Chapter Thirteen

True to form all Cheyenna and Rachel Caine thought was the party at the house afterwards. Hunter slept. Before the hearing Lacy and Trey hugged Kyle telling him they loved him.

"You're our grandson, you were since we met you. I hope we made you feel that way," Lacy said, hugging him.

This didn't do much for a young man trying to contain his emotions. Kyle nodded.

"You did," he said. "You did."

The hearing was brief yet filled with so much emotion. Relief being one of them. The last time Kyle and Horatio had been this emotional was when he was fifteen. When a judge formally granted custody of him to Horatio and hyphenated his last name. Aimee, Horatio and Kyle affirmed to the judge they knew what the adoption meant and agreed to it. The judge signed the adoption decree and issued Kyle his new birth certificate.

Then there were pictures. Lots of pictures.

"Can we go now?" Rachel said.

Rachel wasn't a dress fan. She was looking forward to taking hers off And the cake and balloons was waiting at home. The sisters were balloon ball pros.

"This is for you, Kyle," Rachel said handing her big brother a drawing of a family portrait. "Cheyenna helped me."

"Thank you, Rachel," he said, hugging her. "What's that?" he asked pointing to the picture. The figure that was supposed to be him looked to have an object in his hands.

Rachel explained it was the paper that the judge gave Kyle today "that says you're mama's too."

Her innocence was adorable. Kyle told his sister he was going to put the picture in his locker at work.

Out on the back patio Horatio was chatting with Frank and Ryan. Speed had been cornered by Cheyenna to play balloon ball. Eric was playing with Hunter on the play mat in the living room. When Aimee remarked how good Eric was with babies Calleigh said she hoped so.

"Why?" Aimee said, suspicious. Calleigh couldn't be pregnant. She was drinking champagne earlier.

I'm not pregnant, Calleigh said immediately. But she and Eric were thinking about trying for a baby. "As my boss pointed out there's no perfect time. And well, Eric snd myself put things on hold long enough."

"Wise boss," Aimee smiled.

"Yeah. But somehow I doubt we will get to his number."

"Never say never, Calleigh. Truthfully I never thought I'd have three children. But here I am," she said.

The party started to wind down. Ryan and Frank were the last ones to wrangled in by the girls to play with the balloons. The sugar rush was slowly wearing off. Aimee enjoyed eggrolls and beef fried noodles before there was none left. The girls crashed in the sofa together right around the time she finished. Hunter was about sick of the crowd and hungry too.

"I got him anyway." Kyle said, taking the baby bottle from Horatio. "And leave that pizza out. I am not done with it."

It didn't make any sense to wake the girls to get them eat something other than cake. A late non-cake snack would be served before bedtime. They put the girls in their pajamas and waited to see if they woke. Maybe they won't and they would eat more breakfast.

"Today was the best," Kyle said, bidding his parents good night.

It definitely was, Horatio said. Perhaps everyone could forget about Julia Elbery. Tomorrow it be back to the daily grind. But finally Horatio would solve the case that was haunting him for years.