AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The adults decided to give Embry presents, but for ourselves we drew names. Those were exchanged and opened and now we were down to just a few special ones. Braxton walked over and grabbed a pile of boxes and handed one small box out to everyone in the room. All eyes were curious as to what was going on, and why they all had another gift.
Braxton did the talking.
“Jurnee and I have something we want to tell you, and to give you each a special gift from us. You have been there for us through so much, supported us without hesitation, and all of you are a special part of our lives.” As he finished, he let them know to open the boxes together at the same time.
As the lid to the boxes were pulled off, everyone cheered. Placed on the top were little chocolate candy bars, with personalized wrappers, that said, ‘It’s a boy!’ We had known for a while but decided to wait to tell everyone until tonight. Under the candy was a t-shirt for everyone. They were all a little different and we had them specially made. There were uncle shirts, auntie ones, grandma and grandpa and then Embry’s that said, ‘Best Big Sister Ever’.
Congratulations and hugs were coming at us left and right. Then Embry spoke up, “Why is everyone so happy?” I had been standing as we watched everyone open their gift, but I sat back down, so I could get eye-level with my angel.
“Honey, this shirt says, ‘Best Big Sister Ever’, and your little blue candies inside say, ‘It’s a boy’. You're going to have a baby brother, sweetie.”
“A brother, really? Yay, we can play together all the time, but he just can’t get my dress dirty!” That got another laugh out of everyone.
“Right, no getting your dress dirty, Angel.” As everyone talked, I pulled her on my lap and spoke once again. “We have one more gift. This one is for Embry.” Braxton grabbed an envelope and came to sit down beside us girls.
Everyone had sat back down and were waiting patiently for one of us to talk. This time I did the honors. With tears already in my eyes, and my throat right with emotion, I began. “Hey, Angel, Braxton and I wanted to give you this.” Brax handed the paper envelope to her and helped her open it. As she pulled it out, I kept talking.” This paper…” I had to pause. I was so overcome with happiness I could barely speak. “It says that you, Embry Marie Hart, are officially our daughter and that you get to stay here forever and always.”
Little sounds of joy could be heard around the room, but I didn’t look away from the little girl in my lap. When she seemed to be thinking and not saying anything, I’d looked over at Braxton with a worried look. So he asked her if she had understood what that meant and if that’s what she wanted.
We had talked about this before finishing all the paperwork. Since the state was already in the process of relinquishing her dad's rights when we asked about the adoption process for her, then he was put in jail, everything had moved along rather quickly. We both thought it was what she wanted, but now I wasn’t sure.
Then her little voice, small and timid, asked, “Does that mean I can call you Mommy and Daddy now?” Her baby blues, nervous for the answer to come, pleaded with us to say yes.
“We would love it if you called us that. You're our little girl, and you plus your new little brother and us, are going to be one happy family.” Hugging her right to me, I looked over her head into my husband's eyes; he too had tears. My big strong man was so full of love. He was the best husband and father I could’ve asked for. He leaned over and wrapped his arms around us both and held us tight.
Then I heard him whisper, “I love both my girls so much.”
Embry squirmed out of our hold and turned to look at him. “We love you too, Daddy, don’t we, Mommy?” She glanced from me to Braxton.
“More than all the stars in the sky, Angel,” I said to them.
Another round of hugs had been doled out. As we stood there, I glanced over to see Summer in a deep conversation with Gyth. Over the last few months, she had been pretty hush-hush about everything that was going on with her, but I could tell that she still was not feeling great and it killed me. She and Gyth had been spending more time together since he took charge at the wedding and stayed with her at the hospital, but it looked like they were still fighting their feelings for one another. And yet he couldn’t stay away, and she didn’t make him.
I looked up and saw exactly what they both might need to change things up. “Hey you two!” I shouted above the noise. “Look where you're standing!” I pointed up above their heads. The room went silent and waited while they realized what was going on. Then Gyth leaned in and claimed her mouth. I heard Summer gasp in shock, but she didn’t push him away. Maybe there was hope for those two yet.
Grabbing Braxton's hand in one of mine and Embry’s in the other, I laid my head on my husband's shoulder. “Love you,” I whispered to him. He returned the words I would never tire of hearing for eternity.
“Love you too, Dimples.”
Knowing how lucky I was to have survived what I had in my life, and to be standing there with my dreams now a reality, I looked around the room at all our friends. I had so much love and happiness in my life, and I just wished that each of them would find exactly what I had.
Time will tell…
