Thank you as always for your lovely reviews. I've been using my day off to write and bake! Here is the next chapter, I hope you like it x
Chapter Twenty One:
A tense few days followed. Zoe immediately sunk back into herself unwilling to talk about the adoption, Noah or anything more than what was for dinner. Max tried desperately to convince her that Noah's grandparents would soon back off. Zoe sometimes felt temporarily comforted but soon the fear creeped back in and she was left contemplating a future without little Noah. His grandparents had failed to take an interest in the little boy during his first year of life, so why now?
"How about we take Noah out for the day?" Max asked one morning as they lay silently in bed. She needed reassurance that Noah was still hopefully going to be their little boy.
"Can't Zoe muttered, rolling over and sitting up. "Work" She added quickly. Max's eyebrows knitted together in confusion, she certainly wasn't rostered for a shift but he decided not to question it.
"What about after work?" Her husband offered but Zoe just shrugged her shoulders.
The day didn't get much better when Max found an official looking letter on the doormat. Zoe was in the kitchen, picking at a slice of toast when he brought the letter through to her.
"What's that?" She asked, as he held it out. She took it gingerly and felt her stomach flip as she saw the adoption agency's logo embossed in the corner. She quickly gave it back to Max with a quiet 'you open it'. He did so, impatiently tearing at the edges. Pulling out a large wad of paper he let his eyes scan over the first page before glancing back at Zoe who was staring anxiously towards him.
"It's the date for our panel hearing" He told her softly. The day when they found out whether they could become adoptive parents or not. The last hurdle and the last obstacle to tackle before they could adopt Noah.
"When?" Zoe asked, her voice barely audible. The smell of her toast was now enough to make her stomach church, she pushed the plate away.
"Next Friday."
A silence hung in their air for a long while. Max reached out to take Zoe's hand but she didn't respond.
"It's so soon." She suddenly whispered, finally looking up towards Max. He managed a gentle nod. Jane had prepared them well for the panel and she would be coming back at the weekend to run through it again with them.
"You know what Jane said" Max began, this time taking Zoe's hand and squeezing it. "An outright rejection is very rare". The consultant shrugged her shoulders.
"Rare but not impossible" she replied stubbornly. There was always doubt with Zoe, she was always questioning when everything was going to go wrong. In any other situation, Max could reassure her pretty easily but recently he was finding it so much harder to keep her hopeful. "I'm going to work" she whispered quickly slipping off the chair, collecting her things and heading out the door without as much as a goodbye. As the front door shut, Max sighed heavily.
Undefeated, Max found himself walking towards Zoe's office at the end of the day. He knocked on the door and let himself in, finding his wife staring absently at a staff appraisal.
"Hello you" he greeted, bending down to kiss her cheek. Zoe managed a soft smile, an indication that her mood had slightly improved. "Good day?" He asked.
"Busy" his wife replied. "I needed the distraction if I'm honest" she added, letting him sit down opposite her.
"Do you want to go and see Noah?" Max asked tentatively, not wanting to ruin her good mood. Zoe was hesitant but nodded, a gentle smile pinching at the corner of her lips. She quickly gathered her things, not worried that her shift wasn't officially over, and slipped a hand into her husband's as he led her towards the car.
An hour later it was as if the last week hadn't happened. Zoe & Max stood in Noah's nursery, both unable to stop smiling. Noah was curled in Zoe's arms, his head upon her shoulder as she sang him a gentle lullaby. They'd played downstairs long past his bedtime, given him a bath and were now settling him down for bed.
"I'll just go and get his bottle" Max smiled upon hearing the microwave ping. Zoe nodded but continued to sing, settling down in the armchair with the little boy on her lap.
"I've had such a lovely evening with you little one" Zoe told him softly, rubbing soothingly circles into his back and the boy's eyes grew tired. "I hope you know that you and Max are the two most wonderful things to ever happen to me" she continued. Upon hearing her soft voice, Max stopped with the Noah's bottle just outside the door, pausing to listen. "I really hope I get to be your mum because you are one very special little boy and I can't imagine my life without you now" Zoe blinked away the tears that threatened to spill. "I really don't want what I'll do if Max and I can't be your mummy and daddy because there is nothing I want more in the world. And when you grow up I hope you never question how much we love you because we do. We love you so much little one and I can't believe that you might actually become my son, how lucky am I." Zoe's voice was barely audible but Max could still hear her and his heart was threatening to burst at the seams. The porter took note of the silence that fell upon the nursery and re-entered the room, holding the bottle out to Zoe. She took it with a grateful smile and handed it to Noah who gurgled happily.
"I love you, you know?" Max whispered, kneeling on the floor beside his wife and the little boy. Zoe turned to him with a smile and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Max quickly located a bedtime story and they took turns to read to the little boy, huddled together. When goodnight kisses and cuddles were had, Zoe and Max couldn't tear themselves away from the cot where they watched little Noah sleep. With their hands intertwined and their heads together, the couple couldn't help but feel so blessed.