16. Vivi
Vivi
“Lisa.” I squeeze Easton’s hand, shocked to see the young woman walk through the conference room door.
“Hello, Uncle Easton.”
Her voice is quiet but not timid. And for someone who gave birth to a baby not long ago she looks remarkably well.
“Leelee.”
The sweet laughter that floats out of her is a giveaway of her age. “I haven’t heard that name in years. Not since I turned thirteen and told Mom not to call me that baby name anymore.”
“I’m sorry about your mom,” Easton says. “I wish you’d reached out when it happened.”
“To be honest, I’d forgotten all about you until Mom’s will was read.” Her gaze moves to Jethro Warrington. “Jet told me not to ignore Mom’s advice, but I haven’t been in a good headspace since…”
“I can’t imagine what you’ve been through.” I take a step closer. “I’m Vivi. Easton’s wife.”
She takes my offered hand. “Nice to meet you. I hadn’t realized.”
“It’s new.” I smile.
“Well, congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“Lisa.” Easton moves beside me. “Have you changed your mind?”
“Oh, no. Not at all. But when Jet called me this morning, I wanted to be here when the final paperwork was signed.”
“Final paperwork?”
“Yes. The adoption paperwork.” Her gaze moves to Warrington again. “And if it’s okay, I’d like to know what you called him.”
“Cade. Short for Kincade.”
Lisa presses her lips together, her eyes filling with tears. “Cade.”
“We wanted him to have something of you and your mom,” Easton explains. “His full name is Kincade Garnett Ralston.”
I suck in a sharp breath. Easton hasn’t once mentioned using my last name as Cade’s middle one and while I don’t have an attachment to it and will be changing it to Ralston as soon as I can, it’s still a part of me. He’s giving him a part of all of us.
“It’s a strong name.” Lisa smiles through her tears. “I wasn’t sure you’d want to keep him. I hoped. But I knew whatever you did, you would do right by him.”
“What do you need?”
“Nothing.”
“Do you have medical expenses or debts or?—”
“No. Mom had life insurance, and she’d already paid off her house. I’m okay. Not okay enough to raise a baby on my own, but I’m okay.”
“You can see him whenever you want.” I want—need—her to know that. “And we can keep you updated if you want.”
“I’d like to know how he’s doing. Not yet.” She gives us a shy smile. “To be honest, I’m glad you didn’t bring him with you. I’m not ready to see him.”
“Here.” Easton holds out a business card. That’s got my personal cell number on the back. Call any time. For anything.”
“Thank you.” Taking the card, Lisa looks at Warrington again. “Is everything done? Can I go now?”
“Yes. You signed all the documents last week.”
“And you’ll send me copies when they’re finalized?”
“Yes. As soon as Easton and Vivi sign them I’ll file them and send everyone court stamped copies.”
“Thank you.” Turning back to us she says, “And thank you both, for taking care of him.”
“Of course. But you don’t have to?—”
“I do,” Lisa cuts Easton off. “I know I could raise him if I had to, but I want him to have better than I can give him.”
“We could help you,” Easton insists.
“No. He’ll have a much better life with a mom and a dad who aren’t teenagers.”
“Speaking of. Doesn’t the father know?—”
“He signed his rights over,” Warrington interrupts. “I have the papers on file.”
Lisa holds up the card Easton gave her. “I’ll call. Soon.”
I can tell she won’t be calling for a while and I want to ask for her number so we don’t lose track of her, but I won’t. She needs us to take care of her son so she can take care of herself.
“If you need anything, a job, help with school, money, someone to talk to, please, use that number. We don’t want to just take care of Cade,” Easton explains. “We’d like to help you, support you, too.”
“I appreciate that. But I need time. It’s been an emotional few months and as much as I wish things were different, they aren’t.”
“Your mom would be proud of you.”
“I’d like to think so.” With another smile at all of us, she says, “I’ll let you get to those papers. Thank you. Again.”
After she slips out the door, we’re left with the lawyer and a mountain of paperwork to sign.
There are adoption papers, a birth certificate naming us as Cade’s parents, copies of documents signed by both Lisa and Cade’s birth father.
An hour later I’m still numb when we leave the firm’s office and wait for an elevator to arrive. “I can’t believe it.”
Easton slips his hand in mine and leans down to whisper in my ear. “Me either but let’s get out of here before anyone changes their mind.”
As soon as the elevator doors open, I leap forward and press the button for the ground floor. “She really doesn’t want to raise him.”
“I think she does but she knows they’ll both be better off if she doesn’t.”
“I thought we’d have to run.”
“I know.”
“I called Laney when I went to the restroom, before Lisa came in.”
“Figured you would.”
“They’re heading to the airport now. Our driver will drop us at the plane before driving your car back to Love Beach.”
“With everything going on I hadn’t thought about my car.”
“We did. Well, Quade did. He offered to drive back with Hadley and Bennett but Vail said we should all arrive at the same time.”
Easton nods. “Makes it look more authentic.”
“What?”
“Us. Getting married. Adopting Cade.”
“He’s ours.” The shock hasn’t worn off.
Once Lisa left and we signed the papers, Warrington explained Lisa had it all planned. She knew Easton wouldn’t just accept the arrival of Cade on his doorstep. He’d want to be sure it was what she really wanted.
Over the years her mother had talked a lot about the three men who’d taken a chance on a single mom over a decade ago and with a little research, she’d found all the information she needed to know he’d come looking for her.
I shake my head. For someone so young, she’s made mature decisions most adults would be incapable of.
“He’s really ours.” If I say it often enough, maybe I’ll believe it.
“He is.” Easton lets go of my hand to wrap his arm around my shoulders. “There’s no take-backs now.”
“What are you going to do for her?” I know he isn’t going to do nothing. It isn’t in him to let it go.
“Well, that apartment will be hers to use at no cost if she wants.”
“But she has her mother’s house.”
“Yes, but she can make money by renting it. She’ll want to finish school and doing that will mean she won’t have to work. Although I think QVE needs to look at offering some scholarships. For Lisa and others in similar positions to hers.”
“That sounds good. I know QVE does a lot of charity work.”
“We do. But other than the internships we offer, we don’t do much for the college age bracket.”
“Maybe we can look at what you can do when we get home. I can see what is offered elsewhere and we can decide on what the best options are.”
“I liked your idea about using the apartment for abuse victims. We should look at that area too. After everything with Van, and the situation his mother put him in, I’d like to work with those who are trying to get out of that kind of life.”
“We should talk to everyone about it.”
“We can. But I’ve got enough funds for us to do it on our own.”
“I know. I still think you should do it together. You’ve spent most of your adult life working with Quade and Vail. Why change that now?”
“I don’t want to force them?—”
“You won’t be. It’ll be a piece of cake for the three of you to run a charity foundation after building a business empire.”
I know all of them want to cut back their working hours, but like Laney and Hadley said, it won’t be an easy transition after years of working seven days a week.
“You know, you could each pick a different area of need, set up three separate arms of one larger charity under the QVE brand or a new one.”
“Your mind is a brilliant thing and I love watching you think, but for now can we concentrate on getting our son and going home?”
“Oh, yes, we can do that,” I say as the doors open on the ground floor to reveal Luna waiting for us, Cade snuggled tight in her arms.
“Hello, Mommy and Daddy.” She steps forward as we step out and seconds later Cade is cradled against Easton’s chest.
“Hey, little man.”
Leaning over, I see Cade’s wide awake. “Hey there, baby boy.”
My heart swells, and my gaze blurs, the back of my nose stinging. I have no idea why I’m close to tears. He’s ours, legally adopted. His birth certificate has us listed as his parents.
It’s one of the reasons Lisa didn’t give him a name. She wanted him to start his life where he would live it.
“Are you crying?” Easton whispers in my ear.
“No,” I sniffle.
“Hmm… If you say so.”
I can hear the emotion in his voice and take my eyes off Cade to look at my husband. “Oh.”
“Yeah. Happy tears.” His watery gaze holds mine. “Now, Mrs. Ralston, let’s take our son and go home.”
As Easton’s words sink in, words I never thought I’d hear—want to hear—a single tear slips past my lashes and slides down my cheek.
With a smile, I wipe it away before I slip my arms around Cade and pull him from Easton’s arms. “Lead the way, Daddy.”