by C. E. Wilson
“I’ll talk to my husband tonight and see what he says about it. Jacob is a cute little boy, and I could always keep an eye on him if he lived with us.”
“Here’s my card. If you decide to adopt him, just give me a call, and I’ll get the papers ready. He deserves to be loved and have a good family.”
John nodded. “I agree with you there.”
Clayton was already home when John got there. Clayton had the papers for the houses spread out on the table. He had picked out a few that he thought would work for them and in the other pile he had ones that might work, but he wanted John to look at the ones he liked first. John looked at all the papers spread out on the table and chuckled.
Clayton looked up at him and smiled. “It seems we have more to choose from than I suspected. I have several piles here. One is a good maybe, and one is ok, maybe, and the other is not maybe. You just have to go through them and see what you like.”
“Let’s have dinner first, and then we will look at them together. There is something that I want to talk to you about before we get into the house. It is a very important idea that is going to take a decision for both of us.”
“That doesn’t sound good, babe. What is it?”
“Let me start dinner, and I’ll talk while I cook. I’m just going to run and change clothes and be right back.”
John ran to change into some sweats and a t-shirt.
Chapter 21
John came into the kitchen, and Clayton had all the papers picked up. He had put on a pot of coffee and was waiting to see what he could do to help John. “We are just going to have a fast dinner tonight. We have a lot to do before bedtime.”
“What can I do to help you?”
“You can pour you a cup of coffee and go sit at the table. You’re in my way.”
Clayton chuckled and leaned in and kissed John on the lips. He got his coffee and went and sat down at the table. “Ok what is so important that you have to talk to me first?”
“I operated on a very small boy. He’s four years old and very small for his age. He had a hole in his heart, and I repaired it, so he is going to be fine, but it is going to take a while to get him to his normal size, but he’ll get there.”
“What does that have to do with us? I mean, I am glad you fixed him, but I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“The little guy is an orphan. He needs a loving home and loving parents.”
“You want to adopt him, don’t you?”
“Well, yes, I thought he could be our first child. The social worker said that he looks enough like me to be mine. She knows I have a husband, and she said that she would give us a highly favorable recommendation. She said to just call her, and she will start the paperwork. Clayton, his foster mother, didn’t even come up there for his surgery. The social worker said she didn’t care about Jacob. She only cared about the checks she was getting for the children she fostered. How can a little boy get by on that? He needs love.”
“Give her a call. I’ll meet you at the hospital after I get off work and we can go see him. I would like to see my son before we actually adopt him.”
John grinned and got her card from his wallet. John called her and told her to start the papers, and they would both be at the hospital at five thirty to sign the papers tomorrow. The social worker was thrilled. She said she would be there and meet them in Jacob’s room.
John made them a salad and heated up some soup and breadsticks. He set it all on the table and then sat down to eat. He called his dad. “Hey Dad, I need a favor. I need Judge Barber to meet us at the hospital here at five thirty to sign some adoption papers on your grandson. His name will be Jacob James Willis. He is in room 602.”
“Oh yes, is it alright if I come with him? I want to make sure he will be there on time. You know he is always late, son.”
“You can come and meet your grandson. He’s four years old, and I did surgery on him this morning. He’s doing just fine now.”
“Ha, you knew why I wanted to come, didn’t you?”
“I know you, Dad. If Mom wants to come too, it’s ok. Just make sure that the judge is there to sign the papers. The social worker will have the papers there for us to sign, and if the judge is there, he will be our son tomorrow. It just speeds things up a little.”
“Oh, he’ll be there. He still owes me some money for that last bet we had. I can’t even remember what we bet on, but he knows he owes me. You know he’s a good friend of mine.”
“That’s why I called you, Dad. I can’t wait for Clayton to meet him tomorrow. He hasn’t met him yet. He just trusts me to say what the little boy is like.”
“That’s a good husband you have there, son. Is he going to file the papers or who is going to do that?”
“The social worker will be there, and she will take care of all that. I just want him to get adopted so he can come home with us instead of going back to his foster family. The foster mother couldn’t bother to be there while Jacob was having surgery.”
“Well, that will be taken care of tomorrow. You know the judge is over family court, so you won’t even have to have a hearing. The adoption will be final tomorrow. I’ll see you there, son.”
“Ok, Dad, thanks.”
They hung up, and Clayton looked over at John. “I take it that Dad is going to be there and make the adoption final tomorrow?”
“Yes, when Jacob is released from the hospital, he will come home with us as our son. I guess we need to find a nanny. Jacob can sleep in our room for a while until we can find a house we like. What did you come up with? Just show me the ones you like.”
Clayton pulled out the yes, maybe pile and handed it to John. They looked at them together and said what they liked and what they didn’t like about each one until they got to one and both agreed that it is the one they wanted. It had five bedrooms and five and a half bathrooms. It had a big yard with a fenced in pool. It had a mother in law cottage out back for the nanny. She would keep the children Monday through Friday and then Clayton and John would have the children on the weekends and of course the evenings. John sat that paper to the side as the one to give his dad. They looked through the rest of them but none of them compared to the one they both liked.
John asked, “Clayton, do you know anything about taking care of a pool?”
“Not a thing. You?”
“Nope, I guess we need to get a pool service to come and take care of it. I don’t even know what you put in it.”
“Then it’s a pool service. I don’t either.”
“So, we need a full-time nanny. Jacob will be out of the hospital in about a week, so we need to have someone to keep him then. I know neither one of us needs to take some time off.”
“Not this year anyway. I already used all my sick time and vacation time. I can take off next year but not this one.”
“I’ll call and put in an ad in the paper. I hope we get something set up or grandma is going to have to come and babysit until we do. Mom should love that.”
“I guess we better make it my mom. Jacob is going to have to eat lunch, and you’re not going to be here to cook. You said your mom can’t boil water.”
“That’s true. She can’t, so I guess it will be his other grandmother if he wants to eat.”
“Since your parents know, I guess I should call mine and let them know. I’m sure they will get hurt feelings if we tell your parents and not mine. I know there is a reason to tell yours, but it won’t make a difference with mine.”
“No, Honey. You should tell your parents. Jacob will be their grandson the same as he will be mine. They need to be a part of his life.”
Clayton nodded and pulled out his phone. He tried to hand it to John, but he just laughed and shook his head. Clayton pulled up his dad’s number and pushed the button. “Hello?”
“Hey, Dad. I’m calling you to tell you and Mom that you're going to be grandparents tomorrow. We are adopting a little boy that is four years old. His name is Jacob James Willis. Or at
least it will be when the judge signs off on it. He will be at the hospital tomorrow and sign the papers. He had a problem, but John did surgery on him today and fixed the hole in his heart now he’s good. I just wanted to tell you and to let Mom know if we can’t find a nanny before he’s released that I need her to babysit Jacob until we can find a live-in nanny.”
“Oh, Mom will love that. When can we meet him?”
“Well, there’s going to be a lot going on tomorrow, and we don’t want him wore out so how about if John and I meet you at the hospital day after tomorrow say at seven and then you can meet Jacob.”
“That sounds great. I can’t wait to tell Mom about it.”
“All right, Dad, we will meet you there day after tomorrow then.”
They hung up, and John said, “What are we going to do about dinner, babe?”
“We are going to meet at the Olive Garden, and I’m going to buy my husband dinner.”
“Since we’re married, I’m going to let you, babe.”
Clayton laughed and hugged John. He couldn’t wait to meet Jacob. “Are you going to tell Jacob tomorrow that we are his new Dads?”
“Yes, I think so. I think he will be happy to know he has two dads. Don’t you think we should tell him?”
“Yeah, I do. I can’t wait to meet him. I can’t wait to hold him in my arms. He’s going to get so much love from us. He’ll think he won the lottery.”
John laughed. “I don’t think he even knows what the lottery is, babe. He’ll be happy that’s for sure.”
They sat and talked about all they had to do to get ready to bring him home. He would need clothes and toys and all the things little boys needed. Clayton started making a list of things they needed to get him.
The next day after work, they met at the hospital in Jacob’s room. Clayton was shocked to see how small he was. He saw John and smiled. John walked to the side of the bed. “Hi, Jacob. How are you feeling today?”
“My chest hurts some, but I’m ok.”
“I want you to meet my husband, Clayton. We’re here to adopt you Jacob, and you will be our son. You have two new dads. What do you think about that?”
“Are you both boys?”
“Yes, sometimes two men get married, and they adopt children, and then they have two dads and no moms. I know that is different than your used to, but it works out good.”
“Are you going to be my new foster dads?”
“No Jacob, not foster dads. Real Dads. You will live with us until you are grown and ready to go to college. We love you and want to show you that we do. You will have a really nice bedroom and will have a nanny to stay with you while Dad and I are at work then as soon as we get off work we will come home and take care of you until the next morning.”
John heard a noise outside in the hall. He scrunched up his nose. “Jacob, I think your grandpa and grandma are here. At least one set of them. You will meet the other set tomorrow evening when we come to visit you.”
The door eased open, and the social worker and the judge came in with John’s parents right behind them. The social worker smiled at Jacob. “I see you have met your new dads. What do you think, Jacob? Do you want to have them as your dads?”
“Yes, if they want me and are going to keep me. Are they going to keep me, Miss Martha?”
“Yes, baby, they are going to keep you forever.”
Jacob smiled and nodded. She pulled the papers out of her briefcase and told John and Clayton where to sign. Then the judge came over and signed as well. She grinned at Jacob. “That’s it, little man. They’re now your dads. When you get ready to go home, you will be going home with them. I’ll go by the foster house and get your things and give them to Dr. Willis, and that will be the end of my involvement.”
“Miss Martha don’t forget the picture of my real mom and dad. I don’t want to lose that.”
“I’ll make sure you have it, sweetie.”
She turned and walked out of the room. Sam came up beside the bed. “Jacob I’m your new grandpa, and this is your new grandma. We can’t wait until you get well, and your daddies bring you up to our house for a cookout.”
Jacob looked at John, and he nodded, so Jacob nodded at Sam. After John’s parents left, they decided to stay until after the visiting hours were over. Then they would stop somewhere for a bite to eat. John sat on one side of the bed, and Clayton sat on the other, and they talked the entire time with Jacob.
When they left the hospital, Clayton stopped and pulled John into his arms. “We are going to have a great life with our son and then maybe a daughter at some point. I thought that maybe we need to adopt a girl so we can give another child a good home.”
“I think that is a good idea, babe.” So that’s what they did.
Note from the Author
Thank you for reading my book. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. Please consider leaving a review. It helps authors get our books out there.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please email me at [email protected]
Thanks
C.E.Wilson
