“Are we almost to town?” — “About two miles left. We’ll get there by sunset.”
Sam turned around and tried to smile, but it was a strained, sad smile. Leo was determined that today, they would finally learn something very important.
After a three-hour walk, they finally reached a dirt road. The asphalt was old and cracked from time and frost, but it was civilization. Sam raised his hand to flag down a passing semi-truck.
The driver, a sturdy man in his forties wearing greasy blue overalls, pulled over. “Can you give us a lift to the county seat?” Sam asked. “I’ll pay for the kids, whatever you ask.”
The driver looked closely at Leo and Ellie; the children looked tired but clean. “Hop in. No charge for kids.” The spacious cab was a bit cramped with the three of them, but it was warm.
“Get lost in the woods, did you?” the driver asked sympathetically. “You’re mighty lucky this fella found you.” Ellie pressed close to Sam, hugging his arm. “He’s not just some fella. He’s our dad.”
Sam and Leo exchanged a quick glance; the boy saw the confusion and shock in the old man’s eyes. “Family, then,” the driver nodded knowingly. “Family is family.”
Half an hour later, they drove into the small town, with its standard five-story apartment buildings, shops, and county administration building. Sam thanked the driver and led the children straight to a two-story building with a sign that read “Sheriff’s Department.”
At the front desk, they were met by Officer Miller, a thin, wiry man in a crisp uniform. “How can I help you?” he asked officially. Sam briefly told the story of how he found the children in the woods and their tale about a broken-down car.
Miller was an experienced officer and understood immediately. “So they just abandoned the kids in the middle of nowhere, left them for dead. We’ll find these parents. You’ll need to file a missing persons report.”
Sam asked anxiously, “And what happens when you find them?” — “What do you think? By law, we return the children to their biological parents. Unless they relinquish their rights or a court terminates them for abuse.”
“But we don’t want to go back to them! They betrayed us!” Leo quickly interjected. Miller patiently explained that the law was the law, and the process could take months or even years.
Ellie suddenly burst into tears. “I don’t want to wait that long! I want to live with Mr. Sam right now. He’s kind, he won’t hurt us.” Miller shook his graying head sympathetically.
A middle-aged woman in a smart suit entered the station—Ms. Davis, a social worker. Overhearing the conversation, she became interested. “Aren’t you Sam Kozlov? From the 47th logging quarter?”
Sam was surprised. “Yes, that’s me.” — “I worked with your ex-wife, I remember her drinking problem. You left her.” Sam nodded. “You did the right thing. That means there are no obstacles to you seeking custody.”
She looked the children over carefully. “It’s clear they genuinely care for you.” Ms. Davis proposed a compromise: the children would be placed in Sam’s temporary care while the authorities searched for the parents and processed the paperwork.
Leo asked quietly, “Mr. Sam, does that mean we get to stay with you?” — “For now, you do,” Sam confirmed. The next hour was spent filling out forms, and Ms. Davis promised to come for a home visit in a month.
“And you’ll be sure to enroll them in school?”
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