Chapter Ten
"That's nana and papa?" Cori asked Rick.
She had put those names on Rick's parents. If those were easier for her none of the adults minded. Rick's parents would be arriving the following evening. Cori had been in her new home for six weeks now. With Nina's consent Cori was going to meet Rick's parents for the first time.
"That's them. They're coming just to meet you," Rick told her, showing her their photos. "And you don't have to scared or anything. All you have to do is be yourself."
In an effort to help Cori feel more at home she was in family photos around the house now despite her adoption not being final yet. She was learning to spell her name and other short words with the magnetic letters on the frig. Her parents would get more sets for her to spell her whole name. What Cori's middle name would be was undecided, there wasn't one to change on her original birth certificate to change. The following day was Valentine's Day but Drew was working so Rick would be celebrating the holiday with his girls and parents.
Claudia attempted to persuade the couple to go out alone in the afternoon but then Drew wouldn't see Brianna and Cori all day.
"Don't you worry, dear sister. Rick and I will get our fun in," Drew teased his sister.
"Oh yuck! Stop!" Claudia replied.
"Well, you bought it up!"
"I was referring to the public thing. Like lunch alone, without kids. I didn't know you two were that free spirited. And you really think you guys have a belated Valentine's Day with your in-laws in the guestroom?"
"I bought them each a pair of noise-cancelling headphones and made sure our bedroom door lock works. I'm sure it's nothing they haven't heard before."
Claudia rolled her eyes
"I have to end this conversation before I hear something really gross," she said.
Cori hid shyly behind Rick's leg as the yellow cab pulled up in the driveway. The grandparents insisted on taking a cab so Cori would not have to go to the airport.
"Don't be scared," he told her picking her up as Brianna went to greet her grandparents. "They already love you."
Cori nodded silently.
After hugging and kissing Brianna, Olivia asked "is the little one inside?"
"Yeah. She's shy at first. She'd be hiding if it wasn't for dad," Brianna said.
Did both Trent and Olivia Lincoln want to scoop up Cori, squeeze her and cover her with kisses?
Definitely. But they didn't want to overwhelm her either.
Both settled for a handshake.
"Hello, sweetheart. Your dad has told us so much about you," Trent said.
Cori smiled.
Her sister's ease around Olivia and Trent helped Cori warm up to them. She showed them how she spell her name and the words "cat," "dog," and "panda."
"I asked Daddy to show me that one," she told them.
She allowed them to give her a kiss goodnight at bedtime, too. At which time she introduced them to Elliott, saying he liked all the panda gifts they had given her. Especially the panda t-shirts.
Trent laughed seeing the pairs of noise-cancelling headphones on the bed. He looked his son who shrugged.
"It's Valentine's Day's. Even though my husband is home tonight doesn't mean we're not going to celebrate. You two never gave me headphones."
"Glad you two haven't lost the magic," Olivia smiled. "Do these work?"
"You'll find out tomorrow night," Rick said, grinning. "If they don't, I guess it's payback for my childhood. Bri already wears ear buds at night anyway and Cori hasn't complained yet."