Chapter 19 Alex #2
We stood before her bench, me between them, one hand on each of their shoulders.
The judge smiled softly. “I understand you’ve been their stepfather since they were four and six?”
“Yes, Your Honor.” My throat felt thick.
“I’ve raised them since I married their mother.
Since her passing, it’s just been the three of us.
As it says in the petition, we searched for their biological father for years without any luck, making it impossible for me to officially adopt them. Until now.”
The judge nodded, then turned to the kids. “Peter, would you like to tell me what this adoption means to you?”
Peter shifted his weight, then straightened his shoulders.
“It doesn’t mean anything because it’s just a piece of paper.
This is my dad, no matter who says it’s true or not.
He’s the one who taught me to ride a bike, and never missed a baseball game, and helped me with my science project.
He’s the one I go to whenever anything good or bad happens or when I need advice.
He’s never wavered in his love for us. Not once. ”
My eyes burned and a sob escaped from my chest.
The judge smiled gently. “That’s a very good answer, Peter. Thank you.” She turned to Bella. “And you, Isabella?”
Bella clasped her hands, her voice trembling but clear.
“When my mom died, I couldn’t imagine how we would go on without her.
But my dad somehow held us together, kept us safe.
Loved us. My mom used to say I was a ‘daddy’s girl,’ and it’s true.
He never tries to make me be anyone but myself.
Even when I mess up, he still loves me. He’s my dad.
Always will be, no matter what the court decides. ”
Ben cleared his throat and looked away, but not before I caught the shimmer of tears in his eyes. The old softie.
The judge folded her hands on the bench.
“You’ve raised remarkable children, Mr. Garcia.
Well done. It’s clear how close you all are.
Often, what I see in this courtroom makes me doubt humanity.
But not today. Today, I’m honored to be a small part of your journey as a family and to witness what a good father looks like. ”
“Thank you, Your Honor,” I managed.
She nodded once, then picked up her pen. “Then it gives me great pleasure to grant this petition. From this day forward, Peter and Isabella Walsh will be legally known as Peter and Isabella Garcia. Congratulations, Mr. Garcia. You are now, in the eyes of the law and of this court, their father.”
The gavel came down softly, one decisive, beautiful sound.
Bella let out a shaky laugh, and Peter grinned at me through tears. I pulled them both into my arms, holding tight as the courtroom blurred.
“Thank you, God,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Thank you.”
Behind us, Gillian wiped her eyes. Grace had her hands clasped, grinning from ear to ear. Bella ran to them both, tugging their hands until all five of us were together, hugging and crying and laughing all at the same time.
“Let’s go celebrate, guys,” I said. “Somewhere worthy of your dress-up clothes.”
Outside, the courthouse steps gleamed in the sun.
Bella slipped her hand into mine, and Peter walked on my other side, taller than me now but still my boy.
Gillian and Grace were just steps in front of us.
When we reached the bottom of the stairs, I just stood there, taking them all in—knowing deep in my bones that this family was meant to be.
This was the family I’d prayed for, the one I’d fought to keep, and now, finally, complete with Gillian and Grace.
Later, when the kids were talking over one another about where to eat lunch, I stepped back to draw Gillian into my arms.
“It’s all going to be okay,” I said. “Just like you said.”
“I’m happy for you,” Gillian said. “For all of you.”
I let go of her to hug Grace. “This is one for the good guys, Alex,” Grace said.
“Yes, it sure is,” I said.
“Thanks for letting us be here for it,” Grace said.
“It wouldn’t have been right without you and your mother,” I said.
It was time to make us all one family. I had just one person to ask before I proposed to Gillian. Grace. I needed her blessing before I could slip that ring on her mother’s finger.
The next morning, I pulled up to Gillian’s house. The fog had burned off, leaving that sharp, perfect kind of Willet Cove light that made everything look scrubbed clean. The blue hydrangeas along her front walk were in full bloom, bobbing slightly in the breeze. My pulse thudded.
Esme answered the door, her eyes lighting up the second she saw me. “Well, hello.”
I held up the bakery box in my hand. “I brought scones.”
“How sweet. Any particular reason you’re here?” she teased, her eyes dancing.
“I have something to ask Grace,” I said.
“Oh, this is so wonderful.” She spontaneously hugged me. “Welcome to the family.”
“Thank you. That means a lot.”
Esme grinned, stepping aside. “Grace is out back with Madison. Gillian’s still at the studio, which I assume you timed on purpose.”
“I did, yes.” I returned her smile. “I’m nervous.”
“Don’t be. You’re going to make them both really happy,” Esme said.
The smell of lemon and sugar drifted through the house as I crossed the kitchen and stepped onto the back patio. Grace and Madison were sitting at the outside table, their heads bent over a half-finished puzzle.
“Hey, you two,” I said.
Madison looked up. “Hi, Mr. Alex.”
Grace smiled. “Hi, Alex. What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to talk to you about something.” My heart suddenly started hammering again. Turning to Madison, “Mind if I steal Grace for a quick talk?”
Madison opened her mouth as if to protest, but Esme appeared in the doorway with perfect timing. “Come on, kiddo. Alex brought scones. You want one?”
“Yay. I love scones,” Madison said.
Esme winked at me as she led Madison inside.
Grace tilted her head, looking curious. “What’s up?”
I sat across from her at the table, the old wood warm beneath my palms. “There’s something important I wanted to ask you.”
Her brow furrowed slightly. “Is everything okay?”
“Better than okay.” I exhaled and clasped my shaking hands together. “I’d like to ask your mother to marry me, but I wanted your blessing first.”
Her mouth dropped open. “You want my blessing?”
“I do. Because if she says yes—and I hope she will—it won’t be just her and me. It’ll be all of us. And I’d never want to take that step without making sure you’re okay with it.”
Grace’s eyes went shiny, her lower lip trembling just slightly before she grinned. “She’s crazy about you. I mean, it’s almost nauseating, but it isn’t—because I love you too.”
I laughed softly, a wave of relief washing through me. “I’m glad to hear that. And I love you too.”
She hesitated, her fingers tracing the edge of the puzzle box. “Can I ask you something, though?”
“Of course.”
“When you were in court with Bella and Peter, and the judge said you were their dad … would you ever want to do that with me too? Like, adopt me someday?”
For a moment, I couldn’t speak. Her question hit straight to the center of me. “It’s funny you should ask that,” I said. “Because Peter and Bella suggested that very thing.”
“They did?” Grace’s blue eyes grew even bigger. “They wouldn’t mind?”
“They were worried you’d feel left out.”
Her eyes filled, and she blinked quickly, smiling through it. “That’s so sweet of them. But what about you? Do you want me? Will you be my dad for real?”
“Grace, there’s not a thing I want more in this world than to bring you and Gillian into our lives permanently. With or without a formal adoption, we’ll be a family. But if it’s important to you, then I’m all in.”
“When I prayed for someone for mom and a dad for me, it was for someone just like you. And then you showed up, and everything’s so much better. How soon will you adopt me?”
“As soon as humanly possible.”
“Really?” Grace asked.
“Really.”
She got up from her side of the table and threw her arms around my middle, surprising me with the force of it. I held her tight, breathing in the scent of coconut shampoo and sunshine.
“Will you come to my plays, like you do Peter and Bella’s games?”
“I won’t miss a thing,” I said. “Not a play or a dance recital or whatever else you choose to do. I’ll even run lines with you.”
Grace giggled. “That will be awesome. I had a dream you were in the front row of my play, sitting next to my mom. I woke up with this warm feeling in my stomach.”
“A premonition, then. Because I’ll be there.”