43. Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter forty-three
A ria and Nick had flown to Montana to see Stacy in person. They wanted to check on her and ask her a big question.
Nick pulled up to the house with the weathered paint and shutters. Maybe the house needed some work, but the yard was green, and it had a basketball and soccer ball on the lawn to go with the purple kid’s bike on the driveway. Flowerpots lined the three steps up to the porch. The bright, cheerful blooms welcomed everyone. So did the sign on the door. “This Mess Is Blessed.”
It made Aria smile and feel like this was a good place for Stacy. For now.
Nick put his hand over her thigh. “This place seems nice. Kid friendly.”
The front door opened and Stacy came rushing out, bounding down the stairs and across the small yard to the curb.
Aria’s smile notched up and her heart beat faster. She climbed out of the car and opened her arms to Stacy, letting Stacy come to her for the hug if she wanted it.
Stacy leapt into her arms. “You’re finally here. I’ve been waiting for you.”
Nick climbed out of the car, hurried around it as best he could limping on his bad leg, and caught Stacy around her back as she wrapped her arms around his legs. He winced when she hit his injury, but he didn’t complain. His smile and bright eyes said he didn’t care.
Happy tears gathered in Stacy’s eyes. “I can’t believe you’re both here.”
Aria looked into Stacy’s pretty green eyes and saw the joy and excitement there. “I missed you. How are you?”
“I’m good.” She turned back toward the house, where the foster mom, Anne, sat on the top step keeping watch.
“You look great.” Aria loved her adorable black coveralls, white T-shirt, and black sneakers.
Stacy’s smile faltered. “I miss the others.”
Aria put her hand on Stacy’s shoulder. “I know you do. You’ve seen them during your therapy, right?”
“Yes. It’s just not the same.” Stacy dug the toe of her shoe into the grass.
Nick held his hand out. “Let’s sit on the stairs and talk.”
Stacy walked with them and took a seat with her foster mom. Aria and Nick exchanged hellos with Anne and sat with Stacy between them.
Nick started the real conversation they were here to have with her. “Do you like it here?”
“Yeah. It’s okay. But it’s temporary, right?”
At ten, Stacy had more life experience than most her age. She’d been through so much. But she understood she couldn’t go back to her father.
Nick continued. “Foster care is supposed to be temporary, until you either return to your family, or you get adopted to a forever home.”
Stacy shook her head. “I don’t want to go back to my dad. Besides, he’s in jail for what he did to me. Right?”
“Yes, he is. But you still have a couple of options.” Nick looked at Aria.
She gave him a nod to keep going.
“Maybe you’d like to check out Wyoming and Aria and my new house.”
“Really?” The excitement made Stacy vibrate.
“Really.” Nick took a deep breath. “We came here today so we could ask you what you want to do next. After we leave here, we’re going to see your dad and I’ll tell him your answer. You have a few options. Number one: You can stay in foster care until your grandmother settles her legal troubles and can take you in to live with her. Number two: You can stay in foster care here in Montana, hopefully with Anne, but you could be moved to another home, even several more homes depending on the situation.”
Aria’s heart ached that this was so many children’s reality.
Stacy shook her head to both those choices.
Nick went on. “Number three: If your father gives up his right to be your parent, then you could be adopted by a forever family.” Unfortunately, the odds of her being adopted at her age were small. “The last option is one Aria and I talked about and hope you choose. If you want, you could choose us.”
She nodded, tears running down her face. “I choose you.” She threw herself into Nick’s chest. “Yes. Yes. Yes. You.”
Nick hugged her close.
Aria had tears trailing down her face as she softly rubbed Stacy’s back.
Nick tipped up Stacy’s chin, so she was looking at him. “It’s not going to be right away. We have to talk to your dad about giving us custody and letting us adopt you. That means, for right now, you’ll have to stay in foster care with Anne.”
Stacy looked from Nick to Aria and back again. “How long?”
“I’m not sure yet. We will try to get everything sorted out as quickly as possible.”
Aria tapped Stacy’s forearm to get Stacy to turn to her. “We have to ask a judge to make us a family. It takes time to do all the paperwork and get everyone to agree, but if this is what you want, Nick and I will work really hard to make it happen as soon as we can.”
Nick hugged her to his side. “In the meantime, we have Anne’s phone number and can call and video chat with you. We’ll update you with everything that’s going on, so you know what’s happening.” Nick hated to bring her past into this, but there was something else she needed to know. “I have something to tell you about the case. The man your dad gave you to…”
“Perry.” She screwed her lips and nose into an ew face.
“Yes. Him. He was arrested and is in jail. He can’t ever hurt you again. In fact, he confessed to everything, so you won’t have to testify in court about him.”
Tears gathered in her eyes. “What about my dad and grandma?”
“Your dad confessed as well. He’s already plead guilty and will be sentenced and taken to prison very soon. Your grandma made a deal to get an easier sentence that means she won’t go to prison. Instead she’ll do community service and have a suspended sentence, which means if she does anything wrong again, she’ll go to prison.”
“But she can’t see me, right?” The shake of her head told him she didn’t want to see her.
Nick asked anyway. “Do you want to see her?”
“No. She hates me.” Stacy’s gaze dropped to her feet.
Aria touched her chin with her finger and gently pushed to get Stacy to look at her. “I don’t think that’s true. I think she resented your father for being such a bad parent, making her have to help out, and she took out her resentment on you.”
Stacy bottom lip puffed out. “She never wanted me around.”
Aria’s heart broke. “That’s her loss. Because you’re amazing. So much so that we want to be with you all the time, sweet girl.” Aria nodded vigorously, so Stacy would see and take in those words.
Stacy stared up at Nick. “I wish I could just go with you.”
“Me, too. But I promise it will be soon. And when it’s all done, you’ll have a forever family.”
“A really big one,” Aria added. “With grandparents and aunts and uncles.”
Stacy finally smiled. “And Lyric’s baby.”
“My brother Jax is having one, too.” Aria grinned. “Wildes and Gunns. That’s who you’ll belong to, sweetheart. And we can’t wait.”
Stacy nodded. “Okay. Yes. I choose you.”
Nick looked over Stacy’s head at Aria, a sheen of tears in his eyes and joy on his face. “We’re getting a kid.”
She brushed a tear from her cheek. “Some things are just meant to be.”
“Like you and me.”
Her grin widened. “Definitely you and me and her.”
“Can we get a dog?” Stacy asked, and he and Aria laughed.
“Let’s start with getting you home with us first.” He hugged her to him.
Stacy looked up at him. “If I go live with you guys, will you be my parents?”
Nick nodded. “Eventually, yes. Why?”
“So I’ll have a mom and dad?” She looked so earnest and hopeful.
Aria could see plainly by the look in Nick’s eyes that this little girl had stolen his heart and owned it. “Yes.”
Stacy turned and looked up at Anne. “I’m getting a new family.”
Anne smiled down at her. “It sounds like a really good one, too.”
“We’re so lucky that you chose us.” Aria couldn’t let this little warrior girl grow up in foster care. Not when she and Nick could give her a home and the love and kindness and decency that had been lacking in her life.
Stacy deserved all of that and more.
Anne stood on the step. “Would you like to join us for lunch?”
She and Nick exchanged a look, saying yes to each other, all without a word.
Aria nodded and stood with the others. They went inside and enjoyed the lovely meal Anne had put together for them. Turkey sandwiches, parmesan pasta salad, and fresh fruit. After lunch, they checked out Stacy’s room, made a list of things she’d need if she moved in with Aria and Nick, and showed her pictures of the house so she could pick out her room.
Maybe they were getting a bit ahead of themselves, but Aria wanted everything to be ready when Stacy arrived. She wouldn’t even consider that they wouldn’t get Stacy. If nothing else, they could become foster parents and keep her that way. But she and Nick really wanted to make things official. They wanted Stacy to know she would always have a place with them.
They ended the day after playing a board game, which Stacy and Nick won together against her and Anne.
Aria waved goodbye to Stacy and Anne from the bottom of the porch stairs. “I’ll call you tomorrow, Stacy. Thank you, Anne, for taking care of our girl.”
Stacy blushed.
Anne waved and said, “My pleasure.”
Nick took Aria’s hand, but stared up at Stacy. “Is there anything you want us to say to your dad when we see him tomorrow?”
She ran down the steps and wrapped her hand around Nick’s wrist, her eyes pleading with him. “Tell him I want to go with you. He has to let me go with you.”
Nick nodded. “I’ll tell him.” He kissed her on the head.
They climbed into the car, determined to do exactly what she asked of them, and what they promised they’d do: make her theirs.
Aria couldn’t wait. She loved her life. Having Nick made it infinitely better. And now they had a chance to raise Stacy as their daughter. Life really couldn’t get any sweeter.
She couldn’t wait to call Stacy her daughter.