May and June calendars have been added to the DeGrassi Saviors website, the mobile calendar will be updated later this week.
I've also added 17 upcoming stories to the list on my profile pages. Yes I was able to plot 17 new stories for us all to look forward to!
This is the last chapter so I hope you all enjoy it.
Ch. 24 We'll Pull Through in the End
(CLARE)
"So are you guys still thinking of going to Europe this summer?" Paige asks.
"Well with kids out of the picture we want to travel and now that I'm working and going to be a published author we have some money to play around with and we want to travel."
It's been two months since we found out we couldn't have kids. I was depressed about it for a while, it felt like another defeat and I just didn't see an upside. I felt like so much had been taken from us and we couldn't have kids because my body couldn't sustain them. Drew tried his best and I tried to be optimistic for the future and think about focusing on us but it wasn't easy I had been so excited about being a mom again. Then for my birthday and Valentines Drew and I took a trip to Iceland. We left on a Friday after work and came home on Wednesday evening and Drew had to go into work the next day but we loved it. It was nice to focus on us, have an adventure and it gave us a thirst to travel. When we came home I really had a new zest for life, I'd already returned to work part time but I began working full time and started writing a book that was a fictionalized telling of mine and Drew's story from high school until now. I asked my editor to read the first couple of chapters and she loved it so much she gave it to a publisher friend and they signed me! So things were looking up in a big way and I was no longer depressed.
Paige is extremely pregnant and Drew and I came to their place to make them dinner, she wanted to help so she's sitting at the table chopping vegetables. She's due in seven weeks and she's been mostly on bed rest for the last month and is already starting to go a little crazy.
"I think it's great, you guys are going to have a blast," Paige says.
"Yeah it's going to be fun we're already making a list of everything we want to do," Drew grins.
"Take lots of pictures and…"
"Oh," Paige shrieks a little bit cutting Adam off mid-sentence and we all look at her. "Umm I hate to cut dinner short but I think I'm having contractions," Paige tells us and we drop everything.
"Are you sure? You're only 33 weeks," Adam comments both terrified and elated.
"Yeah I'm sure I think we had better go to the hospital," Paige replies.
"Yeah okay hospital, let's go to the hospital does anyone remember how to get to the hospital?" Adam says frantically as he helps Paige up.
"We'll drive Drew you help Adam get Paige out to the car and I'll grab her bag for the hospital," I command the boys.
They begin getting Paige out to the car and I run to their bedroom to get the bag for the hospital. When I get to the car Paige is in and Drew is in the driver's seat. I get in and Drew begins rushing to the hospital. Paige's contractions go from ten minutes apart to seven minutes apart just on the drive. Drew parks at emergency and we run in telling them Paige is in labor with twins, an orderly comes out with a wheelchair and gets Paige in it. They rush Paige in while Drew and I park the car. We go up to obstetrics and find Paige's room.
"They're going to give her an epidural soon. They don't think it will be too long," Adam tells us while Paige is focusing on her breathing.
"We'll go call everyone and check in later," I tell them and Adam nods.
"You call Jenna and K.C. and call Eli. I'll call Owen and Ash and Mom and Dad," Drew says when we're back in the hall.
"Good I'll call Paige's mom too," I reply and we get out our cell phones.
I call Paige's mom first, Paige's parents were going to come down in three weeks but they'll have to come down early. I call Eli next then Jenna and K.C. telling them all that Paige is in labor and of course they all want to be kept up to date and will come to the hospital after the babies are born; they also say to call if any of us need anything. After Drew and I are done we go in to check on Paige again. She's actually in labor now so we go to the waiting room, there are already a bunch of doctors and nurses in her room, in fact there are so many I check with the on duty nurse to make sure everything is okay. She tells me that the twins are preemies at this time and that's why all the doctors and nurses. Drew and I wait for a while before I get another update we hear that one baby is out and already at the NICU and the other is on its way. Shortly after that Adam comes out of the room.
"We had a girl and a boy, the doctors said they look pretty good but they're taking them to the NICU to be examined and they'll probably have to stay for four or five weeks while they develop a little more. Paige is being sewn up and then you can come see her," Adam tells us.
"Good we'll call everyone back and tell them the twins are here, you should go be with your wife," I tell Adam.
Adam smiles, Drew hugs his brothers and we make the round of calls again to give everyone the news. Paige's parents are at the airport trying to get a flight, Eli sends his love but as he's currently in California he can't exactly come out tonight. Owen and Ash as well as Jenna and K.C. however are coming to the hospital tonight. After we make all the phone calls we go in to see Paige.
"How do you feel?" Drew asks her.
"Numb but good, they said the babies were going to be fine after a few weeks and that they'd already developed quite well," Paige smiles.
"We were thinking we'd name the boy Andrew and the girl Dylan, actually we intended to name them after our brothers all along but we thought we were having two boys," Adam tells us.
"Sweet," Drew grins.
"Would you like to see your babies?" A nurse asks coming into the room.
"Yes more than anything," Paige nods.
The nurse and an orderly get Paige into a wheelchair and we all go down to the NICU. Adam and Paige go in after being sterilized and everything. Drew and I watch from the window and see our new niece and nephew through the glass.
"They're so tiny and beautiful," I smile.
"They're going to need their aunt and uncle to show them the ropes and I'm sure my brother and Paige are going to need a break," Drew comments putting his arm around me.
"Yeah I know," I nod leaning against him, "we'll be a great aunt and uncle."
(DREW)
"A little higher on your end Drew," Clare instructs.
Owen and I are hanging the welcome home banner for Andrew and Dylan; they've been in the hospital a month and are being brought home today because they are finally strong enough to come home. Paige's parents and Mom and Dad have been here since Paige gave birth. Dylan and Marco flew in a couple days ago, Eli flew in when his project finished and he's been here since. Everyone's been to the hospital to see the twins but now they're coming home.
For Clare and I it's especially nice to be welcoming new lives because only nine days ago it was the one year anniversary of Ezra's death. Everyone including Paige and Adam were with us that day and I didn't know if either of us were going to make it through that day. We had a memorial and Clare and I both cried for most of the day, I think we all worried that she'd slip back into a depression but she pulled out of it. She has her memory book and she's been writing and that's been helping.
"That's perfect," Clare says and we tack it up.
"I hear the car in the driveway," Ash tells us.
Owen and I get down and put the chairs back, standing with everyone else to welcome Andrew and Dylan home. We say welcome home when Paige and Adam come in each holding a baby in a carrier but we don't yell because we don't want to frighten the babies. Of course every one coos over the babies and wants to see them, a few people hold them. We stay for a couple of hours eating and talking and watching the new babies. However the new babies have to adjust to being home and a schedule so we don't want to stay too long. Only my parents and Paige's parents stay behind to clean up and help out.
"Dylan and Andrew are so adorable I can't wait to babysit," Clare smiles as we walk into the house.
"I'm sure they'll be calling on that service a lot," I reply bringing my wife onto my lap as I sit on the sofa. "Do you want to do some more planning on our summer trip before we make dinner?" I ask her and she nods.
She sits next to me and gets out her laptop; we begin looking up places in Benelux that we want to go. We're researching a sight and talking about going there when there's a sudden knock at the door and it startles us. Clare sets down her laptop while I get up to open the door. I look through the peephole and find a man in a suit.
"Can I help you?" I inquire after opening the door.
"I'm Mike Carroll, I'm a lawyer i…"
"Are we being sued?" I inquire as Clare comes to the door.
"No I'm an estate lawyer, are you Clare and Drew Torres?"
"Yes," Clare nods linking her arm with mine.
"I'm afraid I bring bad news, your sister Darcy was killed in Africa three weeks ago," he says and Clare clings to me.
"Darcy's dead?" Clare gasps.
"Yes I'm terribly sorry to be delivering the news this way but they had some trouble finding your address. I represent the estate of Peter and Darcy Stone a…"
"Wait," Clare cuts him off, "when did Darcy marry Peter? When was he in Africa?"
"Uh would you like to come in," I offer moving Clare out of the way so he can come in. He comes in and we all sit in the living room.
"According to the paperwork they married six years ago but I'm not sure why Mr. Stone went to Africa. They had a living will naming you and Drew only. They had small life insurance policies which you are the beneficiaries of but most importantly you've been named God parents and guardians of their six month old daughter Nichelle."
"Darcy left us their daughter," Clare smiles.
"I know this is a lot to deal with but you'll need come to my office in the morning to sign some papers if you're going to take the child. Once you claim guardianship you'll have the option of adopting her," the lawyer says.
"And if we don't claim guardianship?" I question and Clare gives me a look.
"The baby would be sent to an orphanage, Mr. Stone's mother is dead and he made it quite clear that his father was not to raise his child. Mrs. Stone said the same about both of your parents. Here is some paperwork and information for you to look over. Whatever you decide you'll need to come to my office at nine tomorrow morning to sign papers, here's my car. If you have any questions call my office," Mr. Carroll says handing me a stack of papers and he shows himself out.
"You weren't serious were you? Why would we not claim guardianship of Nichelle? We thought about adoption and fostering."
"We don't know this baby."
"It's my sister's baby Drew, it's part of our family you were willing to adopt and foster but not take in my sister's child?!"
"I didn't say that but you haven't spoken to your sister in over ten years and now…"
"And now what? I don't understand why you're not jumping for joy right now. We wanted another child and now we've been given the gift of one. Or did you never want another child? Were you happy when you found out I was barren?"
"Clare it's not that you know it's not that I was devastated too but this comes as a shock and we had just started planning a future with no kids I just don't think…"
"So you don't want kids now because we plan to travel, because we were thinking we'd never have them?"
"No," I say quietly, "I don't know maybe. I just…"
"Get out!" Clare demands.
"What?"
"Get out Drew I can't be around you right now I need space and I need you to leave before I do or say something I might regret not get out or I'll leave."
I know it's better to just not argue with her at this point so I leave the apartment. I drive to Owen and Ashley's place since they live closest to us now and I don't want to go to a bar.
"What happened?" Owen asks when he sees me.
"Something that should be great but I'm just not happy about it, not like I should be I guess and Clare is really upset with me," I tell him.
"You know I think I'll go see if Clare needs someone to talk to," Ash says grabbing her purse and slipping on her shoes. She kisses Owen and hugs me before she goes.
"Okay so what'd you do?" Owen questions.
"We were home and planning more of our trip and then there was a knock at the door. It was a lawyer who informed us that Clare's sister Darcy and her husband Peter had died. Clare didn't even know Darcy had married Peter. Well anyway as Clare is adjusting to that shock he tells us they had a six month old baby girl and we're the God parents and named guardians in the will. So now we have the option of taking in this baby."
"And you don't want to?"
"I don't know, I'm just…I don't know I spent weeks convincing Clare that it was a good thing that we were never going to have kids. That we'd be the fun aunt and uncle but we could travel and live for us, I'd been picturing it and I guess I'd settled into the fact that we'd never have kids. Now we're…being forced doesn't seem right but I don't even know Darcy or Peter and they left us their kid? And I'm going to be a dad again, I know we had talked about adoption and fostering even and I don't why this should be different but it just is. I was more concerned about Clare's feelings losing her sister than being happy about a baby. Clare saw my apprehension and she got angry and told me to get out."
"Well it makes sense, I can understand why she got so angry it wasn't that long ago that she found out she couldn't even kids and before that she had cancer and before that you lost your son. The anniversary of which just passed and she was feeling that hurt all over again it probably just compounded how she's been feeling knowing she can't have kids. Now she's given the prospect of being a mom again, and it's her sisters kid so she probably feels a connection to it but since you never knew Darcy maybe you don't."
"Yeah I think that's part of it, I've never met Darcy and she's been missing for years her family hardly even talks about her. Now she's dropped her kid into our lap, I mean it's not like she abandoned the baby and left it with us but it kind of feels that way. I just…man I don't know I just can't seem to get excited about it. I was so set on not having kids and I'd really just put the thought of ever having kids out of my mind and now someone's telling me I inherited a kid."
"I get that, I'm sure if you talk to Clare she'll understand your feelings but you have to acknowledge hers. I know you were sure you'd never have kids again and put the thought of kids out of your mind but forgetting for a moment that this is not your kid by birth, and it's not a kid you picked from adoption agency. Forgetting all that for a moment does the thought of having a baby again and being a dad again make you smile? Think about holding Ezra, the way he smelled, the way he gripped you're finger."
"Yeah," I reply with a grin as a flood of those memories goes through my mind, "yeah it does but this baby isn't Ezra."
"You're never going to have Ezra back, no baby even if you'd had another of your own would be Ezra but you'll be a dad. You'll be able to teach this child so much, hear her call you Daddy, take her to games and watch her grow."
"Yeah I know and you're right that all does sound great, I don't know I guess I better talk to Clare. I would love to be a dad again, have a baby and I know it would make Clare happy. I guess we can travel with kids."
"Maybe put off the Europe trip for a while but you've got lots of babysitters and grandparents I'm sure would be happy to take her while you and Clare travel."
"Yeah you're right, I need to go talk to Clare. Thanks buddy," I smile hugging Owen before I leave. I'm sure he'll call Ash right after I leave and tell her I'm on way home. When I get home Clare is at the kitchen table sipping some tea. "Is it safe to come in?"
"I don't want to fight Drew," she says getting up and coming over to kiss me.
"I don't either and this is a stupid thing to fight about," I reply taking her hand and pulling her to sit down with me on the sofa. "I know my reaction wasn't what you were expecting, given the news we just got and how happy I'm sure it made you knowing that you would be a mom again, even if it was because your sister died, I probably should have been a lot happier. It was just a lot to handle all at once. I was worried about you handling your sister's death and then we're told we're going to be parents. I know the thought of that should have made me happier but I felt a little thrust into this. I've never even met your sister and she left us her kid. We'd already come to grips with the fact that we'd never have kids, we were planning our lives and travel and then we're parents all of sudden which kind of puts a wrench in those plans and I know it was selfish of me to think that way but when I first heard it's what I felt. I know that you want nothing more than to be a mom again because it's Darcy's kid maybe you feel a connection to it already."
"I do and I'm excited to be a mom, Nichelle is a part of my sister which means she's a part of me. Are you that set on never having kids again just so we can travel?"
"Not just so we can travel but Owen made me realize how much joy being a dad again would bring. And that we can still travel, maybe we delay the Europe trip by a year or two but we have a lot of baby sitters and she has two sets of grandparents to take her. This is a huge thing though we need to be sure about it, 100% sure both of us."
"Do you want Nichelle? Do you want to be a dad again? Because I know I want to be a mom again and I know that it would be a great honor to take in my sister's daughter and adopt her and raise her. So much bad has been taken from us in the last year and now this is something good, a gift that's been given to us. Tragically I had to lose my sister for it but still it's a gift and I want Nichelle, I want to be a mom again, I want to be Nichelle's mom," Clare tells me with a pleading yet determined tone.
"Then we'll be the best parents Nichelle could ever have," I tell her with a grin.
"You mean it? Are you 100% positive this is what you want? I don't want to take her in and adopt her and have you resent her."
"I promise you I won't, I was hesitant at first for a lot of reasons but the more I think about the more I know this is right and I want to do this. I'm going to love Nichelle and we're great parents we already know we're great parents. I'll call about getting our tickets and reservations changed and you'd better call your parents they probably don't even know that Darcy is dead or they would have called. We'll go to the lawyers in the morning and sign the papers."
"I love you," Clare smiles gripping me and giving me a deep passionate kiss.
"I love you too, we're going to be parents," I grin.
Clare goes into the bedroom to call her parents and I start calling the airlines and the hotels and everything. I explain the situation and everyone is understanding, they either refund our deposits if we gave them one or change our reservation. Clare and I are determined to go on our Europe trip still it will just have to wait until next summer or the summer after. After a long time on the phone for both of us we make a light dinner and go to bed. We can barely sleep though but we still get up early the next morning and after eating breakfast we leave for the lawyer's office.
"Good to see you Clare and Drew," Mr. Carroll says shaking our hands and motioning for us to sit down. "Have you made a decision?"
"Yes we're going to take Nichelle and start adoption procedures. We think that would be best," Clare answers.
"I agree, you'll need to sign some papers and I'll have Nichelle brought to the office, she's been under observation at the hospital after a long flight from Africa," Mr. Carroll tells us.
We spend about an hour signing papers and being read the will, given the life insurance policies and some more paperwork. It almost seems never ending but finally we're finished and he tells his secretary we're done and asks her to come in. She comes in with a baby carrier and a sleeping baby.
"Okay we'll be in touch Nichelle is yours now and I'll file the adoption papers with the judge. We'll file the life insurance claims with the death certificates and they should be in touch. If you have any other questions call the office," he tells us while Clare is just gazing at Nichelle.
We thank him and go down to the car. The secretary gives us the base for the car seat. We get Nichelle in the car and I start driving.
"Drew we don't have anything, we don't have a crib or formula or anything," Clare comments.
"Okay let's stop at a department store and pick up everything we'll need."
We stop at the nearest department store that will have everything we need. Nichelle stays asleep until we're in the store and then she begins crying. Clare is looking at changing tables so I pick Nichelle up and hold her. She's got blonde hair and green eyes and she's gorgeous.
"Hi Nichelle I guess I'm your daddy now," I tell her and she smiles grabbing my finger and sucking on it.
This small action makes me smile and my heart swells, I fall in love with her when her eyes lock onto mine, she is my daughter and I love her.
(CLARE)
"Drew will take Nichelle so I can help Ash?" I request.
"Nichelle you want to come to Daddy?" Drew asks holding his arms out for her.
"Aggl vvm rrll bububahmm," Nichelle babbles reaching for Drew.
She's ten months old now and we've had her for four months. The adoption came through a week after we picked her up. We put the bulk of the proceeds from Darcy and Peter's life insurance into a college fund for her. We did have to hire some help and buy a lot of things including baby clothes and diapers, formula, bottles and everything else. She's too young to remember Peter or Darcy but we found some old pictures of them and we show her, we call them uncle and aunt though because she knows Drew and I as Daddy and Mommy and we don't want to confuse her. Drew and I have talked about it and when she's old enough we will tell her about Darcy and Peter and we'll tell her about Ezra. We've all suffered a lot of loss but it brought us all together as a family.
Nichelle is a daddy's girl, she adores Drew and he adores her, he dotes on her and nothing makes him happier after a long day than to come home to her. She has been a wonderful joy and when we adopted her gave her a middle name, she didn't have one before, but we gave her the middle name Ezara in honor of our fallen son.
Today, Saturday October 4th, is Ashley and Owen's wedding. Drew and I are both in the wedding party but Ashley's younger second cousin and two of her friends are on child care duty. They will be watching not only Nichelle but Andrew and Dylan because Paige is also in the wedding party. They will also watching Ashely's five year old niece, her stepbrother's daughter, because Toby is also in the wedding party.
Drew takes Nichelle and I go to the girl's dressing room. Ash is in here of course along with Paige, and Ashley's mom. Hazel is also here, Hazel was friends with Ash and Paige in high school and she's a wedding planner, she planned Paige and Adam's wedding. Ellie, another high school friend of Ashley's, is the last bridesmaid and she hasn't arrived yet.
We help Ashley get dressed, Elli comes and we all get into our dresses and get our hair and makeup done. We get our bouquets and Hazel tells us to get in position to walk down the aisle. Drew is Owen's best man so he'll be escorting Paige, I'm escorted down the aisle by Tris and Toby escorts Ellie. Ashley is escorted by her mom and her dad, Owen waits anxiously at the end of the aisle. We take our places and the ceremony begins, it's a beautiful ceremony and reminds me of mine and Drew's wedding. After the ceremony and pictures we take several cars to the reception hall, the kids all came earlier with the babysitters and the rest of the wedding. Drew and I see Nichelle on a blanket on the floor with Andrew and Dylan, the four month old twins are on their stomachs and holding hands and Nichelle is watching them.
"What a lovely ceremony," Paige grins coming over to us and picking up Dylan while Dew picks up Nichelle.
"It was beautiful and it's hard to believe a year ago I was still sick in the hospital. So much has happened it feels like it's been a lifetime in the last eighteen months. So much heartache and pain and loss, Drew and I lost our son and each other and found each other again. I survived cancer and now we have a beautiful daughter," I grin at Nichelle.
"My brother got married and has beautiful twins, my wife is going to be a published author, Owen and Ash are married. For all the pain in the last couple of years there has been a lot of joy and a lot of hope for the future," Drew says kissing Nichelle's head.
"Yes there has," I grin and capture Drew's lips for a kiss, "and we pulled through together, we made it."
And so the story ends but after all that pain I did bring you a happy ending. Beginning next Tuesday is We Ain't Done Anything I'd Take Back which is pretty much my fix-it for everything that went wrong starting with SWF episode.