KISS ME (KISMET SERIES - BOOK 4) (ON HOLD TILL FURTHER NOTICE)

Chapter 2

With Gus gone and no kids it was the hardest time of all. Nothing but the clock ticking and the paint drying on the house to watch.

It was coming along brilliantly. Valda's husband had used the time the kids were off on holiday to knock some walls though and get the supports and plastering done.

Liam had allowed 'Nanny Bic Bic' money to choose her own décor and the new kitchen and bathroom that would be in her granny flat. She was loving it, and with her hip on the mend she was staying at Cilla and Bob's till it was ready. She was spoiling us all with her great food and when the kids got back they would be ecstatic to see her.

I flicked through everything on my list and was so happy that everything was coming together, I just wanted to hear good news about Liam.

Last month I had found out through a friend of my mum's who Joe's biological grandparents were. I paid them a visit.

They were a nice enough couple. I just had one problem with them.

"You told the court you wanted to stop the adoption because you never knew your daughter had a child and as such didn't get a chance to look after him yourself," I said.

"Yeah that's right," the grandmother said.

"I just find it a bit strange as you told my mum in the supermarket that your daughter had a son a few years back. You even showed her a picture and told her his name was Joseph. My mother being Irish and having a memory for everything especially religious names and babies remembers it well," I said. "You know my mum Bernie," I said flashing her a picture of my mother.

"Oh is that your mother?" she asked in shock.

"Yeah," I said. "And that is Joe and his brothers, Marvin and Logan. That is his little sister Alisha and his father Liam." I showed her a wonderful family pic.

She held it. Looking at his face.

"There are some more in here if you want to see them," I said handing her his book of dreams to come true and all the ones he had achieved.

She flicked through and read some of the things he had wrote and then updated them on the day they came true with pictures and words describing how he felt.

One of them was a day out on his own with Daddy. He had the most hilarious pictures of them both pulling faces in a photo booth which she laughed at. The grandfather finally venturing over for a look.

"He had good hand writing," he said.

"Yes he is very artistic, he keeps a journal and he is an outstanding singer and dancer," I said. "He also kick boxes which helped save his life that time," I said managing to drop it in there. A reminder that he was nearly killed by his biological father.

"Every picture he is looking at your husband," she said flicking through.

"Yeah he adores him, proper Daddy's boy," I said. "I hardly get a look in when they are together," I said and they giggled.

"His taller than I thought he would be," the man said.

"Yeah he has had a growth spurt, he used to be tiny through malnutrition. He is such a fragile and sensitive little boy so he loves being told he is getting big and strong like his dad," I said reaching over to point at one of him and Liam showing off their muscles in the garden like Popeye.

"And these are his brothers and sister," she asked.

"Yeah Marvin is another foster child who we are adopting at the same time as Joe, they are very excited to be official brothers but they argue like cat and dog one minute and love each other the next. How much more brotherly can you get after a few years," I replied. "Logan is Liam's brother, he came to live with us after the mother passed away. We are his parents the same as the other two just so happens he is Liam's biological brother too."