A Melwood Story

/ chapter forty /

Everyone's frantic, trying to get ready in order to make it to the hospital on time. I have three of the six kids in the car at eight forty five and I decide to rely on Chris to gather the other three, so I sit in the car with Adaline, Kaleb and Lulu and we wait.
Chris comes out of the house five minutes later without the other three kids. He jumps into the passenger side. "Hey."
"Where's the other three?" I ask.
"They're coming," is all he says. "Nya was just helping Sofia with her shoes."
"And you didn't stay to make sure they don't get sidetracked?"
He faced forward, eyes on the door. "I trust them. They're good kids. You taught them well, Melissa."
I looked towards the door where he was looking with a sigh right as Nya opens the door, letting the other two follow behind her before she closes it and locks it. "I guess I did."

Penelope Paul is waiting for us when we enter the hospital. She extends her hand when we near. "Penelope Paul. You must be Melissa."
"I am," I say, shaking her hand, then looking to my side where Chris is, holding Adaline in his arms. "This is my husband, Chris."
Penelope lets go of my hand and shakes Chris's. "Nice to meet you both. I'm so excited for you to meet Baby L. Then we'll go over the case, hopefully getting the adoption underway today."
"Sounds great," says Chris. "We can't wait."

Penelope leads us up to where Baby L is, in a room with a nurse who is feeding him. There's three chairs and a table in the middle of the room and a couch on one side of the room, windows overhead.
"The kids can sit on the couch," Penelope says. "There's books on the shelf there." She points over to the couch and the shelf. "We can sit here."
The nurse hands Baby L over to me since my arms aren't occupied like Chris's are.
We sit, after I tell the kids it's okay to go sit on the couch. Adaline stays in Chris's arms.
"Do you have any names in mind before we start?" Penelope asks Chris and I.
I look at Chris before I say. "Leo."
"Leo," Penelope repeats. "I love that name." She writes something down on the paper in front of her. "I see you're already certified for adoption, but I still have a few questions."
I nod. "Okay."
"I see you already have six children and are both currently unemployed," she points out. "Are you both willing to taking to raise another child, let alone one that wasn't brought into your lives in the same way as your other children?"
"I am," says Chris.
"I am too," I say.
"Great," Penelope says. "The adoption is a closed adoption, which means you will not have contact to Leo's biological parents at any point and they will not have contact with you either."
Chris and I both nod.
"So, since we could always use the space at the hospital, I'm willing to let you take Leo home today and act as his foster parents while the adoption papers go through."
"Really?" I say. "That's great, thank you."
"Now, we have some papers to get signed and then you're free to leave," says Penelope. "I will be checking up with you at your house once a week on Saturdays until it's finalized."
"Sounds good," Chris says, then leans forward to sign the first paper after reading it over.

We decide to stop at the store before going home to get a few things for Leo Wesley Wood.
Nya has so many opinions about what things she wants in Leo's room and what color we should paint his room and more.
The younger kids just complain that they're tired and hungry and just want to go home.
We end up getting a few essential things, like diapers, bottles, formula and a few outfits because we have a lot of things already at home.

It's almost noon when we finally get home from the hospital. Everyone is hungry, so Chris gods into the kitchen to make them lunch while I feed Leo in the living room.

—three weeks later—

It's been a tough three weeks. Leo has had a difficult time sleeping and the other kids are almost always grumpy because they didn't get enough sleep that night.
Penelope has made her two weekly visits and shares her constant surprise about how well we've managed so far.
Today when she rings the doorbell, and I open the door—Leo in my arms, my hair is probably a disaster—Penelope has a huge smile on her face. She hands me a paper.
"What's this?" I ask.
"Leo is yours!" She exclaims, excitedly. "I can't believe how fast it went through."
I read the paper that confirms what Penelope is saying is true. "Chris!" I call over my shoulder. "Come quick!"
Penelope is still smiling when I look up again. "I was shocked when I opened my email this morning. I wasn't expecting it for awhile."
"Neither were we," I say as Chris slips around the corner.
"What? What is it?" he asks. He sees Penelope standing there. "Hi. How are you?"
"Wonderful!" She smiles big again.
I turn to face Chris. "Leo is ours."
"What?" He smiles. "Really? Are you joking?"
"Not at all." I show him the paper.
He laughs excitedly, then swings Leo out of my arms and holds him close. "My son," he whispers quietly.

We sign a few last papers before Penelope says one last goodbye to Leo, then leaves.
Chris kisses me and Leo over and over and we're both so happy that we forget that the other six kids are still in the house.
"What's going on down here?" Nya asks when she sees us. "Looks like you're suffocating Leo."
"The adoption is official," Chris tells her. "He's your new brother."
"Wow! Really? That's great!" Nya walks over and ruffles Leo's hair. "Welcome to the crazy family, Leo."
The other kids come down the stairs together and Nya tells them the great news. They are all ecstatic and excited for the new addition to the family.
Nya sits down next to Chris. "Could you please paint Leo's room light blue?" she asks Chris.
"I can," he says. "For sure."
Nya leans into him and he wraps his one arm around her. "Thank you, dad," Nya says. She thinks she said it quietly enough for me not to hear it, but I end up hearing. It completes something in the room that was missing, that's now there.