Most Valuable Parent (MVP #1)

BONUS CHAPTER - Ours

I sigh, running my fingers up and down Charlie's back, "Christian, I can't go through that again."

He nods, "So, what do you want to do?"

"I want to try to adopt.. If that's something you want."

A sweet grin covers his face, "Why wouldn't I want that?"

I shrug, "I don't know. I didn't know if you even wanted any more kids. Or how you felt about adopting when there's possibly a teeny tiny chance that we could have another of our own."

"Brin, I have nothing against adoption. You adopted Charlie. Max is amazing but, he's kind of a miracle. I saw what you went through just trying to get pregnant. It killed me to watch you be in that much pain. I don't think I could stand to watch it again. And then to go through more miscarriages.. It'd be amazing if we could get pregnant again but, I don't think it's the best option. Especially when there are safer ways to have another baby."

I want to cry now.

I sniffle, wiping under my eyes, "You always know how to say the right thing. Damn you."

"And besides, if we adopt. The baby will be just as much ours as if it was biological.", he nudges my arm with his shoulder, "You know that better than anyone."

My gaze falls to Charlie asleep across my lap, a little drool spot pooling on my pajama pants. I should be disgusted by it but, I don't even care.

"So you want to? Try adoption?"

"Hell yeah."

Emery comes walking over, holding Charlie's hand, "Anybody else think that it's kind of weird that every time someone adopts, the child that they adopt, low-key looks like the parents?", she places her hands over Charlie's ears, "I mean, look at Brin and Charlie."

It's not that we're going to hide the fact that I adopted Charlie. Six years old just seemed a little too young to understand the concept. But now with Maisie, she understands it so, we might tell her soon. Honestly, I think apart of her knows, deep down... In her American Girl Doll filled heart.

"It's the bangs." I comment, looking down at Charlie's bangs. Her hair had gotten a little darker over the past two years too. Then throw in the southern accent she had obtained- it is as thick as a chocolate milkshake.

"I twin with Mommy. I twin with Mommy." Charlie sings, dancing in place.

I laugh, watching her terrible dance moves as she makes up lyrics on the spot about us twinning. At end she strikes a pose- which contains: popping her hip out, puckering up her lips, peace signing with one hand as the other rests on her hip. All sass that one.

So far, Max is more like Christian. Calm. Cuddly. Doesn't announce that he just tooted in the middle of the cereal aisle. Instead, he whispers it to me and giggles quietly to himself. He's so cute.

Charlie on the other hand, finds it hilarious to sit on Christian or I and toot. Real classy kid, real classy. She also has yet to grow out of the "Let me run downstairs and shake my naked booty in front of Dad instead of letting Mom wrap me in a towel" phase. Soon. I pray that ends soon.

"I just want to say thank you, for letting me be apart of her life still." Maisie's biological father, Seth, says as he stops in front of us.

Christian and I both smile, "Of course!", I say cheerfully.

We had a closed adoption. Maisie's mother didn't want anything to do with the baby. Seth reached out to us a couple of months ago and asked to meet with us to talk about being in Maisie's life.