1. Thrice Rescued


    Date: 8/8/2024, Categories: Loving Wives, Author: byLaphroaig53

    ... you were to receive the necklace she wore daily, which you were to hold for Violet until she marries. You're to give it to her as a wedding gift from her mother."
    
    "There are some other things you need to know. Although we relocated Richard and Vera with identities as husband and wife, her marriage to you was never terminated because you never filed a divorce petition nor had Vera declared dead. You are still legally her husband, or at least were until she died a few days ago. That means we can release Violet to you immediately. Samuel is more of a problem. We're creating a replacement birth certificate for him. Once we have that, we can deliver him at the same time without your going through the whole foster parent background check process. We'll substitute your name as father for Mr. Wilson's on both certificates and turn the children over to you. What do you say?"
    
    "What do I say? Are you fucking kidding me, pardon my French? You waltz into my house without warning, tell me my missing wife has been living with some guy under a different identity for five years and has just died, that I have a daughter I've never met who also has a half-brother, that these kids are rich beyond comprehension, and that you want me to take custody of both of them? Have you been listening to what you're saying. Some people in this room are nuts and I don't think one of them is me."
    
    "As embarrassing as this is to admit, it's all true. We'd like to set up a meeting with the Marshals ...
    ... service to transfer the children to you and put you in touch with the law firm handling the estate. We would appreciate your keeping this under your hat until all the formalities have been taken care of. We know we made some huge errors in how this was all handled and we're really embarrassed and sorry beyond words. Some heads will roll for this, we promise. But the most important thing to address right now is the care of the children. So, are you in or not? As nearly as we can tell, there are no other relatives of either Richard or Vera. If you don't take these kids, they're going to end up in some sort of foster care."
    
    That was a low blow. I suspected that the two Marshals were well aware of both mine and Vera's histories as foster children and had decided to play their trump card. Do as we ask or see two small children end up in a system you hated. I had no choice once they played that card. "I'm in. When can I meet the children?"
    
    CHAPTER FIVE
    
    The Marshals left the folder containing the documentation Vera had asked the Marshals service to prepare when she disappeared. I placed it on the desk in my office, deciding that it had been five years, so whatever was in there would keep a few more days.
    
    After the meeting with the Marshals ended, I called the Hopkins. Without going into detail, I told them that I'd been contacted by federal law enforcement, that Vera was dead and that she'd left two children behind for whom I was now to become parent. I'll give this to both ...
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