Foster

It's good news. There's nothing wrong with either of you.

There's no reason, from a medical standpoint, why you can't have children.

Really?

Are you positive?

Well, there could always be something that we haven't spotted,

but then again, it could also be psychosomatic.

Often when one has experienced trauma,

one can't underestimate the impact the mind has on the human body.

What about, um, IVF, doctor?

Well, that's an option, if you wanted to go down that route.

It can be quite expensive. How expensive?

Uh, try a few thousand. And that's per treatment cycle.

Crikey, the cost of eggs today!

Imagine if you went organic.

You know there are other ways. There are plenty of children that need a home.

What, you mean adoption?

Adoption, fostering.

I'm just gonna fly to Africa.

Hey, seems to be the thing to do these days.

Oh, babes. Come here.

It'll be alright, I promise.

Hey, I've got a better idea for now. Hmm?

Got any ice-cream?

Oh, aye. Now you're speaking my language.

I can't believe how much Audrey's grown.

Oh, that was delicious. Thank you so much, Zooey.

Not at all. A pleasure. It's just lovely to see you guys.

It's been ages.

Mwah! I'll speak to you tomorrow. Have a great night.

Goodnight, Alec. See you soon.

What a precious little girl.

So I've been thinking about it.

I think we should go through with it.

With What?

You want to foster?

Sarah and I were talking about it earlier.

Ah, another crazy idea from Sarah.

No, just hear me out.

There are thousands of kids who need a home.

And then there are people like us who have nothing but love to give.

I don't know. What's not to know?

Just having a child that's not mine.

Sorry, that came out wrong.

Zooey.

This is my bed.

It's not very comfortable, but it'll do for now.

To reduce the risk of tooth decay and cavities,

it's important to brush 2-3 times a day,

especially after eating.

Every man should have one nice outfit.

Not everyone knows how to tie one of these properly.

It all comes with experience, really.

It's important when trying to look one's best

to wear a blazer that complements one's shirt.

For instance, a stripey blazer wouldn't look good with a stripey shirt.

Best to stick to solid colours.

Breakfast is generally considered one of the most important meals of the day.

This cereal is packed with essential vitamins and minerals

and has added calcium for healthy development of bones and teeth.

Given my age, this is really the best I can do.

But the important thing is to try as hard as one can.

The other kids come and go.

I'm really waiting for the right time

and the right ones.

You have reached your destination.

What should I know that's not on your form?

We love children.

Who doesn't?

Do you have any children of your own?

I ask just because on your form, you left that question blank.

Well, the truth is...

The truth is, um...

...I've been unable to conceive since, um...

Yes?

...since the accident.

The doctors think it's psychosomatic.

I see.

I'm sorry.

Our children are... special.

And as such, we go to extreme lengths

to ensure that they go to special homes.

There's a process.

I'm sure you understand.

And these things can take some time.

But what's meant to be will be.

The day's quite structured.

We run a tight ship.

This is the play area.

We have children from all backgrounds, all ages.

Some we've had since they were babies

unwanted at birth, for whatever reason.

We're the closest thing they have to family.

On your form, it said you own a toy manufacturing company.

Is that right, Mr Morrison? Yes, that's right.

How terribly exciting that must be!

It is! No, it's great.

We've been hit a little bit by the recession, but who hasn't?

Oh, quite right. Quite right.

What's your favourite toy?

Oh, that's an easy one.

Hands down, LEGO,

because of the infinite possibilities.

You know, you could make a house or a plane or a ship.

You name it!

How about you, Mrs Morrison?

Excuse me?

A bookstore, right?

Children's books, aye.

My mum helps me run it.

I see!

Marvellous!

Right! We'll be in touch.

Thank you.

See? That wasn't so bad now, was it?

No, it wasn't so bad.

"And there they will stay, they're out of my way."

"They'll never come back, not even to play."

"The bedbugs I've seen, they're out of my sight."

"And now I can sleep. Goodnight, and sleep tight."

Ah, that was beautiful. Who wrote it?

Oh, well, you can tell her yourself.

As well as the owner of this beautiful store,

my lovely daughter also wrote that story.

My mother and my manager.

God, I'm so embarrassed.

You should write more. You've done nothing for the past two years.

Aye, really?

I'm loving this stow time. It's great for your business!

Look at all the children!

If they didn't come for the stories, they'd definitely come for the outfit.

You look like Mary Poppins.

Well, I have to get into character, you know, for the children.

Thank you. Have a good night.

Hello, Zooey.

You know who I am, right?

Aren't you...? Eli. Mrs Lange sent me.

Um...

Uh...

She did? But, um...

I really... I mean, nobody called or...

They fast-tracked your application.

You clearly must have made an impression.

Nice house, but where shall I put my stuff?

How did you get here?

Black taxi. The traffic was appalling.

But their knowledge of back streets is second to none.

Do you have anything to drink, by any chance? I'm parched.

Oh, um...

Do you want some juice?

I couldn't trouble you for a cup of tea, could I?

Aren't you a little young for tea?

Yes, OK. Fine.

Milk?

Do you have CNN?

Excuse me?

CNN, the news channel.

Ah, I think so.

Do you mind if we watch it?

I guess not.

I used to watch the World News channel,

but I found the reportage a little left-wing, you know?

Uh-huh.

Hello?

Hi, it's me. Can you talk right now?

Yeah, sure, go on. What's up?

Remember that little boy from the foster home...

the cute little funny one in the suit and hat?

Not sure that I do, but go on.

Well, he's here. What do you mean, “He's here”?

He's here in our living room. What's he doing there?

He's watching CNN and sipping on a cup of milk.

No, no. I mean... what?

I don't get it. Alec, I think you need to come home.

Shh.

His name's Eli.

What's he doing? Taking a nap. He said he was tired.

It's a bit odd, isn't it?

I mean, he just shows up on our doorstep, no call, no warning.

Mrs Lange said there was a process.

What should we do?

Well, you've called the agency, right?

I left a message for Mrs Lange, but she hasn't called me back yet.

So, Alec, I understand you own a toy company.

Is that right?

Yes, that's right, Eli.

How's business these days?

So-so. Could be better.

Been hit by the recession? The economy has taken a bit of a tumble.

How old did you say you were? Seven.

How do you know about the recession?

Doesn't everyone?

I mean, it's only in the news every second of the day.

You'd have to have your head in the sand not to know about the recession.

I blame the subprime mortgage lenders.

They allowed people to borrow far more than their annual income.

What? He's cute. Can we keep him?

Let's just check with Mrs Lange.

These things normally require a lot of paperwork.

It's always about paperwork.

Gosh, what's going on?