Chapter 4 - The Inspection
"You cannot take them," I pleaded, stepping between Mrs. Gable and the crying children.
"I only left for five minutes to find Leo because he wandered out trying to help fix this place."
Mrs. Gable adjusted her glasses and looked around the dismal room.
"This is not a home, Mr. Carter, it is a construction hazard," she noted, scribbling furiously on her clipboard.
"There is broken glass on the floor, no central heating, and an active eviction notice on the door."
The landlord crossed his arms and smirked.
"I told you I wanted you out by midnight, buddy," he said.
Leo grabbed my leg, burying his wet face into my jeans.
"Please don't let her take us," he whispered, his voice trembling with fear.
I looked Mrs. Gable directly in the eyes.
"You know exactly what happens if you put them back in the system tonight," I told her.
"They will be separated into five different foster homes, and they will never see each other again."
She paused, a flicker of hesitation crossing her strict face.
"I have a duty to ensure their safety, and this environment is dangerously unstable," she replied softly.
"Give me until Friday," I begged.
"I will find a proper apartment, I will secure a new job, and I will prove I can provide for them."
Mrs. Gable stared at the terrified children clinging to each other on the air mattresses.
She slowly lowered her pen.
"I am going to defer my final report until the emergency hearing on Friday morning," she sighed.
"But if you do not have a legitimate, safe residence by then, the judge will have no choice but to remove them."
She turned and marched out the door, forcing the landlord to leave with her.
I breathed a heavy sigh of relief, locking the door and turning the heater on high.
We had survived the night, but we only had three days to find a miracle.
The next morning, I woke up to a loud, aggressive knocking on the front door.
I expected the landlord, but when I opened it, I was greeted by a woman I had never seen before.
She was dressed in a tailored designer suit, dripping with expensive jewelry.
May you like
"My name is Sarah," she said, pushing her way past me into the room.
"I am the children's biological aunt, and I am here to take them home."
