A Melwood Story
Chapter 40
Melissa
It's been a week since we went and saw Baby Boy in the hospital and we still haven't heard back about possibly adopting him.
We've been going about our lives as usual. Waking up in the morning. Then all six kids get in the car. Nya, Lulu and Max go to the elementary school a few blocks away from our house. Sofia goes to preschool along with Kaleb. Adaline sometimes goes to daycare when Chris and I both have busy schedules. Other than that, she stays with us.
It's two in the morning when my phone starts ringing. It would've been Chris's if he was reliable enough with picking up his phone. But it's mine. I rub my eyes and look at the time with enough mild surprise to make me actually pick up my phone at this time of night. I press accept on the call without looking at who was calling, then I rush out of the room and down the stairs to answer it.
"Hello? Is this Melissa Benoist?" The person on the other end of the phone asks.
"It is," I say. "Who is this?"
"This is Penelope Paul," says a woman. "I'm Baby L's social worker. I read his file and called the first number on it. It says here you were interested in adopting."
"We are, yes."
"Great!" the woman sounds wide awake considering what time it is. "Would you like to meet at my office around nine a.m. today?"
"That would be wonderful," I say. "Where's your office located?"
"Do you have a piece of paper to write it down?"
I run into the kitchen to grab a paper and pen. That's when I see Nya sitting under the light at the kitchen island, reading. My eyes widen at her for a moment in surprise, but I grab a pen and paper to write the address down first. "I do."
After she tells me the address I hang up and turn around the face Nya. "What are you doing up?"
"I couldn't sleep," she says. "And I didn't want to wake Lulu, so I came down here to read."
"How long have you been down here?"
She rests her forehead on her hand. "Around an hour. Who was on the phone?"
"The baby at the hospital's social worker," I tell her.
"Are you and Chris going to adopt him?" She knows that she needs to stop calling her dad by his real name, but she continues to do it.
"Nya Anne." I narrow my eyes at her as I rest my elbows on the counter. "You need to stop calling your dad by his real name. He's your dad."
"Certainly doesn't feel like it," she says. "I'll call him dad once I feel like he's my dad."
"He wasn't Lulu and Max's dad, but he raised them and they still call him dad," I remind her.
"He's only here because I decided that what Lulu and Max wanted was important to them. Doesn't mean the decision what at all what I wanted. I did it for Eloise and Maxwell. No one else. Not even you."
"I get it, okay. I get it, but as long as you promise you're trying to give him another chance. To let him back into your life."
"I am."
"Promise me."
"I promise you mom that I'm trying to forgive Chris and give him a chance," she says. "Now. Are you guys going to adopt him?"
"Maybe." I smile at her. "Would you mind having another brother?"
"Not at all," she tells me. "As long as I have some say in his name this time. Who the heck names their child Kaleb with a K?"
"Okay, okay," I say, almost knowing she was going to bring up Kaleb's name. "What were you thinking?"
"I really like the name..."
Nine in the morning rolls around too fast. I ended up talking with Nya until four in the morning, and then it took me until seven to fall asleep. Chris was then up at eight to get Adaline, who is the first of the kids to get up, which enivitibly ends up waking me.
I catch him right before he leaves the room to get Addy. "Chris! Hey!" I rub my eyes gently so I can see him clearer.
He turns to face me. "Sorry, did I wake you?"
"No, it's fine, actually," I say. "I got a call last night from the baby at the hospital's social worker."
He takes a few steps closer. "Really? What did they say?"
"She wanted us to come to the hospital at nine."
"Nine?" He looks down at his watch. "Mel, it's eight fifteen already."
"We'll make it." I roll over and stretch my arms.
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.