Here is what Hugo and I did in eleven days.

Background checks, both of us — state police, FBI fingerprints, the child abuse registry in every state either of us has lived in, which for Hugo meant Texas.

A home safety check, which is a woman with a clipboard walking through your house looking at outlet covers, smoke detectors, the water heater temperature, whether there are medications within reach, whether there are firearms, and where the child would sleep.

Financial documentation.