Note: Hi everyone! Remember me? After 7 years, I'm finally back to finish this story, and boy does it feel great. Thank you for your patience, and thank you for reading :). And thank you for all the love you've given this story. If you've stuck with me this long, I appreciate you!

Chapter 40. A Happy Ending

"Wake up! Sophia! Callie! Its adoption day!"

I opened my eyes against the morning sunlight streaming through my window, to see Stef and Lena standing in our doorway, blowing party horns and cheering. In the next bed, Sophia yawned and stretched.

"Are you girls excited?" Stef asked. "Because we are!"

"So excited!" Sophia said, rising to her knees and bouncing on the bed. She hopped up and threw her arms around Lena's neck.

"How about you, honey?" Stef asked me, sitting down beside me. She gave me a curious look. "What are you thinking?"

"I am happy," I said, smiling to prove it. "I really am."

"It's okay to have mixed feelings," she told me, placing her hand on my knee. "That's very normal, love. Today is a very big, very emotional day."

"I'm happy," I assured her again. "But I'm also scared to be too happy, you know? Things don't usually go right for us, and I can't help but worry that something will go wrong, because it always does." I sighed. "Is it okay if I don't celebrate until the judge makes it official?"

Stef pulled me into a hug. "Are you sure you're not my biological daughter?" She kissed my cheek. "It's perfectly okay, baby. Today is your day, and you're allowed to feel the way you feel. But," she added, giving me a pretend-stern look, "please try to be optimistic, honey? Don't worry so much that you forget to enjoy this big, big day. Try to believe that everything is going to work out." She smiled and brushed my hair away from my face.

"I'll try," I promised.

She stood up and laid my sister's and my dresses out on our beds. "Go ahead and get dressed, girls. Breakfast in twenty minutes."

We got to the courthouse in plenty of time for our hearing, but I was still panicking about being late. My legs felt like gelatin as we entered the foyer. I couldn't help but think back to the last time we had been inside the building, and here we were again, our fates resting on the mercies of a stranger. Hopefully, after today, we'd never have to come here again, because we would no longer be wards of the state. I quickly re-framed my thoughts, reminding myself not to get my hopes up and to stay neutral. But it did feel good, in the moment, to look toward a different future.

I held Sophia's hand, and Stef and Lena were on either side of us. Brandon and the twins walked just behind. When we turned the corner into the long hallway, we were greeted by a cluster of people, who hurried to greet us.

"Callie!"

"Emma? What are you doing here?" I cried, as she came over to hug me. Taylor and Sophia were already hugging a squealing. And Stef's mom and Lena's parents were there, and Mike, but best of all, Rita had come too.

"Lena invited me," Emma told me breathlessly. "I wanted to come to support you!"

"I'm glad you came!" I told her. "Thank you!" I looked back at Lena and she gave me a small smile.

I felt Rita touch my elbow, and I turned around. She pulled me into the tightest hug anyone had ever given me. "I'm so happy for you and Sophia," she told me. "Congratulations, Sweetheart."

"Thank you for coming," I smiled.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," she told me with a wink. Her face fell a bit. "Forgive me for reading into things," she said. "But you don't look as happy as I'd have expected you to be. Is everything okay?"

I looked back at my family; my moms bubbling over with joy, and Sophia so excited she could hardly stay still. "Can we talk in private?"

"Of course we can," she nodded. "Here. Come sit with me." She led me to a stone bench just a bit down the marble hallway. We sat down together. "What's on your mind, sweetheart?"

I shrugged. "I'm just nervous, I guess." I straightened my skirt over my knees, tracing the pink roses against the black fabric. My hair, which Lena had put up for me, felt too tight. "Have you ever heard of a judge denying an adoption on adoption day?"

"You're worried the other shoe is going to drop at the last minute," she surmised. "Am I right?"

I nodded reluctantly. "My moms told me not to worry, and I don't want to ruin anyone's excitement. But I can't help it. You know? Nothing ever works out for us. We have the worst luck. It's like the whole universe is against us."

"The whole universe?" she said. "Oh Cal, I don't know about that." She patted my shoulder. "I don't think the universe is against anyone."

I gave her a skeptical look. "Okay." Our track record proved otherwise.

"I'm serious," she told me. "Its true that you girls have had more than your share of bad luck. But life is a mixed bag, you know? You get some good, and you get some bad. Never give up hope that your luck is going to find you."

"I'm really trying," I told her. "I'm not sure I even know how to anymore."

"Why not let today be the first step in changing that?" she offered. "Because as far as I can see, you're not ruining anyone's excitement but your own. And I think you'll really regret looking back on today and knowing that you didn't really enjoy it because you were afraid of all the things that might happen."

I could hear my family laughing and talking down the hall. "You're right," I admitted. I wanted to be with them, celebrating the love we had for each other.

Rita smiled. "I have a good feeling about today, Cal. I think everything is going to go fine."

"How do you know?"

"Because if anyone has earned their happy ending, its you and Sophia." She took my hand and squeezed it.

"There you are, love!" A voice rang down the hallway.

I looked up to see Stef coming toward us, her heels clicking on the floor. "I thought you ran off on us."

"She just needed a last minute pep talk," Rita told her, standing up and helping me to my feet. "But I think we're all good now, huh, Cal?" She patted my back, and left to rejoin the group, leaving me with Stef.

Stef gave me a concerned look. "Are you alright, love?"

I nodded, wrapping my arms around her.

"I'm great," I said, as she hugged me back. "I love you, and I'm so happy that you're going to officially be my mom."

She hugged me a little tighter. "I love you too, baby," she said, gently stroking the back of my head, an act of tenderness I was still unused to, but it felt so nice. "And I'm so proud to be your mother."

I fought back tears, as a lump formed in my throat.

"It's almost time for the hearing," she said. "Are you ready?" She held me by the shoulders, looking me in the eye. Her green eyes were framed by friendly crinkles.

I took a shaky breath and nodded. "I'm ready."

Sophia and I sat at the front of the courtroom with Stef and Lena. Our family and friends sat in the row behind us. We stood up together, and sat back down, when the judge came in. Time felt weirdly like it was moving in slow motion, and I was just watching everything happen from the outside looking in. Until I felt Stef reach for my hand and squeeze it, grounding me back in reality.

"Look," Sophia whispered, poking me in the ribs. "Bill is here."

I followed her gaze to the back of the room, and saw our social worker sit down. He noticed us watching, and gave us a nod. He was smiling. That had to be a good sign, I thought. Or at least, I hoped it was. Bill noticed us watching and he gave us a thumbs up.

The judge banged his gavel, and the hearing began.

He spoke for a few minutes, then asked Stef and Lena to rise. "What are your full names?" He asked.

"Stefanie Marie Adams-Foster," Stef said.

"Lena Elizabeth Adams-Foster," said Lena.

He asked them their ages, our address, and how long they'd been married, and they answered. Finally he asked them, "Why do you wish to adopt Callie and Sophia Jacob?"

Stef and Lena looked to each other, a solid unit. With unwavering love in their voices, they shared stories of our growth, our resilience, and the bond we had forged as a family. Tears filled my eyes as they described the impact we had on each other's lives. They spoke of the laughter, the tears, and the countless memories we had created together.

"Your honor, we love these girls," Stef said. "We love them as if they've always been ours. And we believe that our home is where they belong. And we promise, we'll do right by them."

I watched Lena slip her hand into Stef's. They radiated warmth, love, and strength. They had fought so hard for us, navigating the obstacles of the foster system, taking on the burden of our problems as well as their own. They were the strongest women I knew. They were my heroes.

As the proceedings continued, the judge spoke with a measured tone, asking Sophia and I questions about our lives, our dreams, and our aspirations. Sophia answered with her usual candor, her voice steady and clear with a maturity she'd never had before. She had grown so much since we came to the Fosters. I didn't realize how much until then. When it was my turn to speak, I took a deep breath, my heart pounding, and answered his questions, hoping to convey just how much our lives had changed since the day we first walked through the doors of Stef and Lena's home.

We had started as broken pieces of a shattered puzzle, scattered and lost. But Stef and Lena had slowly and meticulously put us back together, creating a beautiful picture of love, acceptance, and family. We weren't broken anymore.

When everyone was finished speaking, the judge's gavel came down, and a profound silence settled in the room. My heart skipped a beat, and I held my breath. Sophia was crossing her fingers, and, I noticed, looking down at her sandals, her toes as well. Then the words we had longed to hear echoed through the courtroom, "I hereby declare Callie and Sophia Jacob officially and legally adopted by Stef and Lena Adams-Foster. Congratulations girls, and I wish you all the best in the future."

A wave of joy and disbelief washed over me, and I couldn't help but let out a choked sob. Stef and Lena immediately enveloped us in their loving arms, tears mingling with laughter, as we clung to each other, our bonds now officially sealed.

"This is the best day of my life," Stef tearfully declared.

"Mine too," I whispered, burying my face in her shoulder as she tightened her embrace. And I meant it. Nothing could top this moment. Ever.

We all stood with the judge and posed for a photo. Our first photo as an official family.

We stepped outside the courthouse, our guests surrounding us, beaming with pride. It felt so good to celebrate with them, swept up in hugs and congratulations. The sun shone brightly overhead, and I looked up, feeling it's warmth kiss my face. This had to be nirvana.

As a family, we had overcome countless obstacles, fought battles, and faced our demons together, and we came out on the other side stronger than before. I knew we'd face whatever challenges lay ahead in the same way, because our luck had finally found us.

And in that moment, I understood that even the saddest stories can have a happy ending.

We were finally going home.

The End