Ava just stood at the door in shock and panic, not knowing what to do. Finally after a few more minutes of silence Ava managed to get some words out. "Um hi may I help you," Ava managed to get out as she looked at the social service worker hoping that this was just a misunderstanding. Her chest tightened when she realized it wasn't.

   "You're Ava Jalali correct? May I come in," the social worker told Ava making Ava silently panic on the inside while trying to keep calm on the outside. As she allowed the lady inside. Before Ava could say anything Carlos came over as he had heard the doorbell and was confused and curious about who would be at the door.

    "Ava who was at the door. Is that social services? Oh no! There is no way I'm going into the system! Ava do something! I don't want to end up in foster care! Please Ava you can't let them take us!" Carlos stammered out to his big sister in panic. He had come over and saw that it was a lady from social services standing inside of their house.

        Ava closed her eyes and took a deep breath before looking over at Carlos while rocking a bit to keep Mal sleeping. Mal had thankfully fallen back to sleep. "Carlos relax, everything is going to be fine. This nice lady is just going to have a quick conversation with me. It's nothing to worry about," Ava told the young boy, making Carlos just worry more as he knew that his big sister was just saying that.

       His parents had told him that everything would be fine and then they took off leaving them behind with nothing. Then Ava promises everything would be okay, but then the FBI showed up at their house. And now Ava was claiming everything would be okay when there was social services at their door right now and Carlos wasn't stupid. He knew why they were actually there and that thought scared him so much.

       Carlos just stood there staring at his big sister in shock as he couldn't believe how calm she was being about all of this. He was terrified. Before Carlos could say anything back the social services lady came back over as she had finished examining the house and Ava immediately put on a fake smile giving Carlos a look telling him to do the same.

         "Okay so the house seems pretty safe. Now would you mind if we had a little talk with you," the social services lady asked Ava making Ava sigh as she handed Mal to Carlos. "Carlos, can you take Mal up to her room for a nap and stay with her please," Ava told her little brother, making Carlos just nod as he quickly took Mal up to her room. "Alright come on Mal let's go nigh nigh," Carlos told his baby sister as he took her to her room.

           Once the lady was sure that Carlos was out of the room she looked at Ava sadly as she handed her papers. "Your parents have just relinquished their parental rights to Carlos and Mal Jalali," the lady told the now shocked girl as Ava couldn't believe what she was hearing.

            Yes their parents had left, but to hear that they were giving up their parental rights was just shocking and it made her angry. She couldn't believe her parents would just completely give Mal and Carlos up. "How could they do that to them? What does that mean for them?" Ava asked the lady in anger and worry as she didn't want her siblings to get thrown into foster care with strangers.

             The lady just sighed as she looked at Ava feeling bad for the young adult. "Well  usually we prefer to put children with a relative after a situation like this where the parents are unable to care for their children anymore. And considering how you are their only relative listed and you are eighteen we are giving you the option to request to become their new guardian or to adopt them. And we understand that you are young, but unfortunately if you don't sign the papers to take guardianship of them or to adopt them then we will be forced to put them in the system as you are their only relative according to our records and we will need to place them where we see fit as children need a guardian," the social services lady told Ava making Ava stare at the papers in shock.

             She didn't know what to do at this point. Becoming their official legal guardian just terrified her. She was only 18 and she didn't know if she would be ready to be their official guardian. It was one thing to look out for them for a little bit, but to be listed as their legal guardian and have rights as basically their parents just terrified her.

             If she did this she would be giving up her freedoms as a new adult. She wouldn't get to go out and be a free woman who could go out and party with friends whenever she wanted to. She would have responsibilities and she would basically be a mother. Especially since Mal wasn't even a month old yet. If she did this she would be committing 18 years of her life to raise Mal. And six of those would also be her raising Carlos as well. She wasn't ready to commit to such a big responsibility like that.

            However if she didn't do this she would never see her siblings again. They would be thrown into foster care to be raised by strangers and she would never even know how they were doing. The thought of her siblings being raised horribly by strangers in foster care just completely terrified her and to never see her siblings again also terrified her.

            She was torn and she didn't know what to do. This whole situation was a lose lose situation for her. She hated her parents for doing this to her right now. She was supposed to be graduating high school in a few weeks and having a fresh start in college. She wanted to go to college and start over not having to deal with the mess her father made, but now she was having to make a choice between herself and her little siblings.

             Before she could make a decision Carlos came running down towards them. "Carlos what are you doing? I told you to go stay in Mal's room with her," Ava told the young boy as she didn't want Carlos to hear their conversation.

             "I know, but I can't stop worrying. I need to know what's going to happen to me and Mal," the young twelve year old told his big sister, making the social worker just sigh as she handed Ava some papers.

              "You have until Monday to make a decision," the social worker told Ava as she gave Carlos a small smile and then left the house. Once the social worker left Carlos just looked at his big sister as he was confused and worried. "Ava what did she mean by you have until Monday? What is she talking about," the young boy asked his big sister making Ava sigh again in frustration as she looked at her brother.

               "I'll tell you later. And by the way when I say stay with Mal I mean stay with Mal. You can't just barge into grown up conversations like that. Now I know you didn't finish your homework. Go do it because I'm not going to let you slack off in school right now. And I have to go check on Mal since you were supposed to stay with her, but you didn't," Ava practically screamed at her brother as she made her way to Mal's nursery to check on her newborn sister while also trying to keep herself busy as she didn't want to think about the hard decision she had to made. 

                 "Ugh you're so unfair! Just tell me what she was talking about! I'm not a baby! And I already finished my homework!  It's the weekend! We don't have much homework over the weekend!" Carlos screamed out to his big sister as he was sick of her treating him like some little kid. He wasn't a little kid anymore and he didn't Ava to baby him.

                   Carlos groaned when he realized that his big sister couldn't hear him as she was already up the stairs. He just picked up the papers that Ava had placed down as he began to read them. The young twelve year old just stared at the papers in shock and anger as he couldn't believe what he was reading.

                 He just went running up to his sister's nursery and looked at Ava who was bottle feeding Mal again. He didn't care if he disrupted her; he was upset and he needed to get his emotions out.

                   "Mom and dad gave us up! And you knew that! That's what you wouldn't tell me!" The young boy screamed out while slamming the papers down in front of her as he was angry. His parents just completely abandoned them and his own sister was trying to keep that from him. Ava just lost her grip on the bottle as she  looked at Carlos in shock not knowing what to say as she was not expecting Carlos to ever see those papers.