yolanda, look who's here to see you. yolanda, smiles at kate and john.  she runs over to greet them, but stands just out of their reach. -kate kneels in front of her.
what do you.say?
nervous?
yes, we're very lucky to have her. but there's something -strange-in abigail's voice -- she definitely doesn't un -lucky. esther watches them go.
the notary will be here at.ten for-you- to sign the placement agreement.
it's russian. it means "mother." int.john's car - night john whistles "whatever will be, will be" to himself as he drives. kate gives him an amused look, then jokingly sings along:
for the most -part, she's an'ideal child. she's originally from russia, but her english is flawless, smart as a.tvhip and very mature °for her age. i don't think i've-ever had to tell her .anything-twice and i've never had to clean-up after her.  she's a bit of a- nqat-freak.
i'm sure they do, but she doesn't make- things any easier on herself. she just doesn't seem interested in friends.  she doesn't even play like a normal child. she just reads and paints. most of the time she barely-speaks.
i don't know. there's nothing in her -history, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. russian adoption - records. are notoriously unreliable.
i wish i knew. there's just something missing with her. a-spark you see in a child's eyes that isn't there. i've only seen that-before in cases where the child had been severely traumatized. it might also explain - some of her idiosyncratic behaviors.
she refuses to shower or change clothes with the other girls.' she won't even allow the housemother in-the bathroom with her. she.'.s also very concerned with her physical appearance for her age. she's like a teenager getting ready for a date every morning. she insists on wearing dresses-every day. the ribbons around her wrists and neck stay on day and night. . the only trouble we ever had with her was when we tried to take them off. she kicked two of sister francis' teeth-out. kate and tohn are taken. aback. abigail sighs.
i'm sorry. i'm 'not trying to discourage you. if you're serious, i'll do everything i can to-expedite the process, given the circumstances.
if you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to call. before kate. can respond, esther tugs on her arm.
to need updated charts i t also going t from her. pediatrician and her dentist for my supervision report.
that's one good-looking family you've got.
no explanation necessary. i don't think there e'anything that girl could say that would surprise me.
what kinds of things is she doing?
really? is the girl all right?
she doesn't. sound very lucky.
when you first asked about adopting esther, i expressed some misgivings. but i wasn't completely straightforward with you. you see, i love children. i've worked with them my entire life. and the thing about love is that it sometimes clouds your judgement.
yes, but there was something else. it was hard to say chat it was at first. just-a feeling that she was a profoundly damaged little girl.
that's; g i was reluc!tant to t anything bef ore. now'i think th at may a have been a mistake. children like esther, who've spent their entire lives-in institutions, have never had' a chance to 'form normal, lasting bonds.  the longterm effects of 'this- can be devastating. in the very worst cases, children who fail to form early attachments are unable to learn the difference between'right and wrong. they can lie, cheat, steal --- .or worse -and and have no remorse whatsoever for their actions.' they view other human beings as objects, pawns for their amusement. and they can-be potentially very dangerous.
a severely character-disturbed child can appear to be -completely normal, -even exceptional. it's like they have two faces one-they show the outside world in order'to get what they want, and the other, their true face, lying just beneath the surface.
that's true,-i don't. but i believe the circumstantial evidence is enough to warrant taking the next step.
she's also the sole-survivor of a house fire that killed her last family. it was arson. i did some checking. someone deliberately set that fire. they-never caught who did it.
pyromania is one of the warning signs of a character--disturbed child. rate blanches, realizing:
dear lord! are you okay, honey? max looks up at her,-stunned, but unhurt. sister abigai1 is taken aback. she recognizes her.
	24:
kate, we love being parents. we're good at it and'it makes. us happy. what better reason-do you want? kate looks at him for a beat, then smiles and lets her tears fall.
a girl. we'd like a little girl.- - -
i wonder' why they didn't show us her case file.
my one reservation is. this. when-an adoption fails, it's usually because the parents didn't know what to expect. -and'in this case, i can't' tell you what to expect because the plain fact of the- matter is that-i don't knaw.
-holy shit:.  max. runs straight into kate's arms and gets a big hug.
i like happy ending's. don't you?
bow's maxine feeling?
what if someone comes in and sees me?
it's okay to be sad.about the people we've lost.  and it.'s okay to iniss them, too. esther nods. they'smile at one another through their tears.
not yet. -
but the truth is that i knew there was something wrong with esther from the moment i laid eyes on her. kate sits up, concerned. john bristles.
now we eau be together forever.
but the real issue is with you, rate kate reacts, stunned.
"superficiallycharming. difficulty making and keeping frinnds. cruelty to pets. bossy and controlling. overly affectionate with strangers."
yes, please. call me the moment you hear anything. thank you. she hangs up, disturbed.
you'll need to talk to the social - worker about that. she's going to come in here- and ask you some questions.
honestly, we're past that now, aren't we?.
all right. i was just trying to be. nice. and with that: she takes a can charcoal, lighter fluid from behind her back and tazts snravina the-floor at daniel's feet with al. he gasps' and jumps back as it splatters in. front of hire. she douses the floor from one side to the other. then she opens a book of matches and lights one. daniel blanches,
esther goes, too.