The slender , almost four - year - old bundled in an oversized coat against the late - November wind , held his caseworker 's hand tightly as he craned his head to look up at the tall building in a part of the city he had never seen . The sunlight was already failing in the early evening . He was afraid ; he was almost always afraid . The feeling was no change from normal . He had no control over his world , having lived in a series of foster homes for all his three - and - a - half years . One thing he had learned was how he needed to avoid upsetting the adults and other children with whom he had lived . Most of his homes had been group homes , some with fine , older couples trying to make a difference and some , like the one in which he now lived , with couples earning a living from the state stipends . He had no hope that this placement would be any different , except that it would be with two men he had met only briefly . They had been kind and hadn 't frightened him at their two brief meetings ahead of this living - together trial ; at least , no other children would complicate the picture . The caseworker , who carried a plastic garbage bag containing the boy 's few clothes and possessions , stopped at the glass doors of the building 's entrance . The two men with whom the boy would stay , at least for a while , were waiting on the other side . They opened the doors and first greeted the caseworker before ushering her and the boy inside to the lobby , where they both dropped to their knees and , smiling with genuine pleasure , said hello to James . They made no attempt to touch him because he looked as many children look who are used to fear and can 't influence what happens to them . But one of them said , " Welcome to your new home . " One of the men took the plastic garbage bag from the caseworker . The boy was almost hiding behind the woman as they walked to the elevators in the lobby . The elevator doors were shiny metal , and the boy could see himself and the others in reflection . One of the men pushed a button to summon one of the two elevators . When it arrived and its doors opened , the boy 's fear dropped away momentarily as he examined the elevator compartment . He 'd never been in an elevator , and he watched one of the men insert a key into a panel with numbered buttons and turn it . The elevator had recessed lighting , and the boy worked out where the light must be coming from . He didn 't see the men watching his reaction and smiling at one another . The elevator began an almost - noiseless ride , and the boy could feel himself gently pressed toward the floor as it started up - but not enough to frighten him any more than he already was . The elevator stopped , and they all stepped out into a short hallway with only one door at its end . " Here we are , " one of the men said as he used another key to open the condo door . He held it open as the other crossed the threshold , and the caseworker guided the boy inside . The room astonished and spoke to the boy as his eyes darted around . Paintings and photographs covered the walls . He wouldn 't see as large a collection until he later visited museums with the two men . Across the room , glass doors led to a lighted balcony , and the boy could see that they were up high , away from the street . The living room had no TV , and he wondered how he would spend his days if he could not park in front of a television . And there were books everywhere - on tabletops and in shelves . He could see hallways , leading where he could not see . The large room in which they stood had a dining area with a large table . Beyond was a passthrough from the kitchen in which he could see gleaming , silvery appliances . He felt warm and fidgeted in his coat . The boy shrugged off his coat , and the man , whose name he remembered because it was the same as his own , helped him , tossing the coat onto one of the sofas in the living room . The boy eyed where the coat landed in case he needed it later . The man kneeled so that he and the boy were on nearly the same level and asked , " Do you remember our names ? " " I 'm Jim and he 's Tom , " as he pointed to the other man . The boy nodded . " We have to talk with Ms . Hartman . Do you want to sit with us , or would you rather stay in here and draw or look around ? " Jim said , " If you get tired of drawing , come over to the table . " The man indicated the dining - room table with his eyes . When the boy continued his silence , Jim stood and walked to the table , where Tom and Mrs . Hartman were looking over some papers . They patiently reviewed the paperwork for the foster placement , including the state - subsidy forms . Jim and Tom had already agreed to place whatever funds they received from the state in a savings account for the boy . When they had reviewed all the paperwork , Mrs . Hartman relaxed a bit . Mrs . Hartman gathered the papers and stowed them in her bag before walking to her charge as he drew at the table in the living area . She was surprised to see a reasonable facsimile , for a three - year - old , of the table and the three adults . " James , I 'm leaving you with your foster fathers now . I 'll check in on you next week . " The boy nodded and went back to drawing . With Mrs . Hartman out the door , Jim and Tom walked over to the boy . Since he had the same first name as one of them , the men had decided to try to call their foster son by another name . Tom asked the boy , who was still busily drawing with the pastel sticks , " Would you mind if we called you by your middle name ? " He continued , pointing to Jim , " We think it might be confusing to call you Jim because his name 's Jim also . " The boy looked up from the paper and shrugged . Jim said , " We could try it for a while , and if you don 't like it , we 'll figure something else out . You get to decide . " The boy scanned the living room until he located the plastic bag containing his clothes and a book he had been given . He walked over and took the large bag by the end where the opening had been tied in a knot . His foster fathers followed and pointed to one of the hallways . As he dragged his bag along the floor because it was a bit too big for him to shoulder , Tom stopped and pointed to a group of switches on a panel at the beginning of the hallway . " The first one is the hall light . Turn it on whenever you want . " The boy released his grip on the bag and stepped over to where Tom was standing . He had never seen light switches like these . Instead of the switches he had seen before with a lever that could be flipped up or down , James North Martin saw three wide , rocker switches that he had no idea how to operate . He reached up and began to touch the first switch . When he pressed on the top part of the switch , it rocked in and the hall light came on . After a couple of tries , he pushed on the bottom of the switch , which rocked in and turned the light off . The boy happily turned the light on and off a few times before leaving it on . He suddenly looked up at Jim and Tom as if they might scold him , but he saw smiles on their faces . The boy grabbed his bag and waited until his foster fathers led him into the hallway . The men stopped and opened a door . " This is our room , " Tom said . The boy leaned his head in and quickly looked into the room . In his other foster homes , the most important rule had been to stay out of the parents ' room . In fact , he had never seen some of his foster parents ' rooms . The room he saw now was larger than any bedroom he had seen before . He saw floor - to - ceiling bookcases against one wall and a computer screen and keyboard on a table against another wall . He quickly pulled his head back , waiting for a rebuke , which never came . He dragged his bag slowly down the hall to another door , which was thrown open by Jim . " This is your room … North . " The boy was startled by the use of a new name , but he liked it . The lighting , which was recessed at the border of the walls and ceiling and cast a soft light onto the white ceiling , was already on in his room . He had never slept in a room that was his alone . He saw that it was larger than any of the rooms he had shared with two and sometimes three other children . He saw only one bed against the far wall , made of wood with a carved headboard . Against the opposite wall was a chest with five drawers made of the same sort of wood . On the same wall was a table made for someone his age , with a separate light on it , the same sort of lamp he saw on the table by the head of the bed . What attracted him most was the four - shelf bookcase on the wall next to the foot of the bed , two shelves already filled with books . Tom and Jim walked to the chest , and both sat on the floor , beckoning North to come over . The boy dragged his bag with him , and Jim patted the floor between Tom and him . North seemed to think a moment and then sat on the floor with the bag in front of him . Tom said , " We weren 't sure what clothes you had , so we got a few things to tide you over . We 'll go shopping in a couple of days . " Tom then pulled open the bottom drawer . " Pajamas here . " Then he pulled two other drawers out , pointing out underwear , T - shirts , and pants . He pointed to a small stool by the chest . " You can put what you brought with you in the top drawers ; they 're empty . Let us know if you don 't want to keep anything . " Tom and I are going to fix a snack while you look around your room and put your things away . " After Jim and Tom left the room , North , as he apparently would be known , tugged at the knot on his plastic bag until it opened . He took a few articles of worn clothing at a time and , climbing up on the stool , placed them in the top drawer , repeating the process until the bag was empty . He wasn 't attached to these clothes , but he 'd keep them in case he had to leave again . When he had finished with his clothes , he took the worn book from the bag and placed it on the bed . He loved the drawings in the book that one of the older children from the home in which he had lived before the current one had read to him - Dr . Seuss . The book was old and had missing pages , but he loved what he knew of the story about fish of different colors . North had never been left alone in a room in which he slept . He walked about , stopping to turn the lamp on the bedside table on and off . He lifted the comforter off the bed and looked at the pale - blue blanket and sheets on the mattress and the plump pillow . He ran his hand over the light blanket and smiled . He almost jumped up on the bed and burrowed into the comforter and blanket , but instead he smoothed the bedding so that his foster fathers wouldn 't know he had disturbed it . Then , he went to the bookcase and began looking at the spines of the books on the two filled shelves . His breath caught when he recognized the spine of one of the books . He ran to the door and looked out to see if the men were near . He heard their distant voices , but not seeing them , he ran back and gently pulled the book from the shelf . The colors on the book 's cover were bright and clean . He gently opened the book , and the same was true of the pages , which he carefully turned . He saw pages he hadn 't seen before - pages that had been torn from his old copy . He thought for a moment ; they wouldn 't miss this slim book that he loved , one of many on the shelf . He went back to his bed , picked up the old copy and put it on the shelf where the newer one had been . He put the new book in his now - empty plastic bag and looked for a place to hide it because he thought he might need it again soon . He decided to put it under his bed and tucked it in under the dust ruffle so that it couldn 't be seen . In the wall opposite the bed , North saw doors , but not doors like the one to his room . He decided not to try to use them . Finally , he couldn 't resist and wandered back to his bed . He jumped up and settled onto his back ; the bed was so soft , and yet he didn 't sink deeply into it . The voice was coming closer , and the boy rolled quickly off the bed and tried to straighten the comforter . Jim stuck his head in the door and seeing the attempted repair said , " Hope the bed is comfortable . After you try it for a night or two , let us know if you need to change anything about it . " North followed Jim out of his room and directly across the hall to where , once the light was on , he saw a very clean bathroom with a sink in a pale - green vanity with a large mirror on the wall behind it . Beside the vanity was a toilet , and on the far wall was a set of racks with fluffy dark - green towels of various sizes . To the left was a shower and tub combination with translucent , sliding doors instead of the shower curtains he was used to . On the surface of the vanity , North saw a cup , a soap dish , and a toothbrush holder . To the right of the vanity was a small cabinet . What fascinated North was the tile that covered both the walls and the floor . They formed an odd checkerboard of colors , from greens to light browns and rusty reds . North had never used a shower , and in his previous home , he had only hurried baths , which he took to take care of himself two or three times a week . He saw in front of the toilet another small stool which would make it easier for him to pee , he thought . He liked the room ; it felt bright , happy , and welcoming . North nodded . No one at the group home checked to see that he had brushed his teeth , so , although he knew how , sometimes he skipped . " Come out and have a snack with us before bed . " North , his head only at Jim 's waist level , followed Jim out of his bathroom and down the hall . When they reached the living area , Jim smiled as North turned off the hall light . On the passthrough from the kitchen to the dining area , Tom had set out a plate of oatmeal cookies . He boosted North up to a seat on one of the tall stools at the passthrough . " Milk or apple juice ? " North seemed confused until Tom came out of the kitchen with short glasses of each . That North might never have tasted apple juice dawned on Tom . North waited until the men each took a cookie and began to eat and talk in turn . Jim pushed the plate of cookies toward the boy , who finally took one . He took a small bite and carefully chewed the cookie . North had never had homemade cookies , and the taste and texture , both soft and crunchy , pleased him . As the men talked between bites of cookie , North took a sip of apple juice and smiled . Through the passthrough , North noticed two metal bowls on the kitchen floor but didn 't ask why they were there . While he finished his cookie and drank apple juice , North watched and listened to his new foster fathers as they talked . Occasionally , the men 's hands would touch , and something , perhaps tenderness , in how they were with each other began to ease his fears . Then , as the men talked about a book Tom was writing , Jim put his hand on North 's forearm . The gesture was as natural as the contact between the men , and North began to hope that he would be able to stay with them . He held out his arms to the boy who let the man pick him up and carry him to his bedroom . North rested his head on Tom 's shoulder and put his arm around Tom 's back . He almost fell asleep on the short walk down the hall , and Tom felt the boy relax into him . This will work , Tom thought . " You have these with feet in them . They 'll keep you warm and toasty . " He looked at his new son and waited . Finally , North shrugged . Tom took the pajamas and suggested , " How about you take a nice warm bath and brush your teeth ? Then you can change into the PJs . When you 're ready , we 'll read a bedtime story to you . " North had never had anyone wash his hair , and he closed his eyes . He felt Tom ease his head back , and he stiffened a bit . He felt the gentle spray on his hair and scalp . He relaxed until his hair was thoroughly wetted . " Hand me that bottle of shampoo , " Tom said . " It 's the white one . " North scooted forward , his bottom squeaking on the tub surface , until he could reach the back of the ledge surrounding the tub with the bottle that must be what Tom had called shampoo . He didn 't use shampoo when he washed his hair - only the same soap he used everywhere else . He handed the bottle to Tom who squeezed a little shampoo onto his palm and then asked North to turn to face the wall . North felt Tom 's hands distributing the shampoo in his hair and gently washing it . While he was washing North 's hair , Tom said , " Think about what story you 'd like to hear when we 're through in the bathroom . " North didn 't think very clearly , and knew that he 'd ask for One fish , two fish . Tom rinsed North 's hair and repeated the process with conditioner . " Think about whether or not you 'd like a haircut . " North shook his head . " That 's fine , but maybe a trim . I 'll leave you to finish , if that 's okay . " The boy nodded . When Tom had closed the door behind him , North splashed in the tub a bit and then found the bar of soap and washed himself as he had been taught , although he couldn 't remember exactly when he had learned . When he had finished , he stood in the tub and then stepped onto the bathmat . He pulled one of the towels from the rack and dried himself , his hair last . He picked up the pajamas from the closed toilet seat and sat down on it to pull the pajamas on . He liked the feeling of the pajama feet over his own . He moved to the stool in front of the vanity and picked up the new toothbrush from a glazed ceramic cup with slots along its top edge and brushed his teeth carefully , spitting into the sink and rinsing with water from the plastic cup beside the sink . He wiped up as best he could , then opened the door and walked across the hall to his room . North found the comforter and blanket on the bed turned down in what seemed to him an invitation . He hopped up and slid his feet and legs under the top sheet and laid his head on the pillow . As he looked up at the ceiling , North began to feel attached to this place and these men . The fear that he might have to leave this place was replacing the fear he had felt when he came to this new home earlier in the evening . He was tired and began to relax toward sleepiness when Tom and Jim came into the room . The boy sat up in the bed and opened his mouth . No one had looked at his teeth before . Jim looked into his mouth before saying , " Pretty good job . We 'll practice together for the next few days . How about I read a story ? " Tom went to the bookshelf , and North 's breathing quickened . But Tom returned with a smaller book than the one North had switched . When Tom had settled on the floor next to the bed , he began , " In a secluded and mountainous part of Stiria there was in old time a valley of the most surprising and luxuriant fertility . It was surrounded on all sides by steep and rocky mountains rising into peaks which were always covered with snow and from which a number of torrents descended in constant cataracts . " As he approached the end of the first chapter , Tom saw that North 's eyelids were almost closed . Both men tucked North in and kissed him on the forehead . Jim asked , " You remember where our room is - just up the hall ? " North nodded . " If you need us for anything , or if you wake up and are scared , you come get one of us , okay ? " Again , North nodded . After the men turned the light out , a soft glow by the doorway remained . " Is the night light okay ? We can turn it off , if you want . " Both men said , " Good night , son . See you in the morning . " North was already asleep in his new bed in his new room in his new home . North awoke in the night and went to his bathroom to pee . The nightlight made finding his way back to his room easy , and as he climbed back into bed , he first thought of the evening and the story of Gluck and the Golden River . Then , old doubts surfaced , and he wondered if he would be here long enough to hear the story 's end . He stared at the ceiling for what seemed to him a long time , and in the morning , he couldn 't remember when he had fallen asleep . The more he became attached to his new fathers , the more he feared he would make an awful mistake that would let them see him as he really was - not worth their love . In the morning , after breakfast , North asked Tom if he would read more of the Golden River . Jim had left the condo long before North had awakened and was at the hospital for rounds . Tom smiled , and said , " Sure . Brush your teeth and get dressed . Then , we 'll read another chapter . " North 's first week in his new home seemed to him to rush by . Sometimes , he felt as if he had always been there , and other times he felt as if he were on some sort of probation even though his fathers never hinted that he was . Tom was around more than Jim , and one day Tom took North to the hospital of Oregon Health Sciences University , where Jim practiced and taught . They all had lunch in the cafeteria , where Jim introduced North as his son to everyone , or so it seemed to North , who only nodded to all the strangers . As North watched Jim with his colleagues , he was aware that they all respected and liked his new father . The beginning and ending of North 's days fell into a comforting routine , and the middle of his days were full of adventure - shopping , walking by the river , and helping Tom with household chores . At bedtime , during that first week , Jim and Tom took turns reading from the book that North would always treasure . North could see characteristics of the hero , Gluck , and his brothers , known as the Black Brothers , and of the Southwest Wind , Esquire , in people he knew . North 's fears of having to leave his new home faded as his comfort grew . His new fathers didn 't lie and seemed to be inherently decent and loving . Then , at the beginning of his second week , North thought his new world would crumble . Gulping and trying to stop the tears , North rolled out of his bed and reached under to pull the plastic bag out . He reached in and pulled the book out . Looking at the floor , he held the book out to the men . He knew they would ask him to leave . " North , " Jim said , " Look at me . " The boy raised his head . " Does putting the book in your bag make you feel safer ? " North nodded as Tom gave him Kleenex from the box on the bedside table . " Okay . We 'll keep this book in your bag until you feel safe putting it on the shelf . " North smiled and the tears stopped . Jim held the bed covers back until North was in bed and snuggled up under them . Jim sat on the side of the bed beside North , and Tom sat on the floor , both facing the head of the bed , holding the book so North could see the pictures and began : Bear . It was at the end of his first week with Jim and Tom . Jim came home at the end of a day , and he brought Bear with him . Tom had explained to North that they wanted him to be comfortable in his new home before they introduced him to Bear , an Irish Setter , though small for the breed . None of North 's previous homes had pets , and the dog proved a revelation to the boy . As soon as Bear was let off his leash , the dog ran toward North and skidded to a stop in front of him before beginning to lick his hands and face . North was ecstatic as he tried to control his own enthusiasm and the dog 's . He learned how and when to feed Bear and began to make sure that the dog had water . He talked to the animal as if it were a human friend . Better than almost anything else about Bear 's presence was that the dog , without prompting , began to sleep on the floor of North 's room . North had spent the better part of a day at OMSI playing in the Science Playground , building things at the Art of Science table . One of the other children sharing the table on North 's visit was a blond girl North 's age with whom he found a bond . Her name was Annie , and Tom had spoken with her parents to arrange a couple of play dates . Her parents had been unfazed by Tom 's clear explanation of his relationship with Jim and how North came to live with them . The evening after North 's first visit to OMSI found Jim and Tom at the dining - room table conferring with a young woman . They had introduced her to North as Julie Steiner . While North looked over one of his books in the living room , Bear curled up by his feet , he didn 't pay much attention to the adults ' conversation . They were talking about the adoption process for the boy . Oregon was a generally liberal , or at least libertarian , state , especially in the Portland area . Julie was a lawyer that Jim and Tom had met during their student years at the University of Washington , where Jim had finished medical school and Julie law school . Tom , after completing his Masters of Fine Arts , had started to write a series of fantasy books that were beginning to sell well . " We want you to do whatever you need to do to make this happen . We 're not interested in a crusade . We 're interested in making a home for North and us , " Tom said . " We file the application and let DHS do their thing . You 've already started in a way because you have a foster - care license , and DHS knows you . It will be impossible to say that you 're qualified as foster parents but not to adopt . The home visits will continue for six months , you both will go to some training sessions , they 'll do a home study , Frank Gerard will weigh in , and last , a judge will finalize the adoption . " After the discussion , Julie walked over to the couch where North was engrossed in his book . " North , thanks for giving me your fathers for the evening . You are a very handsome young man , and I 'm sure we 'll see each other again . " To North , Christmas seemed a television event . He had no religious training , and the few presents he received in his foster homes were utilitarian , mostly second - hand clothing . He wasn 't consumed with the prospects for the holiday upcoming in a month , which to him was like any other day . " I have to run out for a few minutes . No one should come to the door , but if they do , don 't let them in , okay ? " North watched Tom put on his overcoat and grab his keys . He nodded at his father . Very occasionally , Tom and Jim were allowing North to remain at home alone for five or ten minutes at a time so that North wouldn 't feel like an inmate . Usually , Tom went down to collect mail or a delivery . The first time he had been left alone , North had explored his fathers ' bedroom . He hadn 't opened drawers or disturbed items on their bureaus , but he had looked closely at the photographs of his fathers , some when they were younger and some of each of them alone . But most of the pictures were of them together , and in them they were always smiling or laughing with their arms about one another . The photographs comforted the boy . This day , when Tom left the condo , North ran to the pile of Bear 's toys and picked up the dog 's favorite stuffed animal , a green lion . He called Bear , and he and the dog began to play . They rolled around on the floor a bit , having a tug of war over the toy as North giggled . Then North tried what he had seen Jim do now and then : he threw the toy so that Bear could run it down and return it . His coordination wasn 't developed , and on his second toss , the toy lion came close to knocking over a lamp on one of the end tables in the living - room . North was relieved to see it miss for only a couple of seconds because Bear , in his enthusiasm for the chase , bumped the table . The lamp teetered and fell to the hardwood floor . The lamp 's base was hammered brass and suffered a deep dent from its contact with the floor . North began to shake as his new world seemed to crumble about him . Without thinking , he ran to his room , reached under his bed to retrieve the black garbage bag , and hid in the corner of his closet , where he tried to think about what he should do . Switching a book was one thing , but damaging furniture was another , and he felt deep fear and sorrow at disappointing Jim and Tom . He would understand if they wanted him gone , although his stomach ached at the possibility as he waited in the dark of the closet . When Tom returned , carrying the mail , he didn 't hear North or Bear , and then in the living - room , he found the lamp on the floor . His pulse rate accelerated , and his first fleeting thought was that someone had broken in and taken North . That explanation evaporated as more reasonable explanations arose in his mind . No answer came , and Tom gently opened the closet door to find North curled up in a corner at the back of the closet . The boy 's face was hidden against the wall . " North ? What 's wrong , son ? Are you hurt ? " Nothing in Tom 's voice told North that his father was angry with him , and Tom hadn 't pulled him out of his hiding spot . After a few moments , North ventured a look at Tom . He saw only concern in Tom 's face and slowly crawled out of the closet . Tom looked him up and down and , seeing no sign of an injury , sat on the floor by North . " I was throwing his lion so he could fetch it , and I threw it close to the table . He was trying to get it , and he bumped the table . I 'm sorry about the lamp . If you want me to go , I will . " Tom could hear the fear in North 's voice . " First , you aren 't going anywhere . You 're our son , and we don 't want you anywhere but with us . You weren 't trying to hurt the lamp , were you ? " As the new family made its way through December , North began to understand that his fathers had expectations for his behavior and that if he didn 't meet those expectations , there were consequences . But the consequences never involved being hit and were always accompanied by questions and explanations . He wanted to please his new fathers , but he was becoming less afraid to make mistakes . When he did make a mistake , he remembered their reaction to the hidden book and the dented lamp . His fears about being sent away by his fathers had ebbed , but his experience had taught him that the people who ran the system , people like his caseworker , could upend his life in a moment . He did worry that he might be summarily moved to another home , and that fear began to gnaw at him . Ms . Hartman had been to visit at the end of his first week in his new home . She had asked him about whether he was happy and if he felt safe . She had asked about what he had done in the days that he had lived with his new fathers and told him that she 'd be back in a couple of weeks . That visit was the same . A couple of times , when Jim and Tom and he had been out around the town , they had gone shopping in Pioneer Place . They had seen all the Christmas decorations and Santa Clauses in some of the stores and in the mall . His fathers had asked him if he would like a tree at home or if he wanted to visit Santa Claus . He had always said no . At home , when asked if he wanted anything for Christmas , he had reverted to silently shaking his head . Finally , one night , when Tom asked again if North wanted anything for Christmas , the boy almost launched himself at his father and , hugging him tightly , said , " Please don 't let them take me away . " North was trembling as Tom hugged him back . Almost in tears himself , Tom whispered , " I 'm so happy you want to stay . Jim and I want this to be your forever home , and I think Bear does , too . No one will take you away while you want to stay here . " Irish Setters don 't do well cooped up in apartments , so , North and his fathers took Bear to Delta Park , a large park near the Columbia River where dogs could run until they were … dog - tired . One day toward the end of fall in the year he turned four , North , his fathers , and his best friend , Annie , were in the park exercising Bear . As they walked , throwing a grimy tennis ball from a sling for Bear to retrieve , North saw in the distance a boy about his age . The boy seemed to be dancing in his own world until he looked up and spotted North and his group . At almost that moment , Jim let the ball fly toward the boy , who had stopped dancing , and Bear tore off after the ball . Tom said , " Hi . I see you 've met North . I 'm Tom , this is Jim , and this is Annie , North 's best friend . We 're North 's fathers . I hope he didn 't frighten you with the hug ; he 's big on hugs . " When Frank Gerard , a psychiatrist who specialized in children and adolescents and was a friend of Jim 's and Tom 's , had first observed North in his new home , he saw a wounded kid who barely spoke and shied away from him when they were introduced . Frank had agreed to help with the adoption petition because the State agency that managed adoptions was new to having children adopted by gay couples . They had obtuse questions about whether having gay parents might affect North negatively . In fact , Oregon law then allowed only one of his new fathers to adopt North . Now , close to Christmas , when he visited , Frank saw a different child , as North played with his dog and talked to his fathers . North 's head wasn 't continually bent toward the floor . He looked at Frank without any but the normal fears of a child his age . Then , after smiling , North told Frank , " We don 't play fetch inside , anymore . We knocked a lamp over , but my dads said that accidents happen . But we don 't want that to happen again . " North thought a moment . " Yes . I thought I might have to leave , and then I 'd cry . But Dad told me that everyone makes mistakes , even him . So , they didn 't want me to leave , because that would make them sad . I 'm going to stay here forever . They promised . "