What just happened?

Thirty-seven days ago, I was not a mom.   I did not have school meetings.  I did not make lunches the night before.  Thirty-seven days ago, I went where the wind carried me.  I set my own hours at work.  I travelled almost weekly.  I lived in a 200sq ft apartment.  Alone. 

And then, one Friday afternoon, it all changed.  In one phone call.  It was a social worker whom I had worked with in the past.  She told me that the case we had worked on together in the past, had been through major upset.  She told me that the children were in need of new housing as soon as possible.  She said she knew I had a connection with them, and that I had a good knowledge of their history.  And then she said that all the foster homes were full or over-capacity.  And then she said, "Do you think you would consider taking one or both of them?"

I am not entirely sure what happened in the three days that followed.  I think I told her I would think about it over the weekend.  The next thing I remember, I was in the Child services office, with the foster parent intake worker, sitting over a mountain of papers, discussing how quickly this could possibly happen. 

It took 15 days. 

I gave notice to my current landlord, and found a house that actually had rooms.  It was strange to go from having my kitchen and bed 8' apart, to having my bed, and the door to my bedroom 8' apart.  The kitchen was a mile away.  Everything is different.