Chapter 21 #2
"I want to adopt her." I look at him, then over his shoulder at the others. "I want her to be ours. I want her to grow up with four fathers who will never let anything touch her. I want her to have our name."
The room goes quiet, but it isn't the tense kind of silence. It’s the sound of them actually processing it.
Theo looks over at Micah and gives a small, half-shrug. "A daughter. I guess I’m going to have to learn how to do hair. And maybe look into better schools."
"I’ve spent the last year making sure these kids stay healthy." Micah lets out a short, surprised laugh. "I didn't think I'd be looking at a pediatric chart for my kid this soon."
Dameon walks over, resting a hand on my shoulder. "The board is going to be a pain about the conflict of interest since you're the Director, but we can handle the red tape."
"I already checked the bylaws." I lean into Reid’s chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart. "We just recuse ourselves from her case management. Martha said she’d vouch for us. When I spoke to her about how it could work when we started talking about adoption over getting pregnant."
Reid kisses the top of my head, his grip on my waist tightening. "If you’re sure about this, Zora... then we’re in. We’ve been talking about it for months. And we've always said that we would know when the right kid came along."
Micah and Theo move in, closing the gap until we’re all touching, a wall of heat and fair skin surrounding me.
"We’ll make it work." I close my eyes and just breathe them in.
The bond between us hums, a low-frequency vibration that feels like a lock clicking into place. No one says anything else. We just stand there in the middle of the office, five people already making room for a sixth.
Six months later, the sun sets over the Sunflower Center, casting long, golden shadows across the grass. The main building is quiet as the kids settle in for dinner, but on the back patio of our new house on the edge of the property, the noise is just starting.
Lily sits at the picnic table, her tongue poked out as she works on a drawing. She’s wearing a bright yellow hoodie that matches her name, and her face has filled out. The hollow, haunted look in her gray eyes is a distant memory. She looks healthy and like she belongs here.
Reid is at the grill, the scent of charcoal and seared meat mixing with the evening air. He flips a burger and looks over at Lily. "Two minutes, Lil. You want the extra cheese or the regular?"
"Extra, please." Lily doesn't even look up from her sketchbook. Her voice is clear and confident now.
"You got it." Reid gives her a quick grin and goes back to the grill.
Dameon sits on the bench next to her, his massive frame a silent guard.
He isn't saying much, but he’s watching her draw as if it’s the most important thing he’s ever seen.
Every few minutes, Lily holds up the book to show him a detail, and he nods, his expression softening in a way that’s reserved only for her and me.
Micah and Theo are on the porch swing, talking quietly about the week’s schedule.
Micah has his glasses pushed up onto his head, finally letting himself relax now that the clinic is closed for the day.
They’ve been the ones taking Lily to soccer practice and helping her with the math homework that makes me want to pull my hair out.
They’ve stepped into the role of fathers with a seamlessness that still surprises me.
I step out of the house, carrying a tray of lemonade. I stop at the door for a second, just watching them.
Two and a half years ago, I was worried that claiming this life would mean losing pieces of myself.
I thought I had to choose between being the director and being theirs.
I'm glad I was wrong, we just had to come to an understanding that we're equals in this life, and that my input matters just as much as theirs.
I walk over to the table and set the tray down. Lily looks up, her eyes crinkling. "Hi, Mom."
That word still hits me like a lightning bolt every time she says it. I lean down and kiss the top of her head. "Hi, honey. Let’s see what you’re working on."
She turns the book around. It’s a drawing of our house, with all six of us standing on the porch. She’s drawn the guys like giants behind us, their arms linked to form a wall.
"It’s us." Lily points to the small figure in the middle.
"It’s perfect." I look over at the guys.
They’re all looking back at me. Reid at the grill, Dameon at the table, Micah and Theo on the swing. There’s no more stalking, no more desperation, no more shadows. There is only the solid, heavy reality of a pack that has found its center.
Reid slides the burgers onto a platter and sets it in the middle of the table. "Dinner’s ready."
We all crowd around, the air filling with the sound of laughter and the clatter of plates. It’s chaotic and loud and exactly what I always wanted.
The Sunflower Center stands a few hundred yards away, its lights glowing in the dark, a sanctuary for dozens of kids. Happily ever after isn't a fairy tale; it’s a choice. And I’ll keep choosing my family every single day for the rest of my life.
The End