| |
“All clean!” Kenzie announced as she entered the kitchen carrying a freshly bathed toddler in her arms. Despite dressing the little boy in a new outfit, she still wore the same light pink T-shirt and jeans that had been smudged with cake and icing. “I think Aaron got more birthday cake on him than in him.”
“That’s the whole point of a smash cake,” Cammie told her as she shifted her own squirming one-year-old to her other hip. “It’s a child’s one opportunity to make as big of a mess out of their food as they can without getting into any trouble.”
Aaron reached for Lily and both toddlers wailed. Kenzie and Cammie placed the children on the kitchen floor and let them waddle to each other so they could hug.
“I think our children are going to grow up and get married.” Kenzie laughed, then quickly stopped, realizing what she’d said. “I’m sorry. I mean—”
“It’s all right. When we decided to start fostering instead of going straight into the adoption process, Lucky and I went into it with the understanding that not every child we foster may become a permanent part of our family.” Cammie’s heart ached despite the strong front she put on. They’d had Lily for three months, and the attachment to the little strawberry-haired girl was already strong.
“How is everything going with Trey?”
Cammie sighed. “We’re just waiting on the call to tell us if we can celebrate.”
Kenzie offered her a hopeful smile as they took their children’s hands and led them out to the backyard. They’d had their cake and ice cream outside, and birds were busy pecking at cake crumbs that remained around the picnic table and high chair where Aaron had gleefully smashed his way through a six-inch round cake decorated to look like Captain America’s shield. Daisy, Kenzie’s lazy lab mix had gobbled up some of the bigger chunks before they could be snatched away and now rested by the barn, panting away with her tongue lolled out the side of her mouth as she watched Trey ride one of Kenzie’s horses around the new paddock while Lucky and Chance watched from the fence.
“Look at our husbands.” Even Kenzie’s voice carried a big smile as she stared at Chance. The newlywed sparkle still shone in her eyes, despite the two years that had passed since their wedding day.
“They’re something, aren’t they?” Cammie heard the smile in her own voice too as she took in the handsome brothers standing side by side, both wearing their usual well-worn jeans, T-shirts with open flannel shirts over them, and Stetsons. Even from the side, they were gorgeous. She grinned and elbowed her friend. “Mine’s taller.”
Kenzie barked out a laugh loud enough to catch their attention, although they were still several feet away. “Yes, well, I’d brag about my husband’s measurements too, but it might make you blush.”
“Kenzie! Geez.”
Her best friend released another peal of laughter before the toddlers started tugging at their hands and pointing toward the horse trotting around the paddock in a circle carrying Trey on its back.
Having been watching them, Chance jogged over and scooped the kids up, a toddler in each arm. “I got ‘em. Need help cleaning?”
“No, we have it. Just don’t you go putting these kids on a horse yet.”
“I know, I know.”
Cammie chuckled as they continued on to the picnic table, causing the birds to fly off, and helped Kenzie roll up the disposable tablecloth, careful to gather all the paper plates and cups inside it as they did. “Chance is going to have Aaron on a horse at the crack of dawn on the kid’s fourth birthday.”
“I know, but as long as he puts him on a horse and not a bull, I think I won’t have a heart attack.”
“You’re going to buy him a pony, aren’t you?”
Kenzie winked. “You know it. He can get on a full-sized horse when he’s Trey’s age.”
“You were on a full-sized horse at four years old.”
“Yes, but my father wasn’t a bull rider.” Kenzie glanced over at where Chance stood next to Lucky, holding both toddlers in his arms. “The sooner he’s comfortable on a horse, the sooner he’ll probably want to be just like his daddy and move up to a bull.”
“His daddy doesn’t ride bulls anymore,” Cammie reminded her. “After nearly getting killed by one, I imagine he might think twice about letting his son try to walk in his boots.”
“Yes, but I know I gave birth to a Masters man, which means I’m going to have a rebellious teenager on my hands soon enough. As intimidating as Chance can be, I imagine his son is still going to try him. It’s in his blood to do as he pleases and raise a little hell.”
Cammie stood by the picnic table while Kenzie walked the rolled up tablecloth and its contents over to the garbage barrel by the barn. Lucky looked back at her and winked before returning his attention to Trey. The ten-year-old had been a handful when they’d first got him. The state had taken him after his mother had overdosed on drugs and nearly died. Prior to that, he’d lived through a revolving door of her boyfriends, many of them abusive to her and to him. It had forced the kid to toughen up well beyond his years and grow a hard outer shell to protect him from the world.
There was not a more perfect father figure for him than Lucky. Chance made a pretty great uncle too. The two of them had lived through the same type of childhood and that wall Trey had put up to keep the world out hadn’t stood a chance against them, or her own patient nurturing. They’d had Trey for a year and now they waited on a call to tell them if they’d have the beautiful brown-eyed boy for the rest of their lives.
“I have a really good feeling,” Kenzie said, returning to the table. “Marlena Johnson has some pull with that agency and you know she’d do anything for Lucky since it was his existence that got her out of her marriage without losing anything.”
“Marlena is the reason the agency approved us to foster and apply to adopt despite my health issues and Lucky’s record,” Cammie advised. “But adopting Trey depends on his birth mother. She has to sign over her rights or else the court has to declare it in Trey’s best interests to terminate her rights, which is a whole lengthy process. She hasn’t even tried to contact him since they took him away, so we’re hoping she agrees to the adoption. I normally wouldn’t dream of taking a child away from his mother, but Trey has suffered enough.”
“I have faith it’s going to work out.” Kenzie squeezed her shoulder, and they headed toward the paddock where their husbands and children were gathered.
Cammie noticed Lucky look her way as he raised his cell phone to his ear and her breath caught in her throat.
“I mean, think about it, Cam. We both grew up to marry our first loves. Chance got his dream of running his own successful ranch. Both of them quit the rodeo for good, thank goodness. Lucky got to see his deadbeat father lose his election and nearly everything else, and you have been doing great since getting the transplant. Lucky hasn’t taken a drink since before his wreck and the Masters brothers haven’t caused any trouble in two years. We tamed the Masters brothers, Cam. If we can do that, we can do and get anything we want.”
Cammie had been listening, but didn’t respond, too focused on her husband. She watched Lucky nod enthusiastically while speaking. Before she finished reaching him, he shoved the phone back in his jeans pocket, grabbed Lily out of Chance’s arms and turned toward her with the biggest smile she’d ever seen on his face.
“He’s ours, baby. He’s ours.”
“What?” Cammie couldn’t think. It sounded like Lucky had said Trey was theirs, but she couldn’t risk hearing wrong and getting excited only to be heartbroken. “We get to keep fostering him or—”
“He’s ours. His mother waived her rights.”
Cammie’s mouth hung open for a moment while her brain caught up to her ears, then she released a scream of pure joy. Kenzie quickly joined in and they jumped up and down while holding on to each other’s arms. The men laughed at their reaction and shook hands while the toddlers in their arms squealed and waved their hands, reacting to all the surrounding excitement.
Cammie grew dizzy from jumping around in a circle with Kenzie and stopped to catch her breath.
“You okay, hon?”
“I’m fine.” She gave her husband the look she always gave him when he started getting too concerned with her health. She’d made it through the transplant without any issues and had been doing great since, thanks to the medication she’d started after the surgery.
“I’m glad she is because I think I’m drunk.” Kenzie wobbled. “Whew. That’s the last time we spin in circles like that while doing the happy hop.”
Cammie laughed, then caught sight of Trey sitting atop Tulip, watching them curiously from where he’d brought the horse to a stop. In the many times she’d pictured having children with Lucky, she’d imagined them with his gorgeous blue eyes and blond hair, or his blue eyes and her straight brown hair. Never had she imagined their son would have big brown eyes, curly dark hair, and brown skin, but she couldn’t imagine loving or wanting any child as much as she wanted Trey... or any child being a more perfect fit for them. She prayed he would feel the same joy about becoming a permanent part of their family.
“Here goes,” Lucky said as he walked over to the fence.
“You got this.” Kenzie squeezed her shoulder.
“There will probably be times he misses her terribly,” Chance said softly, “and he may revert to some of his earlier attitude if something triggers it, but I can tell Trey is happy with you. He’ll be calling you Mom and Dad before you know it.”
The couple walked away to give them a little privacy as Lucky brought Trey over to where she stood. The young boy shifted his gaze between the two of them. “What happened?”
Cammie looked to Lucky for help, not sure she could be the one to tell Trey his mother had signed away her rights. She’d been the one to hold him during the many nights he’d awakened crying from nightmares haunted by the image of his mother lifeless on their bathroom floor, a needle in her arm. He loved his mother, and she imagined he always would.
Lucky shifted Lily higher on his hip so she could rest her little head on his shoulder, and placed his free hand on Trey’s shoulder. “Trey, do you remember what we were talking about when you and Cammie were making cookies for the church bake sale last week?”
“About adopting me?”
Lucky gave a firm nod. “We just received the call. If you want it, you have a home with us forever. We’d sure like that.”
Trey looked over at where Chance and Kenzie stood before looking up to meet Cammie’s gaze. “That’s what you were jumping up and down screaming about?”
She smiled. “I was very happy.”
He blinked a few times and lowered his gaze. “So she did it. She gave me away.”
Cammie glanced at Lucky, saw the way he clenched his jaw, no doubt likening Trey’s mother to his own and thinking of all the damage an addict could cause a child by choosing drugs over them, and knew she would have to be the one to comfort Trey. Lucky was great with him, but she was better at speaking kindly of his mother.
She lowered herself down on her haunches and took one of his smaller hands in hers. “Your mother has an addiction. Addictions can be powerful, and very hard to break. Some people never do. Your mother didn’t give you away, honey. She gave you to a couple who loves you, who can protect and care for you. She gave you to us so you could live in a safe home with two parents who can take care of you in a way she’s just not strong enough to do herself.”
“And it’s all right to feel sad if you are,” Lucky told him. “It’s all right to miss her, or if you’re angry, that’s all right too. You can feel whatever you need to feel. Just know that you have us to help you with anything you need. We’re always going to be here no matter what.”
Trey was quiet for a moment. Cammie ached to pull him into her arms and hug him, but knew she needed to allow him time to process the major change occurring in his life. When he looked back up, his eyes were wet, but he didn’t let a single tear fall. “No matter what?”
It took every ounce of willpower Cammie had not to burst into tears at the vulnerability that had slipped through Trey’s voice. She looked up at Lucky to see his eyes had gone a little glassy too.
“No matter what. You’ll always be our son,” he said, his voice raw with emotion.
Trey looked between them and slowly, a smile crept onto his face. Then he threw himself at Cammie, wrapping his arms around her neck. She looked up at Lucky and shared a smile with him, both struggling to hold back the abundance of emotion threatening to leak out of their eyes.
“Do I call you Mom and Dad now?”
“You can call us whatever you want,” Cammie told him, careful not to get her hopes up. Trey was old enough to have stored enough memories of his birth mother to last a lifetime, and she realized that would probably make it harder for him to consider calling her Mom, but even if he always called her by her name, she would still be his mother.
He withdrew and stood between them. “I think I would like to someday, but right now, it feels weird.”
“Whatever’s comfortable for you works,” Lucky told him.
Trey shifted his gaze to Lily. “Is Lily going to live with us forever too?”
“We’re still fostering Lily, and there’s always a chance with fostering that a child could go back to his or her birth parents,” Cammie explained, “but if adoption becomes a possibility...”
Lucky caught her eye and chuckled. “If Lily becomes eligible for adoption, we’ll move to adopt. If her birth parents can care for her and take her back, we’ll miss her but wish them well. Then we’ll continue to foster and adopt until our house is full.”
“But I can stay forever? No matter how many other kids are fostered or adopted?”
“Of course,” Cammie assured him. “We love you, Trey, and we always will. You’re the child who made us parents. You’re our dream come true.”
“Family picture!” Kenzie announced as she approached them with her cell phone in hand.
Cammie gave her friend a grateful smile, knowing Kenzie had picked up on the well of emotions about to overflow, and allowed Lucky and Trey to help her up. They gathered together for the photo. Lucky stood at her side with one arm draped over her shoulders and Lily held high in his other arm. Trey stood in front and Cammie placed her hands on his shoulders, careful not to hold on too tight. She had the feeling she’d spend the rest of her life reminding herself not to hold on too tight. She had her family. She had the man she’d loved since childhood, a handsome son, and the possibility of a precious little girl. And she had faith there would be more children added to her family within time, and all of them would be meant for her and Lucky. They’d saved each other, and together they would save children who needed them. She didn’t have to hold on so tight. With Lucky at her side, everything would work out exactly as it should.
They smiled for the picture, and Cammie knew she probably smiled too wide, so full of joy, but when Kenzie looked at her screen and said, “Beautiful family,” she agreed.
She didn’t need to see the picture first. Her family was perfect, as was everything she shared with Lucky.