“Where were you last night?” Stephen asked.
“Um, near our old house off Murphy Court where we grew up.” She picked at the covers. “I was really upset about yesterday, and I drove over there. I don’t even know why I chose that, really. I guess I was just thinking about what our family used to be like.” Her voice sounded a little thick. “And it’s not a bad place to park at overnight. I don’t usually get hassled around there.”
Stephen looked at Austin. “Why did you go there?”
He shrugged. “I dunno.”
“Were you looking for Kellie?”
“Not really. I didn’t think she’d be there but maybe kind of hoped for it? I just … I miss being there sometimes, you know? I was thinking about when I was little and we were all still a family. So I took the bus over there.”
“How did you even know how to get there?” Russ asked.
“Kellie and I used to take the bus there together. When we lived at the place before the Nashes. And a couple of times while we were with them. We’d tell the Nashes we were going to the center, but we’d get on the bus and ride it to our old neighborhood.”
“No one has lived in the house since our mom died,” Kellie said softly. “So sometimes we’d go play on the swing out back. And just pretend everything was back to normal.”
Russ’s heart ached at the thought. “So you went there after you left camp this morning, Austin?”
“Yeah. I was walking from the bus stop to the house when I passed the lot and saw Kellie’s car. I went over to see if she would talk to me.” He bit his lip. “But she was lying on the ground …”
There was a quaver in his voice and Russ’s heart clenched. He was so damn grateful Kellie had woken up. If she hadn’t …
“Kellie, do you know what happened with the attack?”
“The police think it was just a robbery. It’s kind fuzzy, but I don’t think I knew the guy. He stole all the money I had. I keep it stashed under the car seat. He must have been walking by this morning when I pulled it out to add my tips from yesterday and …” Her face crumpled. “He smashed the window, and I remember getting out. I think he shoved me, then grabbed the money and ran when I hit my head. Austin said the money’s all gone.”
Stephen stepped closer to the bed and gave her a sympathetic smile. “I know things were a bit rough yesterday, but if you’re willing to give us another chance, we’d like you to come stay with us for a few days while you recover—”
“Oh, no, Mr. Parker,” she protested.
“Stephen.”
“I can’t.”
“Really, it’s no trouble and—”
“I told Dan I’d stay with him for a while,” she blurted out.
Surprised, Russ glanced at Dan, who offered him a shrug. “I couldn’t stand the thought of her staying in her car either. She needs someone to keep an eye on her while she recovers, and lord knows my home is big enough. I’ve already got four kids and a nanny. What’s one more person in the house?” He gave Kellie a look. “And I’m hoping she’ll stay more than a few days.”
Kellie chewed her lip. “I’m thinking about it.”
“Please, Kellie,” Austin burst out. “I was so scared today. Stay with Dan. You can trust him. I knew something bad was going to happen to you, and it did, and … I can’t—I can’t lose you too.” He lurched up onto the bed and wrapped his arms around her before anyone could stop him.
She held him close, then looked around the room at everyone, and her gaze finally landed on Russ. There was something questioning in her gaze, like she was waiting for him to speak, so despite his intention to keep his damn mouth shut, he quietly said, “If you can’t accept help for yourself, Kellie, do it for Austin.”
A flicker of something, like a sense of understanding passed between them, and she looked down at Austin. “Okay,” she said softly. “I’ll stay until I can get a place of my own.”
Austin hugged his sister tighter, and Russ let out a sigh of relief he didn’t know he’d been holding onto.
It was going to be okay. They all had a long road to go but it was going to be okay.
THIRTY
“We officially have a court date!” Russ said as he hung up the phone.
Austin looked up from his homework. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” Russ grinned back. “It’s about time we make this family official.”
Austin let out a little whoop. “Awesome.”
It hadn’t been an easy time in the months since Kellie’s attack. They’d put thoughts of adoption on hold while they focused on what Austin needed most urgently.
To everyone’s surprise, Kellie had stayed put at Dan’s. The robbery had shaken her up badly enough to admit she needed help and she’d slowly let Dan connect her with some job training. She hadn’t talked about moving out yet, and Russ was glad. Dan seemed content to have her there and Austin was too.
But after Austin made another visit to the prison to talk with his father around Christmas, he’d signed off on the paperwork. And they’d gotten the ball rolling with family court. Now that they had a court date, there were just a few things they needed to discuss.
“There’s one more thing we haven’t talked about,” Stephen said. “For the adoption. Well, three things, actually.”
“Three things?” Austin asked curiously.
“Well, the big one is if you want to change your name.”
“Do I have to?” There was no malice in his voice and his gaze was curious and open.
“No,” Russ assured him. “It’s entirely up to you.”
“If I did, what would I pick? Parker? Or Bishop?” Austin asked.
Russ shrugged. “Either. Both. Whatever suits you. We won’t be offended, whatever you go with, I promise.”
“Both, huh? Austin Parker-Bishop.” He grinned. “That’s kinda fancy-sounding.”
Stephen grinned. “That is fancy. But if you want to stick with Carr, that is okay with us. If you want that link to your biological family, to Kellie, we’ll respect that. Whatever you choose, it doesn’t change anything. You belong in this family no matter what your last name is.”
“Can I think about it?”
“Of course you can,” Russ assured him. “No pressure.”
Austin shot a glance at Stephen. “So that’s one thing. What are the other two?”
“Well, what we’re going to wear for the ceremony. We should decide that.”
Austin rolled my eyes. “Ugh, why does it matter?”
“Because it’s a special occasion,” Stephen said. “We all want to look our best.”
“Ugh. Fine.” Austin made a face. “What else?”
“Would you be okay with us having a party to celebrate after?” Stephen asked.
Austin tilted his head. “What kind of party?”
“We’d come back here after the adoption hearing. And have some friends and family over to celebrate. Nothing too fancy but a celebration of making it legal.”
“I know we’d invite my family,” Russ said. Austin had been a little bit wary with Russ’s dad at Thanksgiving, but once he relaxed, they’d become thick as thieves, which hadn’t surprised Russ or Stephen at all. Alan had promised to teach Austin to fish that coming summer. “Plus, Jeremy, Evan, Dan, Marcus, Kellie, of course.”
“You could invite friends too, if you wanted,” Stephen said. “Anyone from the center, or Toby. A few of your friends from the soccer team, if you want. You don’t have to tell us right away, but give us their names as soon as you can so we can send out invitations and plan a menu. We’ll probably have most of it catered so we don’t have to do too much work that day.”
“You really want to make a big deal about this?” Austin asked curiously.
Russ and Stephen exchanged glances. “Of course,” Stephen said. “It is a big deal. And we didn’t have a chance to celebrate you joining our family, so we thought this might be a nice day to do it.”
“Nobody’s ever made a big deal about me before,” Au
stin said quietly.
“If you don’t want to, that’s okay,” Russ said softly. “We’re excited about this, but if it’s too much for you, we’ll understand.”
He looked up. “No, I do. I just … I didn’t know anyone would want to celebrate me being a part of their family, you know?”
“You belong with us now and we’re proud of that,” Russ said. “Proud of you and calling you ours.”
Austin nodded, his shoulders squaring. “You know what? I think we should have a party.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” He nodded decisively. “I’m something worth celebrating.”
With a laugh, Russ got up to kiss the top of his head. “You sure are.”
“How do you feel about a suit?” Stephen asked that following weekend when they were standing in his favorite menswear store.
Austin eyeballed the nearby rack dubiously. “They look uncomfortable.”
“If they fit well, they aren’t,” Stephen said. “But if they’re not your style, may I suggest a nice pair of trousers with a shirt and vest?” He snagged one off the rack and held it out.
Austin made a face. “I guess.”
“At least try it on. It isn’t fair to judge it until you give it a shot.”
“Yeah, okay.”
“Come on, I’ll help you pick out a few more to try.” After consulting with Austin on what his favorite colors were and which he absolutely hated, Stephen selected a few possibilities. Austin took them with a resigned sigh, then disappeared into the changing room. He emerged a short while later with a little swagger. “Hey, I look pretty good in this.” He turned to face the full-length mirror and grinned at himself.
Stephen grinned too. “Very smart. May I adjust the vest a little? The sides can be taken in so it isn’t quite so baggy on you.” Austin had grown in height but not much around the middle, so he was very lean right now.
“Sure.” Austin craned his neck as Stephen stepped up behind him and pinched the fabric between his thumb and two fingers to show him how it would look taken in. Austin nodded. “Oh yeah, that’s better.”
“I think so. What do you think Russ?”
“It looks great,” he said with a smile. “You happy with that, Austin?”
“I think so.” Austin craned his neck to look at Stephen. “So do we need a smaller size or what?”
Stephen looked him over. “No, the length is good, and it fits well everywhere else. There’s a tailor here who can take it in. Norman will mark it, pin it, and sew it. We’ll come back a little later to try everything on to be sure it’s perfect.”
“Huh. Cool.”
But Austin quickly grew bored as Stephen and Russ shopped, so he retreated to a big leather chair near the dressing rooms to play on his phone while the tailor pinned Stephen’s hem. “What’s the special occasion, Stephen?” Norman asked. He’d been with the store as long as Stephen could remember. “I know you and Russ are already married.”
“An adoption ceremony,” Stephen said proudly. “Austin’s legally becoming a part of our family.”
The tailor glanced over at Austin, who was laughing as he showed Russ something on his phone screen. “Looks to me like it’s a formality at this point.”
“Oh, it is,” Stephen agreed. “But there’s something to be said for making a fuss about it. I didn’t get the point of a wedding at first, but I don’t think this is so different. It’s telling the world how much someone matters to you.”
As Norman helped Russ get fitted for his suit, Austin wandered over to the counter and peered down at the rows of velvet cases holding jewelry.
“What are those?” Austin asked, pointing to something.
Stephen walked over and took a peek. “They’re called cufflinks. Rather than use a button to close your shirt sleeve, you put that in.”
“They’re pretty.”
“Would you like a pair?” Stephen turned to look at him. “You’d need a different style of shirt—one with French cuffs—but if you’d like, we could get some.”
“There’s so many to choose from,” Austin said. He pointed to the monogrammed ones. “What are those with the letters?”
Stephen explained they were people’s initials and Austin bit his lip as he considered them. “I want one of those. And I want it to be for Austin Parker-Bishop, if that’s okay.”
“Yeah?” Stephen asked, his voice suddenly rough. “That’s definitely okay with me if that’s what you want.”
Russ, who had walked up a few minutes ago, slid his arm around Stephen’s waist and squeezed Austin’s shoulder. “I like the sound of that too.”
“Cool.”
Stephen leaned in and kissed Russ’s temple, then the top of Austin’s head—he seemed to be growing taller by the day so that was getting harder to do—and closed his eyes for a second, overwhelmed by the love he had for them both.
Austin fidgeted in his seat. They weren’t the only ones in family court today. It was nicer than the times he’d been there before though. Usually the judges were super serious, but Judge Delgado had been smiling all day as he talked about adoption.
He talked a lot, but at least it was about good stuff.
Austin’s mind wandered and he glanced over at Kellie, who beamed at him. She looked good. She’d cut her hair off to her chin and it was all red now like his. Her eyes were blue and kinda shiny, and he had to look away or she’d make him cry.
She’d promised she was happy for him although he knew the idea of him changing his name bugged her a little. His bio dad had looked sad too. But it seemed right because he kinda felt like a different person. He felt happy.
Kellie was doing good at her new job as a receptionist at a salon, and she’d told him she was going to take classes to become a hairstylist. Now that she was living with Dan, he got to see her a lot more too and she seemed happy there, playing with the baby and the twins.
Marcus was there a lot too, and Austin was pretty sure he and Dan were dating even though they both totally denied it.
School wasn’t so bad this year. He’d been surprised to see Toby in a couple of his classes. They hung out a lot when Austin wasn’t at soccer practice or Toby wasn’t at drama practice.
Austin glanced at him now. He gave him a big smile and thumb’s up, and Austin grinned back.
Toby had whistled when he saw Austin with his vest and French cuffs with the cufflinks with APB on them. Austin’s ears had gone hot, and he thought Toby looked pretty good in his suspenders and shiny shoes too, but he got too tongue-tied to say anything.
And now Russ nudged him to pay attention, and he looked at Judge Delgado again.
“Stephen Parker and Russ Bishop, do you wish to adopt Austin into your family today?”
“Yes, Your Honor,” they both said on either side of him. They both wrapped their arms around his back. They hugged him a lot these days. All the time, really, but he didn’t mind so much anymore.
“Austin, do you want Stephen and Russ to become your parents?”
“Yes, Your Honor,” he said. And he was proud that his voice came out strong.
“Then by the authority vested in me by the State of Georgia, I pronounce you a family.”
Before Austin could blink, Russ and Stephen had squashed him between them and he hugged them both back. Because all he’d ever wanted, for as long as he could remember, was someone to hold on and not let go.
And this time, he knew he’d found it.
“Oh my God.” Russ wiped his eyes. “This is getting ridiculous. I didn’t cry this much when we got married.”
“You’re getting sappy in your old age,” Stephen murmured.
“Like you should talk,” he protested. “I saw you after the judge signed the paperwork.”
“You’re both ridiculous,” Austin said with a sigh. “I’m glad I wasn’t at your wedding.”
“We could always renew our vows sometime,” Russ teased. “Make you put up with us being all mushy.”
“Ugh, please no,
” he moaned. “You making out in the kitchen is bad enough.”
Stephen chuckled.
“I’m going to get food,” Austin said. “You can do whatever you want.”
“Hey,” Stephen gently caught his arm. “I love you, Austin.”
He turned back. “I love you too, Dad.”
Stephen bit his lip like he always did when Austin said that, but when he turned to Russ he was holding out his arms. Austin sighed but hugged Russ back. “And you, other Dad.”
“You sure we can’t come up with a different name?” Russ said with a hopeful look. “Papa?”
Austin shook his head.
“Fine. Other Dad it is,” he said with a big sigh.
“See, I told you they were both melodramatic,” Stephen said to Evan as he walked up.
Evan laughed. “Well, what do you expect? They’re family.”
Austin had to turn away again because sometimes it didn’t seem real. He kept waking up, expecting to be back with the Nashes. They hadn’t been bad or anything. Just busy, with other kids to take care of, all of that stuff. But this, this was where he belonged.
“Congratulations, little man,” Jeremy said to him as he walked up to the kitchen counter. It was covered in food, so he piled some on a plate. “Pretty spiffy look you have going on today. I see your new dads are a good influence on your sense of style.”
“Thanks.” Austin grinned. “You’re gonna have to step up your game if you’re going to hang out with us.”
Jeremy threw his head back and laughed. “I sure am.”
Just as they were about to walk away, Jeremy stopped him. “I’m happy for you, Austin.”
“Thanks.” He grinned at Jeremy. “I’m happy for me too.”
“How’s the new job going?” Stephen asked Jeremy half an hour later. The party was going well, all of their guests were mingling around the apartment, enjoying drinks and food.
“Great. I love it.” Jeremy grinned. “I still owe you for that killer letter of reference.”
“I didn’t say anything I didn’t mean,” Stephen said.
Full Balance (The Peachtree Series Book 3) Page 34
