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Description
Zacky smiled down at Caden. "How old are you?" he asked, plopping down beside the child, trying to give off a friendly vibe.
Caden remained where he was as he looked down into the worn face of his stuffed animal. "...Two and a half..."
Brian smiled lightly. "That's a good age...How long have you been here?"
"Iunno," the toddler replied, seeming to not want to look away from his toy.
"What's his name...?" Zacky said motioning to the toy, his voice gentle.
An adorable, chubby-cheeked smile spread over Caden's face as he hugged his tiger to his face, his voice a little more louder as he said, "Stwipes. He can do acwobats and stand on his head, too."
He couldn't help but coo. "Can Stripes show us his tricks?"
Brian smiled big, letting Zacky do the talking now.
Caden looked down at his toy, giving a small sigh. "Maybe, but...Not hewe. The othew kids waugh at him..." He knitted his brows, his little hands playing with Stripes's ears.
Zacky frowned. "Does...Does Stripes get laughed at a lot...?" he asked softly, trying to be soothing.
Nodding, Caden got quiet again before he smiled and hugged his toy to his chest once more. "Yah, but...He Dewsn't cawe. I'm his fwiend."
Zacky smiled, getting teary-eyed for a moment. "He's so cute..." He whispered to Brian, standing.
"It was nice to meet you Caden..." he said quietly, taking Brian's hand, seeming to quiver.
Caden nodded, gently waving Stripes's paw at the two grown-ups.
Brian whispered in Zacky's ear, "Should we ask Mrs. Waltz about him...?"
Zacky nodded, smiling from ear-to-ear as he gave a small finger wave to Caden.
They found the plump, bushy-haired woman fixing lunch in the kitchen.
Brian approached her, asking, "That boy...caden? How long has he been here?"
She looked over her shoulder and frowned a little, saying, "He's been here for only a few months, his parents were...Abusive. Said he was an accident..."
Zacky stared for a moment before blinking. "That's awful..."
"He doesn't talk much, and it seems he doesn't like it here much. I've had to shoo away the other children multiple times who teased him," She sighed, rubbing her hands on her apron.
Zacky bit his lip for a moment before saying, "I...Brian and I are...considering adopting Caden," He said fidgetting.
Mrs. Waltz smiled happily, her eyes having a glint of hope. "I'm happy to hear it...Are you still looking for a child? Or...?"
Zacky looked over to Brian, biting his lip softly . "What do you think, Bri...?"
Not hesitating for a second, Brian nodded. "I think he's the kid we want..."

Description
Zacky smiled down at Caden. "How old are you?" he asked, plopping down beside the child, trying to give off a friendly vibe.
Caden remained where he was as he looked down into the worn face of his stuffed animal. "...Two and a half..."
Brian smiled lightly. "That's a good age...How long have you been here?"
"Iunno," the toddler replied, seeming to not want to look away from his toy.
"What's his name...?" Zacky said motioning to the toy, his voice gentle.
An adorable, chubby-cheeked smile spread over Caden's face as he hugged his tiger to his face, his voice a little more louder as he said, "Stwipes. He can do acwobats and stand on his head, too."
He couldn't help but coo. "Can Stripes show us his tricks?"
Brian smiled big, letting Zacky do the talking now.
Caden looked down at his toy, giving a small sigh. "Maybe, but...Not hewe. The othew kids waugh at him..." He knitted his brows, his little hands playing with Stripes's ears.
Zacky frowned. "Does...Does Stripes get laughed at a lot...?" he asked softly, trying to be soothing.
Nodding, Caden got quiet again before he smiled and hugged his toy to his chest once more. "Yah, but...He Dewsn't cawe. I'm his fwiend."
Zacky smiled, getting teary-eyed for a moment. "He's so cute..." He whispered to Brian, standing.
"It was nice to meet you Caden..." he said quietly, taking Brian's hand, seeming to quiver.
Caden nodded, gently waving Stripes's paw at the two grown-ups.
Brian whispered in Zacky's ear, "Should we ask Mrs. Waltz about him...?"
Zacky nodded, smiling from ear-to-ear as he gave a small finger wave to Caden.
They found the plump, bushy-haired woman fixing lunch in the kitchen.
Brian approached her, asking, "That boy...caden? How long has he been here?"
She looked over her shoulder and frowned a little, saying, "He's been here for only a few months, his parents were...Abusive. Said he was an accident..."
Zacky stared for a moment before blinking. "That's awful..."
"He doesn't talk much, and it seems he doesn't like it here much. I've had to shoo away the other children multiple times who teased him," She sighed, rubbing her hands on her apron.
Zacky bit his lip for a moment before saying, "I...Brian and I are...considering adopting Caden," He said fidgetting.
Mrs. Waltz smiled happily, her eyes having a glint of hope. "I'm happy to hear it...Are you still looking for a child? Or...?"
Zacky looked over to Brian, biting his lip softly . "What do you think, Bri...?"
Not hesitating for a second, Brian nodded. "I think he's the kid we want..."