The Adoption: To Adopt or Not to Adopt

"Adopt me, please, Jeannie? My parents left. My grandmother is in a wheelchair. My grandfather is a chief, but he's too old. to adopt me."

The beautiful, young girl with dark hair and eyes stood in the doorway. She was clean, well dressed and by her comportment obviously a native. "I'm twelve. My new, best friends are twins; they're eight,"

"Crystal," one of the twins hollered, as they came running down the hallway.

"Jeannie is adopting me," Crystal yelled. "I know you will," she said to Jeannie, gazing at her wistfully.

"Come and meet my wife," said the elderly grandfather, later. It was New Year's Eve. Jeannie was busy, but she agreed to go upstairs to meet Crystal's grandmother, an elderly, French Canadian woman.

Later that evening, the doorbell rang and Crystal's grandfather stood there holding a bottle of wine for her.

"Happy New Year!" he said.

"You are adopting me because I'm an Indian princess, right?" Crystal said excitedly, the next morning "You just have to."

"Let's spend some time together. We'll talk." Jeannie did not want to make any promises. "It might be fun!"

"Someone stole my wine," the grandfather told Jeannie, later that day, when he came to pick up the girls who had just enjoyed a wonderful day of cross-country skiing together with Jeannie.   

Jeannie was stunned, but reached across the counter and handed him back his bottle of wine. "Was it this kind of wine?"

Over the following months, Jeannie and Crystal bonded. 

Jeannie began thinking seriously about adopting Crystal, but she had not made a final decision. It was a busy time for her as she became increasingly involved with the girls. But, she sensed something was wrong. Crystal and the twins kept asking for material things. Jeannie enjoyed giving them gifts, but then expensive items started to disappear.

"Where is Crystal?" Jeannie asked the grandparents, when Crystal did not show up for an scheduled outing.

"She's at home now with her mom and dad," the grandfather explained. "She's not available for adoption. Thanks for giving her those wonderful gifts. Have a bottle of wine."

"No thanks," said Jeannie, with a smile. It was so hard to get angry with them. "I never drink wine"