CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

Website where all photos of all outfits mentioned is on my profile.

Over the next two hours we sit in the living room while Melissa quizzes me on a whole lot of things, going through all the basic information that she already knows and filling in some little bits on our personal details we cover family life when both Jax and I were children, having been around I can fill most of it in and Melissa lets me know she'll ring Jax later that night to discuss with him what else she needs.

The medical history is easy, mine being almost completely blank apart from the time I spent in hospital in Maine. Jax's is a little bigger with the hereditary issue he was born with, that thankfully healed itself. Job history, personal interests and hobbies are quickly covered as is our volunteer experiences. Religious beliefs we completely bypass when I snort after Melissa asks me our views.

Reaching the bottom of the last page of questions she looks up "Just another few then we're done. How are you set financially for taking on Abel?"

I lift an eyebrow and she shrugs waiting for me to answer. "I don't have to work if I don't want to. I have enough money in investments to live off the interest for the rest of my life, and then for Abel and his children to live off as well." I state blankly.

"Lucky." Melissa replies with a small smile.

"I guess so; personally I'd rather have my parents alive." I reply. Her eyes drift up and I can read the apology she's about to make before she opens her mouth "Don't apologise. There's nothing I can do about my parents being dead, that their deaths means I can live comfortably for the rest of my life is the only upside about having lost them so young."

Melissa nods "Okay, so how do you feel about adopting Abel?"

I smile "Jax is the person I've wanted to be with my whole life, even when I was 12 I knew he and I would end up together. Abel isn't mine by birth but I will do everything for him that a woman would do for her own baby."

"You do know you don't have to adopt him don't you?" She asks, leaning against the arm of the couch.

"I know. Jax and I talked about it and as I said to him I'm the step-mother, adopting him gives him all the same legal rights as any biological children I have, not that he isn't cared for in my will anyway but this is just another added layer of familial bond."

Melissa nods, writing some mores notes before smiling brightly "Believe it not, this is the last question. What are your plans for the future?"

I scratch my head lightly which makes her chuckle "I know it's a hard one isn't it?"

I nod "I guess my plans for the future revolve so much around the projects I have going at the moment that I haven't thought beyond the immediate. If I have to put it into words then my plans for the future involve raising Abel to be the best person he can, loving my husband, running my businesses as best I can, keeping Charming with local business owners."

"Any plans for more children?" She asks with a smile.

I nod again "I do want to have at least 2, I don't want Abel to be an only child like I was, it's rather lonely at times. I'd like there to be at least a 2 year gap between them though so I have time with Abel before any more come along. Course Jax has no idea."

Melissa smiles, folding her notebook closed and getting to her feet "Thank you. It's a shame that Abel wasn't awake for more of my visit, I may have to make another one in a few weeks but I'll let you know. Will Jax be able to answer those questions if I ring tonight about 6?"

I nod as I stand and start walking towards the door "He should. It's just the childhood life and the rest of his medical history?"

She nods once, pulling the door open and stepping through the gap "Depending on if I need to make a second visit I'll contact you within the next week." She rattles off my cell phone number which I nod in confirmation.

"If you don't get an answer just leave me a message. We're flying tomorrow, then at least two days in court then we're driving back."

"You're brave. Driving back with an infant." Melissa says, going down the stairs.

I follow her towards her car "It's more than an infant. It's an infant, two four year olds, 4 males and 3 other females in three cars."

"You really are brave. Good luck with that and you'll hear from me." Melissa climbs into her aging Toyota, starting the engine and driving out the gap in the fence with a toot.

Leaning against the porch for a second I breathe in deep lungful's of the fresh air taking 5 minutes of peace and quiet before going back inside to start packing.

Between playing with Abel, feeding Doj, and taking him for a walk I manage to get about ½ packed by the time Jax pulls into the drive at 530. Jax finds me upstairs with four suitcases open on the bed, two big ones and two small ones. "Babe, you know you can do laundry."

I roll my eyes at him "During the trip back? Are we going to stop at Laundromats along the way?"

Jax shrugs "You said that you're limiting the driving to 5 hours a day so doesn't that mean even with 8 hours' sleep you've still got 11 hours of the day left?"

I poke my tongue out at him "Yes, we do but you've got to take into account organising three cars, 8 people and 3 children isn't going to be easy. Meals, accommodation, driving duty, and who's going in what cars."

Jax snickers "We'll sort driving a day at a time. Accommodation is up to Cam to sort."

I roll my eyes "Yes and you know she'll just have us picking a place in each town we stay at then booking rooms. Provided that they have four available and are kid friendly. But point taken about the laundry on the way. The small suitcases are for Abel's clothes, cause they're so little they fold into nothing and one to put some toys in, books and his play mat. The big suitcases are for our stuff, and if you think this is bad, wait till you see what D's packed."

Jax shakes his head "I really don't want to know. Ope said it looked like a bomb had gone off in the kids room the other day when she finished. How did the assessment go?"

I shrug, folding one last bib and tucking it into the side of Abel's suitcase before zipping it closed. "I knew the person from the courthouse."

"Really, who was it?"

"Melissa Gantry." I look over at him and the familiarity of the name isn't lost when he tenses.

"Fuck."

I chuckle and shake my head "Surprisingly it went okay. She's going to ring you tonight cause she's got some questions that I couldn't answer about your childhood before I moved here, and medical history. Don't know why she wants to know all that stuff about you though."

Jax shrugs "Don't care, she can ask me anything she wants, as long as it doesn't have anything to do with the club."

Abel's 'toy' suitcase is finished next, folding the playmat onto the top of it I zip it up and set the two suitcases side by side at the door. The blue one holding all his clothes, the purple one with all the toys. The two biggest of my purple suitcases are still left on the bed, random piles of clothes beside them and the garment bag from Sak beside them both.

Jax watches while I walk between the bed and the wardrobe returning with piles of clothes, tossing mine onto one side of the now opened suitcases and his onto the other he keeps one eye on me and one on Abel who's in the rocker that I'd carried through from his room, Doj is lying on the floor between the rocker and the bed, his head on his paws looking sadly at me each time I come back into the room.

"What's with Scooby?" Jax had nicknamed Doj Scooby Doo one morning when we'd been having breakfast and the dog had started talking, something he did as a way of getting breakfast treats (corners of toast and ends of bacon slices).

"He knows we're going away again and he's sad." I reply setting the last pile of clothes to be packed on the bed. The only things to still bring out are the very carefully constructed outfits I'd put together to wear to the courthouse, provided the trial isn't longer than four days but Charlotte had told me she thought 2 would be the most.

Jax laughs, sliding off the bed and crouching beside Doj's head, rubbing his ears "It's okay, we'll come back. And knowing my wife she'll be bringing you back presents just like last time."

Doj's tail thumps on the floor and Jax looks up at me in surprise "Did he understand that?"

I laugh at him as I start folding jeans and shirts into his suitcase, the brand new pairs being set in one side "Probably not, but he understands 'presents' as being treats. Take him down and give him one of those lamb ears from the cupboard. Melissa should be ringing for you shortly. She said about 6."

"Okay. Anything else I need to do?"

I snort "You could put the washing in the machine in the dryer; it's your dark blue plaid shirt you wanted to wear tomorrow and my hoodie."

Jax nods "Sure thing babe. Ma said about 7 at TM for drinks and she'd order pizza for dinner."

I nod, Gemma had sent me a text earlier that day to tell me the same thing, demanding that we be there if only for an hour.