38. Epilogue
Usually,when Evan saw Nick in full lawyer drag, it was at home on mornings when he had to be in court rather than the office, which called for business casual because a stiff-backed lawyer in a suit tended to intimidate the clients Nick was trying to help. It had taken him a while to find a job he felt well suited for, but these days, he was happier than Evan had ever known him, working for a nonprofit that helped wrongfully convicted people appeal their cases. He loved it, Evan knew, even when it was hard, because for the first time in Nick’s life, he felt like he was contributing something meaningful to the world, and he was able to come home at night and be with his family.
“It’s like your art,” Nick had said as they lay in bed one Sunday morning, talking in the wee hours before some kid-related situation interrupted them. “You don’t know the ripple effect of someone seeing one of your pieces, but it impacts them, right?”
“I don’t think my paintings are half so important as keeping people out of prison,” Evan replied, which had been the final word on the matter.
Today’s lawyer drag was different, though, because for the first time, Evan was seeing it in the context of Nick’s workplace—otherwise known as the courthouse—where Evan was currently standing with Sydney on one side and Sam on the other. It took him only a moment to find Nick in the crowd, mostly because his handsomeness made him stand head and shoulders above the other drab attorneys. Or maybe that was just Evan’s opinion.
“There he is,” he said, nudging Sydney and Sam forward.
“I see him.” Sydney grabbed her brother by the hand and rushed toward Nick, whose face broke into a smile when he spotted them.
“Hey, good, you’re here,” he said when they reached him.
“Sorry. Traffic was murder, and I couldn’t find parking,” Evan said.
“I told you to use the back lot!”
“The back lot’s twenty dollars. I’m not paying twenty dollars.”
“I’m sorry, you’re not paying twenty dollars to ensure punctuality on one of the most important days of our—”
“Oh my God,” Sydney said as Sam started to giggle. “Okay, Ralph and Alice.”
Evan shouldn’t have introduced her to the campy, classic sitcoms he used to rent on DVD. They gave her far too much ammunition. “We weren’t fighting.”
“We were debating,” Nick agreed.
“Uh-huh.” Sydney grinned at Sam. “Is it time yet?”
“Just about. It’s on the sixth floor.”
Getting upstairs involved an elevator ride, during which Nick fussed with the collar of Sydney’s dress—“Nick, quit!”—and Evan retied Sam’s ever-unraveling laces. They were a united front when they stepped into the upstairs hallway, though—a family unit, even if Evan’s outfit was more of a Hillary-esque pantsuit than a boring three-piece number.
“This is us,” Nick said, stopping in front of an intimidating wooden door. “Ready?”
“Just a formality, right?” said Sydney, suddenly anxious.
“Yeah, Siddo. Just a formality.” Nick kissed the top of her head then opened the door and ushered them into a courtroom, where Donna was waiting, a smile on her face as she whispered that they looked great.
Unfortunately, they had to wait because the judge was running a few minutes behind. By the time she was ready for them, Sydney’s collar was half turned up, and Sam’s left shoelace was once again untied.
Oh well.They still looked pretty good as they approached the bench.
“Good afternoon,” said the judge, a fortysomething woman with a sleek black bob and a smile. Evan had to imagine that handling situations like theirs was one of the better parts of being a family-court judge. “I’ve reviewed the case, and everything looks in order. You guys have been… let’s see.” She glanced down. “Sydney—you’ve been living with Nick and Evan for about eighteen months now?”
Sydney replied, “Yup!” while Sam inched closer to her, wary of the stranger asking questions.
“And, Sam, you joined the party a year ago?”
“Um…” Sam looked at Sydney then at Nick, who nodded. “Ten months.”
“Very accurate. I appreciate that,” she said, winking. “As far as adoptions go, this one’s been a bit rushed. But I see that you”—she looked at Sydney again—“are turning eighteen in a week, so I understand the push to get it done.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Sydney said, and one would never know that she’d once stood in front of a judge for a very different reason. “And I know we have a lawyer and stuff.” An independent counsel had been appointed by the state to ensure that Sydney and Sam’s best interests were being met. She was in the courtroom, as well, but she was just another part of the formality. “I’d like to say something on my own behalf if that’s okay?”
“Of course.”
“Just, um, I know this is where everything gets finalized, and that we’ve already been a family for a while. But I feel really lucky, and, like, my whole life, I didn’t even know who my dad was, and now I’ve got two dads who take care of me and my brother. Which is, um…” She cleared her throat, and Evan could tell she was trying not to cry as she lost all semblance of eloquence. “Um, it’s really good. Oh, also, I wanted to say that I wouldn’t be going to college in the fall without them, and I love them, and yeah. That’s all.”
Well, damn it.Evan was getting misty-eyed, too, and he reached out to squeeze Sydney’s shoulder. “Good job, Vicious,” he murmured.
“Thank you, Sydney,” said the judge. “Very well put. Dads, would either of you like to make a statement?”
“I would.” Nick cleared his throat. “So, this is all familiar to me because I grew up in the system, same as Sydney and Sam. Only I never found the family I needed, and for a long time, I thought that meant I was never meant to have one. But then, one day, Sydney found me. And through her, we found Sam. And my husband.” He gave a smile to Evan, which Evan returned. Their wedding had been a quickie at the county clerk’s office, done to make the mortgage and adoption easier, but that didn’t make it any less of a marriage. “After a while, I realized that I found my family after all. It just took a little longer than I expected, and while it doesn’t necessarily look like the one I pictured, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. And that’s really all I wanted to say.”
The judge listened, a smile on her face, and nodded when Nick was through. “I see a lot of different families come through my courtroom, and you’re exactly right, Mr. Robinson. For every standard unit, I see ten that don’t quite squeeze into the mold society says a family should fit. And I say, good for them and good for you.”
With that, she launched into a lot of legalese, after which they had to sign some documentation, and then it was done. Sydney and Sam were finally officially their children. They took a photo with the judge, pocketed the paperwork, and went out to a celebratory dinner.
“It’s weird,” Sydney said about halfway through her meal.
“What is?” Nick replied.
“I just thought it would feel different, you know? Like, oh, we’re really your kids now, not just foster kids. But it doesn’t.”
“Yeah, because we were already their kids,” Sam said, not bothering to look up from his mountain of spaghetti and meatballs. “So whatever, right?”
“Family motto: ‘Whatever, right?’” Evan lifted his glass and glanced at Nick, who’d looked on the verge of tears all day. It was adorable. “Hey, should we tell them the surprise?”
“Oh God,” said Nick. “Now?”
“What surprise?” Sam said, finally looking up from his dinner.
“Well,” Evan said. “In honor of finally being able to transport you guys across state lines without a tonof paperwork, and also your birthday and graduation, Syd, we’re going on a trip.”
“Where?” Sydney asked, raising a brow.
“The happiest place on earth,” Evan said solemnly as Nick groaned out loud.
Yeah, the trip had maybe been Evan’s idea. But he would make it up to Nick later in any number of devious ways. After all, marriage was about compromise.