An Ember To Bear (Fire Bear Shifters 5) by Sloane Meyers

contained everything she needed. She had compiled evidence of her responsibility, putting in records of everything in her life that she thought might possibly indicate stability. She had copies of her nursing school transcripts—straight As! She’d made copies of her tax returns for the last three years, showing that she had the income to support a child. She brought her annual reviews from work, so Mr. Stewart could see the glowing reviews she received from her managers. She had her bank statements, to show that she managed her accounts responsibly and had money in savings. She’d printed out numerous articles she’d read on child development, to prove that she would take the happiness and health of her young charge seriously. She had brought along every document she could think of that might convince Mr. Stewart to let her adopt one of those precious children.
    Mindy took a deep breath, held her head up high, and marched into the orphanage. The building was an old elementary school that had been converted into a children’s home, and it was clean and bright, if a bit sterile. Shoe cubbies neatly lined the entryway, and the floor and walls were spotless. Mr. Stewart treated the children with kindness and respect, but he did run a tight ship. With twenty-seven kids of varying ages running around, Mindy couldn’t fault him for that. Things could get out of control easily if he let them.
    As she walked down the hallway, her black kitten heels clicked on the hard floor, and tiny heads started poking out of the doorways to inspect the noise.
    “Miss Mindy, Miss Mindy!” a chorus of little voices started cheering. Within moments, Mindy was surrounded by tiny arms, all jostling to get the closest spot next to their beloved friend.
    “I lost a tooth!” six-year-old Emma proudly proclaimed, smiling widely to show off the gap in her mouth.
    “You did, indeed,” Mindy said, inspecting Emma’s smile. “What a big girl you are. You’re growing up too quickly!”
    Emma’s little chest puffed in pride at being called a big girl, and she continued to smile with her teeth showing, so that everyone could see just what a big girl she really was.
    “Miss Mindy, we got a new toy for the playground this week. It’s a big green sambox!” four-year-old Drew said, tugging on Mindy’s arm with excitement.
    “A sambox?” Mindy asked, unsure of what Drew was referring to.
    “He means a sandbox ,” twelve-year-old Anna interrupted, rolling her eyes in that particularly impatient way that all twelve-year-old girls seem to have mastered.
    “Oh! A sandbox. How fun,” Mindy said.
    Drew beamed. “It’s my new favorite toy,” he said. “I wuv the sambox.”
    “Sandbox,” Anna corrected again, letting out a long sigh. Drew just smiled up at her and nodded.
    “Sambox.”
    Mr. Stewart, hearing the commotion, stuck his head out from his office at the end of the long hallway. He glanced at his watch disapprovingly, and Mindy resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She was maybe two minutes late. Maybe.
    “Alright, my little lovebugs, I need to talk to Mr. Stewart for a few minutes. I’ll be back to play with you in a little bit,” Mindy said.
    “Aw, but I wanna play now,” Emma said, sticking her lower lip out in a little pout. Mindy squeezed her shoulder.
    “I know. But I have to talk to him first. We can play soon, and I promise we’ll have lots of fun. We can even do another tea party with your bears,” Mindy said.
    Emma started jumping up and down in excitement, and ran off down the hallway screaming, “Tea party, tea party, tea party!”
    Mindy cringed, expecting Mr. Stewart to yell at Emma to stop running and use an inside voice, but he had already disappeared back into his office. She quickly scurried after him.
    “Shut the door, Mindy,” he said, barely looking up from a document on his desk that he was reviewing.
    Mindy shut the door, and then took a seat in one of the stiff, faux leather chairs that stood across