A/N: I'm back and only a day off my normal posting schedule! Thanks for reading, reviewing and following! I appreciate it. This is a shorter chapter and more fluffy filler than anything else. It's helping me get myself back into the writing swing. Hope you enjoy this update!
/
Saturday finally arrived, and it was time for the party to celebrate Sam's adoption. Since the court hearing that Monday, obligations for work, school and other aspects of life in general had prevented everyone from sitting down and savoring the oh so sweet victory. Marissa and Gail had only spoken once briefly when the redhead called to inform the newly minted mother of the check from Phillip Taylor. Gail was speechless upon hearing this news, and that was without knowing the amount of the check. Marissa thought it best to give her that news in person. It was during this quick call that Gail had asked Marissa if the Tasker-Montgomery family could come over a little early the day of the party. The Walkers wanted a few minutes in private with them before everyone else arrived. Marissa readily agreed to this request. It was the perfect opportunity to give them the check. She knew they wouldn't want it advertised.
The day following her conversation with Gail, Marissa received the notarized documents they'd all been waiting for. As she carefully reviewed the paperwork, the redhead could easily picture the expressions on the faces of the four members of the Walker family and couldn't wait to deliver the papers in person to see them. There was no doubt whatsoever that these papers were much more important to them than any check would ever be. These documents made everything official in the eyes of the law and were what this whole custody fight was all about, to the Walkers and their lawyer at least. Marissa also had an update for them on both Pete and Payne. A great deal had happened in the handful of days following the hearing, and Marissa had made sure she had been kept in the loop on everything involving the men.
/
Carol smiled warmly as she greeted the Tasker-Montgomery family.
"Come in. Come in. It is so wonderful to see all of you."
The kids smiled and hurried inside when Carol told them there were fresh baked cookies waiting in the kitchen for them.
"You're going to spoil them, Carol." Bianca clearly amused more than anything else.
"Eh, maybe I am and maybe I'm not. I figure I'm allowed though. Grandmothers are expected to spoil grandchildren whether or not they are theirs. It's a universal truth."
"I can't argue with that logic." Marissa smirked. "How are you doing, Carol?"
The older woman smiled even more. "I'm doing so much better now that the hearing is behind us, and we've been able to get rid of all of those bugs. I hated the idea of them listening to us and not being able to relax in our own home."
"That makes four of us." Gail added wryly as she joined the women. She eyed the large manila envelope in the lawyer's hands.
Marissa followed Gail's gaze. "I have just a bit of business we need to take care of and then no more work today. I promise. You can check with Bianca on that."
The brunette nodded. "Rissa promised."
"Good. Because this is a party and no work is allowed."
"I think you'll be happy about this exception. If we can get the other two members of your family in here, we can take care of it now."
"Take care of what now?" Alex asked as he and Sam came into the room with AJ, Miranda and Gabby following behind happily munching on fresh baked chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies.
"Hi, Marissa. Hi, Bianca." Sam's smile lit up the room as she greeted the couple.
"Hey, Sam. Hi, Alex. I just have two pieces of unfinished business. First, this is from Phillip Taylor, Pete's father."
Sam took the envelope from Marissa, but didn't open it right away. "Why did he give me something?"
"He felt awful about everything Pete put you through, all of you through, and wanted to do something for you. He knows it doesn't make up for what his son did, but he really wanted to do this."
"It's not his fault." The teen's mouth hung open as she looked at the check. "Seriously?!"
"Sam, is everything alright?" Gail asked, her concern evident. She knew about the check but not the amount. Sam's reaction had her a little worried.
Sam nodded numbly as she handed it over to Gail.
The woman gasped. "Oh my god! $50,000?! This can't be right."
Marissa smiled. "It is. I double-checked with him the day after he gave this to me, and he confirmed the amount."
"Oh my word! That is too much. We can't accept that." Carol protested.
Bianca chuckled. "Rissa knew you would say that and told him as much."
"Yes, I did, and Mr. Taylor insisted you take it. He won't take 'no' for an answer. He was really impressed with you, Sam, with what you told the judge, and he also wanted me to tell you that if you ever needed anything to just let him know. His business card is in there."
"Well, I'm definitely putting this up, and it's going straight into the trust fund first thing Monday morning."
Sam shook her head vigorously. She didn't want that much money lying around. It made her nervous. The teen had to admit though that it felt really good not having to worry about tuition for college and that the Gail and Alex wouldn't have to dip into their retirement savings to finance it like they had discussed in private. This check coupled with what was already in the trust assured that wouldn't be necessary. Sam was narrowing down what she wanted to study, and she and the Walkers were starting to look into places she could attend. The teen still had time to decide, but considering she was now a junior, it was good to start the process. Now that the issue of her custody was settled, the family could devote themselves to it fully and enjoy the process without anything hanging over their heads.
Marissa grinned as she opened the large envelope and pulled out the legal documents. "I think this is what you've all really been looking forward to."
Sam took the papers and beamed. "It's official! I mean really official now, isn't it?"
"Yep, it sure is. Those are your copies of the official documents finalizing the adoption. The originals are now on file with the state."
"What about my driver's license? Could I change my name on it?" Sam bit her lip nervously.
"If that's what you want to do, yes, you can. You'll have to go to the county clerk's office to do that. I've got some other forms in there that will need to be filled out. Do the one for Social Security first. After that one is done, the others will be a lot easier to do."
Gail looked at lawyer and shook her head. "Marissa, we will never be able to thank you enough for everything you've done for us. Are you sure you won't let us pay you? I mean, you've gone above and beyond for us."
Marissa shook her head. "I'm positive. I couldn't take your money. This? This was the right thing to do, and the smiles on your faces really are payment enough for me."
"Alright, we had a feeling you'd say that, and Bianca confirmed it for us. So, we decided on something else in the way of payment, and we're not going to take 'no' for an answer. Give me a minute, and I'll be right back." Alex grinned and hurried out.
"I don't have any idea of what they're up to." Bianca offered when her wife looked at her.
"Um, you really didn't have to do or get me anything."
Sam grinned. "We know, but we wanted to. Think of it as something for you and Sparky."
Bianca sighed. "Not you too."
The kids cracked up at their brunette mother's reaction.
"I think you need to give it up, Mom. Everybody's pretty much on board with Sparky as the baby's nickname." Miranda noted.
Bianca rolled her eyes and knew full well that her oldest daughter was right. The only ones not using that nickname were her and Erica, and Bianca had to catch herself sometimes from not using it. "Whatever."
The others laughed while they waited for Alex to return. When he returned a few minutes later, there was no hiding the excitement of Carol, Gail and Sam when he placed a large covered item in the family room.
"We'll let you do the honors, Marissa." Alex smiled in anticipation.
Bianca and the kids gathered around the redhead as she lifted the blanket.
Marissa gasped when she revealed a beautifully, hand-carved rocking chair. "Oh wow, it's beautiful! You made this, Alex?"
Gail answered for her husband seeing him shrug nervously. "Yes, he did. He put a lot of work into it. Try it out."
Marissa took a seat and grinned. "This is amazing and really comfortable. Come on over, kids, and help me break it in."
AJ, Miranda and Gabby each took turns rocking briefly with their redheaded mother.
"Rissa's right, Alex. This is beautiful. I knew you did stuff like this, but this is amazing. The quality is unreal. I have a feeling this is going to be put to good use."
"Definitely. Try it out, B." Marissa stood up and made room for her wife while the redhead hugged Alex. "Thank you so much, Alex. This is truly wonderful, and I love it."
"I'm glad. I'll bring it over to your place tomorrow so you won't have to worry about moving it yourselves."
"Oh my gosh, I love this. Now, we just need another one, and we'll have our rockers for when we're old and grey, Rissa."
Marissa laughed. "True, very true."
"Funny you should mention that. I've already started on one for you too, Bianca, and it should be done by the time Sparky comes along."
"Seriously? I was kidding, Alex."
"Well, I'm not, and I really want to do this. You've done a lot for this family. If it wasn't for you taking that chance and seeing the real Sam, we wouldn't be here today."
Marissa nodded proudly when her wife started to protest. The redhead knew Bianca was going to downplay her role so she stopped her before she had a chance. "He's right. You started all of this by asking me to talk to Sam."
"There aren't many if any other people that would've done what you did after what I did. You had faith in me when I didn't have faith in myself. Thank you."
Bianca hugged the teen. "You're welcome."
"I'm going to put all of this away." Gail stated as she gathered the papers and check.
"When you get back, I'll give you an update on Pete and Payne."
"Oh, I'll be right back. Don't you dare start without me."
"I wouldn't dream of it."
"How about I get you and Bianca something to drink?" Alex offered.
/
Once Gail had returned and drinks were distributed, everyone settled down in the family room. Marissa was in her new rocking chair with Gabby situated carefully on her lap.
"Who would you like to hear about first?"
"I would like to hear about Payne." It was clear that Carol disliked him more than Pete. He was the one who started all of this and said those vile things about her son, and his actions towards Sam were even more callous than Pete's in her mind.
"Alright. Where to start with him? Jesse and Mike have charged him with a whole slew of things, namely fraud, wire fraud, breaking and entering, and extortion. He's looking at some very serious time and has been denied bail. His wife has also filed for divorce. He has a public defender, and Mike said Payne has reached out to him in hopes of a deal of some sort. It seems he's wanting to get a reduction of charges for testifying against Pete."
"Really? What's Pete have to say about that?" Gail asked.
"Pete's trying to do the same thing against Payne. It didn't take long at all for them to turn on each other. Pete is facing a number of charges too. Judge Kagan already contacted the state bar, and they are starting their own investigation. He will in all likelihood lose his license. Of course, that's the least of his worries. The criminal charges are the most serious, and his father has kept his word about not helping him because Pete still isn't taking any responsibility for what he's done. For now, Mike isn't interested in a deal with either of them. Given the evidence against them, he doesn't need to be."
"If you ask me, neither of them deserves any kind of deal if they don't acknowledge that what they did was wrong. They both should pay, and they are both equally guilty." Carol stated.
"I agree. They're both so busy pointing fingers that they won't accept responsibility." Bianca noted.
"Enough about them. How are you feeling, Marissa? All of this hasn't been too much for you, has it?" Gail asked.
"Honestly? I'm doing really good."
Bianca chuckled seeing the skeptical look on Gail's face. "Believe me, she's telling the truth. Rissa enjoys a good fight every now and then, especially when she's fighting for something she believes in with her whole heart."
"It helped that I have an amazing team and could delegate some things to them, and they were more than up to the task. Plus, Bianca takes excellent care of me and makes sure that I don't do too much."
"You've been very good about letting others help you. Like Ellie. She's in charge of the whole office move."
"You're finally moving into your new office?" Sam asked. She knew it had been delayed and was glad it was finally happening for the redhead.
"Yep, finally is right! I move in Monday. Ellie moves into her office then too. Lisa will finally get to start moving her things as well into her new office/my old office."
"When will we get to see it, Ma?" AJ asked.
"We're going to make a quick run there tomorrow, Buddy."
AJ traded a grin with Miranda but said nothing else. They, along with Gabby, had been working on something for their redheaded mother's new office.
"Oh, we have an ultrasound next week. This will be our first peek of Sparky. I can't wait."
Bianca nodded happily. "I can't either."
"Mommy! Sparky moved!" Gabby squealed.
"I guess Sparky knew we were talking about them, huh Monkey?"
"Yep!"
"You can feel the baby moving?" Sam asked.
"Yeah. Would you like to feel, Sam?"
"Could I?"
"Of course, you can."
Gabby shifted a little to allow Sam access. Marissa took the teen's hand and placed it on her belly.
Sam's eyes grew wide when she felt something. "Is that the baby?"
"Yes." Marissa beamed at Sam's reaction. It amazed the redhead every time she felt the movement inside of her, and the fact that she was carrying their little one was indescribable.
"That's just so … wow. Let me know when you need a babysitter because I'll definitely be up for it." Sam nodded towards AJ, Miranda and Gabby. "These guys aren't any problem, and I love watching them. I can only imagine what Sparky will be like."
Carol cleared her throat. "Don't forget me. I believe the kids like it when I watch them."
Miranda nodded. "Carol is really fun and always bakes cookies for us."
"She tells good stories too, almost as good as Mommy's."
"Hey, what about me?" Sam feigned hurt.
"Sam's really good at video games. She showed us some pretty good tricks." AJ offered with a grin.
Bianca chuckled. "Sounds like a pretty good tag team to me. How about the two of you watch them all together when our little one gets here?"
Carol and Sam exchanged looks and nodded.
"I'm good with that." Sam grinned.
"I am too."
"My wife is a brilliant negotiator." Marissa smiled. "Oh, we have something for you."
"Yes, we do." Bianca grabbed the brightly wrapped package and handed it to Carol. "This is actually for the whole Walker family."
Gail, Alex and Sam gathered around Carol as she opened the present. She revealed a beautiful framed photograph of all four of them from the day of Bianca and Marissa's wedding.
"This is lovely. Thank you!"
"I couldn't agree more."
"I love it. Is there any way we could order copies of this?"
"This is great."
"We're glad you like it. Yes, I'll give you the website for the photographer, and you can order whatever you want. We'll have our photos in about a week."
"Bianca and I would've had our wedding photos earlier, but things have been really busy since the wedding. We'll have everything together to show everyone in another week during Thanksgiving. The photographer got some really great shots."
"She really did. Plus, we have copies of the pictures that everyone else took."
"I can't wait to see all of them." Gail stated.
The doorbell rang and indicated other party guests were beginning to arrive. While Sam went to answer the door, Gail picked up the wrapping paper to throw away and placed their family photo on the mantel. Soon, the party was in full force with everyone celebrating the Walker family.
/
AJ looked around the law firm's offices. "It's kinda weird being here when nobody else is, Ma."
"It is a little strange, Buddy, but there's usually someone else around when I'm here especially if I'm working late. My new office is down this way."
Marissa led her family down the hallway and came to an abrupt stop outside her office. "What's this?"
A streamer with a big bow tied in the middle was attached to the sides of the doorframe barring entrance. Inside were a few balloons and a single red rose in the small crystal vase she kept in her office.
Wide smiles were spread across the faces of the kids and Bianca.
"The kids were inspired by the grand opening of that new ice cream shop on Main, and they thought you should have something similar for your new office." Bianca pulled a pair of scissors out of her purse and handed them to her wife. "The honor is yours, Counselor."
Marissa laughed and took the scissors. "This so thoughtful, and I love it, almost as much as I love all of you." The redhead looked at Miranda who was holding a camera ready to take pictures. After the two shared a smile and nod, Marissa opened the scissors and prepared to cut the ribbon. "Thank you for your love and support. Having you here means everything to me. It is my pleasure and honor to welcome the most important people in my life to my new office."
With that, Marissa cut the ribbon while Miranda snapped away and the others cheered. They walked inside, and the kids marveled at the size of the office compared to her old one and checked everything out. Marissa picked up the card next to the rose and read.
Rissa,
K is for kickass which you are in so many ways. I love you more and more each day, and am so proud to be your wife. I love you.
Always,
Bianca
Marissa turned to her wife with a huge smile on her face. "I can't believe all of you. How did you do this?"
Bianca shrugged and grinned. "I might have had a little inside help from Ellie and Lisa. I hope this is okay?"
"This is more than okay. It's perfect, and I really do love it." Marissa wrapped her arms around Bianca and kissed her. "I love you and am proud to be your wife." She was rewarded with the goofy grin of Bianca's that always stopped her heart and a tender kiss.
"Okay, show me around this place. We've got cake waiting for us at home. The kids insisted."
Marissa laughed again. "You got it."
/
"Hey, you okay?" Bianca could see her wife was nervous.
Marissa took a deep breath and nodded. The couple was sitting in the waiting room of Dr. Abbott's office. Today was the day of the ultrasound and when they would finally get to take a look at their little one.
"Yeah, I'm just nervous and excited and a whole bunch of other emotions."
"Me too, but everything's going to be great." Bianca squeezed her wife's hand and could see her relaxing a little.
"Marissa Tasker-Montgomery?"
The couple glanced over to the doorway hearing the nurse call Marissa's name. They stood and followed her down the hall to an exam room where Marissa changed into a hospital gown and sat on the examination table. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and the nurse came back in and took Marissa's vital signs.
"The doctor will be with you shortly."
Bianca leaned in and whispered in Marissa's ear. "Relax, please."
"Okay."
A minute later, their doctor appeared and greeted the couple.
"Good morning, ladies. How are you today?"
"We're okay." Marissa offered weakly.
Dr. Abbott smiled at the redhead's reply. "Enough small talk for now, huh? Let me do the exam and then we'll do the ultrasound."
Marissa nodded and leaned back on the table. When the doctor finished, she addressed the redhead.
"Everything looks good. You can sit up now. I'll get the machine set up. Linda, could you adjust the table for her?"
The nurse nodded and did as asked. Marissa was now in a semi-reclined position, making it easier for her to see the monitor. Bianca was right by her side holding her hand.
"Okay. What we're going to do now is get a sneak peek of the baby. I have one quick but important question for the two of you. Are you sure you don't want to know the sex of the baby?"
The couple glanced at each other and nodded.
Marissa answered for them. "We're sure. We want to wait."
"That's all I need to know. I want to make sure I don't give it away. We'll get started. Marissa, I'm going to raise your gown a little and then apply this gel. It's going to be a little cool. Oh, Bianca, if you want to give Linda your phone, she'll record this."
Bianca smiled and handed her cellphone to the nurse. "Thank you."
Dr. Abbott took the transducer and began to glide it across Marissa's growing baby bump. The room was silent until the doctor spoke.
"There's your little one."
The couple gasped as they first heard the baby's strong heartbeat and then saw an image appear on the monitor screen.
"That's Sparky?!"
"Sparky?"
"It's the nickname my sister has given the baby, and it seems to be sticking."
The doctor and nurse chuckled.
"Yes, that is Sparky. Here's the head." Dr. Abbott began showing the couple exactly what they were looking at.
Marissa was in awe and tears glistened in hazel eyes. Bianca was speechless. She had experienced this before when she was pregnant, but being here with Marissa and seeing this together was special. The brunette wipe a tear away and beamed.
"That's our little one, Rissa."
"I've never seen anything more incredible in my life. We did this, B. That's our baby!"
Bianca kissed Marissa tenderly before they both returned their attention back to the monitor. The couple was completely captivated by the image of their child.
"Well, it's a good thing you don't want to know the baby's sex. It seems Sparky is being a little stubborn and not turning around enough to give me a good view of that."
"We're not tempted that way."
"Very true. Everything looks good. The development is right on schedule, and the baby looks to be average size. Judging by everything I see, I'm going to adjust your due date slightly to April 5th."
"It looks like our little one won't have to share a birthday with you, Rissa. They'll miss it by almost a week."
"It'll be nice if Sparky has their own birthday, but I wouldn't mind sharing as long as Sparky's healthy. That's all I want. Everything looks good then, doctor?"
"Everything looks good. You're blood pressure and weight are good so I'm very happy about that. Like I said before, the baby looks to be right on track with their development. I'm going to print you both copies of shots of the baby." As the pictures printed, the doctor continued to chat with the couple. "Have you thought about childbirth classes?"
"Yes, we have. I know Bianca's gone through this before, but I haven't. I think it'll be for me to get an idea of what to expect. Plus, it'll help her know what to do for me."
"You've got that right. This is a different experience for me being on this side. I'm also hoping for a nice, quiet delivery in a hospital." Bianca remembered the delivery of their three other children vividly and did not want to go through any of that again.
"Me too. I do want to try and go natural with no drugs, if possible."
Dr. Abbott nodded. "I can understand that. Don't limit yourself though. There's no shame in getting an epidural if you need it. Childbirth is a very stressful time for both mother and child. The hospital offers some excellent classes if you'd like to check them out."
"We'll do that. Thank you, doctor."
"You're more than welcome. Do you have any other questions for me right now?"
"I think I asked them all during the exam so I can't think of anything more at the moment." Marissa glanced at her wife.
Bianca shook her head. "I can't think of anything either."
Dr. Abbott finished wiping the gel off Marissa's belly. "Well if you do think of something, just call. You can get dressed now. I'll see you in a month. Oh, here are your pictures."
"Thank you!"
The smiles on the couple's faces as they looked at the pictures they were just given were blinding. Both would cherish them forever.
"Yeah, I'm totally going to be worse than Brian showing off pictures because I can't wait to show these to everyone." Marissa grinned.
"I'm going to be pretty obnoxious myself. I love you so much." Bianca leaned in for a short but sweet kiss.
"I love you too."