So I know it's not Pride Month anymore but who says we can't celebrate Pride all year? And I got a request to write a chapter about when Robin and Tyler first met their kids that started to make scenes play out in my head. So I had to write it!

The table rattled in tune with Robin's shaking leg. Tyler put his hand atop his husband's knee to alleviate the anxiety coursing through his veins. "The social worker be here soon," he whispered, leaning his head on Robin's shoulder and sneaking in a kiss on a sweaty cheek. "Then we'll know what they need us for."

"I know..." Robin replied, his shaking leg settling as he exhaled. "I just didn't expect them to call this quickly."

It had only been a week since the couple submitted their application to be foster parents—after an ordeal of a process including interviews, a home visit, and references from friends and coworkers—and they had been told it could be a while until they were considered for a placement. So they had both been surprised when a social worker called them the evening before, inquiring if they could come in to discuss a possible placement. Which was of course thrilling but also nerve-wracking.

"It's good though, right?" Tyler massaged Robin's leg rhythmically. "It means there is a kid that needs us immediately and we'll be able to be there for them. If we hadn't applied, that couldn't have happened."

Robin nodded, inhaling before flashing a nervous smile toward his husband. "It's good," he agreed. "Really good. I just want to know more about the kid so we can start planning."

As if on cue, the door opened and a social worker walked in. The messy ponytail and wrinkled shirt indicated that her work probably wasn't entirely stress-free. The woman sat down opposite the couple, putting down a binder between them.

"Mr. Caster and Mr. Erie, I presume," she greeted the couple before immediately starting to flip through papers.

"Actually we're both Mr Caster-Erie," Tyler explained. "We hyphenated our names. Although maybe we should have made it Casterie... But you can just tell us Tyler and Robin." He flashed a smile, hoping to temper the tension in the room. Robin's leg, and thereby the table, had started to shake again, making the screws that held it together rattle.

"Very well," the woman replied, finally looking up for long enough to meet their gazes. She even took the time to return Tyler's smile. "I'm Samantha, and I'm the social worker in charge of the case we want to present to discuss a possible placement with you. I have to admit, I got really hopeful when I saw your application as we've struggled to place these kids for a long time. It's quite a tricky case you see. So I want you to know what you're getting into before making any decisions."

"Kids?" Robin asked, eager to find out the facts so that he could assess the situation. Tyler knew that's how his husband functioned. First, Robin read as much about a topic as was humanly possible, then, he could analyze whatever question was posed to him, usually by making long pro- and con lists. Which could be a bit exhausting if the question was about pizza topics—although Tyler usually just suggested something to Robin in such situations, based on what he usually liked—but was useful for important life decisions. Although when Tyler proposed to Robin no analysis or lists had been needed, the yes had flown out of his lips at record speed.

"Yeah, there is a pair of twins." Samantha slid a picture of two small boys, perhaps around two years old, sitting next to each other in a double stroller. One boy wore glasses and flashed a shy smile while the other boy was in blurry motion and turned away from the camera, busy trying to escape the confines. "Alex and Owen. And that's part of the reason we wanted to bring this case to you since you have entered that you're willing to take on siblings."

"And we definitely stand by that," Tyler confirmed, pulling the picture toward him to take a closer look. Gazing upon the small boys, in need of shelter and care, a warm sensation rose in his chest, bringing with it a paternal urge to provide them with those things and more. These little guys deserved endless summer days with popsicles melting down their arms, boxes full of ugly plastic toys from Happy Meals, and too much screen time on rainy days.

"Good." Samantha smiled in relief. "This case is a bit complicated though since the boys have very different needs and there have been discussions about separating them for that reason, to ensure they both get the care they need."

No. No. No. That wouldn't happen. Not on Tyler's watch. He still remembered the fear he'd felt about being parted from his little sister after his mom left, and he'd been a teen, not a toddler. These kids shouldn't even have to be aware separation was an option. Not when they only had each other.

Tyler felt a hand on his knee and looked up to meet his husband's eyes. Robin gave him a nod to non-verbally communicate that he knew what Tyler was thinking and that he wouldn't let it happen either.

"What makes this case complicated?" Robin asked, while Tyler still battled demons from his own childhood. His little sister was now a sassy fourteen-year-old who rolled her eyes at most of his advice, but he still wouldn't want to be without her for anything.

"Both boys require special attention in different ways," Samantha explained. "Alex was born with cerebral palsy which means he has some mobility issues and will need to receive hospital care at times. He's expected to be able to walk eventually but it's a long road there he'll need a lot of support."

"We can be very supportive of that." Tyler looked down toward his prosthetic leg. "Physical therapy and hospital visits are nothing new to me, not to Robin."

"I'm aware of your history there," Samantha assured them. "And that's part of the reason I wanted to present this case to you. I can also see that you both did say during the interview that you were willing to take on a child with a disability. What you need to be aware of in this case is Owen's needs as well, because he's been quite neglected during his formative years. So he tends to act out and demand a lot of attention. He is also very energetic and is known for bolting away from his guardians."

"I'm very energetic too," Tyler insisted. "I've run a 5k under thirty minutes, and that's with a prosthetic leg. I think I can run after a runaway kid as well."

Samantha smiled at his braggadocio. "I'm sure you're a great athlete, Tyler," she replied. "And your physical fitness and youth are part of the reason we thought you may be a good fit for Alex and Owen. We think you can handle both their physical and mental needs. But I want you both to be fully aware of the boys' needs before you say yes. You will have your hands full and there will be tough times. So if you accept, we could do a trial period of a couple of weeks first, so you fully know what you're getting yourselves into."

Tyler shook his head decisively. "No trial will be needed," he insisted. "If we take on the boys, we will keep them for as long as they need. We'll be their parents and parents can't just back out."

"Speaking of that, what happened to their biological parents?" Robin asked, coming up with all the smart questions Tyler couldn't think of. "If we're allowed to receive that information, that is. Since we're interested in foster-to-adopt, it may be good to know before we make a decision how likely it is that their parents will regain custody."

"That won't happen in this case." Samantha sighed, looking down at her papers. "I can't tell you all the details before you accept the placement but the father was never in the picture and the mother... well she is incarcerated and will be for several years."

"And what about when she gets out?" Tyler asked, suddenly concerned that these kids he'd not even met yet would be snatched away from him.

"She won't regain custody as the crimes she committed were related to her children."

"What does that mean?" Robin furrowed his brow. "Did she hit them?"

"Not exactly... it's called medical child abuse these days, I guess. There is evidence that she made Alex's condition worse by denying treatments and dispensing medicine wrongfully."

Tyler could sense every muscle in Robin's body tensing at the all-too-familiar description. Looking over, his husband's eyes had turned black in anger. Robin wasn't anxious anymore, he was mad. Their hands interlaced, squeezing firmly to confirm the decision they already knew the other one had made as well.

"When can we meet the boys?" Robin asked, picking up the picture on the table as if the mere act of holding it would also protect the kids that were portrayed.

"Once you two have discussed whether to accept the placement or not, we can arrange a meet-up so that you can get to know each other. I will leave the folder with you and you can call me once you've decided."

Tyler demonstratively pushed the folder back across the table. " We don't need to discuss," he announced confidently, bolstered by the warm embrace of his husband's hand. "We're accepting the placement."

***

For the first time in his life, Robin wasn't nervous before something new was about to happen. The coming meet-up would change his life forever, and yet he felt calm. His leg didn't shake and his palms weren't sweaty.

"Are you ready?" Tyler asked him, squeezing his hand. The swiftness in his husband's movement told him that perhaps Tyler was a bit nervous and unable to contain the antsy energy within his limbs.

"I'm ready," Robin proclaimed. He wasn't lying. He felt prepared to be a parent, together with Tyler. He knew they could do it. They could provide a safe and caring environment for these children.

The meeting room at the Social Services office was filled with toys, books, and everything a child could need but yet felt oddly impersonal and sterile. The couch on which they sat felt oddly firm and scratchy, not at all cozy like their huge velvet sectional back home. Robin would have preferred if they could have been introduced to Alex and Owen there but Samantha had insisted the first meeting should take place in a neutral environment since that would be less stressful for the kids. Which Robin couldn't really argue with. Of course, also wanted the boys to be as comfortable as possible.

A shriek cut through the room, coming from the hallway outside. "Daddies!" was yelled in a high-pitched tone, followed by the pitter-patter of small feet running.

"Owen, I told you to wait!" Samanta's voice echoed. The continued pitter-patter indicated that Owen had no plans to neither listen nor wait. The rumors of him being a bolter had not been exaggerated.

The footsteps stopped right outside the door and were followed by the handle moving as small hands tried to grab it from outside. But the door proved to yet be too difficult of an obstacle for the kid outside. "Daddies?!" A knock bellowed through the room after Owen gave up opening the door by himself.

Tyler jumped up from the sofa, taking fast strides to swing the door open. A little boy, with hair on end and clothes crumpled, stood outside, looking at him with fascination. "You a daddy?" he asked.

"I supposed I am," Tyler replied, reaching out his hand toward the boy. "And my husband is a daddy too."

"Two daddies," Owen confirmed to himself with a nod. He'd probably been told this fact before by Samantha but not quite believed it until he saw it.

"You want to come in and play, little guy?" Tyler asked, crouching down beside Owen. A movement Robin knew wasn't as easy to perform with a prosthetic leg as Tyler made it seem.

If Robin wasn't already head over heels in love with his husband, seeing him with this kid would have made him fall so hard.

After some hesitation, the boy took Tyler's hand, venturing into the room together. His face shone up into a smile when he made an exciting discovery. "A slide!" Owen shrieked. "I wanna slide!" Still holding onto Tyler's hand, he pulled him closer to the bright plastic apparatus. "You help me!"

It wasn't a question but a demand and Tyler could do nothing but obey, hoisting Owen up onto the platform. Infectious kid laughter filled the room as the kid threw himself down the slide.

Owen was just about to throw himself down again, after being lifted by Tyler, when Samantha appeared in the door with another small boy in her arms. "I see you guys have already made yourself acquainted with Owen," she surmised. "Who was supposed to hold my hand as we walked down the hallway..." She gave the kid a pointed look. Owen ignored it skillfully, instead giving the slide another go.

"So this is Alex," Samantha continued, letting the little boy in her arms survey the room and people in it. "He doesn't take quite as many liberties as his brother..." Alex waved toward Robin on the couch, making his heart melt in an instant.

"You want to sit down over there?" Samantha asked, walking over and putting down the boy next to Robin.

"Hi little buddy," Robin started, automatically using the voice he usually used when talking to Lance and Tallulah's kids: Rose and Garret. Except for them, he didn't have much experience with children. "You want to go on the slide too?"

Alex shook his head, decisively displaying his opinion of slides.

"He doesn't talk yet," Samanta informed Robin. "Although the speech therapist is working on that. He still knows what he wants though, don't you, Alex?"

Alex didn't pay her any mind, instead the boy leaned toward the box filled with books next to Robin. "You want to read, buddy?" Robin asked, picking up one of them.

The boy scooted closer, the braces on his legs rasping against the scratchy surface of the couch, looking with keen interest toward the cover of the book. This particular appeared to detail the journey of a baby bird as he learned to fly.

"Let's read then," Robin announced, starting to flip through the pages of the little bird's adventures. Meanwhile, Tyler was spinning Owen around like an airplane across the room, making the kid laugh himself silly.

Soon, Tyler and Owen joined them on the couch as well, sweaty and giggly from their rough and tumble playtime. Once Samantha—who had snuck out of the room without Robin even noticing it—returned, the twins were tuckered out on the couch between Robin and Tyler, napping in a sweet embrace. There had been some screams when the boys wanted to flip the pages at a different pace, and Alex had definitely stood his own by pulling Owen's hair, but at least while asleep, they seemed to get along.

"I came to check on you," Samantha whispered, not wanting to disturb the sleeping toddlers. "How has everything gone?"

"Amazing." Tyler smiled. In fact, he had been smiling ever since the kids entered the room. "I think we'll take two of these..." He pointed toward the napping boys.

Robin nodded in agreement, scared to more or even talk as Alex's head rested on his thigh. These sweet baby birds were coming home with them.

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed that little glimpse into Robin and Tyler's future! 

I may rewrite this scene at some point when I finally write that sequel I've been promising... The plan is for that to be set right after Robin and Tyler graduate, but it may also involve some later moments from their lives. Hopefully, I can get to that story soon as I know a lot of readers are waiting!

Currently, I'm preparing my story "Where Is Araminta Green?" for Wattys though (check it out if you haven't, it's more queer than it may appear to be at first glance!). After that, I plan to finish Tyler's story "Bitter Treats" (which is a mirror story of SLB that also gives more insight into his past). But once those projects are done, it may finally be time for the sequel!