I hold the box in my hands, staring at it like it will bite me.
I don’t know why I’m nervous to open this.
Slowly, I untie the bow, open the box, and push away the folded tissue paper when my heart stops, and my hand flies to my mouth in shock.
“W-Wh…” I mumble, unable to speak through the lump in my throat.
I take the papers out of the box and hold them in my shaky hands, scanning the words repeatedly.
The State of New York.
Petition for Adoption of Minor
Claudina Rosa Morales Davenport… Juliette Brigitte Caldwell
“Oh my god, is this…” I cry. “You want me to adopt Claudina?” I turn to look at Harrison through my tears.
He nods, blinking back tears himself. “We all do.” He points to some of the paperwork. “All you need to do is sign, and our lawyer will file for us. It will be a process, but it’s what we all want.”
I glance around, and there is not a dry eye in the room. When my eyes connect with Seb, I linger there, silently asking if he’s okay with this.
He nods, and I don’t miss his lips turning up in a slight grin. This breaks my resolve, and I sob into my hands and throw myself into Harrison’s body.
I’ve never felt like I do now. This is true happiness.
I wipe my tears on Harrison’s shirt, then stand up and hug Nate, Leo, and Seb, lingering with my arms around him a second more than the others.
We haven’t spoken since the wedding, but his agreement on this means everything. “Thank you,” I whisper, and he squeezes me lightly in response.
I take a deep breath and look around the room, and I notice the rest of the crew in the doorway, all crying and smiling.
Interlocking my fingers with Harrison’s, using him as my strength to calm my emotions before I address our family.
“I am so touched by the trust you have extended by asking me to adopt our precious Claudina, my sugar plum. It means the world to me that you have the confidence in me as a parent.” I pause and take a breath. “I have always loved Claud as my own, and I will continue to love and care for her for the rest of my life. Not a day will go by where I won’t include Camila in our life. That’s my promise to you. By adopting Claudina, she will now always have two moms who have and will always put her first.”
Things felt like they couldn’t get any better…until now.
Twelve Years Later
“What’s that noise?” Colette asks Harry.
“Mom’s crying.”
Colette’s hand reaches up to touch my arm. “Are you okay, Mommy?”
Harrison’s worried eyes turn to mine while I can hear the panic in Colette’s voice.
I reach back and take my sensitive girl’s hand, giving her a reassuring squeeze. “I’m okay, sweetie. Today is an emotional day.”
“What is it?” Harrison whispers.
I hesitate to tell him. He thinks it’s strange that I do this. “I was thinking of Claud, and then I was talking to Camila.”
He holds my eyes, and for the first time, I think he wants to know what about.
“I was telling her she’d be so proud of our girl. That Claud’s living her dream and never gave up hope. That she’s grown into a beautiful woman that I’m so incredibly proud of, and now she’s in Paris performing for the world to see.”
He smiles sadly. “She knows,” he whispers, then places his hand over his butterfly tattoos. “I’ve never felt this. It’s like my heart hurts but in the best way possible.”
