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I step back and let them come in. I lead them toward the kitchen, then stop and face them before we can enter.
“I know Ally and I have been evasive about staying gone so long, but there was a reason. One I think you’ll believe was worth the wait.”
Mia eyes me curiously and Dad’s brow lifts. I don’t let either of them talk before I spin around and walk into the kitchen. Ally is setting down a platter of fried chicken on the counter. When she notices us, she wipes her hands on a dish towel and rushes over to Mia for a hug. Dad is given the same affectionate treatment. While this happens, I regard Mia, who’s silently looking at Erica with curiosity. Erica, bless her heart, is standing over by the fridge, her arms protectively wrapped around her middle, her eyes shooting off anxious vibes. We told Erica that no one in the family knows about her yet. That we wanted to keep it a surprise and she was fine with that.
Ally laces her arm through Mia’s and walks her toward our daughter.
“Erica,” she begins, her voice shaky. “This is Mia, Trent’s mom. Mia, this is Erica.” She pauses. “Our daughter.”
Mia sucks in a sharp breath and her wide eyes move to Ally before flying back to Erica. I walk around them and put my arm over Erica’s shoulder. Her body instantly relaxes against mine.
“We know you have a lot of questions, and we’ll get to them later. The short version is, Erica lost her mother when she was little and has been in a group home since then. We met her at the hospital while Ally was having treatments done. Erica had leukemia and was there for her own.” I smile down at Erica. “Needless to say, it wasn’t long before we knew we were supposed to bring Erica home with us.”
“Wow,” Mia says, and I can tell from her shocked expression she has a ton of questions she wants to ask. She knows Ally and I have always had plans to adopt. But I’m sure she expected to know about it beforehand. “I have no idea what to say.”
I grin at her. “How about you say hello to your granddaughter?” I suggest.
Her eyes jerk back to Erica, and it only takes seconds for Mia’s expression to gentle. “Hey, sweetie.” She steps forward. “It’s an honor to meet you.”
Erica’s uncertain eyes flicker to Ally’s before she moves them back to Mia. “Hi. It’s nice to meet you too.”
Before Erica can comprehend what’s going on, she’s pulled forward into Mia’s embrace. I look over to Ally and find her eyes shining with love as she watches my mom and our daughter hug.
Dad steps up next. “Hello, Erica. I’m Mac, and well, I guess I’m your new grandfather.”
That earns a smile from Erica. “Hi, Mac.”
Mia turns to look at her husband with a big grin. “We’re grandparents. Can you believe that?”
Dad chuckles. “Since she’s standing right in front of us, we better believe it.”
Mia spins back and shoots daggers out of her eyes at me. “I can’t believe you kept this from us.” She loses the heat when she glances at Erica. “Not that this isn’t wonderful news.”
“We weren’t sure if it was going to go through. Since I was sick, it was up in the air for a while. When we did find out the good news, we decided to keep it a secret until we could introduce you in person.”
Mia wraps her arm around Ally’s waist and pulls her in for a sideways hug. “We’ll sit down later, and you can explain everything to us. For now…,” she lets Ally go and moves to stand beside Erica, “I’m going to take my granddaughter into the living room and get to know her better.”
We all laugh as the pair leaves the kitchen.
* * *
Walking up behind Ally,I wrap my arms around my wife’s waist and rest my chin on her shoulder. Her arms move on top of mine and she snuggles her cheek closer to my face. Together, we look across the back yard at our family and friends mingling.
Of course, Erica is the center of attention. She’s currently surrounded by Grace, Mika, Sirena, and Amari as they talk about whatever girls talk about. At first, we were a little concerned with the number of people Erica would be meeting today. We didn’t want to overwhelm her. Our concerns were for nothing. She took to everyone like she’s known them for years. And everyone fell in love with her just as easily as Ally and I did.
“Our life is perfect, isn’t it?” Ally asks reverently.
“It is,” I answer.
She turns in my arms and loosely laces her fingers behind my neck, her beautiful green eyes staring up at me.
“Have I told you lately how much I love you?”
I smile down at her. “Not in the last hour. But I don’t need you to tell me. I see it every time you look at me.”
“Do you remember the first day we met?”
I tighten my arms around her, tugging her closer. “I remember every second we’ve ever had together.”
