Thirty-one year old Fenton Hardy stepped into the apartment and was immediately met by his wife. “The package came today, Fent.”  

Hurriedly slipping out of his coat, he followed Laura into the living room, where they sat down side by side on the couch. Five-year-old Joey was playing in the floor with his fire truck and police cars, making engine and siren sounds. It was almost a full minute before Fenton reached for the manila envelope and tore it open.  

They had been waiting on this package for 10 excruciatingly long weeks, yet it felt as if it had been 10 months. Inside was the final information and paperwork needed to proceed to Russia and adopt their new son. With slightly trembling hands, Fenton slid the papers out.  

Clipped to the top was a picture of a little boy who had just turned six the fourteenth of August. He had curly brown hair and dark brown eyes, eyes that were too sad for a six year old, Laura thought. Just underneath the picture was a letter, written in the large hand of a child. The couple read it together and smiled as they saw their son state that he wanted an American name, Frank to be specific.  

“Frank and Joe Hardy,” Laura said softly. “My that sounds nice.”  

Fenton smiled as he gazed tenderly at his wife, enjoying the dreamy look on her face. She was right, it did sound nice. Then his attention was drawn to the papers that were tabbed for their signatures. He flipped to them to make sure everything was correct.  

The couple had begun the process almost six months ago, and had found Frank almost immediately. He’d been the newest child to come into the orphanage and was placed on the international availability list on his first day as a ward of the state. The adoption co-coordinator had said that meant he had no known family in all of Russia .  

It had taken three years of trying for Laura to conceive little Joseph Lawrence. The pregnancy had been very hard on Laura, the birth itself even harder. The doctor had advised against having more children, and after seeing the toll it had taken on his wife, Fenton reluctantly agreed with him. He had recommended a partial hysterectomy for Laura, to make sure she couldn’t get pregnant again and to also relieve the problems that plagued her. It had been with many tears that Laura had eventually agreed.  

After being turned down repeatedly for domestic adoption because of Fenton’s job, Laura’s grandfather had made them aware of what was happening in the former Soviet republics. Namely how so many of them had opened up for adoption, and how quickly one could get through the process. At first, neither had been overly excited about the idea, but the desire for more children soon won out and they were looking for an agency.  

“Do you think my parents will change their minds after they see his picture?” Laura asked.  

Fenton squeezed her hand. “We can hope. Even if they don’t, he will never know what they think if I can help it. They’ll be the ones missing out on something wonderful.”  

Laura smiled and touched her husband’s face. “They’ll be here soon. You should take a shower.”  

After kissing his wife, Fenton did as he was instructed. Laura’s parents were coming over for dinner that night and Laura and Fenton were planning to announce that they had found a child. Fenton’s parents had been killed in a car accident two months after their wedding, but his older sister Gertrude was thrilled with the idea. She had taken one of the earlier pictures of Frank and showed it off to everyone she knew. She did not hide the fact that she was anxious to meet her new nephew.  

Seeing that Joe was still engrossed with his cars, Laura returned to the kitchen to finish dinner preparations. It wasn’t long before she heard little footsteps.  

“Mommy?”  

She turned from the lettuce she was washing and knelt down to his level. “Yes?”  

“What’s my brother’s name?”  

“Frank.”  

“When is Frank coming?”  

“We have to go and get him.”  

“When?”  

Laura picked Joey up and went over to the wall calendar by the refrigerator. She pointed to the day their plane left, November eleventh. “In fourteen days, we go get him.”  

“That’s too long!” the boy wailed.  

“It’ll be here before you know it, sweetie,” Laura assured him. Then she picked up a red pen. “It does feel like a long time right now, I know. Every night before you go to bed we’ll put an “x” over the day, okay?” Handing Joey the pen, she let him a put a big red “X” on October 29^th. “Now it’s only thirteen days.” She kissed his cheek and then set him down. “Now, go check on your dad for me and make sure he’s getting dressed.”  

“’Kay!” And with that, the little boy was running for his parents’ room.  

Laura stood looking at the calendar for several minutes before going back to the sink. Joey was right. Thirteen days was too long.  

 

Dinner and the following conversation did not go well. As soon as Fenton announced they were leaving for Moscow on the eleventh, Mr. and Mrs. Morrison objected.  

“You can’t be serious, Laura!” Alice said to her daughter.  

“We are, Mother. This little boy needs a family, and we need him to complete our family.” She placed the boy’s picture on the table so her parents could see it. “How can you be afraid of a little boy?” she asked.  

“No one said we were afraid, sweetheart,” Ralph said gently.  

“That’s how you’re acting. He’s just a child, barely six years old!”  

“And born in a Communist country,” Alice felt the need to put in.  

Fenton spoke up then. “Why should that matter? He has no family there and he already speaks English quite nicely. You forget we’ve already seen him once. You don’t have to worry about not being able to pronounce his name, he’s already picked out an American name, Frank. He writes letters to us to practice writing English. You’re welcome to read them.”  

Alice ignored everything Fenton said. “What does Joey think?” she asked, forgetting the child was sitting right there.  

“He can’t wait,” Fenton answered. “He’s coming with us and has already picked out a blue teddy bear to give to his new brother when we get there. All he talks about is what he and his new brother are going to do.”  

“You’re taking Joey to Russia ?” Alice gasped, looking first at her son-in-law, then her daughter. “I don’t think that’s wise, Laura.”  

Laura’s eyes narrowed. “Since he’s not your son, Mother, your opinion doesn’t count.”  

“Mommy, can I see Frank again?” Joey asked at just that moment, reaching for the picture lying in the middle of the table.  

Alice caught her grandson’s hand so he would look at her. “Joey, would you rather stay with us while your parents go get Frank?” she asked the child. She was so intent on her grandson that she did not see the thundercloud forming on Fenton’s face.  

“No. I want to see Frank.” The boy pulled his hand away from his grandmother and swiped the picture.  

“I think it’s time for you to leave, Alice .” Fenton’s voice was eerily calm, not betraying the growing anger just beneath the surface. Laura recognized the signs of an impending eruption of Mount Fenton and silently begged her parents to leave.  

Ralph saw the barely restrained anger on Fenton’s face and he stood from the table. “Dinner was wonderful, Laura,” he said. Taking his wife’s hand he pulled Alice from her seat. They said good-bye to Joey and then left the apartment.  

Fenton picked up his son from his booster seat. “What say we get you in the bathtub and then some clean pajamas?”  

Joey grinned. He loved taking a bath with Daddy! Daddy let him splash water all over the bathroom and play with his submarine. He squirmed from his father’s arms and ran down the hall, giggling as Fenton chased after him.  

Once Joey was in bed, the dishes washed and put away, Laura and Fenton lay in their bed listening to the sounds of the building as it quieted down for the night.  

“What would your parents think, Fent?”  

“They’d be thrilled, just like Gertrude.” He kissed her tenderly. “We’ll just have to keep hoping they come around.”  

Laura sighed and snuggled into her husband’s arms. Minutes later both were asleep, dreaming of a little boy with brown hair and chocolate eyes who was waiting for them.  

Thirteen days later the Hardy family was in Moscow , Russia . Little Joe was so tired and sleepy that he didn’t protest when they went straight to the hotel to sleep.

 

The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation. The authors have just borrowed them for an adventure or two. The authors promise to put the boys back when they are done with them. The authors do claim copyright to the original characters in this story. Please do not borrow original characters without express permission of the authors.