the only exception

When the silence passed on for another moment too long, Phoebe spoke again. "I just mean they've been there for me since the moment we met. They've helped me through so much, even when they didn't really know me. They're teaching me how to play guitar and care if I get a sunburn and on the days I spend the night, we always eat dinner at the table and I always wake up to one of them making breakfast. Even on days I don't spend the night, Hayley texts and/or calls me every morning and night so we can talk."

Phoebe wipes at her eye, only just now realizing she's tearing up as she looks down at her hands, her words barely above a whisper at this point. "And they want me, like really want me. No one has ever really wanted me before, not even my biological parents, they just left me. None of my other foster families have ever really, like, really wanted me, they were just assigned me. But Hayley and Taylor... They're doing this because they want me. They wouldn't have spent all the time and energy on getting a license if they didn't, right? They want me as their foster daughter. I just know they're going to be the best parents because they already are."

Phoebe stopped her rambling, waiting for someone to say something as she stared down at her hands, refusing to look anyone in the face. Eventually, she slowly glanced up at Mrs. Murphy, and before she knew it she was breaking down into full on sobs.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Hayley asked quickly, her voice laced with concern. All her anxiety on what to say or how to act was pushed to the back of her mind as she wrapped the teen up in a comforting embrace.

"They're not gonna let me stay with you." Phoebe sobbed, wiping at her tears that just kept falling.

"You don't know that," Taylor told her softly, placing an arm on her shoulder. "You have to wait and see what they say."

"No one cares what I want or what I think, they wont let me." Phoebe spoke quickly, shaking her head. All the nerves had finally gotten to her and now she didn't know how to stop the string of bad thoughts flowing through her mind.

"Phoebe, you haven't even heard our decision yet." Mrs. Murphy tried to reason, making Hayley and Taylor look over to her quickly as the teen continued to stare at her hands.

She offered the couple a smile before speaking, "Hayley, Taylor, you both seem like wonderful foster parents already. I will allow Phoebe to move from the group home and be placed with you here, instead."

There was another moment of silence as the words sunk in, but eventually all the adults started talking again. Phoebe felt frozen, everyone's voices sounded muffled around her as she couldn't focus on a single word being said. Instead she just grabbed Hayley and Taylor's hand, one in each of her own and stared at them on her lap.

Nothing about it felt real, but before she knew it, she was smiling, trying to wrap her head around it. She was going to be moving in with them, they were going to be her foster parents. It all felt so surreal.

Phoebe isn't sure how much time had passed until Hayley and Taylor were pulling their hands away, standing up to walk the two women out of the house. Phoebe stood too, thinking she was going to have to go back with Mrs. Murphy, but felt a wave of relief wash over her as she said goodbye to her instead.

Hayley stepped into the other room to call her mom and Zac and tell them the news as Pheobe sat back on the couch, Taylor joining her.

"You happy, kid?" Taylor asked after a moment, in which Phoebe nodded her head quickly and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you guys." She whispered, her face hurting from how much she was smiling.

"Thank you," Taylor grinned.

When Hayley returned, that's how she found them, sitting next to each other on the couch while Phoebe slept on his shoulder. She took her phone out to snap a quick photo before sitting on the arm of the couch by Taylor.

"This is crazy," she whispered, smiling brightly, "we have a foster daughter." She watched Phoebe's peaceful face lovingly, "I'm just so happy."

Taylor gently pulled her smiling face towards his own, but suddenly stopped. Hayley looked over to see Phoebe slowly opening her eyes, still puffy from the crying and looking incredibly tired.

"Hey, honey." Hayley smiled, reaching over Taylor to squeeze the teens hand.

"Hi," Phoebe replied sleepily, her lips tugging into a small smile.

Hayley couldn't contain her excitement, and quickly slid over Taylor to squeeze in between him and Phoebe as she wrapped the younger girl in a hug. "God, I just love you so much, Phoebe."

"I love you too," she mumbled, eyes still closed as she let Hayley hold her.

She wouldn't get to move in until Saturday, but that was only two days. She was so incredibly happy and content, and couldn't even feel upset when she inevitably had to go back to the group home since it was a school night.

Taylor drove as Hayley sat in the passenger's seat and Phoebe settled behind Hayley in the back. They even brought Alf, who laid happily in the backseat with his head on the teens lap.

Phoebe looked over at Taylor to see him grabbing Hayleys hand, planting a soft kiss on her knuckles over the center console, a small smile gracing her lips. She's not sure any of them have fully stopped smiling since they got the good news.

They all listened to the music in peace as they drove Phoebe to the group home, the teen resting her head on the window as she listened to Hayley hum along to the song.

***

a/n

sorry for any mistakes oops. or if this chapter adn teh last chapter sucked. im not feeling too well tbh and its messing w my thougth process. anyway! chapter 31 already is crazy. feels like i started this yesterday