Chapter 54

Finally, they were going to have a child, another one, while overjoyed she still tried to wrap her head around that idea. Her eyes took in the sight of her husband and daughter that were walking inside their home in front of her, her heart shivering in her ribcage upon the sight as many times before. Everything that happened since the last evening still felt surreal, she felt excited and scared at the same time and she was rather sure that Brandon felt about the same, even if he managed to shot her his dashing smile once she passed him in the doorway.

Thea ran away to the family room the second they were inside. Watching her she smiled as well. The moment the front door closed behind them she felt Brandon's arms around her waist. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I guess I am." She turned around facing him, his hands slipping down on her hips. "It just feels surreal, I mean yesterday evening we were family of three, the day after tomorrow we will be meeting our son for the first time and if everything goes well he might be living here with us in two weeks time. The world has gone crazy." She let out a nervous chuckle.

"Tell me about it. I mean Jenna was not kidding when she said months back that once we will be matched it will be a quick ride." Brandon agreed.

"As scary as it feels, let's hope it will be a quick ride because that means that everything goes well." The noise coming from family room made them pull apart quickly both of them hurrying towards the room.

"Well." Brandon grinned looking at the basket that was previously filled with Thea's toys now toppled on the ground and the toys laying all over the floor with their owner happily playing in the middle of the chaos, tilting his head he looked back at his wife. "Can you imagine that in a matter of days there might be two little tornados hitting this house?" He asked jokingly.

Kelly let out a groan in return. "As I said, the world has gone crazy." She grinned finally.

"Yeah, and we are going to love it." Brandon chuckled pulling the cell phone that was vibrating out of his pocket. Seeing the caller ID he showed it to Kelly. "Yes or no?" He asked her hinting to the conversation they had on the ride to the adoption agency.

Kelly bit her lip. "Not yet." She said finally.

"Okay." Brandon kissed her quickly before he accepted the call. "Hey Bren! Yes, sorry I was in a meeting just got out of there…"

Kelly's eyes followed him until he moved into the kitchen. Once her husband was gone she turned her attention back to Thea moving inside the room and joining her on the floor.

"You are not going to the office today?" Kelly asked surprised when Brandon joined them again several minutes later.

"I'll go in the afternoon, they can handle the morning without me and to save you the next question I haven't told her." Brandon said proudly knowing how often she teased him that he had no idea how to lie or at least keep things to himself.

Kelly nodded acknowledging his words, but instead of saying anything she looked away from him.

"Kel…" Brandon said softly running his thumb along her cheek making her look at him.

"I know you wanted to tell her." She said softly.

"Yes, I do and I know you want to tell them too." He pointed out.

"I do." Kelly confirmed.

"But you are worried something will happen and we won't get Lucas in the end." Brandon added leaning back against the sofa with a soft sigh.

Kelly nodded briefly, her eyes on Thea who was contently playing not paying any attention to her parents.

"Kel, nothing is going to happen. He is going to be ours." Brandon assured her.

"How can you be so sure?" She looked at him astonished.

"It's called the power of positive thinking." Brandon grinned, finally spotting a smile also on his wife's face.

"You are terrible." She shook her head playfully.

"Yes, but you still love me."

"I do, a lot." Kelly leaned in kissing him softly, Brandon pulling her close and deepening the kiss.

"Mommy, daddy, kisses." They heard soon, the words followed with giggles from their little girl. Pulling apart they saw Thea looking at them.

"Now the kissing monster is going to get you." Brandon said making kissing sounds before he grabbed his daughter, the little girl squealing in delight as he picked her up blowing raspberries at her belly.

"Daddyyy!" Thea giggled as Brandon threw her in the air catching her safely before he kissed her cheek.

"Now we have to kiss mommy." He instructed, the little girl throwing herself into Kelly's arms and planting a kiss on her cheek, Brandon kissing her other one before he rested next to her, Thea already on the go again.

"Kel, if you don't feel confident about telling everyone we can wait until Lucas is placed with us." Brandon offered returning to their previous topic. "It will be difficult with my parents around, but we can manage." He added quickly.

"Oh…" Kelly bit the inside of her mouth. "I managed to completely forget that they are coming tomorrow." She sighed.

"Yup, it's the big conference weekend." Brandon reminded her.

"That just pretty much makes this discussion a moot case. There is no way we cannot tell them if they are staying with us." Kelly sighed.

"As I said, we could, but it's going to be extremely difficult with my mom around." Brandon grinned.

"Who are you trying to fool? Your mother would find out something is going on even if we don't tell them and lie where we will be heading on Friday." Kelly grinned.

"True." Brandon agreed.

"Well, I guess this time around they can be the first ones to find out that there is another grandchild coming." Kelly rested her head back looking at her husband who nodded in agreement. There was no turning back now.


Kelly folded the blanket placing it over the side of the sofa, adjusting a few pillows her eyes fell on the clock which was saying 4 pm. She felt the bulge in her stomach growing larger. Thea was still upstairs taking her afternoon nap and Brandon called nearly an hour ago letting her know he was leaving for the airport to pick up his parents. They should be coming home soon, the reason of her anxiety.

She was almost sure that most of it was unfounded, yet she couldn't help it. When they started the adoption journey months back it was mostly about her and Brandon being able to give home to someone else's child and love and raise it as their own. Now when that said child was nearly there the broader picture came into play, they needed their families to do the same. She still remembered how excited and supportive Jim and Cindy were once they told them about going forward with the adoption and she couldn't really imagine them reacting any other way, yet she still felt worried about sharing the news with them.

Hearing a car pull into the driveway she moved to the window seeing Brandon's black SUV standing in its usual place. It looked she won't have to wonder for much longer.

By the time she made it to the entry the door opened and she could see Jim and Cindy walking in with Brandon following them. The greetings were exchanged while the two men carried the bags inside and into the guest bedroom.

"Where's Thea?" Cindy asked when they found themselves alone for a few seconds in the whirlwind of their arrival.

"Still asleep, she is taking her afternoon nap, but knowing her she should be up shortly." Kelly smiled her eyes connecting with Brandon's who appeared again in the hallway.

"How about we move to the living room? I saw a nice little refreshment prepared there and dad is probably already digging in." He spoke a hint of grin on his face.

"Ohh, that's a nice idea. The coffee on the plane was terrible." Cindy agreed moving in that direction.

"Thanks." Kelly mouthed when Brandon took her hand into his giving it a gentle squeeze as they followed his mother.

Reaching the living room they could see Jim already seated with a cup of coffee and Cindy pouring herself one. During the past 24 hours they often wondered when the time will be right to share the news with them. With Thea still asleep this was as good as they could get. Looking at each other, the silent understanding passing between the two of them they moved inside Brandon sitting in an armchair while Kelly took place in the other one.

"Mom, dad while Thea is asleep there is something we want to talk to you about." Brandon spoke not able to hold it any longer, the excitement has been building for the past two days and unlike Kelly he preferred to ignore any worries.

"What is it son?" Jim asked setting his cup aside.

"We have been matched." Brandon said waiting for their reaction. For a moment silence filled the room.

"Oh, my God!" Cindy said excitedly placing her cup on the table. "We are going to be grandparents again." She told her husband who took a while longer to figure it out. Just this one sentence making Kelly forget all about her worries.

"Really?" Jim asked still taken aback, looking at Brandon and Kelly who nodded in return.

"We got the call from the agency two days ago and met with them yesterday. We've been matched with a little boy, he is named Lucas and is a month younger than Thea." Brandon explained.

"That's amazing." Cindy enthused.

"When are you meeting him?" Jim asked, unlike his wife who reacted mostly emotionally he has been the more rational one, but that did not mean that he was not excited about another grandchild.

"Tomorrow." Kelly replied finally finding her voice, she could see Cindy talking but everything was coming in muffled tones a flood of emotions rocking her body. She felt Brandon take her hand into his again his thumb stroking her knuckles she gave him a thankful smile. When they told Jim and Cindy about Thea over two years ago they thought they'd never experience this feeling, but telling them about Lucas now has brought the same level of excitement. One more step on the road to bring their son home, his family was for sure getting excited to have him there.