Soo sorry it took me so long to post this. Dammn power outages. I am soo behind on my writing, but working as fast as I can. Anyways read, review, and enjoy! ;)
Chapter 21- Starting Over
Three months later at a coffeehouse downtown
Lilly fidgets with her decaffeinated latte as Erick napped peacefully in the stroller beside her. As usual, Cristina was late. Some things never changed. Just as she was beginning to get impatient, the front door bell to the coffeehouse rang, and in walked Cristina.
At first, Lilly had been a bit skeptical when Cristina first called her, a couple days ago, wanting to meet up. She loved her sister but she also knew her very well. She was nearly certain her baby sister had gotten into some kind of trouble and needed to be bailed out. Again. But her suspicions were quickly dissolved once she spoke with the director of Cristina's rehab program and her sponsor, both of which informed her that Cristina was doing exceedingly well and had nearly completed the program. The words 'exceedingly well' hadn't been used to describe her sister since grade school, so Lilly was sure something had changed. And for once, it wasn't just her own blind belief in her sister. For once, there was concrete evidence of progress and change. So Lilly almost felt relieved when she saw her baby sister walk through the front door and rush over to her, sweeping her into a warm embrace. Cristina finally seemed to be on the right path, Lilly thought as she returned her sister's hug. Once they pulled apart, and as they sat down, Cristina said," I was afraid you wouldn't come."
"You said it was important. And… I spoke to your program director."
"You did?"
"He said you were doing great. Exceedingly well, in fact, and you showed a lot of potential."
"I'll be done with the program in a little more than a month, which is why I needed to talk to you." She pauses before asking cautiously, "Where's Alexia?"
"Day care. I dropped her off before coming here to meet you. She and Erick can be a hard to handle together, especially in public."
"You know I really appreciate everything you and Scotty done for me, especially taking care of Alexia."
"Scotty and I talked about it, and we agreed that you can stay with us until you get back on your feet. We brought a nice townhouse, a couple blocks from here. Three bedrooms, minus a guest room, three and a half bathrooms, spacious kitchen, den, living room, and a basement, with the guest room. Plenty of space."
"I don't know what to say."
"Say you'll move in."
"I really appreciate the offer and everything you guys have done for us… but I don't think I can stay."
"At our house?"
"No. In Pennsylvania. I need a fresh start."
"You don't have a job or any means of financial support. Where are you going to go? How are you going to get a fresh start without any money?"
"One of the counselors at the center has a cousin in Miami, who just open a new chain of dental offices, and needs a receptionist. The counselor recommended me and her cousin said I can have the job if I want it." Cristina finishes excitedly.
"That's great… but what about Alexia? She had friends, activities, a life here. She calls Scotty 'daddy' and he adores her. She's going to start school in the fall. You can't just uproot her to Miami."
"I know. Which is why I brought this," Cristina says pulling a manila folder out of the tote bag on her lap. Placing the folder on the table, she opens it and takes out a packet of papers, which she slides across the table to Lilly. Lilly immediately picks up the papers and begins to scan the first page. Towards the middle of the paper there are a series of blanks' labeled 'minor's name', 'biological mother', and 'biological father (if applicable)'. Her attention is drawn to the top of the pages, the title of the document, which she had initially ignored, but now when she looks at it, everything makes sense. The title reads "Termination of Parental Rights". As she flips through the packet, she notices another title on a page about halfway through the packet, which also catches her attention. "Petition for Adoption of a Minor". Penciled in under the adoptive parent's names, are hers and Scotty's. Under the minor's name, Alexia Elizabeth Rush is also penciled in. But before she can react or even begin to process anything, she hears a low whimper coming from the stroller. The whimper gets louder until it turns into an anxious cry. Erick's awake. Lilly turns to the stroller and unbuckles Erick before lifting him out, to hold him in her lap. His cries diminish into whimpers as he settles against her, holding her tightly. She pulls a ready-made bottle out of the baby bag beneath the stroller and nudges it into Erick's mouth. He happily quiets down as he begins to drink quietly. She continues to fuss with Erick to avoid continuing her conversation with Cristina. Erick suddenly notices Cristina sitting across the table and begins to observe her intently. He gets about halfway through the bottle before shaking his head and shoving the bottle away. Lilly caps the bottle and sets it on the table, as Erick reaches a hand across the table towards Cristina. Cristina extends her hand across the table, smiling at Erick, who gurgles happily in response.
"He's beautiful Lil," Cristina says, as she strokes Erick's finger and asks, "What's his name?"
"Erick. Erick Michael Valens."
"Scotty must be thrilled," Cristina comments before asking, "Can I hold him?"
Lilly glances warily from her sister's optimistic face and outstretched arms, to her son in her lap, gurgling and babbling happily. Reluctantly she hands Erick over to Cristina, then promptly reaches in the baby bag for a washcloth, without taking her eyes of her sister and Erick. She finds the washcloth, which she hands to Cristina, which she immediately uses to wipe the corner of Erick's mouth. After a few minutes of silence, Lilly says, "Cris…"
"I thought you'd be happy for me. You're the one who said Alexia shouldn't be uprooted, that she has a life here, with you and Scotty."
"I know but… this just seems… It feels like history repeating itself."
"What do you mean?"
"You've never been good at taking responsibility… and it kind of feels like you're taking the easy way out."
Cristina was fidgeting with Erick but suddenly, she looks up sharply and Lilly can tell she's hit a nerve. She fights the urge to snatch her son back into the safety of her arms. Then she notices something different in Cristina's gaze. Something besides anger. Regret. A hint of pain.
"You think this is easy for me?" Cristina says pausing before continuing. "This is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I got pregnant and gave birth under the worst possible circumstances, but she is my flesh and blood and I love her more than life itself. Do you think it's easy to give up my baby? To know that despite the fact that I gave birth to her and I am her mother, she doesn't know who I am? She thinks you and Scotty are her parents and Erick is her baby brother. Lil, we never had a stable childhood and that's not what I want for her. As much as it hurts to have to give her up, I know that ultimately it's the best thing for both of us, especially Alexia. She needs a stable environment with two parents who love her and each other, and… I can't provide her with that. But you… you and Scotty, you can provide that for her. I know that if you give me your word, you'll do it. Give her the life we never had, the life she deserves. I know you've spent your life looking after me and you don't owe me anything. But I'm asking you. Not as a sister. As a mother. One last favor. For Alexia. Please."
Tears well in both of their eyes. Before Erick, she had never fully understood the depth of a mother's love. But now she did and she couldn't help but sympathize with Cristina. She swiped away a few tears from her eyes, but more reappeared in their place as she nods and says, "Okay. Okay I'll do it."
Cristina gets up and rushes over to her, with Erick still in her arms. As Lilly returns her sister's heartfelt embrace, she realizes this is the closest they've been in year, figuratively. The last time they communicated this honestly and were this close was when her sister was five and she was eight, when they were at the beach. And although she knows she's going to have a hard time explaining to Scotty that she just volunteered him to be Alexia's legal father, part of her know he won't mind, once she finishes explaining and the shock wears off.