Harry stared at her. Did she just ask what he thought she did? Could this finally be his chance to get out of here? He didn’t want to get his hopes up since everyone left him at one point or another.

“I-um-why-,” Harry paused for a minute to take a deep breath. “Why would you want to adopt me?”

She looked at him sadly. “I am unable to have children of my own and I’ve always wanted my own son. I’ve been here many times searching for the right child to adopt. I came back here again today, hoping to find a special little boy that captured my heart and I did. That little boy is you.”

Harry blushed and looked down again. Catherine gently lifted his chin up and they stared into each other’s eyes.

“You are a sweet little boy, Harry. I would love to adopt you, if you’d like me to. If you don’t feel comfortable with me or just don’t like me, then I won’t adopt you against your wishes. Just please tell me what is going on in your mind right now, Harry.”

Harry looked at her uncertainly. He really liked her and would love to go home with her, but what if she found out he was a freak who could do weird things? He made up his mind. The worst that could happen would be for her to send him back.

“I’d really like it if you’d adopt me,” Harry said shyly as he peeked up at her. She smiled brightly and gave him a little hug. He flinched but didn’t pull away. This was the first hug he remembered receiving from anyone. His relatives certainly never hugged him. He figured his parents did before they died in a car crash.

“Well let’s go inside and we’ll tell Ms. Morgan the good news,” Catherine suggested as she led the way to the office. They passed several kids, who looked jealous since they figured he was getting adopted. Harry felt bad for them since he knew what it was like to watch others meet their new parents and leave this place.

Catherine knocked on the door and they entered when Ms. Morgan told them to. The caretaker looked up in surprise at seeing little Harry coming in with Catherine. She knew this little boy was very quiet and always kept to himself. She figured he’d been abused in the past with the way he always flinched away from people. She had better mention this to Catherine as well.

“Found one, have you?” Ms. Morgan gave her an encouraging smile.

“Yes, I have surely found quite the treasure here. He’s a sweet little boy.” Catherine replied with a big smile. Harry ducked his head down, once again blushing at the praise.

“Well then, Harry could you run to your room and grab anything that you have?” Ms. Morgan suggested.

“Yes ma’am,” the dark-haired boy replied before dashing out of the office with a smile on his face.

“That’s one of the few times I have seen a smile on that boys face,” the caretaker noted. “He always keeps to himself and rarely talks or interacts with the other children.”

“That must explain why I don’t recall seeing him on any of my previous visits. He must’ve been off hiding in the shadows.” Catherin surmised. “Can you tell me anything about his past?”

“I’m afraid we really don’t know much. He’s lucky he is getting adopted so soon. Most children are here for quite a while before they’re adopted but young Harry has only been here since May. He was brought here by a police officer who found the boy living on streets. Harry came here in bad shape as well. His left arm was in a sling because it had been dislocated, he never said how, and he was extremely malnourished and almost all of his ribs were visible. There hasn’t been much improvement in his size since he has been here, but he at least put on a little weight with constant meals.”

“He flinched when I hugged him. Do you suspect abuse in the past?”

“Yes,” Ms. Morgan replied sadly. “The officer that dropped him off suspected the same thing. At the time though, the boy didn’t have any scars or bruises or anything of that sort when the doctor checked him over.”

“Is there anything you’d recommend that I do for him?” Catherine asked.

“First off, I’d suggest taking him to your doctor. Perhaps he might be able to advise you on helping him gain weight. Come to think of it, you should ask Harry if he’s ever had shots because he’ll probably need those as well. I’d also recommend you take things slowly with him. I’ve seen plenty cases of abuse in the past and most times, the children are overwhelmed by the simplest of things. So if you’ve got family, I wouldn’t suggest introducing them all tomorrow. Give him a little time to settle in first.”

Ms. Morgan paused. “Are you sure you feel up to dealing with an abused child? They are often the more difficult children…” she trailed off.

Cathy shook her head repeatedly. “I’ve already made up my mind and promised that boy a chance to get out of here. There’s no changing my mind now.”

A knock sounded at the door.

“Enter,” Ms. Morgan called out. The door opened and Harry peeked inside. In his arms he carried the few possessions that he owned such as his school notebook and some drawings.

Catherine patted her hand on the empty seat next to her. “Come sit here Harry while I fill out some boring paperwork.” Harry did so and Ms. Morgan pulled out the forms.

Catherine had begun the process quite some time ago and it involved many tedious forms to fill out. Her house was also inspected by the child services and it had taken quite some time before she was cleared and able to actually look at the children. Catherine spent some time reviewing the final forms and going over everything then finally signing on all the dotted lines.

“Since you don’t know you, last name, you’ll be taking mine. Okay Harry?” Catherine explained to Harry, who nodded. “Do you know your middle name?”

“I think it was James,” he offered.

“Okay. Even if it wasn’t, we can still use that. Now that we’re finished here, let’s take you to your new home, Harry James McKinney.”

After a quiet drive, they arrived. Harry stepped out of the car and studied the house he’d be calling home from now on. It was a two story white brick house with a pool tucked in the backyard on the right. There were even small rose bushes planted along the front, adding a nice touch to the home. Harry followed Catherine and he giggled softly when she kicked a rubber pink flamingo on her lawn.

Harry stopped and looked around the house in wonder once they stepped inside. There was a white corner couch on the right and a staircase against the far right wall with a piano by it as well. On his left, a small study area held a computer and loads of books that Harry itched to read. Directly in front of him was the small dining area which held a simple table with four chairs. To the left of the table was the entrance to the kitchen. On the opposite side of the dining room was a small bathroom. There were several plants scattered about and lots of paintings and pictures.

Catherine led him upstairs and showed him her room and bathroom first. She had a spacious room painted in a soft green color. The upstairs bathroom was larger than the downstairs one and it had a bathtub and two sinks. Next she led him to his room. She held her breath as she slowly opened the door, hoping that he would like it.

Harry entered the room and looked around in wonder. His room was painted a soft blue color and his bed sheets matched it. He had a small nightstand with an alarm clock on it along with a white dresser. There was a small TV and gaming system in one corner along with a red comfy looking chair for him to sit in. Towards the foot of his bed, there was a small colorful toy box. In another corner, there was even an art easel for him to paint on.

“Wow,” Harry said softly. When he looked out the window, he could see the pool along with a swing set. The whole pool area was fenced off with a white picket fence.

“Do you like it?” Catherine asked hesitantly. She wasn’t sure if he’d like it since he’d probably never had such a nice room before. Before going to the orphanage, she had fixed the room up because she knew she would be bringing home a young boy who would hopefully like the way she decorated it.

“I love it,” Harry declared as he looked around in wonder. He turned toward Catherine and gave her a pleased smile.

She beamed happily back at him. “Are you hungry?” Harry shrugged. “Because I was thinking about ordering us a pizza since it’s getting late and I don’t feel like cooking. So does that sound good?” Harry nodded. “Hmm, how about ham, bacon, and pineapple?”

“Okay,” he agreed quickly.

“I’ll go order that while you get settled in. I’ll let you know when it gets here.” She left Harry to further investigate his room. Harry slowly walked over to the toy chest and opened the lid. Inside were various action figures, toy cars and even a small container labeled Legos. He’d never heard of Legos before so he opened the container and out fell a pile of small connectable building blocks and small yellow people. If it wasn’t electronic, then Dudley would never have touched it so that explained why Harry hadn’t seen these in his cousin’s large toy collection.

With nothing else to do, Harry started to build a small little house. He used the large green flat board to snap his pieces onto. All the colorful bricks fit perfectly together and held rather well. He lost track of time until a light hand touched his shoulder. He dropped the Legos in his hand and flinched away from the hand.

Catherine looked at him sadly as she retracted her hand. “I’m sorry to startle you. I just wanted to let you know the pizza was here.” Harry started to pick up his Legos when Catherine stopped him.

“You can leave them out. I’m sure you’ll play with them later because I know they’re certainly fun.” Harry nodded and followed her downstairs and into the dining room. On one side of the table was a large cardboard box containing the pizza and next to it were some paper plates and napkins. Catherine grabbed herself a paper plate and pulled a slice of the pizza onto her plate and grabbed a napkin before sitting down. Harry followed her and grabbed himself a slice. He carefully bit into the hot pizza and savored the taste. It was wonderful! He’d never had pizza at the Dur- he quickly stopped his train of thought. He did not want to think about them on this special night.

After they ate their fill and washed up, they prepared to head in for the night. Harry pulled on a pair of pajamas that Catherine bought for him. They were a bit large since she bought a single pair, not knowing what size the child she planned to adopt would wear. She already told Harry they’d go shopping soon to get him more clothes that fit.

Harry had just settled into bed when Catherine peeked her head through the open door. She entered, wearing a matching set of red and black checkered pajamas. When she reached his bed, she pulled the covers up and tucked him in.

Harry stared at her, with slight shock in his expression. He’d never been tucked in before! He just met this nice lady earlier that day and she had treated him so well so far. He had a nice room, toys, she fed him and now she tucked him in. It was a lot to take in for the young eight-year-old, who was used to people not caring for him.

“Good night Harry. Sweet dreams,” she before lowering her face and giving him a quick soft kiss to the forehead.

Harry was even more shocked now. He sat there numbly for a second before stuttering out a thank you. “Thank you for everything,” he said quietly. “Good night err-” he paused, unsure what to call her.

Catherine, seeing his dilemma, solved it for him. “You can call me Catherine or Cathy if you’d like. And maybe someday mum, if you feel comfortable enough. But for now, Catherine or Cathy is just fine.”

Harry nodded slightly as his eyes struggled to stay open for a bit longer. “G’nite Cathy,” he said faintly as his eyes slowly drifted closed. Cathy returned to her own room and silently wished that everything would turn out fine and that someday this little boy would call her mum.

Harry woke early the next morning and slowly crawled out of bed. He pinched his arm to make sure that being adopted and having this wonderful room were not all part of a dream. When assured everything was real, he let a big smile cross his face. The clock on his nightstand said it was just after seven in the morning. Unsure what to do next, he decided to head downstairs. Everything was quiet so he assumed Cathy was still asleep.

He entered the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Inside it, there was everything he’d need to make breakfast so he got to work. He just finished as Cathy entered the kitchen, rubbing sleepiness out of her eyes.

“What are you doing?” she asked, clearly shocked.

“I-I,” Harry stuttered. She looked slightly angry and he didn’t know why. Wasn’t he supposed to cook and clean?

“Did you cook all this just now?” Catherine asked as she looked over at the table. There was a single plate set up. In the middle of the table, there was a dish of scrambled eggs, a plate with several bacon strips on it, another plate with buttered toast and a glass of orange juice.

“Yes ma’am,” Harry replied nervously. Did he make too much? Too little? Was it not done the way she liked it?

Catherine looked at the tense boy standing before her. He looked distressed over her reaction but she didn’t know how else to feel. This eight year old made her breakfast. It should be the other way around!

She sighed quietly. “It looks delicious Harry. Thank you.” She sat down in front of the single plate and frowned when Harry continued to stand there.

“Did you already eat this morning?” she asked.

“No ma’am,” Harry replied while biting gently on his lip. At least she wasn’t angry anymore.

Catherine sighed again. Maybe this had something to do with the people he lived with before he ended up in the orphanage. “Well grab another plate and please join me.”

Harry’s eyes lit up in surprise at being invited to eat with her. He scrambled to find the cupboard with plates in it. This kitchen was nice but he had yet to remember where everything was stored. After also locating silverware, he hesitantly sat down at the table.

She began serving herself and he waited until she finished before he put a little scoop of eggs, a single bacon strip and a piece of buttered toast. They both ate their food in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

Catherine put down her fork when she finished. “That was very good Harry. Thank you very much.”

Harry blushed and ducked his head down. “Thank you ma’am.”

Cathy frowned. Why did he keep calling her ma’am again? She plastered a smile on her face and used her finger to push his chin up once again. “What happened to calling my Catherine or Cathy?” she asked gently.

“I’m sorry ma- um Cathy,” the young boy immediately apologized.

“It’s okay,” she reassured. “Why don’t you head up and get showered and dressed for the day?” Harry looked uncertainly at the pile of dirty dishes but Cathy cut in before he got any ideas.

“You made breakfast so I’ll do the clean up. Now run along and when you’re finished getting ready, please meet me in the living room.” He nodded tentatively and left the room.

As Harry showered, Cathy placed the dirty items in the dishwasher and headed upstairs to get herself ready. Twenty minutes later, she arrived in the living room to find Harry standing by the window. He immediately turned towards her when she entered. She gave him a smile and sat down in a recliner. She motioned for him to grab a seat as well and he did.

“I’m sure you don’t want to talk about your past, but there are a few things I’d like to ask you.” Harry gave her a tiny nod to continue as he nibbled on his bottom lip nervously.

“Were you expected to make breakfast for your parents, relatives, or whoever you lived with before?” Harry looked down and nodded once. “I just want you to know that’s not necessary here. Actually, I’d really prefer if you weren’t cooking without adult supervision. You are only eight and I wouldn’t want an accident to occur because you could burn yourself on the stove or something could catch fire. Okay Harry?”

“Yes ma- Cathy,” he amended.

“For now I only have one more question,” she began. Harry looked cautiously up at her. “There was only one plate set up when I arrived. Were you not allowed to eat with them?”

Harry took a deep breath. He could do this. “They only let me have the leftovers and didn’t allow me to eat with them often.”

Catherine smiled encouragingly. “Thank you for telling me that Harry. I want you to know that you will always be welcome to eat at the table with me. And you can eat as much as you’d like too.” She paused, unsure if there was anything else she wanted to bring up.

“You can head up to your room and play for a while. I’m going to call my parents and tell them the good news. You’ll probably meet them in a day or two.” Harry nodded and retreated upstairs. Just as she reached the phone, she spotted the teddy bear she picked up a couple of days ago. She grabbed the bear and headed upstairs to Harry’s room.

The door was open and Harry was playing with a couple of the action figures. His green eyes met her blue for a moment before he looked down.

“Hi there Harry,” she greeted. “I picked this up the other day and, well, I’ll understand if you’re too old and all for it…” Cathy rambled before catching herself. “Anyway, here you go.” She handed the bear over to Harry.

Harry stared at the bear. It was a traditional brown scruffy looking bear with small beady eyes and a little nose. He petted the soft fur in amazement. He’d never had his own stuffed teddy bear before. Harry looked up and Catherine and gave her a shy smile as he clutched the bear to his chest.

She smiled back. “I see you like it. Go back to your playing while I talk with my parents.” She left Harry sitting on the floor before his toys, protectively clutching his bear.

Later that afternoon, Catherine took Harry to a small clothes shop. He was desperately in need of some clothing that actually fit and was newer than the ones he wore.

Harry looked around the shop, feeling embarrassed because she was going to spend money on him because she wanted to. That wasn’t something he was used to. He glanced at shirts and pants until Cathy came up to him with some pants in her arms.

“Could you try these on for me? I grabbed several different pairs so you can try them on and let me know which size fits you.” Harry grabbed the pants and headed into a dressing stall. He pulled on the first pair of pants, which were too small. The second pair wasn’t quite as small but didn’t leave him enough room to grow. He had just put the third pair on when Cathy called out to him.

“Can you show me which pair you think fits best?”

The pair he just put on felt perfect so he shyly stepped out to show her. She smiled and looked at the outfit he was wearing. With a proper shirt, he would be adorable!

“Here is a shirt I grabbed. Will you put it on and step out again for me?” Harry looked in her blue eyes and agreed. She looked really happy that he was cooperating so far. Apparently she thought he’d be like Dudley, throwing a fit when asked to try clothes on.

He stepped out again moments later just as another mother walked by.

“Aw, he’s certainly an adorable child,” the passing woman commented and Catherine smiled back.

“Yes he is,” she agreed. “You can put your other clothes on and then we’ll find a few more shirts and some other pants but you won’t have to try them on since we’ve got your size now.” He did as directed and handed her the pair that fit and left the others on a rack for the sales person to put back.

Catherine went around the store picking out lots of clothes for Harry. She grabbed some jeans, pajama, socks, underclothes, lots of shirts and several warm sweaters. She tried not to go overboard but he did need a whole new wardrobe after all.

“Thank you Harry for being so patient with me. I love shopping,” she added with a sheepish smile as they each carried several bags to her car.

“Thank you Cathy for buying me clothes.” Harry smiled happily.

Catherine picked up Italian food on their way back since it was getting late and once again she didn’t feel like cooking. After they finished eating, Harry went upstairs and changed into his new pajamas. The shopping trip was long and he was rather tired. Like the previous night, Cathy came in just as he crawled into bed.

“Would you like to meet my parents tomorrow? My mother really wants to meet you,” the strawberry-blond haired woman said.

Harry bit his lip nervously. He wasn’t really up to meeting more people but it would be only two and they’d technically be his grandparents. “’kay.”

She smiled brightly. “Great! I’ll talk to them and they’ll come over for lunch or dinner. Good night, Harry. Sweet dreams.”

“Good night Cathy,” he replied, clutching the bear under the covers as she tucked him in and once again kissed his cheek before turning off the light and heading to her own bed.