Serendipitous

Bonus chapter + THANKYOU!!!!

Persephone

3 years after the conclusion of the final chapter

I can barely contain my excitement as we drive through winding streets and sunny skies. Wind whips my hair through the open car window, and the warm feeling in my belly only broadens my smile.

I can't believe that today's the day Max and I get to work towards adopting our five year old, twin daughters. It's been a long 12 months of making sure everything was right and everyone was comfortable, but it's all worth it now. Max and I have been talking about adoption before we even got married, so we knew that after our wedding, and after we were all settled in, that we'd start trying to adopt.

There's still hard days, all these years later, where I wish I could be like any other woman and just have a baby. Where I wonder why it was me, that couldn't have children. But I know how to work through those days now. I have other people to hold onto, people to tell me that I'm okay, and that everything is alright.

And by having the privilege to adopt, that part of myself that I thought was gone is slowly working its way back into my heart. It's rebuilding it's structures, and learning how it can begin to feel that motherly love.

Our girls, Cora and Daisy are the happiest children I've ever seen. The two of them look like exact replicas of each other, although over the days and activities that we've spent together, I've learnt to tell them apart. We've met the girls a couple of times, taken them out to the park and to get ice-cream, things like that. Through the many days we've spent together, Max and I have bonded with the girls. We know that Cora loves arts and crafts, and Daisy will do anything to kick a soccer ball around. We know that they both love chocolate ice-cream, and we've already promised there'll always be some sitting in the freezer.

I just can't wait to tuck the girls into bed, to make our home full with noise. We can't fully adopt them yet, but we have a period of foster care to work through to ensure that the girls are happy and comfortable in our home.

I snap back to reality as Max pulls into a parking lot outside of the child service's office. After putting the car into park, Max grasps my hand, leaning across the centre console of the car to kiss me. I squeeze his hand back just as strongly, the energy we both have radiating through our environment.

"Are you ready?" He asks me, a broad smile coating his lips. I can practically see the glee spilling out of his heart, his excitement to see the girls again only fuelling my own.

"Yes!" I reply, squeezing his hand once more before pushing open the car door. Our hands meet again at the bonnet of the car, swinging in the air. The air is filled with squeals as we push open the heavy door of the agency, a sound which brings a smile to my eyes.

"Hi girls!" I say, as Max and I lean down to catch their bodies as they run towards us at full speed.

"Are we going to stay at your house today?" Cora asks, as I smooth a hand across her soft hair.

"Yes, if you'd like to!"

"Yay!" Daisy says, wrapping her arms tighter around Max's neck. He laughs, the sight sending a shock to my heart. After sorting out some paperwork and talking to social workers briefly, we head back to the car, ready to take the girls back to our place.

I walk the girls to the car as Max grabs their bags, hauling them into the trunk. He moves around to the opposite side of the car to help with Cora's car seat, as I fiddle with the buckles of Daisy's. Eventually, we get their seats fixed, and we begin our journey back home.

"How long until we're at home?" Cora says, seemingly already restless.

At home.

I have to bite back a smile at the words. Two, simple words, that tell me all that I need to know about our growing family.