Bringing Jake Home

Because Leo and the other Psychologist both believe that Sophia still exerts undue influence over her children she would not be present at the taking of the children's statements, but her lawyer would be present to protect her interests. Copies of the statements would be made available to her and her lawyer. The statements would be introduced and entered into evidence. Following the hearing the judge would consider the matters laying before him and render his decision as to Jake's future status and the status of Jake's sisters.

Most important, Judge Brown felt that the charge of felony assault against Sophia would have a strong bearing on his final determinations, so he has agreed to hold off his hearing until Ms. Hanson's trial has been completed in Superior Court, and that's on the court docket for next week. Our attorney has made a motion to use the children's statements in her trial so that they won't have to appear. The judge appears to be leaning that way.

Sophia's ex-husband had already relinquished all parental rights over Jake and his daughters. So Jake's future will be in the hands of Judge Brown.

Elizabeth concluded her remarks with an aside, "We need Sophia to be found guilty of a felony to lay the strongest case possible before Judge Brown, so our attorneys have made a strong pitch to the District Attorney's Office to not plea bargain Sophia's charge down to a misdemeanor, but if they needed to make a deal, work with her sentence instead. They've promised their support."

Rachel had one final question that had really been bothering her and needed an answer;

"What happens to Jake if he becomes a ward of the state?"

"He will come under the control of Child Welfare Services," was her answer.

"Will I still be able to act as Jake's foster parent?" Rachel asked with a sense of trepidation.

Elizabeth confessed that she couldn't say because CWS was a different department with it's own rules and different funding.

To try to reassure her friend she pointed out that it had happened in the past, but also offered, "If Sophia's parental rights are terminated, perhaps you might think about adopting Jake."

Elizabeth's suggestion surprised Rachel. Thinking about it for a second produced another question, "I thought you had to have a two parent family to adopt?"

Elizabeth offered her opinion,

"There have been cases where single parents have been allowed to adopt, but generally the state likes the idea of a two parent family." Looking at Rachel's ring she suggested, "Why don't you and Leo move your wedding date up and make sure that Jake stays with you. I know he has gotten very attached to the two of you."

That night after Jake had been put to bed Leo and Rachel had a serious talk.

They were both getting ready for their Fall term at Western. Rachel had talked to the head of her department and he'd agreed to set her schedule so that her first class would come after Jake left for school and she'd be home when his school let out. Any extra work could be done at home.

The problems were Sophia's trial and Judge Brown's determinations and the not knowing what the outcome would be.

After discussing all the possible scenarios they both agreed that Rachel would start the paperwork to adopt Jake. She and Leo would get the Marriage License and they'd get Rev. Foster at Trinity to stand by for a quick, quiet wedding.

They both also felt that to prevent even a hint of a conflict of interest, the wedding couldn't occur until Judge Brown had issued his ruling and that regardless of his findings they'd be married before that day was done.

Reluctantly Leo got up to take his leave. After a few hugs, pets, and kisses, Leo headed for his lonely bachelor pad.

On the Tuesday following the Labor Day Weekend, a ritual began that would go on for several years as Jake, Ray, and Julie met and walked the several blocks to school.

On Wednesday Leo, Rachel, and Elizabeth sat together in the court room to witness Sophia's trial for felony assault and an additional charge, felony child abuse. This was the first time that Rachel was able to see the woman who'd abused Jake so badly and almost ruined his life. For the first time in her life Rachel could truly say that she was disgusted by the sight of someone she'd never met.

The charges were read and Sophia pleaded guilty to the two felony charges. As part of her plea agreement she'd agreed to a sentence for time served plus 90 days. Said days were to be spent in Psychological and Anger Management Counseling.

After they'd left the court room Elizabeth gave Leo and Rachel the rest of the news; Sophia would not contest Jake's being made a ward of the state and would in fact voluntarily surrender all parental rights. Her lawyer had petitioned Judge Brown to keep her daughter's status as temporary wards in the hope she might someday get them back. He'd promised to take the request under advisement.

The following Wednesday found the trio and Jake gathered together in Judge Brown's chambers where he would determine Jake's fate.

Judge Brown leafed through the stack of paperwork on his desk, glanced at those seated before him, and began his pronouncement, "In the case of the state and Jacob Joseph Hanson I find the following: The parental rights of his mother and father having been voluntarily surrendered I would normally declare him to be a ward of the state. However, it has been brought to my attention that a certain petition which I'm not at liberty to yet discuss has been made." This last was said with a slight smile and a glance at Jake.

At this Jake looked at Rachel who smiled softly and put her index finger to her lip.

Judge Brown continued, "At this point I have determined that Jacob Joseph Hanson will remain a temporary ward of the court until certain legal matters have been resolved." With that he rapped his gavel to end the meeting.

The meeting over, they all repaired to the small park surrounding the courthouse. Elizabeth headed to the hot dog cart on the corner of the street while Jake, Leo, and Rachel moved to a bench seat. With Jake between them, Rachel looked at Jake and asked him if he was happy living with her. To his smiling assent, she continued on, "Do you also like Leo?" This last brought another smile and nod.

"Jake, we've both learned to love you as if you were our own son. Would you like to be our son?"

Jake looked at Leo and then Rachel in a quizzical manner before replying that he'd love to be their son.

Leo cut in, "Jake, I've asked Rachel to marry me and she's agreed, Would you like that to happen?" Jake immediately hugged Rachel in approval and congratulated the both of them in a dignified serious manner that only a 12 year old can muster.

Rachel took Jake's hand and completed their request; "When we're married, would you like to be adopted as our son?"

Jake hugged Rachel again and allowed as how he'd love to be adopted.

The business having been agreeably concluded the trio moved to join Elizabeth at the hot dog stand for a snack.

Several hours later Elizabeth was headed to her office. In her brief case were duly attested copies of a marriage license and wedding certificate to be attached to a request to adopt which stated: Rachel Armstrong Tucker and Samuel Leo Tucker, husband and wife, do petition the court to adopt one Jacob Joseph Hanson a ward of the court and further petition to change his legal name to Jacob Joseph Tucker this 13th Day of September, 1972.

That night for the first and last night of his life Jake slept between Rachel and Leo. Leo mildly groused in his best "Good Ol' Boy" drawl, "Ah've been to two county fairs, three rodeos, two brandin' parties, an a goat ropin', an' Ah' ain't never seen nothin' like this. This' a hell of a way to spend a honeymoon." Rachel's reply was a giggle and a slap of his wayward hand.

As the adoption process wound its way through the legal system Jake, Ray, and Julie got into the habit of doing their homework at Jake's home each night. The primary reason being Emmy and Marie being rather young, rather noisy, and being general pain-in-the-butts, made study for Ray and Julie well neigh impossible at home.

It also helped that Rachel was a history professor with a minor in English so her expertise was well used by all three of the friends, for that is what they'd become.

Under normal circumstances Ray and Julie would have continued on as a young twelve year old boy and his fourteen year old sister; Two young people, related but largely ignoring the other because of gender and age. Jake's arrival changed the dynamics.

The two boys were about to start their travels through puberty into young adulthood. Physically Julie had started that journey two years earlier. Emotionally because of her extreme shyness, she'd not yet caught up with her peers.

Her shyness of course fueled her female classmates who made her the butt of most of their jokes and snide remarks. This only served to drive her deeper within herself.

Jake's acceptance of Ray's friendship; being in the same class, playing together, and hanging out made sense, but their inclusion of Julie remained a mystery, even to Leo, although he'd certainly noticed it.

Leo, being a Child Psychologist, and having a vested interest in Jake and his previous fears about women, kept a close eye on him. What he observed put his mind somewhat at ease. Jake had attached himself to Rachel and it had began to blossom into love when he began to understand that she wasn't a threat, but had truly began to love him as a mother should. Jo Simpson was also not a threat so he had no problem with her. He almost tolerated Ray's younger sisters, but Julie was something Leo didn't understand.

What he didn't know was that an incident had occurred on the way to school one morning. Several of Julie's male class mates had started to tease her. In response Ray and Jake had each picked up a rock and threatened to use them on the boys if they persisted. That act reined the boys in and they left the scene grumbling and threatening the two younger boys but they'd stood their ground. Ray for his part normally ignored Julie but he wasn't about to allow someone outside the family to trifle with a member of his family and of course Jake had to support his friend.

Julie, for the first time in her young life, felt protected and secure. That feeling translated itself into a very unusual situation: She became the third leg of a trio of friends. True, she was merely a girl as far as Ray and Jake were concerned, something to normally be avoided, but she was never-the-less grudgingly accepted as a part of their "gang".

Leo was the first to notice the change in Julie. Yes her breasts had began to develop, her hips were beginning to become a little curvier, and her rear end began to look a little more feminine. She had also grown several inches in height, but that wasn't what Leo noticed most of all; It was the way she carried herself when she was with the boys. She stood tall, her shoulders were thrown back and she held her head high with the chin up.

He and Rachel talked about the change and even Jo noticed it. The most notable part of the change, at least to outward appearances, was the care Julie was taking in her personal appearance. Julie was beginning to become quite the young lady.

As Fall gave way to Winter, Jo and Rachel made a command decision: It was time that the boys learned how to dance. No, not just Rock and Roll, but the more classical dances as well. This did not sit well with the boys but as was explained to them; not like it they might, but do it they would.

Over the Winter months the two mothers and Julie would take turns dancing with the boys until they could confidently move to the dance floor and acquit themselves with honor ten times out of ten.

In January, within two weeks of each other, the boys voices begin to break as they tried to sing along with their favorite artists. Puberty had reared its ugly head.

Just before Valentines Day Rachel and Leo were informed that Judge Brown was shortly going to make his ruling on their request for Jake's adoption. Two days before Valentine's Day in 1973 Everyone concerned met in Judge Brown's courtroom. No objection having been raised by any person or group, Judge Brown agreed to the adoption. Jake was now officially Jacob Joseph Tucker.

On Valentine's Day Rachel and Leo sat Jake down to tell him that he would have a new brother or sister in July.

The imminent arrival of another mouth to feed presented a new problem to Rachel and Leo. They were running out of space. The basement was full of Larry's books and things that Rachel couldn't bare to part with. The last available bedroom was being converted into a nursery. What to do?

At first glance it seemed that a new and larger home was in order. Leo and Rachel spent several weekends looking at new homes, but rising interest rates and the steep rise in the housing market prices caused a re-thinking of this option. They both loved their old home with its huge wrap around porch and the turret with its curved glass windows that made the house so unique.

Perhaps the old house could have an extension built on.

Leo went over to the School of Architecture at Western to see if he could get some recommendations as to who were the reputable builders in town. He was given a business card for a builder in town that all agreed was honest and aboveboard. The fellow's name was Stan Kowalski. The only problem was that Stan normally stuck to commercial construction, but as this was the rainy season in the Pacific Northwest he might want to take the job to keep his crew together.

Stan came out to the house to see if he wanted to tackle the job or not. Stan was a romantic and the idea of adding an addition to the house that would not destroy the beauty of the place appealed to him. While he was measuring and taking notes his attention was also drawn to the garage.

The garage was an original. It had been built as a stable and carriage house, so the building was actually a story-and-a-half high so that hay could be stored for the horses.

Stan suggested adding some dormers to it and with proper insulation it would make a dandy storage area, play room, or office space. He said he'd give them a quote on the house addition and the garage by the end of the week.

True to his word he stopped off on the following Saturday with preliminary plans and estimates. He carefully explained that by not adding on to the basement he'd speed the construction time up and the savings in time, labor, and materials would more then pay for the work on the garage.

When Rachel and Leo looked at his estimate they almost fainted. The cost for the additions was so much less then the price of buying new that it wasn't even a contest.

They could swing the loan through Western's Credit Union and even if Rachel became a full time stay-at-home mom (which they both desired), they would have no problem making the payments.

The additions were completed the week before Memorial Day.

Rachel and Leo moved into the new downstairs master bedroom and began preparing the old upstairs master bedroom for Jakes occupancy.

In June Julie graduated from Western Middle School and would begin the Fall term as a 10th grader at Western High School, one block and a football field further up the road.

Ray and Jake were going to start the 8th grade at the middle school.

Shortly after Independence Day Rachel gave birth to a 7 lbs and 6 oz female baby with auburn hair and green eyes. The two doting parents named her Amanda Sue after Leo's and Rachel's respective mothers. Needless to say Jake had been wishing for a brother.

So that Rachel wouldn't have to climb the stairs to the nursery every couple of hours the loving couple decided that until Amanda got past the two hour feeding schedule they'd put her in a bassinet in the kitchen at night, moving her to the master bedroom during the day. The rocking chair was moved from the living room so that Rachel could breast feed her in comfort.

Leo loved to watch Rachel breast-feeding the baby. She would get so horny from Amanda's sucking on her nipples that she'd attack Leo for relief after the feeding sessions. laying alongside him she'd breast-feed Leo who'd suck on her nipples and play with her breasts until she climaxed.

The first night they had full sex with the doctor's permission, Rachel had the most incredible orgasm she'd ever experienced in her life. She was on top to control the action and also because it allowed her to nurse Leo. His penis was buried deeply in her love canal and she was rocking on it to apply pressure to her clit as she leaned forward to breast feed her lover. The combination of Leo's hands squeezing her breasts as he sucked the milk from her nipples and his penis rubbing against her clit set her off in a spasm of orgasms so intense that she actually fainted, slumping down on top of Leo, who for an instant was afraid he'd killed her.

Leo was holding her so tightly against him he could feel her heart beating against his chest as he stroked her forehead and kissed her back to consciousness. Rachel blushed from embarrassment and the only word she could utter was, "WOW! "

Over the past year the vitamin regime that Jake had been taking even after he left St. Joes must have kicked in. Jake shot up like a weed so that he was now the same height as Julie, and still growing.

When school started after Labor Day the old rituals were still in place; The trio would walk to school together and home when school let out. Later, after supper, they would gather around the dining room table to study.

Rachel was the first one to notice a change during study time. Where in the past, Ray, Jake, and Julie had spaced themselves equidistant around the table, Julie had now moved her chair so that she was only a foot or two away from Jake.

Watching the children walking to and from school there was another slight change in the ritual. In the past Julie had always walked a step or two behind the boys. Now she walked between them.

There was nothing worrisome . . just different for some reason.

Rachel talked it over with Leo but he had no explanation. For a fifteen year old to be attracted to a thirteen year old was almost inconceivable, especially when the girl was two years older then the boy.

The problem was simply that Leo didn't have all the facts so he was unable to draw the correct conclusion. There had been several incidents with different groups of malicious boys who tried to accost and tease Julie over the past year. In each case, Ray's and Jake's ferocity had chased them off.

Julie half expected Ray to come to her defense, after all he was her brother. Jake was a different story. He was no relation to Julie and if push came to shove the two boys were usually out numbered and if it got serious were probably going to get their collective butts whipped. Jake was slowly becoming her protector, her knight in shining armor.

You have to keep in mind the age of the girl and the time period. In school they all read about King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable. What was still one of the hot shows and movies? Camelot. The tall handsome cowboy was forever rescuing the fair maid on TV and in the movies.

Rachel had become much more then a neighbor lady to Julie. She was an older sister, with a touch of great aunt, but above all, her mentor. Not having any female class mates to bond with, Rachel became Julie's confidant. But Julie wasn't about to talk to Rachel about her emerging feelings for Jake. Those feelings were left to her dreams.

Everyone including Julie were thrilled when Rachel announced that she was again pregnant just before Halloween.

Julie had always been the true loving older sister to her younger siblings, and had even sort of adopted Amanda Sue (who was now called Mandy Sue by one and all). She was overjoyed to think about having another baby to help Rachel nurture and raise.