As he joined their bodies, she sighed from the bone-deep pleasure she could find only with him.
“This week,” he said, “we’ll roll out our mental health initiative, officially welcome Elijah and the twins to the family and then finally have that spa getaway you got me for Christmas.”
“It’s already the best week ever, and it’s only just begun.”
Epilogue
On Friday morning at ten o’clock, the Cappuano and Armstrong families appeared before Family Court Judge Denton Seawall to officially complete the adoptions of Elijah, Aubrey and Alden.
While Scotty was thrilled to have a second day off that week, he was more thrilled to have siblings he got to keep forever.
“Mr. President, Mrs. Cappuano and Scotty,” Judge Seawall said, “it is my great honor to finalize the adoptions of Elijah, Aubrey and Alden Armstrong into your loving family. I hope you all will have many years of great happiness together as you go forward.” He brought down his gavel. “This matter is concluded.”
Sam hadn’t expected to cry, but after the heartbreaking infertility battles of the past, she couldn’t contain the emotional reaction to becoming a mother to four beautiful kids who could never be taken away from them. As she hugged each of them, she said a silent prayer of thanks to whatever higher power had decided she was good enough to be their mother and vowed to love and protect them for the rest of her life.
“Congratulations,” her daughter-in-law, Candace, said. “Elijah is thrilled to have this done.”
“We’re thrilled, too.”
Nick’s communications team had prepared a release to announce the news of the adoptions that would go live as soon as he gave the go-ahead. “Are we good to release the statement?” he asked after they’d posed for photos with the judge.
Elijah had been tasked with sending one of the photos to Christina to accompany the news.
“Good to go,” Eli said after he sent the text.
Nick then sent a text to Christina to release the statement as he and Sam exhaled a collective sigh of relief that nothing had happened at the last minute to derail their plans. They’d been fending off efforts by the twins’ maternal grandparents, aunt and uncle to get at their money through the kids for as long as they’d lived together. To know that was now over was a huge load off their minds.
They returned to the White House for a celebratory lunch in the East Room with their extended family, including Tracy, Ethan, Abby, Angela, Jack, Ella, Celia, Brenda, Shelby, Noah and Maisie as well as Nick’s dad, Leo, his wife, Stacy, and their sons, Brock and Brayden. Mike had been invited but hadn’t come. Tracy said she hadn’t talked to him in days, and Angela said he hadn’t had much to say to her either.
They’d let the twins choose the menu, which was how they’d ended up dining on chicken tenders, grilled cheese, french fries and milkshakes.
It was the best lunch Sam and Nick had ever had.
They were enjoying ice cream sundaes for dessert when Christina ducked into the room to whisper in Nick’s ear. He went completely rigid, which put Sam on alert for trouble.
“What’s wrong?”
“The twins’ grandparents are reacting—badly—to the news of their adoption. They’re accusing us of a craven effort to control the billions of dollars their parents left them.”
“What?” Elijah said. “Did I just hear you say…”
“You heard me right,” Nick said.
“Could I make a statement to put a stop to this once and for all?” Eli asked.
Sam had never seen the young man look so furious. She placed a hand on Nick’s arm. “Let him. It needs to come from him.”
“Are you sure?” Nick asked Eli.
“Never been surer in my life.”
“We’ll go with you,” Sam said.
She whispered to Tracy and Angela to tell them what was going on and asked them to take the twins back to the residence when they were done with their ice cream.
“We’ve got them,” Tracy said.
Sam, Nick, Eli and Candace told the kids they’d meet them upstairs in a few minutes and walked to the briefing room, where Christina waited for them with the press, who’d been told the president would be making a statement.
