Christmas Morning
Jack walked out into the kitchen around seven am, when everyone else was still asleep. Coffee usually got them up so he started a pot and took out enough mugs for everyone, including Carson and Silas.
He then took out the ingredients to make his famous chocolate chip banana pancakes and bacon as well.
"Morning, sweetheart," Elizabeth said, kissing his cheek.
"Merry Christmas, Beth."
One by one, everyone emerged from their rooms except Silas and Myka.
So Jana headed into the living room, knowing that Myka had never come to bed the previous night and knowing what her plans had been with Si.
"Mykie!" she whispered, shaking her shoulder. "You better wake up. We are all waiting for you and Si and if Dad catches you like this…"
Myka looked over her shoulder with an annoyed expression. "Go away."
"You are sleeping next to your boyfriend, Myka. Do you even realize that?"
Myka looked over her shoulder again, realizing he was right behind her, his arm on her waist. "Si, wake up."
"Jans, do you want extra chocol…" Elizabeth started to say when she caught a look at Si and Myka sitting up. "Um, can you go tell your dad if you want extra chocolate chips in your pancakes?" she asked Jana, her eyes still on Myka and Si.
"Sure, Mom."
"Mom, we just fell asleep. Nothing happened but sleep."
"I believe you, sweetheart."
"Thanks," she told her, giving her a kiss on her cheek.
"Be careful."
"Please don't tell, Dad."
"I am not keeping anything from him, Myka."
"Of course, I'm sorry."
Elizabeth walked away and Si grabbed Myka's hand. "What's going on? Why is it a big deal?"
She blushed and sighed. "We were raised that sleeping in the same bed with a guy was something to be kept for marriage."
"But we weren't doing anything and we were out here, not in a bed. Your mom knows that."
"Yes, we just have to be more careful." He nodded. "We should probably discuss that in more depth, don't you think?"
"Yeah," he agreed.
"Maybe after breakfast?"
"Sure. Maybe we can go get coffee somewhere."
"Okay." She kissed him quickly and headed upstairs to brush her teeth and her hair. She wanted to look halfway decent at the breakfast table.
Carson pulled Silas aside into the living room before breakfast. "Si, we need to chat."
"Okay. About what?"
"Your relationship with Myka. Don't you think you are moving a bit fast?"
"No, why?"
"I should have woken you two up when I came down here earlier but I decided not to."
"So you saw that we were asleep, fully clothed."
"Yes, but Si, you have to understand that you need to be respectful of your girl and her family. I know that it was all innocent, but you are in her parent's home. You get tired, you go to bed separately until you two decide what is best for your situation and please, do it somewhere other than her parent's house."
"Yes, sir."
Carson looked at his son closely. "You're in love with her, aren't you?"
"Yeah. Dad, I know we are young and I still have two and a half years of school left but…I want to marry her."
"Keep in mind she is only eighteen."
"Yeah, she told me that her parents got married at twenty."
"Will you be ready to be a husband and father by then?"
"I don't know. I still have a while to figure that out."
"Do you? At the rate you are going, you may have less time than you think."
After breakfast, it was time to open gifts. Instead of sticking around though, they snuck out to a local coffee shop to talk. It was a very comfortable space with couches and easy chairs along with a fireplace. So they got their coffee and headed to the corner for some privacy.
"I had a chat with my dad," he told her.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. He said I need to be respectful of you and your parents. I'm sorry if I came across as disrespectful, Myka. I should have gotten up to head to bed."
She took his hand and threaded their fingers. "You didn't come across that way at all and I was there too. I could have gotten up too. I really feel as if we are making a huge deal out of nothing."
"I don't think it's nothing. Maybe Dad is right."
"What do you mean?"
"If I came off as disrespectful to your parents, they might never accept me. And if things go the way I want them to go, the way I hope they are going, I want their acceptance. It's very important to me."
"Then I think we need to have a discussion with my parents."
"Okay, but first, let's make some decisions."
Back at the house
The presents were all opened except for one. Jack saved it for last and sat down next to Elizabeth on the love seat. "For me?"
"Yeah. Well, both of us."
She smiled and opened the flat box. It held a folder and a smaller envelope. "What did you do, Jack?"
"Open it, Beth."
She opened the folder. "Oh my goodness. Jack!"
"They approved us, Beth. There is a little boy in there that I think will be perfect for us. His name is Kwan. It means powerful."
She looked at the picture of Kwan and her eyes filled with tears. "Oh wow. He's beautiful."
Jana leaned over and looked. "He's so cute."
She started reading over his medical history. Her eyes caught on the words "showed signs of malnutrition."
"Jack, he was starving."
"I know. Because of the potential for heart conditions and other issues due to malnutrition, it puts him in the special needs category."
"Which means we can adopt quicker?"
"Yes. But first we need to meet him. Check out the envelope."
She opened it and smiled. "Tickets to Seoul, Korea. January 9th."
"What do you think?"
"I think I want to go now." She got up and hugged Jack hard. "I'm so happy!"
"Me too."
The day after Christmas, the girls and Si went back to school, Carson back to work in Indianapolis and Beth to work at the children's hospital.
Jack worked from home as usual and then walked into the room they would use as a nursery. It was painted two different shades of blue, a denim shade on the bottom half of the walls and a lighter blue on top. It would be perfect for Kwan, or Joshua as they were going to call him.
He couldn't wait to teach him all the "boy" things to do that his own father taught him years before. How to climb trees and throw a perfect curveball. How to fish and cook. How to be kind and loving and how to be a good father. He looked forward to every moment of teaching him and sharing another child with Beth.
She was such a wonderful mother. Yes, she worked but when she came home, her focus was always him and the kids, no matter how tired she was.
January 9th couldn't come fast enough for him.
Their flight left from the airport in Cincinnati at 11pm on the 9th. Jack had paid for business class so they could be as comfortable as possible on their fifteen hour flight.
When they arrived in Seoul, it was a culture shock to say the least. Jack and Elizabeth knew that it was important to soak up Kwan's culture, to make sure that he would always know where he came from. So they intended to experience a lot while they were there.
First though, they found their hotel and were going to rest. It was early morning in Seoul, seeing as how they were fourteen hours ahead of Cincinnati, so they wanted to sleep for just a couple hours and get up to start their day.
While Jack showered, Elizabeth texted the twins that they had arrived safely and nibbled on a bag of crackers they had left from the flight.
"Babe?" Jack called from the bathroom.
She got up and walked in. "Yeah, sweetie."
"I'm starving. Why don't we order some breakfast?"
"You read my mind. These crackers from the plane aren't cutting it."
"French toast and fruit sounds great," he told her, wrapping a towel around his waist.
"Yeah and some scrambled eggs and bacon."
So they ordered food, ate until they were full and then fell asleep, sleeping a lot longer than they had planned.
When they got up, they had thirty minutes to meet their tour guide who would be taking them to see all the sights for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Elizabeth rushed through her shower and they hurried to their meeting point.
The tour guide/interpreter was very kind and helped them experience a lot. The food was delicious and they visited a museum and a temple. Then they visited gorgeous gardens and fountains near their hotel.
As they strolled along the sidewalk near the shops and tents, Jack took her hand and squeezed. "It's beautiful here," he told her.
"It is."
"Who knew we would be meeting our son for the first time in such a far off place."
"I like that. Our son. I dream about him, Jack."
"Do you?"
"Yeah. It feels like he's already a part of our family."
He let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her, kissing her temple. "He is. He's in our hearts."
The next morning, they got out of bed, exhausted but ready to meet Kwan.
They met a young woman in the lobby named Nari. One of the women from the orphanage.
"Very good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Thornton! I am Nari, and I'm here to take you to meet your son."
"Can we go now?" Elizabeth asked full of excitement. "I mean, if you're ready."
"I am!" She laughed. "Little Kwan is such a lovely boy. I'm happy he is being given a future." Her eyes grew sad. "He was so sick when he came to us. We didn't know if he'd make it a month."
"How is he now?" Jack asked.
"Better. He gains more weight and strength every day. Breathing can be a little bit of a challenge sometimes, I believe in your country the medical term is asthma?"
"He has asthma?" Jack asked.
"It appears so. But that is something with proper care he may outgrow. Does this change your interest in him?"
"No way," Jack said enthusiastically. "I was simply just trying to gather the facts so we can take care of our boy properly. In fact, Elizabeth is a nurse."
"Very good, he is in good hands then. Come, let's be on our way."
Nari led them to a very bland room with gray walls and tan chairs and couches. But it was clean.
There was another woman, older, holding Kwan.
"Oh my," Elizabeth whispered, her eyes filling with tears.
"What is wrong?" Nari asked, concerned.
"Nothing. He's just very beautiful."
"Yes. Good boy. Wait until you see his smile. Mi-Cha, Mr. and Mrs. Thornton," she told the other woman.
Mi-Cha nodded and walked closer. The tiny boy in her arms watched them with dark brown eyes, filled with curiosity.
"Hi, Kwan. Can I hold you?" Elizabeth asked, holding her hands out, keeping a smile on her face. After a brief moment, he leaned toward her. She took him and held him close. "You are little, aren't you?"
She knew his previous malnutrition might have a bit to do with how small he was, in addition to his nationality.
He looked up at her and then buried his cute little face in her neck. Her insides melted. He was absolutely their son and she felt her heart accepting him fully.
Jack smiled and wrapped his arms around both of them. "I love you, Beth."
She touched her lips to his. "I love you too. Thank you for..everything. He's perfect."
"He is."