The Sound of Forever

Epilogue

Keane

The courthouse steps feel impossibly tall today, like every step we take is carrying us closer to a moment that’s going to change our lives forever. My hand rests on Julianna’s lower back as we climb, her belly just starting to show beneath her dress. She’s glowing. Her radiance takes my breath away every time I look at her.

Rayne is walking ahead of us, holding her grandfather’s hand and the other hand clutches two of her bunnies. It’s a family affair, so she had to bring at least two of them. She’s wearing the blue dress Julianna picked out for her, her hair tied back in a neat braid. She looks nervous, but excited, too.

“You okay, Ray?” I ask as we reach the top step.

“Yes, Dad,” she answers. Though she keeps walking, she looks over her shoulder, her face serious. “But what if they say no?”

We all come to a halt. Julianna kneels in front of her, smoothing a hand over Rayne’s hair. “They won’t say no, sweetheart,” she says gently. “This is just a formality. You’re already ours.”

Rayne’s eyes flick to me, and I nod, crouching down beside Julianna. “Your mom’s right,” I say. “You’ve been ours since the day you walked into our lives. Today just makes it official.”

“Okay,” she says.

Inside, the courthouse is quiet. We’re led to a small courtroom where a judge greets us warmly. Our friends are seated in the back, Zeke, Ethan, his husband, and Rowan among them. Julianna’s brother, Oscar, gives us a thumbs-up, and I can’t help but smile back. Anne and Hank Nichols are also here.

After this, we’ll be heading back home where there’s a big party waiting for us.

The judge goes through the formalities. Rayne sits between Julianna and me, her hands folded in her lap. When the judge asks her if she’s ready to be adopted, she looks up, her voice strong and clear. “Yes, I’m ready.”

I feel Julianna’s hand slip into mine, her fingers squeezing tightly. The judge smiles and signs the paperwork, her gavel coming down with a soft thud.

“Congratulations,” she says. “You’re officially a family.”

The room erupts into quiet applause, and I scoop Rayne into my arms, spinning her around as she giggles. Julianna’s laughing, her eyes shining with tears, and I pull her into the hug, the three of us holding on like we’re afraid to let go.

When we step outside, the sun is shining. Rayne runs ahead, her laughter echoing down the steps as she spins in circles, her arms outstretched.

“She’s happy,” Julianna says, her hand resting on her belly.

“She is,” I agree, pulling her close. “We all are.”

She tilts her head up to look at me, her smile soft. “We just need this little boy to arrive and our family will be complete.”

I rest my hand over hers, feeling the slight curve of her belly. “She’s going to be the best big sister,” I say softly.

“And you,” she says, her voice full of love, “you’re going to be the best dad.”

The words hit me like they always do. It’s not guilt, but gratitude. I’m thankful for the chance to be a father, have a family, and this time, be the best version of myself. I press a kiss to her forehead, my heart so full it feels like it might burst.

Rayne runs back to us then, grabbing my hand and tugging me toward the car. “Come on,” she says, her eyes bright with excitement. “We have to celebrate.”

As we drive home, Julianna’s hand rests on my thigh, her fingers moving in soft, absent patterns that feel like they’re drawing me back to life. Rayne’s laughter bubbles up from the backseat, pure and unrestrained, blending with the hum of the tires on the pavement. It’s a sound that makes my chest ache in the best way—a sound that feels like forever, like the melody I’ve been chasing but could never quite reach until now.

Julianna glances at me, her smile so warm it feels like it could light up the darkest corners of my soul. And right now, in this precise moment, I don’t just hear the music—I feel it, woven into the voices around me, into the way her touch grounds me to her, to this life, to us.

If this is forever, I think I’ll spend every second of it making sure I never forget the sound.