Epilogue
Two Years Later
“I’m so nervous.” She is practically shaking next to me. Her hands always shake when she is nervous, but now her whole body vibrates. I think it’s adorable. Every time we have done this, she gets nervous. Even though we both know the outcome. From here, we will go home and start a new family.
Last year, we found the perfect home for our family. It has four bedrooms and three baths. Settled on three acres on the outskirts of Boston. The first moment I saw it, I knew it was ours. The bedrooms were plentiful, but the living spaces and kitchen were small and cozy.
I could see us snuggled on the couch, watching movies, crowded together in the kitchen while I taught my children to cook all the classic dishes and make their mama breakfast in bed.
There is a beautiful wooden staircase that I will watch my daughter come down in her prom dress, a fireplace and mantel large enough for all the stockings we plan on filling it with.
Last year, we also started fostering children—well, we tried anyway.
The first baby we got was a sweet baby girl whose mom was an addict.
She waived her parental rights and gave the baby up for adoption.
She was placed with us till they found an adoptive family.
But after having her for only forty-eight hours, we decided we were going to be her adoptive family.
It’s a long and tedious process. The system is not perfect, but she was worth it. They all are.
Little Remy Diane Phoenix.
I changed my name to Phoenix when Leo and I were married in a small courthouse with only Rune, Gage, Cole, Ski, Miss Dianna, and Natasha present. It was perfect. The people who mean the most to us. I held no connection to the last name Rowan, and I was happy to take my beautiful bride's name.
Today, we are accepting our third child into our home.
This one is a particularly difficult case for Leo.
Callahan is five years old and was taken from his father for significant abuse.
He has scars not all that different from Leo, and I knew as soon as she saw him that he also would not be a foster.
And I was right. She spent ten minutes with him when he first came to us five months ago and looked at me and said, “He’s ours, Ev. ”
And she was right.
It has been a process getting him fully adopted into our family, but the time has finally come. As of this morning, he officially becomes Callahan James Phoenix.
And boy, is Rune excited to have a brother. He was excited about Remy, but she was a baby. With Callahan, it was an instant connection. Even with a five-year age gap, the two boys have been inseparable.
We had fears that Rune would feel left out or unloved with bringing new children into our family.
We had to make sure we spoke with him and we made these decisions together.
Even though he was only eight years old when we decided to foster, his opinions and feelings were the ones that mattered most to Leo and me.
But like his dad, he wanted a big family too. My boy through and through.
Our little family is waiting at home for us to return with Callahan. We planned a birthday party for him, even though it’s not his actual birthday. It is the day of his re-birth. The day he leaves the ashes of his past behind and becomes a Phoenix.
As I look to Leo, who has tears in her eyes as the judge slams his gavel down, officially making Callahan ours, I can’t help but feel so fucking proud of her.
She has taken her trauma and her past and done something incredible with it, using it to help and provide a safe and understanding space for our children. And even though she is mine, now and forever, I will never stop chasing her. Chasing my pretty bird. My phoenix.