In the weeks that followed, I couldn't stop thinking about him. CPS named him "Baby Boy Doe" and placed him in temporary care. I found excuses to call for updates more often than I should've.

A firefighter talking on his phone | Source: Midjourney
Joe noticed. He leaned back in his chair, studying me. "You thinking about it? Adopting him?"
"I don't know," I said, though my heart already knew the answer.
The adoption process was the hardest thing I'd ever done. The paperwork was endless. Every step felt like someone was waiting to tell me I wasn't good enough. A firefighter? Single? What did I know about raising a baby?