Christmas Love

Chapter Ten

The next week flew by, I was still hoping my parents would forget about coming to visit, but after my doctors visit, I realized as soon as Steve and I pulled up to our house I was wrong.

"Shit, they didn't forget" I mumbled under my breath, Steve just laughed. "Little mouse, did you really think they would?" he asked as he got out of the car and walked around to open my door.

I was hoping they would, I said to myself as Steve opened the door and helped me out. As soon as I stood up, I saw my parents standing there looking at me, I squared my shoulders.

Steve took my hand and we walked over to them, "hi mom and dad" I said standing there, my mom in her typical fashion looked me over, "I see your gaining weight" she said.

There she was, the warmth of an ice burg known as my mother, "I would hope so, I'm due in a few months" I replied to her.

"Well, are we going to stand out here or can we go inside?" my father asked. Steve never let go of my hand, "Right this way" Steve said as he led me to the front door.

Steve would be damned if he let them go first, opening the door I walked in, and I heard my mother gasp as soon as she entered my home. "Well, I see you finally developed some taste" my wonderful mother said.

"Alot of windows, and you're going to be having kids, not wise" my father commented, as always. Nothing was ever good enough for them when it came to me.

"The house is perfectly fine" Steve said as he shut the door, "why don't we go into the family room" Steve offered and showed my parents where it was. I went to the kitchen and grabbed a pitcher of iced tea and some glasses to bring into everyone.

I set down the tray and sat on the couch next to Steve, "so let's just get this over with, since we all know you both don't want to be here" I said leaning back into Steve's shoulder.

My mother just sat there with a look on her face that I could not decide if she sucked on lemons to get that look or it just came naturally to her.

My father on the other hand, if looks could kill, his would kill the entire earth's population.

"Since you are so to the point, your mother and I decided that we should have told you this a long time ago, but we were hoping you would turn out more like your sister the older you got" my father said.

I just sat there not knowing to either laugh or get pissed, but I decided to not do either, was not going to give them the satisfaction on that part.

"What your father is trying to say, is that Laura you are adopted. We adopted you when you were five days old, and well since our only child died all those years ago, we hoped that you would in away take our grief away by being like her" my mother rambled on.

At this point I was numb, not only did I just learn I was adopted but they were hoping I would be my sisters twin, how messed up is that one.

"Anyway" my father interrupted my mother, "we have decided that since you are technically not our child, and now that you are married and changed your last name, we have talked with our lawyer and declared your adoption invalid.

If something were to happen to us, we decided everything would be auctioned off and the money would go to our charities instead of you, so we just need your signature on the paperwork, basically stating you won't seek any of the inherence that you would have gotten" my father stated.

I could not breathe, I just sat there staring at them, my mind was all over the place, how could they just sit there and act like this was nothing. After all these years it just hit me, they never cared for me, they were wanting to replace a memory with a real child and when that did not happen, they wanted to throw me away.

Steve stood up, "I will ask this once, get the hell out of my home and property, Laura will contact you in a few days" he said. The tone Steve used was a deadly one.

My parents stood up and my father tossed the papers on the coffee table, they both turned around and left. I sat there looking at the papers they just tossed down.

Do I want to sign them? Or do I want to fight them on this? Everything was all too much now.

"Steve, I don't know what to do or think" I said in a quiet voice, he sat down and wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his chest. As soon as I felt his warmth against me, I broke down crying.

The dam opened and I could not stop it even if I wanted it to. All my childhood fears just came true, I was not wanted and was not loved. "Sweetheart, everything will be okay, we have each other and that's all we need" he whispered into my ear.

I just held on to Steve, he was my anchored. We stayed like that for a few hours, he never complained as I fell asleep wrapped in his arms. He picks me up and carry me to our bed.

I did not open my eyes, I just wanted to drift off into a peaceful sleep, hoping in the morning light things would not look so gloomy. I felt Steve slide into bed and wrap his arm around me, pulling my back into his chest.

We fell asleep like that, Steve cocooning me in his protective way as he always has done. One thing was a definite, with Steve I knew I was loved and cherished and will always be wanted.