Never feel alone

Chapter 40

A Happy Ending

"Wake up! Sophia! Callie! Its adoption day!"

I opened my eyes against the morning sunlight streaming through my window, to see Stef and Lena standing in our doorway, blowing party horns and cheering. In the next bed, Sophia yawned and stretched.

"Are you girls excited?" Stef asked. "Because we are!"

"So excited!" Sophia said, rising to her knees and bouncing on the bed. She hopped up and threw her arms around Lena's neck.

"How about you, honey?" Stef asked me, sitting down beside me. She gave me a curious look. "What are you thinking?"

"I am happy," I said, smiling to prove it. "I really am."

It's okay to have mixed feelings," she told me, placing her hand on my knee. "That's very normal, love. Today is a very big, very emotional day."

I'm happy," I assured her again. "But I'm also scared to be too happy, you know? Things don't usually go right for us, and I can't help but worry that something will go wrong, because it always does." I sighed. "Is it okay if I don't celebrate until the judge makes it official?"

Stef pulled me into a hug. "Are you sure you're not my biological daughter?" She kissed my cheek. "It's perfectly okay, baby. Today is your day, and you're allowed to feel the way you feel. But," she added, giving me a pretend-stern look, "please try to be optimistic, honey? Don't worry so much that you forget to enjoy this big, big day. Try to believe that everything is going to work out." She smiled and brushed my hair away from my face.

"I'll try," I promised.

She stood up and laid my sister's and my dresses out on our beds. "Go ahead and get dressed, girls. Breakfast in twenty minutes."

We got to the courthouse in plenty of time for our hearing, but I was still panicking about being late. My legs felt like gelatin as we entered the foyer. I couldn't help but think back to the last time we had been inside the building, and here we were again, our fates resting on the mercies of a stranger. Hopefully, after today, we'd never have to come here again, because we would no longer be wards of the state. I quickly re-framed my thoughts, reminding myself not to get my hopes up and to stay neutral. But it did feel good, in the moment, to look toward a different future.

I held Sophia's hand, and Stef and Lena were on either side of us. Brandon and the twins walked just behind. When we turned the corner into the long hallway, we were greeted by a cluster of people, who hurried to greet us.

"Callie!"

"Emma? What are you doing here?" I cried, as she came over to hug me. Taylor and Sophia were already hugging a squealing. And Stef's mom and Lena's parents were there, and Mike, but best of all, Rita had come too.

"Lena invited me," Emma told me breathlessly. "I wanted to come to support you!"

I'm glad you came!" I told her. "Thank you!" I looked back at Lena and she gave me a small smile.

I felt Rita touch my elbow, and I turned around. She pulled me into the tightest hug anyone had ever given me. "I'm so happy for you and Sophia," she told me. "Congratulations, Sweetheart."

"Thank you for coming," I smiled.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," she told me with a wink. Her face fell a bit. "Forgive me for reading into things," she said. "But you don't look as happy as I'd have expected you to be. Is everything okay?"

I looked back at my family; my moms bubbling over with joy, and Sophia so excited she could hardly stay still. "Can we talk in private?"

"Of course we can," she nodded. "Here. Come sit with me." She led me to a stone bench just a bit down the marble hallway. We sat down together. "What's on your mind, sweetheart?"