Captain Swan Fly Away

Milestones

Killian and Emma were snuggling in bed on his day off while Hope was fast asleep in her bedroom next door. "Killian?""Yes, Emma?""I have been thinking...""About?""Adoption.""Adoption?""Yes, I was never adopted. There are so many children who are in foster care who are not adopted and stuck in the awful system until they age out.""Are you saying what I think you are saying?""I want to adopt...I am not sure that you are up for it.""Emma, I know you always wanted to adopt to give a better life to foster child."Emma smiles. "Really?!""Yes!" They hug."I definitely want to adopt a child, like in second grade or 1st grade.""Aye, boy or girl?""I was thinking of a boy. How about you?""Boy or girl, doesn't matter with me.""I just want to adopt a child that needs a home.""We can provide a child a loving home." they hear Hpe crying in her room. "I will be right back." Emma goes to Hope's room and scooped Hope into her arms. "Hi, little buttercup.""Mommy." Hope hugs her Mommy."Did you have a bad dream, little buttercup?" Hope babbles. " You are with me." She hugs her daughter. "I know Dada wants to see you too. We can have a family snuggle." She kisses Hope on the head and returns to her bedroom to Killian. "Killian, our little duckling had a bad dream.""Oh no. Hope." Hope babbles. "You can tell me all about it." Emma sits back into bed. Killian rubs Hope's back. Hope babbles. "Aaa-ahh." Killian takes Hope from his swan. Hope babbles. "Oh really? No, that happened...tell me more." Hope babbles. "A mean monster...No mean monster is going to get you when you are with Mommy and Daddy.""Aa-aah.""Yes, dada will fight off the monster." He kisses Hope on the head. "Dada will always fight off the monsters, little love." "Hope, you are staying with Dada and Mommy, little duckling." She rubs Hope's back. "You are safe. Shh...shh..." She continued to rub Hope's back and spoke softly to her until Hope fell back to sleep. "She loves her Daddy so much."Killian smiles. "I love being her Daddy. You are an amazing Mommy, to our daughter. I know when we adopt a child, he or she would be very lucky to have you as their amazing Mommy.""You want to adopt?""Yes. My swan is from the foster system. I always thought you would want to adopt someday. I know you will be a better mother to foster children than your awful foster parents." Hope fusses. Emma gets sleeping Hope from Killian. "Hopey, you are with Mommy.""Little love, Mommy, and Dada want to adopt an older sibling for you to grow up with?" Emma smiles. "I just know that we are good parents and there are so many children in the foster system that need good parents." "We are going to be those good parents, Emma." "We are going to adopt! We just need to apply to be foster parents first and then apply to be adopted parents.""Let's start filling out forms to be foster parents." Killian gets Emma's laptop. They filled out forms together. "Killian, are you sure?""Yes, Emma.""I was thinking we can adopt one child.""Aye, maybe a lad?""Maybe. Are you feeling outnumbered by Hope and me?""Maybe." Emma chuckles. "I definitely want more biological children in the future. Maybe another baby? After we adopt? Not right away, in a few years." Killian smiles."I do want to have other children with you, Emma. I love our daughter. I can imagine us having more children in the future." "Me too. Maybe a little boy, a mini-you?""Swan, you want a mini-me?""Yes, I was thinking, if we have a boy next, we can name him, Killian. His nickname can be Ian.""I love that idea, a little Killian." They kiss. "Allison and Connor are coming over for dinner tomorrow night. Ted is out of town.""Are you going to tell your sister about us adopting?""Yes! I am so excited." "I know you and I are perfect candidates for adopting a child." They filled out forms. As Killian cooked dinner for his family, Emma plays with Hope. "Mommy." Hope holds her Mommy's hand and pulls herself up. "Hope! You are becoming such a big girl!" Hope smiles. "Killian get in here!" Kilian rushes in. "Killian, Hope held my hand and stood up on her own." Killian smiles big."Hope, you are standing up by yourself!" He kisses Hope on the cheek. "Her legs are getting strong. Pretty soon,she will be standing on her own and walking." "Mommy.""You can hold my hand, Hopey." "Let's see if our little duckling can walk." Killian gets his iPhone out. Emma stood on her knees and stretched her arm out. "Come to Mommy." Hope took a step. Emma was grinning with joy seeing her daughter taking her first few steps towards her. Killian was recording Hope's first steps. Emma moves a little bit further. "Come to Mommy, Hopey." Hope took a few more steps. Emma and Kilian both smile big at Hope. Hope falls down, Emma catches her daughter. "I caught you. Hopey, you are starting to walk!" She hugs her daughter. "Mommy is so proud of you." Killian took pictures of Emma hugging her daughter. "Killian, our daughter just took her first steps.""Our little love is starting to walk.""Hopey, do you want to walk to Dada?" "Aaa-aah." Hope looks at her Dada. Killian gives Hope his hand and moves himself a little further and stood on his knees. "Come to Dada, Hope." Emma takes her iPhone out. With Killian's help, Hope walked to her Daddy. "Good little lass, you are walking!" Hope babbles. He moved a little more so Hope can walk. "You are doing brilliant, little love. Come to Dada!" Hope walks to her Dada and fell. He catches Hope in his arms and stood up and spun his daughter around. Hope, you are walking...Hope you are walking!" Hope was smiling as her Daddy lifted her up and down. Emma was smiling as she took pictures and joined her family. "Hopey, you are walking!!" She clapped Hope's hands. Hope babbles. "You want to walk more?" "Swan, I have an idea." He sets down Hope and holds her hand standing up."Mommy!""Swan, Hope wants to hold both of our hands while we walk." "Where should we walk?""I was thinking in the backyard since it is warm out and on the grass.""That is a great idea. I have to get Hope's shoes on now that she is walking." Emma scooped Hope into her arms and put a light jacket on her daughter and put pink converse on her daughter. "You are so cute in your sneakers!" Hope smiles. She takes pictures of Hope wearing her first pair of shoes and brings Hope downstairs. "Little cygnet, you look so cute in your sneakers." "Aaa-aah.""I can hold your hand while we walk." He walks with Hope to the backyard. Hope babbles. "Yes, we are outside, little love." "Mommy.""Mommy is right here, baby girl." She holds Hope's hand and walks with her family around the backyard. Hope babbling happily away. She holds her Mommy's hand. "Where do you want to go Hope?" Hope babbles. "To the tree? We can walk to the tree." They continue to walk around. Killian was mailing, knowing he did not miss a huge milestone in his daughter's life and he was there for Hope's first time walking. "Aaa-aah." Killian kneels down to the grass and waits for Hope to walk over with his swan helping her. He catches Hope in his arm. "My little walker." "We are going to need put those baby gates around our house.""Aye, I will work on that tonight when our daughter is asleep.""Da-da!"Killian smiled big. "You can say my name!!" He spun Hope around. "Da-da!" Emma smile so big hearing Hope's second word. She took pictures of Killian and Hope's daddy-daughter moment. Emma smiles loving her family. "Mommy."Emma kisses Hope on her cheek. Hope gripped her Mommy's face which made Emma smile big. Killian smiles seeing his two loves so happy and not missing his daughter's two milestones. They both know what child joins their family, he or she will be treated equally full of love and care.What the Swan-Jones family did not know is that there is a six-year-old boy with dark brown hair in need of their care, who just joined the foster system when his mother suddenly died.