Chapter 22

The soft glow of the sunset bathed the Eucliffe's living room, alighting a warm ambiance in every corner. They sat together on the couch, sharing a quiet moment after dinner to find comfort in each other's embrace.

Yukino shifted slightly, her eyes fixed on the dimming sky outside the window. After her conversation with Lucy from a few weeks ago, Yukino knew they needed to talk, but she had been putting it off because of her own insecurities. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do.

After a moment of contemplative silence, she turned to Sting, her gaze determined yet vulnerable. "Sting, there's something I've been thinking about."

Sting looked at her with an easy grin, curiosity sparkling in his eyes. "What's on your mind, Yukino?"

She took a deep breath, her fingers tracing an absent pattern on the armrest. "Lucy called me the other day."

"Oh yeah? What did she want?" he asked as he fished for the remote to turn on the lacrima screen.

"Well, she…" Yukino started, trying to find a way to push through the lump in her throat. She was struggling to word what she wanted to say, and the reminder of their loss was, by itself, too much to bear.

"She just wanted to check on me, see how we are doing with all of our… issues," she finally said. Sting pretended not to see her look away to wipe away a tear, and for that, she was thankful.

"Oh," Sting replied, his voice heavy with grief. He put down the remote, no longer having any interest in the TV. He hated thinking about their fertility struggles. They wanted a child so badly, but unfortunately they hadn't been lucky.

"She also told me something interesting?" she started, sounding uneasy.

"What's that?" he asked again, curious and intrigued. He watched as Yukino contemplated her words.

"Well, before I tell you, this has to stay between us. Lucy told me not to tell anyone but you," Yukino finally whispered.

"Okay," said Sting, almost impatiently. "So what is it?"

"Natsu's sister Wendy is pregnant," Yukino confessed.

"What?" exclaimed Sting, his eyes widening. "Isn't she like 16?"

Yukino nodded. She waited for some time to pass so he could process the huge news.

"Well, why did she tell you?" Sting asked as he was getting more confused.

"Well…" Yukino started, "She wanted me to know that Wendy and Romeo are considering adoption, and she wanted to suggest us as potential parents."

A tension filled the room at this pronouncement. Sting stayed silent for a moment before speaking.

"Do you think they will go through with it?" he asked.

"They might, but how do you feel about adoption?" she countered.

"Yukino, I was adopted. I loved my dads, and I wouldn't change my life for anything in the world. This could be our chance to finally have a child."

"But it's not our child Sting, it's Romeo and Wendy's, and it will always be theirs," Yukino said.

"Yukino… Blood doesn't make a family. Wendy and Romeo can't raise this child like adults can," Sting said, trying to appeal to her logical side, even if it hurts. "If they are seriously interested in adoption, I'm open to it."

"I just wanted to carry our child so badly," she said mournfully.

"I know," said Sting, steeling himself for the words he has to say, "but maybe we're not meant to have a biological child. Maybe this is our path."

"Maybe," said Yukino. "I'll call Lucy and see if they have decided."

"How about we call them tonight, together?" he asked excitedly. He yearned for this with all his heart. A chance at their own child.

"Okay," said Yukino nervously. Slowly, she pulled out her lacrima and dialed the number for a video chat.

Lucy picked up and smiled softly. "Hi, Yukino," she said. She looked like she was dressed for and sitting in bed. Yukino moved the device so she could also see Sting. "Oh, Sting, I didn't see you there. Hello!"

"Hey, Lucy," he greeted with a wave.

"Well, what's up? I assume you have a reason for calling?" Lucy asked, her eyebrow raised knowingly.

"Yeah, we wanted to talk to you about Wendy and Romeo," Yukino revealed.

"Oh," Lucy said, sounding mildly surprised. "What about them?"

"Have they made a decision?" Sting blurted out. He hadn't wanted to be so loud, but he couldn't help his excitement.

Lucy smiled. "Yeah, they have," she said. "They want to put the baby up for adoption."

"Really?" asked Sting, his eyes growing wide at the prospect.

"Yes, they realized they can't give this child the life it deserves and want the child to be raised by parents who can provide that stability for them."

Yukino started picking at her nails as Sting spoke for them both. "Well, we talked, and we're interested in adopting the baby," he said. "We would love to speak to Romeo and Wendy about it."

"Yeah, well, let me see if Romeo is still here," she said, getting up. "I laid down after putting Nashi down, but we had dinner together earlier so he might still be here."

Lucy set her lacrima down and headed to Wendy's room, finding it empty. She walked downstairs and saw Macao and Natsu on the couch. "Where's Romeo and Wendy?" she asked, while scanning the room.

"In the kitchen," replied Macao. "We're about to leave, but I figured we could let them say goodbye privately."

Lucy sighed. "Well, I need them to come with me for a bit. It will only be a few minutes."

"Why?" asked Macao as he stood up. He looked and sounded concerned.

"Sting and Yukino called to tell me that they are interested in adopting and they wanted to talk to Wendy and Romeo," she said. Soon after, Lucy entered the kitchen and saw Romeo kissing Wendy passionately. She cleared her throat to make her presence known, causing them to break apart instantly.

"We're sorry, Lucy, we were just…" Wendy started, her stutter getting more pronounced as she tried to fix her mistake.

Lucy rolled her eyes and laughed. "It's fine, just come with me."

They followed Lucy to her room, looking curious. "Why? What's going on?"

"Sting and Yukino called, and they want to speak with you," Lucy whispered, trying to impart to them the importance of this moment with a gentle squeeze to their arms. As they entered the room, Lucy grabbed the lacrima and put it where they could all be seen.

"Sorry, that took a minute, but here they are," she said. "I will let y'all talk in private."

As Lucy left the room, the older couple spoke, saying, "Hi Romeo, Wendy… I hope you don't mind but Lucy told us about your situation. How far along are you?"

"About three months," Wendy replied. She clenched her hand to stop herself from touching her stomach.

"And you're interested in adoption?" Sting asked. He wanted them to be sure about their decision.

"Yes," said Wendy as she held Romeo's hand. "We want to give our child the best life. Lucy also mentioned you might be okay with an open adoption, where we can still play a part in the baby's life."

Yukino looked up at that. "What kind of involvement would you want?" she asked, sounding hesitant and wary.

"Just to see pictures, maybe visit on their birthday. You don't have to tell them who we are until you think they're ready, but we would like to just know how they're doing," said Romeo.

Sting and Yukino looked at each other and then nodded. "That sounds simple enough. We can do that."

"So, do you want to adopt our baby?" Wendy asked, hope blooming in her chest once more.

Sting smiled and looked at Yukino. She knew what he wanted and if she were being honest with herself, the more she thought about it, the more she realized Sting was right: blood doesn't make a family. She nodded.

"We would love to," Sting said, grinning in pure happiness.

Romeo and Wendy looked at each other and smiled. "That works for us," she said.

Sting and Yukino could barely keep their composure; finally, their prayers were answered. "We are so excited. Thank you. You have no idea how happy your decision has made us. Please keep us updated throughout your pregnancy."

"I will," Wendy said as they hung up.

She looked at Romeo, who had been kinda quiet, and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he said, placing his hand on her stomach. "I knew this would happen. I just wish it didn't have to be this way."

"Me too," said Wendy, sounding as desolate as Romeo felt.

They left the room and walked downstairs, where Natsu, Lucy, and Macao waited. "What did they say?" asked Lucy.

"They're gonna adopt our baby," Wendy said.

"That's great, Wendy," Lucy said. "I'm so proud of you both for handling this in such a mature way."

"This is probably the best outcome for this situation," Macao said. "You get to help a struggling couple expand their family."

Macao stood and started walking toward the door when Lucy said, "You should tell the guild soon… I know it'll be difficult, but you're starting to show, and you won't be able to hide it much longer."

Wendy and Romeo nodded. The couple knew they would have to announce it soon, so they might as well bite the bullet tomorrow. It's going to be a hectic day for the couple.