--

"Mm…" Sydney smiled against Ryan's lips. "Morning honey."

"Hey, Syd. I'm taking the day off, so that we can spend more time with Douglas."

"Sure, but first, we should talk—"

"Mummy!" Douglas cried in happiness as she ran into the room. "G'morning mummy!"

"Douglas, can I talk to daddy for a minute?" Sydney asked the small daughter, pulling gently at a disheveled lock. The tot scuffed her feet on the floor as she exited the room upon her mom's wish. "Ryan, do you want more?"

"More what, Sydney? Kids? Of course."

"If we have more, can we adopt? There are so many poor children without homes, and I want them to have a family." Sydney explained as she watched her daughter pacing in front of the half-open door. Ryan nodded and went to lift Douglas up. He carried her onto the bed and kissed her cheek affectionately. Sydney cupped Douglas's face and kissed her forehead as Douglas leaned into her mother's arms, her head resting against Sydney's chest. "Hey, my Sakura," She greeted.

"Hi, mummy! I Sakura!"

"Ryan… what about school for her. Nobody will include her because she was named after…" She lowered her voice. "Because she has a masculine name."

"Then that's their problem. Syd, it's her name." He replied, beginning to tickle the youngest girl in the room.

"Daddy!" The girl shrieked. "Top it!" Ryan ceased his action at Douglas Nell's request and embraced her and his fiancé. "I love mummy, daddy."

"I know." Sydney whispered and pulled away, Douglas clinging to her tank top. "Come on, Doug, let's get you dressed." She lifted the light four year old and they entered her room. "How about this dress?" Sydney asked, holding up an orange sundress that would fall to just below Douglas's knees.

"'Kay." She helped Doug out of her pajamas and into her dress, and Ryan emerged, taking Douglas's hand and letting Sydney go change. She selected a red Tee and flowing black skirt that fell to mid-calve. She put on black shoes with a small heel and opened the door so she was enabled to exit the white-carpeted room. Taking Douglas's hand, she opened the door and gave Ryan the keys. Opening the door, Sydney helped Douglas buckle her seatbelt and got in the front after turning on 'Cinderella' for Douglas.

"Ryan?"

"What, Syd?" He responded and started the car.

"I want more, really badly. But I want to wait until after the wedding." Sydney stated sadly.

"I understand, Sydney. I want more too, but after the wedding would be better. And does it matter if they have cancer, or dwarfism, or anything?"

"Dwarfism, no, cancer, maybe, missing body parts, yes it matters. I want children with all their body parts." Sydney told him, eyes filling with the salty liquid. "I want to help homeless kids. Abused, dwarfs, patients, I love them all."

"Sydney, how about three kids at the most?"

"For now, that is acceptable." Ryan pulled over at the nearby park and took out the key, helped Doug out so she could run and play, and locked the doors. Him and Sydney walked to the bench to watch Doug and started their discussion again. "I want to start filling out paperwork and have it all sorted by the time of our wedding. I want another as soon as possible."

"One condition—it's a boy."

"Deal." They shook hands like associates would and Ryan's cell-phone started to beep.

"I'm sorry, Syd, but—"

"Go, Ryan, they need you." Sydney's voice cracked as Ryan answered.

"Hello? Yes sir…yes…yes sir, I understand, sir…of course…I'm with my fiancé and her daughter…yes? Yes, sir…of course, I will—…yes. Yes sir, okay, and when—I will sir, five minutes…okay. Good-bye." He hung up the technology and turned to Syd. "I have to go, my boss, the head of the firm, he wants a meeting. My old boss, that said I could have today off, he was fired, well, actually, died. They hired the new guy in my placement. I was going to move up, but I didn't have enough experience. I'm sorry, Syd."

"I understand. I'll take Doug home, you go; it's important." Syd brushed it off, a smile. "Come back when it's over."

"Twenty minutes," Ryan promised.

——

"When daddy home?" Doug asked Sydney.

"Soon, sweetheart. You'll see him tomorrow." Sydney assured her and turned off the light.

"I'm home, Syd!" Ryan shouted, Sydney shooting out of the room.

"Ryan!" She hissed. "Doug is in bed!"

"Sorry." He apologized, his voice flat. "Boss—"

"Is a jerk!" Sydney intervened loudly.

"Sydney, I'm sorry, he yelled at me for being late! One week and I'm the president of the company, and work from ten to four. I promise—"

"Promise what? You promised you'd be home, Ryan!" Sydney hollered. "I can't trust you anymore!"

"Syd…" Ryan complained like a three year old at a candy store. "I said sorry, and I promise I won't be late again!"

"Whatever, I'm going to class, I switched to night class." Sydney informed him.

"Wait." Ryan stopped her and she looked up expectantly. He bent and tenderly touched his lips to hers. "I love you, and want to marry you."

"I love you too, and I think we should get married sooner, in the back yard of your house, it's so pretty, and I want to marry you. But only after we get the paperwork, and start filling it out after we wed."

"Deal." He bent and kissed her again, more passionately, and they continued their actions, Syd stopping only to lock the door.

——

The next morning Sydney pulled the blankets up to cover her chest and gently kicked Ryan underneath the blankets. His eyes shot open against the pillow, sitting up. "Sydney!" He exclaimed, shocked.

"We can take Doug to school and go to the adoption agency." Sydney informed him, and smiled at the prospect of a new child. Ryan agreed sleepily and got dressed after taking a shower. He woke Doug up and helped her dress as Sydney clothed herself and started breakfast.

"Bacon eggs!" Sydney squealed as she was placed in her chair. "I love bacon eggs!"

"So do I." Ryan told her, giving Sydney a kiss on the cheek.

"Daddy no comes home yesterday." Doug's eyes had tears forming in them. "Daddy, you said play all day. You lie!" The four year old accused.

"I had to go talk to my teacher." Ryan explained in terms he knew the tot understood.

"Your teach mean?"

"Sort of." Ryan gave her a plate and took one for himself, settling between Sydney and Douglas. Douglas had succeeded in making a large mess by the seven-thirty, and Sydney ushered her out to the car while Ryan put stuff in the dishwasher, and hurriedly followed. He got in the driver's seat and sped towards the playschool. Sydney took Doug in and returned moments later, and they drove to Adoption Hall in quiet. They arrived, parked and entered the double doors. "Hi." Ryan said to the receptionist.

"My name is Nancy, how can I help?"

"Me and my fiancé, we are going to adopt a child after we wed. Is it possible—"

"If," Sydney interrupted, "we could have met a child just before the wedding, and take them home after?"

"I'll get Mrs. McJordan." The secretary pushed a button and a black lady appeared from a hall.

"Yes Nancy?"

"These prospective parents have questions concerning adoption."

"Follow me. My name is Sonya. Ask away."

"Would it be possible to have everything ready, but take the child home after the wedding?"

"Possibly, It depends on the state of the child."

"Are the children here emotionally or physically different?"

"A select few. Would you like paperwork?"

"Yes, we would, and when is the soonest we can know what child we are adopting?" Ryan asked.

"A month. Paperwork at Adoption Hall is not a lot, and we have them adopted soon."

"That's wonderful." Sydney remarked, eyeing the woman. "May we see the children for a moment?"

"After the paperwork, here." The woman passed Sydney two large stacks of forms, one for her and one for Ryan. "Come back when your done."