The Mackenzies
Mack and Elena were high school sweethearts. They had started dating when Mack was a junior and Elena was a freshman and they hadn’t looked back since. They went to prom together a few times and managed to make long distance work in college. Mack got an apartment after he graduated and couldn’t wait for Elena to move in with him two years later.
Elena had come to America when she was very little, but her parents had been deported. She had been in the country long enough that she was a citizen, even though her parents work. She picked up English quicker than then and she was put into foster care. She took a liking to her middle school history teacher and when he found out about her living situation, offered a home with him and his wife. May and Phil Coulson took care of Elena and were always patient with her and her broken English up until they day they moved her into college. She knew she always had a home with them, but she was excited to start her new life with Mack.
Mack had a far more typical childhood. He grew up with his parents and little brother in a suburban, if not a little racist, neighborhood. He did well in school and graduated with honor roll. From the day he met Elena, he knew he was in love. He even tried to learn Spanish for her, just so she could hear her native language, because she told him it sometimes felt lonely to only be surrounded by English. May and Phil welcomed him with open arms and he liked them very much. Mack was a little surprised with how okay they were with him dating their daughter.
He befriended Elena’s foster sister, Bobbi, quickly. The trio were all around the same age and started doing everything together. Mack and Bobbi even went to the same college until Bobbi transferred at the end of their sophomore year to go abroad. But she eventually moved back to the US with her boyfriend and his little sister and into a unit in the same building as him.
With Elena’s upbringing how it was, she and Mack knew they wanted to adopt after they were settled into jobs and a steady life after college. Just six months after graduating, they received a call from the social worker they had been in contact with.
There was a young boy who had recently come to the states from Scotland to live with some relatives after his parents had been killed on site in a car accident on their way to pick him up from school, but the relatives were deemed unfit to care for him, financially and otherwise.
“He’s funny,” Sharon told them on their FaceTime call. “He’s eight, a genius, and not scared to correct people. He’s got the best accent you’ve ever heard, but of course, he’s a little sad and a little broken right now. I think he just needs people who care and will spend time with him. Elena, I know you have some experience of being new to a country. I thought if you two when I got his file.”
Mack and Elena jumped at the opportunity. They were nervous, of course, with him being their first foster kid. They worried they wouldn’t be good enough for him. He had known a stable life for a few years and they didn’t want to step on any toes and try to replace his parents.
“You heard Sharon,” Mack told Elena, trying to comfort her late the night before they were set to meet him. “He just needs people who want to spend time with him and will love him. I think we can handle that.”
Elena pressed a kiss to his lips. “I suppose we can. We can at least try.”
They were both nervous the next day as they pulled up to Saint Agnes orphanage. Fitz had only been there for about three days, but he had already made quite the impression.
They made their way into Sister Margaret’s office and waited for her to bring in Fitz. They exchanged quiet words of reassurance until they heard the door reopen.
In walked Sister Margaret and a little boy with wild curls and pale skin. He plopped into the chair in front of her desk next to them.
“So yer the people who wanna adopt me, eh?” He asked.
“Leopold,” Sister Margaret scolded while Mack and Elena laughed at his boldness. “That’s no way to address your potential foster parents.” Then she turned to address the couple. “I’m so sorry. We haven’t been able to drill any manners into him.”
“Oh, it’s fine,” Elena said with a smile, amused.
“Straight to the point, I like it,” Mack added with a grin. Fitz perked up at the praise.
“See? I keep telling ‘em, it’s not rude, just practical!” He declared, making the two of them crack up again, while Sister Margaret just sighed in annoyance.
“Also, I go by Fitz. It’s my last name and sounds better than Leopold.” He made a face.
“Anyway,” Sister Margaret interrupted, trying to get Fitz to stop talking, “as you two can tell, he never stops talking. He’s rude, somewhat messy, but extremely intelligent. There’s not much of a file on him, but we always have a five minute meeting between potential foster families and the child, if you’d like to move forward with the process.”
“Five minutes hardly seems like enough time to get to know someone,” Mack commented.
“That’s what I said!” Fitz commented, throwing his hands out in frustration. Elena cracked a smile.
“Five minutes,” Sister Margaret repeated, getting up, “and I’ll be back for your final decision.”
Elena and Mack didn’t know what to say after she left, so they were glad Fitz wasn’t a quiet kid.
“What’re yer names?” He asked.
“I’m Mack and this is my fiancé, Elena.”
“We’re very excited to meet you, Fitz.”
He smiled at them. “I’m happy to meet ya too. Ya seem nicer than I expected foster families to be. I’ve heard horror stories from the other kids ‘ere.”
“I grew up in foster care,” Elena told him. “Eventually I found a great family, but there were definitely some who were kinder than others.”
“You grew up in foster care?“ Fitz asked incredulously. “Why?”
Mack and Elena exchanged a look. It was a long story, one that Elena hadn’t been expecting to share today, and Mack knew it wasn’t his to tell, but Fitz interrupted before Elena could tell him anything.
“Sorry. I, uh, my cousins told me I ask too many questions. I didn’t mean ta invade. Ya don’t have to tell me anything, if it’s too personal.” He looked down at his lap.
“Oh, no!” Elena said, feeling bad. “Fitz, you can ask us whatever you’d like. It’s just a long story and I didn’t expect you to ask. Maybe we can talk about it at home?”
He looked back up at them. “You still want me? I’m not too annoying?”
“Of course not little dude!” Mack exclaimed. “Look, we’re new to this, so we’re not gonna be perfect, but we’d love for you to come stay with us, if you want to.”
Fitz’s entire face lit up. “I think I’d like that very much.”
Sister Margaret didn’t waste any time after she came back in. She folded her hands together neatly and set them atop her desk. “So?”
“They’ll take me!” Fitz said excitedly and she gave him a look. He deflated a little and gave them a sheepish look. “Sorry.”
They laughed. “Fitz is right,” Mack said. “We’ll take him.”
They filled out the paperwork while Fitz ran upstairs to gather his things. He came back down with a duffel bag and a suitcase, which wasn’t what Elena had expected, but she supposed it made sense because he hadn’t been in the system for long.
“If there are any problems, you can return him at any hour of the day,” Sister Margaret said. “Just call your social worker and come right here. We can take him back, no problem.”
“I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” Mack said, wrapping an arm around Fitz, who grinned up at him. “But thank you.”
Sister Margaret just shook her head. “Just wait and see.”
Elena rolled her eyes.
“Still haven’t lost the attitude I see, Elena.”
“And I see you’re still encouraging families not to take in children, Sister.” She spat out the last word
There was a tense moment of silence as they stared each other down before Mack broke it. He clapped a hand on Elena’s shoulder. “Okay, I guess we’ll get going then. Thank you Sister.”
He grabbed Fitz’s duffel bag while Elena wheeled his suitcase out to their car. Fitz eagerly hopped in the back as they loaded his bags into the trunk.
“Thank you for taking a chance on me,” Fitz said to them as they got in the front. “I know I’m a lot and I will understand if you want to bring me back, really.”
“Fitz,” Elena told him, turning around in her seat. “We have no intention of bringing you back here. I know it’s a terrible place and we aren’t scared of a little energy.” She smirked at Mack.
“You know, her nickname is Yo-yo,” he told Fitz as he started the engine. “In high school, she ran the 400 meter and was around the track and back before you could even blink.”
“That’s not physically possible,” Fitz said, confusion showing in his eyes.
Elena laughed. “You’re right, but I was pretty fast. I ran track in college, too. I always did like running. Do you do any sports?”
They learned a lot about Fitz on the car ride home. He didn’t like sports, but he did love school. He liked working with his hands and learning new things. Science was probably his favorite class, especially when they weren’t learning about “squishy stuff.” They laughed at that.
“I’m going to be an engineer when I get older,” Fitz told them. “Back in Scotland, my parents put me a few grades up so I can graduate early.”
They knew they would have to ask Sharon for help navigating that with the school system, but they would make it work.
“You know Fitz, Mack is kind of an engineer,” Elena told him.
Mack chuckled. “That’s generous. I own a car repair shop a few minutes from the apartment. I like to work with my hands, too.”
“You know how to build cars?” Fitz asked excitedly.
“Well, I don’t know about build one,” Mack said, “but I’m pretty good at fixing them.”
“Could I watch?” Fitz asked. “I mean, I get that I probably can’t help, because I’m too young or whatever, but I’d love to learn.”
Elena smiled. She knew how much Mack loved his job and no matter how much she read about it, she just didn’t share the interest. She was glad Fitz did.
Mack was visibly excited. “Sure! I’d love that, actually. I usually work ten to six. Elena could bring you over after school, if you want.”
“That would be bloody amazing!” Fitz exclaimed. “I’ve never gotten to actually work on a car, but I’ve read all about them. I know the American ones are a tad different, typically, but it’s just another species to explore.”
Fitz liked his room. It was spacious and simple and they said they wanted to leave it somewhat empty so he could pick out the furniture and decorations, which he was excited about. They helped him unpack his things before Elena made some boxed Mac n cheese for the three of them to eat.
“Sorry, I know it’s not the best meal,” Elena said as she gave him a bowlful. “Cooking isn’t exactly our specialty, and we didn’t really know what you like-“
“Are you kidding me?” Fitz exclaimed, eyes wide, cutting her off mid sentence. “Kraft makes some of the best quality food this planet has ever seen. This is a delicacy in any country, Elena!”
They laughed heartily as Fitz dug happily into his dinner. It was the most at home he had felt since his parents and Mack and Elena were relieved that he seemed to like them and his new situation alright.
Yes, Leopold Fitz was going to be just fine.