Stef and Anette
Copyright© 2026 by chess
Chapter 10: The Struggle to Be Together
Stef missed Anette during the year she was in Germany. They both had Wi-Fi where they lived, so they could talk for free every evening using a VoIP app on their phones, but it wasn’t the same as actually being together.
When Anette returned, she made arrangements with their father to stay in his apartment, which was close to Rindum University College. Stef asked William if he could move in, too, so that he could live with Anette again. William agreed, but it wasn’t that simple because the municipality also had to give permission since Stef was still a minor in foster care.
Stef then spoke with his caseworker, Ms. Johansen. She was sympathetic, but said it wasn’t something she could decide on her own. The decision had to be made at a higher level.
Ms. Johansen explained that because Stef’s father, William, had custody, he could request that Stef’s foster placement be ended and that Stef come to live with him. The municipality would then investigate whether William could provide Stef with proper daily care. When William was out at sea, he would need to make arrangements for another responsible adult to care for Stef. But it was doubtful that 19-year-old Anette would be considered mature enough to handle that responsibility.
William filed a formal request for Stef’s return, but it was denied because the municipality did not consider his living situation to be stable enough.
However, Stef and Anette still wanted to live together and refused to give up. They prepared a longer, more thorough request, in which they emphasized their strong bond, having spoken daily and remained close for nearly 10 years, as well as their maturity and independence. Stef obtained a letter of recommendation from his Scout leader, who highlighted his excellent leadership of younger Scouts at several events. Anette received a letter of recommendation in German from Manfred and Liese, who described how she had demonstrated great competence and maturity while caring for their children, and how the children were also very fond of her. Anette translated the letter and included the translation together with the original letter. They also received a letter of recommendation from Helene and Mikkel describing how both of them had behaved with maturity, managed their schooling without any problems, and earned good grades.
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