Chapter Five
"You still can't believe it, can you?" Olivia said to Drew.
"What?" Drew asked.
Drew, Olivia and Trent were in the kitchen. Rick was in the shower and both the girls were asleep.
"That two miracles dropped into your hands, one literally, in the space of a year." Trent said.
Drew smiled. When he stopped to think about it, it was surreal. When he promised Brianna's dying foster mom that fateful night he would "take good care" of Brianna, he didn't think it would lead to him and Rick adopting her. He intended to be there for her as long as she needed him, until the right family was found for her. Then after knowing her for three weeks and when news came that Brianna's condition had worsened to the point where she needed a lung transplant to survive, the realization hit him.
He and Rick were that family.
A newborn baby never crossed either of the men's minds when they talked about adopting "one day" after they got married. The general thought was that they would adopt through the state and a child who was older and was less likely to be adopted because of that. That happened with Brianna.
The whole family was in for another shock early the next day.
Brianna had left for school when Haley, the agency social worker handling Avery's adoption called. She said she had some important news. It wasn't bad, she stressed. The adoption hearing was still going ahead but this was news the couple "ready should know."
Both men thought they were going to have a heart attack before Haley arrived.
The big news?
Avery's biological father had now known and DNA-tested for certainty, but he had immediately signed over his rights in front of a judge, the same time the mother did. But he did it from prison in Louisiana where he was serving 20 years in prison for armed robbery under the habitual act. Because this was a private adoption, the couple's identity was unknown to him. Everyone in the room was still wondering exactly she was telling them this until Haley said,
"his name is Justin Wilson. I'm sure you are all familiar with him. Avery is your other daughter's half-sister.'
After digesting the news for the moment, Rick asked "why and how did he come forward?"
Justin came forward he heard from a woman he was with on the cruise told him "the chick he fucked that weekend had got knocked up." She gave the child up for adoption. However Justin was nervous that the mom would take the child back and then he would responsible for child support. Thus his rush to terminate his rights. A lame "fear" really, Haley said. Justin's chances of getting out of prison early on appeal were slim at best, they were more "none." And with him being in prison for so long, his rights were going to be terminated automatically. All in all, Haley just wanted Avery's new parents to know their children were half-sisters.
"And I do have to ask you two a rather moot question. Do you feel any different about Avery knowing who her biological father because he caused you so much grief before? What if Avery starts to look like Justin in the future?"
Rick spoke first.
"Neither one choose him to be their biological father. No one can control who they look like, they're our daughters and they're beautiful no matter what."
"I know you had to ask," Drew said "but that is a stupid question. Looking at Brianna and Avery will only give us happiness."
Brianna couldn't hold their genetic connection against Avery either. Yes, her parents would tell her immediately but everyone was sure the young girl would thrilled about the relationship. That and the fact Avery would not have to suffer through meeting Justin the way she had.