained, "and my father was an only child…both of his parents are dead. My mother, well…" He wet his lips, not sure if he should continue, feeling his heart racing. He was hoping not to bring up his mother’s situation at all, but there was no way around it.

"Go on," Mr. Wagner encouraged, motioning with his hand to encourage the boy to keep talking. Esther was watching Jack, trying to appear as calm and collected as possible.

"Well, my mother’s family is Amish."

Olivia gasped, whirling around…she certainly hadn’t been expecting this!

"And?" Mr. Wagner asked, clearly unsure of why this was such a bad thing. No doubt the more children an Amish family could obtain, the better it was for their farm.

"And when my mother met my father, she decided to leave her family, because she decided she preferred the modern way of living. Her father was very against the idea, because my father was upper middle class…he did not believe in marrying outside of their class, you see, and he permanently disowned her. They wanted nothing to do with her. So I am certain they would not want to take us in."

Olivia wet her lips, the pieces starting to fall together. No wonder she never heard about her mother’s side of the family! Mrs. Dawson would instantly change the subject if she asked about her grandparents, and she always found it rather odd.

The adults were very quiet for a moment or so, and Mr. Wagner nodded in understanding. "I see. Well, this certainly changes things. In other circumstances, we would need written proof that the family members do not wish to take you in, but I know the Amish prefer to be left to their own kind."

Esther held her breath…she watched as Mr. Wagner turned his gaze to her again. "If you come back in the morning," he added, "I will have the official paperwork ready for you to sign."

She felt faint…at last, she would have the children she’d always dreamt of. It was all she could do to keep from picking Jack up in her arms and swinging him around.

"Thank you so much," she replied, shaking his hand firmly. "What time should we arrive?"

"I would say around nine o’clock. I don’t have any other appointments until later in the afternoon, so the earlier you can arrive, the better."

Esther could hardly keep herself from grinning. "Thank you. We shall see you at nine o’clock, then."

"Shall I show you out?" Mr. Wagner asked, and she shook her head.

"No, I believe we’ll be all right."

"Have a good afternoon, Mrs. Williams." He gave a small wave, and Esther brought the children into the lobby. It was only when they reached the sidewalk that Esther practically attacked the children with enormous hugs. Jack gasped for air, startled, as she kissed his cheeks and forehead. Olivia was squealing with excitement and clapping her hands.

"I knew it would be all right! Oh, this is lovely!" she exclaimed, and she allowed Esther to swing her around, so the both of them were laughing. Jack was not in the mood to laugh…he stood watching, his expression more indifferent than anything. His old life was over, the life he’d been so accustomed to.

"Aren’t you excited, Jack? We get to live with Mrs. Esther now!"

"Yes," Jack replied, though not with as much feeling as he probably should have. He managed a smile, and nodded to Esther. "Now I can thank you," he added, and she chuckled.

"No thank yous are necessary, dear. Now, before we go back home, I do think it’s time to shop for new clothes and things. That is, unless the both of you would like to return to your home and pick up whatever remaining supplies you have in your rooms?"

Jack looked down at his feet. The last thing he wanted to do was relive the vivid memory of the fire in person, and Olivia felt the same. "No," he answered seriously. "I don’t want to go back." Never, he added silently. He would never go back there again.

Another moment of awkward silence passed amongst the new family, and Esther clasped her hands together. "Well, that settles the question. Off to the tailor we go!" She ushered Jack and Olivia down the main street of town, excusing herself as a couple squeezed between them.

"Where will I sleep now that we’re going to live with you?" Olivia asked. Esther only had two bedrooms, and Jack had obtained the guestroom due to his illness.

"I’ll have to purchase a second bed for the guestroom. I’m afraid I had to settle for conditions suitable and affordable for myself when I moved into that house…I hadn’t even thought of adopting two children."

"I understand."

"You would not mind sharing a room with your sister, would you, Jack?" Esther asked, and Jack blinked, having been staring blankly ahead as he walked.

"What?" he asked, and Esther repeated her question. "Oh, no, I don’t mind."

"He snores," Olivia whispered, and Jack tugged on her hair.

"I do not!"

"You wouldn’t know, of course, because you’re sleeping when you’re doing it!"

"Please do not bicker," Esther told them, and found the shop. A small tinkle from bells hooked to the corner of the door filled their ears as they stepped inside, and both children were hit with the strong smell of leather and other materials. The store was medium-sized, containing an assortment of fabric bolts, which Olivia took pleasure in hiding behind and between. She jumped out and startled Jack twice with boos that sent her into a fit of giggles when he’d attempt to grab her.

"Children, please!" Esther warned, as the tailor, a middle-aged, clean-shaven man with thick black hair, appeared from the back room.

"This is so soft," Olivia breathed, touching a roll of soft cotton fabric. Jack watched as Esther began telling the tailor what she needed, pointing to Jack every now and again.

"Shall I bring you back to be measured?" the tailor asked, and before Jack could answer, he was whisked away. Esther led Olivia to one of the empty seats, and the two females sat down to wait patiently.

Jack stood in front of a mirror, holding his arms out to the sides, watching as the tailor used a white measuring tape to find out his clothing size. "Long legs and arms. Five foot three inches tall…eight inches wide…"

Jack lowered his arms when told to do so, and shifted awkwardly. "Let me guess. Earth tones suit you…browns, grays, blues, black?"

"Yes. Well, brown and blue, but I like tan also." One color Jack knew he hated was yellow, though his parents had attempted to put him in a yellow suit of his own for one special occasion. It had taken his mother several minutes to stop laughing at how ridiculous he looked, and he smiled a little at the memory.

"Good, good. Well, follow me, young man, and I’ll allow you to pick out the fabrics you would feel most comfortable in."

Esther and Olivia grinned as he approached them, and Esther joined Jack so she could help him pick out the least expensive but most comfortable material. They tried this on and that, until Jack felt a great urge to run away. At last, they made final decisions, and the tailor added the prices of the fabrics, which he presented to the woman. "I will have the clothing delivered to you within two days," he told her, and Esther nodded, pocketing the receipt.

"Thank you, Mr. Daniels. Come along, now, and to the seamstress."

Jack was grateful to get out into the fresh air, tagging along beside his sister, who sang cheerfully and skipped along the sidewalk. "May I have a purple dress made, please? Purple with yellow flowers on it? And I like blue, and green!"

Esther laughed once they reached the seamstress. "We’ll see what they have, dear. Go on. Don’t be shy! Miss Evenport is a very friendly young woman, and I do think…"

"Esther Williams!"

The children jumped at the sudden cry of delight, and watched as a tall, thin lady came out from behind the counter. She had long, blonde hair, which she kept in a braided bun on top of her head. She wore a deep brown dress with a tan front, and a corsage pinned to her breast. "Lucy Evenport. I do not come in often enough anymore, do I?" Esther grinned as Lucy stepped back to examine the new arrivals.

"Niece and nephew?" she asked, and Esther shook her head.

"She adopted us, Ma’am," Olivia explained, and Lucy gasped.

"Oh, how wonderful! And what are your names, dear?"

Jack found himself smiling again as Lucy shook his hand firmly. "Jack. And this is my sister, Olivia."

"Well, it is my pleasure! So, let me guess, you are the lovely little victim I have to work with today?"

Olivia giggled and nodded. "Yes, Ma’am."

Lucy gave a small, "Pfffft! I am not a ma’am. Please, call me Lucy."

"You have a pretty name," Olivia complimented, and Lucy nodded.

"Why, thank you! And I return the compliment to you, darling. Now, let me bring you to the back for measurements, and we’ll get started. I’ve just received a wonderful assortment of new fabrics, which I am selling at a bargain!"

Jack yawned and went to sit down on one of the seats, leaning his head against the wall. He felt exhausted…he could fall asleep right there. In fact, he did, and it wasn’t until he felt someone shaking him that he even realized it. "Jack, wake up. Sweetheart, it’s time to go," Esther whispered, and he looked at her wearily.

"I can’t. I’m so tired," he told her, and instantly her hand connected to his forehead.

"No fever."

"Is everything all right?" Lucy asked, approaching them with the bundle of fabric in her arms.

"Oh, yes, everything’s fine. Come on, love, lean on me." Esther helped Jack to his feet, and, after accepting the receipt, she brought the children outside. "I am afraid you are going to be rather tired for a little while," she added, as they began their walk home. "Especially since you’ve only just recovered."

Jack coughed, nodding in understanding. They eventually made it back to the apartment, and Jack went to lay back down on the couch. "I’ll make us some supper," she told them, frowning as Jack began coughing again. She would have to send for the doctor if the cough did not go away by the end of the week—or at least sound better.

Olivia sat down at the piano and began to play Amazing Grace. Her small voice sang smoothly, effortlessly, and Esther felt her eyes misting.

"…‘tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home."

Chapter Six
Stories