CHAPTER TWENTY
“Sutton, when your mom and dad brought Pippen home, were they having money problems?” asked Eric.
“They always had money problems,” frowned the little girl.
“I don’t blame ‘em or nothin’. Daddy tried.
Least, I think he did. It just felt like there was never enough.
Mama couldn’t breastfeed him. Somethin’ was wrong.
A lady from the hospital said there was a service that would bring stuff to us and they did. ”
“What kind of stuff?” asked Eric.
“Blankets, clothes, diapers, lots and lots of diapers. And formula. It smelled awful. I remember Pip puked on me once when I was feedin’ him and it smelled terrible,” she said making a face.
“They said it was ‘cuz it was loaded with vitamins or somethin’. After ‘bout a year he stopped drinkin’ that and they said he could drink regular milk. ‘Cept we didn’t have money for milk either.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” said Eric. “You won’t have to worry about not having food or milk here. You can have as much as you want, just don’t make yourself sick.”
“Yes, sir. We know. We been goin’, I mean, we’ve been going,” she said with a blush, “to classes with Miss Elizabeth and Miss Jessica to catch up to the other kids so when school starts in the fall we’ll all be in the right grade.” She looked down at her lap and Eric smiled at her.
“What are you thinking? Are you worried?” he asked.
“Yes, sir. I’m not like all of them. They’re all, um, what’s the word y’all use – savants. They’re like geniuses. I’m not. I didn’t go to school every day and I’m way behind the other kids my age.”
“You’re behind for now,” said Eric. “But you’ll catch up. I promise you, Elizabeth and Jessica will help you be the smartest kid in the class. You’ll figure it out and if you need extra help, just come and see one of us. Luke, Cam, Hex, and me were all good students.”
“Really?” she asked with a big smile.
“I promise.”
She leaped into his arms and Eric laughed, hugging her tightly. With his only son, BJ, now being a grown man, hugging littles didn’t happen as often as he would have liked. It made him sad. BJ and Janine didn’t have children.
That’s when it hit him. He turned to see where his son and daughter-in-law were and they were walking toward him. BJ held up his hand and shook his head.
“I already know where you’re going with this,” he smiled. “Janine and I agreed if the children agree.”
“Agree to what?” asked Sutton.
“Well,” said Janine, “BJ and I would like to know if you and Pippen would want to become our children.”
“But – how does that work?” she asked confused. “I mean, you didn’t have us or nothin’. I mean, nothing. Anything.” She just shook her head frustrated at her own lack of ability.
“It’s alright,” laughed BJ, “you’ll get there. But we’d like to adopt you both. You’d still go to school with the other children but you’d live with us. You’d each have your own room, your own bathroom, your closet, all of it.”
“M-my own room? Could it be pink? I mean, I like the room where we are at the school but…” She trailed off, almost embarrassed that she might look ungrateful.
“You can paint your room any color you like,” said BJ. “In fact, you could ask Ela if she would paint something on the wall for you.”
“Wh-what about the others? They’ll be alone,” she said her face filled with concern. Eric laughed, turning her so that she could see the entire room.
Cowboy and Autumn were hugging Samantha, signing to her that she’d be their daughter forever. Christian lifted Charlie high in the air, Winnie in tears at the sight of the little boy’s excitement.
At another table, Tobias and Gail huddled with Eden and Melvin, deciding that two was the perfect family for them. And his own cousin, Mike and his wife, Sage, enveloped the maestro, Jagger.
“They’re all gonna get adopted?” she smiled.
“All of them,” said BJ. “You deserve homes, families that are there for you every night, every day, every morning, for everything. We want to be your family, Sutton. What do you think?”
Her little brother smiled at her, signing that he wanted BJ to be his daddy and Janine would be the prettiest mama ever. When he finished signing, BJ laughed.
“I didn’t get all that at the end,” frowned Sutton.
“He said that he is excited to have me as his great-grandfather,” smiled Trak. It was a strange smile, one filled with pride and one that Eric knew all too well.
Someone had screwed with his family. Even though it was a family just formed, it didn’t matter. They were his.
“I’m excited too, Mister Trak,” said Sutton.
“You can call me grandfather, or grandpa if you want,” he said kneeling in front of the child.
“Can I call you papa?” she asked. “You look more like a papa.”
Trak reached for the child, hugging her tightly. His grandson and his wife would be wonderful parents and these children deserved that, and so much more.
“I would like that very much.”