Christmas With The Houstons (Acceptance #4)

by D. Kelly

  “So what now?” she asks as she lightly runs her hand over my chest, finally landing on my heart.

  “I was thinking maybe I could invest in Marc’s sex clubs. It could be pretty hot to go try out the rooms.”

  “Jake Houston!”

  I fucking love messing with her.

  “Just kidding… well, maybe. Over the next few weeks, I’m transitioning out of the company and the new CFO is starting Monday. He’ll work with me getting to know everyone and see how we run things. The best part is everyone keeps their jobs if they want them. Dad and Connor want me with you as soon as possible since Jaxson will be here soon. Connor is going to pick up all of the slack until the end of the year when he is officially out, too.”

  “Are you really okay with this? It’s a huge change, Jake, and we don’t have any kind of fallback plan for something like this.”

  “I’ll need time to adjust and to figure out what’s next, but I think I want to do something different. Something good. Maybe volunteer in some way or start our own foundation.”

  “Well, it’s not like we don’t have the money for it,” she remarks dryly.

  “About that…”

  “Please don’t tell me we’re broke, Jake. Not after I just quit my job.”

  Laughing, I place a kiss on her forehead and then cup her chin and tip her head up so her eyes meet mine.

  “Hardly. If we weren’t set before, we are now. Dad split the sale with us. Connor and I are worth triple what we were before.”

  “Triple?” she squeaks.

  “Yup, now you see why I want to do something good with the money?”

  Her eyes soften and a smile plays across her lips.

  “You’ve always been meant to do something good, Jake. You’re one of the first people to offer help to someone when they’re in need. It’s exactly why you couldn’t look the other way when Hannah wanted to chat you up. Lots of potential foster parents only pay attention to the child they’re taking. Instead, you gave her your attention. It’s probably a good thing they were the only kids there or we might need a much bigger house.”

  “I don’t know about that.”

  She places her finger over my lips to hush me. “You’ve got a heart of gold, Jake Houston, and it’s my favorite part of you so don’t pretend it doesn’t exist.”

  “I thought your favorite part of me was my co—”

  “Don’t finish that sentence or you’re going to ruin this moment,” she commands.

  Commanding April is sexy as fuck.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Much better,” she says, kissing me again.

  “So what do you want to do today?”

  “Can we please figure out what to do about the girls’ bedrooms?”

  “Nothing. I know you’re excited, babe, but we need to ride this out and make sure they’re really ours and then let them pick everything their hearts desire. In the meantime, since you completely vetoed the idea of a baby shower, how about we finish shopping for Jaxson and his nursery instead?”

  “You’re right. I’m just excited and I don’t want to accept there’s a chance we won’t get them. Those girls are ours, Jake, I can feel it. Shopping for Jaxson sounds good. Let’s get ready and go.”

  “I feel it, too, babe. We just have to wait it out.”

  I’m as anxious as she is to finally have the girls here with us but at the same time, maybe it’s not a bad thing it’s taking so long. With the way things are going at work and how busy I’ll be the next few weeks, it would be hard for me to give them the attention they deserve right now.

  “By the way, my dad was eavesdropping on me and Connor. He knows about the girls, so you need to tell your parents.”

  “No worries,” she says, popping a kiss on my cheek. “I was going to tell them tonight at dinner, anyway.”

  April

  The day before Thanksgiving

  Yesterday was Jake’s last day of work and he’s been pouting ever since he came home. The only time he lightened up at all was when we finished our last Lamaze class. We still haven’t received the okay to foster Mia and Hannah and I’m getting anxious.

  I wanted so much to have time to bond with them before Jaxson makes his entrance, which according to my doctor, could be any day now. I’m dilated at one but she says it’s not uncommon to be that way for a few weeks. She cautioned it’s also not uncommon to go from one to ten in a few hours.

  When I first found out I was pregnant, they thought my due date would be Christmas Day. Jaxson would have made a great gift but I really wasn’t looking forward to spending Christmas in the hospital. About a month later, they adjusted my due date to December tenth—today is November twenty-fifth. It’s hard to believe I could give birth at any time, but I’m still holding on to hope he’ll stay in a bit longer so we can get his sisters settled first.

  “You’re making pies?” Jake asks, and a smile finally lights up his face.

  “I wanted to do something to make you happy. Besides, since your parents are hosting tomorrow for everyone, including my entire family, I figured it was the least I could do.”

  Jake stalks over to the cinnamon-sugar mixture I use to coat the pumpkin pie crusts and pulls me close. He leans close and licks my neck then sprinkles some of the sugar on me. Warmth floods my body as he sucks it off with his tongue.

  “Mmm,” he whispers in my ear, “I’d rather eat you and I know exactly where I want to spread some more of this sugar. Come on.” He pulls my hand and grabs the plate when the phone rings.

  “Let it go to voicemail,” he demands, but I pull back.

  “Sorry, it will just take a minute. I’m supposed to watch Haven and Lucas for Kate and Daniel so they can go Christmas shopping. I’ll tell them to give me a few minutes.”

  “Tell them to give you an hour. I want to take my time with you.”

  I grab the phone and spin around to turn off the oven as I answer. No need to pre-heat it just yet.

  “Hey, Kate.”

  “I’m sorry, is this Mrs. Houston?” a voice asks from the other end of the phone. Shit, I just assumed it was Kate; I didn’t even look at the caller ID.

  “Yes, it is. Can I help you?”

  “Oh, good. I’m so glad I was able to reach you before the holiday. Mrs. Houston, this is Mrs. Bass from the Department of Children and Family Services. I wanted to let you know your application has been approved and you can pick up Mia Ramos and Hannah Smith from Denise Robinson today. I’m available to meet you there in an hour or later this afternoon to talk to the girls about their placement with you and have you and your husband sign the rest of the paperwork.”

  Oh my God.

  It’s really happening.

  “Yes, one hour works fine. Thank you, Mrs. Bass. Thank you very much.”

  “You’re welcome, see you soon.”

  When I turn around with a massive smile on my face, Jake immediately knows.

  “We’re getting them today?”

  Nodding emphatically. “Yes, we’re getting them today!”

  “Come on, we only have an hour, let’s go. I’ll call Kate from the car.”

  “Not so fast,” he says as he pulls me into his embrace.

  “Jake, come on, we have to go.”

  “No, take a minute and soak this in because in an hour, we’re going to be parents. You’re going to be a mom.”

  “And you’re going to be a dad, Jake, the best one ever.”

  “Feel like doing some shopping today?” he asks with a shit-eating grin on his face.

  “Feel like helping me bake all those pies when we’re done?” He looks to the kitchen and at all the supplies spread out over the counter and then back to me.

  “Uh, no. You’ll be too tired after the day we’re going to have to bake pies for forty people, April. As much as I love you, tonight needs to be spent spoiling and loving our girls.”

  “Good point, but they could help?”

  I’m grasping at straws because I don’t want t
o let everyone down tomorrow. Thanksgiving pies are a big deal.

  “How about we go to as many restaurants or stores as it takes and let the girls pick out all the pies for tomorrow? I’m sure they’ll be excited about it and it will save you the trouble.”

  “That sounds like a great idea.”

  “Good.”

  “Jake?”

  “Yes, my love?” He kisses me softly and my heart flutters.

  “Can we please go get our girls now?”

  “Absolutely, let’s go.”

  Once we’re in the car, I call Kate. I feel bad for not being able to watch the kids but this isn’t something I could help.

  “Hey, April! Ready to watch my monsters?” Daniel questions with a laugh.

  “Actually, I’m sorry, but I have to cancel.”

  “No problem, I’ll just ask Mike. Is something wrong? Are you in labor?”

  “What? April’s in labor?” Kate calls out from somewhere in the background and it makes me laugh. Everyone is on baby watch all of a sudden.

  “No, I’m not in labor. We got the call, Daniel.”

  “You’re picking up the girls? Today?”

  “They’re getting the girls today? Oh my God!” Kate squeals and I can just picture her doing a happy dance.

  “Yeah, so we’ll see you guys tomorrow at Thanksgiving, okay?”

  “No problem. Congratulations, you guys.”

  “Thanks.”

  After I hang up the phone, Jake laughs. “I could hear Kate squealing from here and I wasn’t even on the phone.”

  “Neither was she,” I tell him, and he laughs even harder.

  “Do you think they’ll be surprised?”

  “I think they will be. We’ve been careful not to get their hopes up.” His reply is diplomatic but I want more.

  “Do you think they’ll be happy?”

  Please say yes.

  “I hope so,” he whispers as he takes my hand in his.

  There’s absolutely no traffic today so we arrive a few minutes early. Both girls are sitting on the porch with Denise, looking cute as can be. When we get out of the car, they come running up to us.

  “Jake!” Mia calls out as Hannah screams loudly, “April, did you hear we’re moving today? Someone wants to pre-adopt us!”

  “Both of us together!” Hannah squeals excitedly.

  “What’s pre-adopt?” The confusion on Mia’s face is unmistakable.

  “Pre-adoption or a pre-adoptive family is a person or couple who wants to take you to their home and get to know you so eventually you can all be a forever family. It takes about a year, sometimes two, before an adoption can become final and that’s why it’s called pre-adoption.”

  Mia’s confused features disappear now that she understands a little bit better. It’s hard to explain to a five-year-old.

  Since the social worker isn’t here yet, I don’t want to say anything more. I don’t know Mrs. Bass and don’t know how she likes to work her cases. As soon as this was moved to a pending potential adoption, they reassigned Marie because we’re friends.

  “That’s really good news, you guys. We’re happy for you.”

  Jake follows my lead and keeps his mouth shut.

  “Did you come over to say goodbye to us?” Mia asks sweetly.

  “Something like that,” Jake answers with a smile.

  “I hope our new mommy and daddy will be nice like you. Can you stay and meet them?”

  Oh, Hannah, you have no idea how much you just filled my heart with joy.

  “We’d love to,” Jake and I answer in unison, and they giggle like it’s the funniest thing in the world.

  A woman has just parked her car and is walking toward us. I’m sure this is Mrs. Bass.

  “Will we still be able to meet Jaxson?” Hannah asks loudly with her hand on my belly.

  “Who’s Jaxson?” Mrs. Bass asks with a knowing smile.

  “He’s April and Jake’s new baby,” Mia answers for her.

  “I’m sure something can be arranged,” she tells the girls with a wink. I like her; she’s got good vibes oozing from her pores.

  “Did you hear that, April? We can still see Jaxson!” Hannah is so excited to meet this baby, it’s almost like she knows he’s going to be a big part of her life.

  “Why don’t we all go inside and talk?” Mrs. Bass opens the door and the girls run to the dining table and sit down, grinning ear to ear. Next to the front door are two suitcases, packed and ready to go.

  This is really happening.

  Jake squeezes my hand under the table and doesn’t let go. The smile on his face hasn’t left since we got the call. Considering how down in the dumps he’s been since last night, I know this was exactly what he needed to be ready to embark on this new part of our lives.

  “Mia and Hannah, I know the two of you really enjoy staying with Mrs. Robinson.”

  The both nod solemnly. This must be somewhat scary for them.

  “We’ve been working hard to find you parents who’d like to give you a pre-adoptive home with hopes of it becoming your forever home. Sometimes the families aren’t a good fit and you have to start over in foster care. In this case, I don’t foresee this happening but I need to tell you it is a possibility. Do you understand?”

  “Yes,” they reply softly in unison.

  “So we’d come back to Mrs. Robinson?” Hannah asks curiously.

  “If Mrs. Robinson had room, then in all likelihood, yes. But if not, you’d go to a different temporary foster home while we looked for new pre-adoptive parents. Does that make sense?”

  They both nod their heads but they don’t look as happy as they did a few minutes ago. I don’t blame them; it’s a scary discussion to have, especially when you’re so young and don’t fully grasp the enormity of the situation.

  “Good. It’s important you give your new home a chance. Your new parents are very excited to meet you and can’t wait to bring you home. You’ve both made an impression on them and that is why they’ve decided to take both of you.”

  Mia scrunches up her nose in confusion.

  “Mrs. Bass, we haven’t met anyone to make an impression.”

  She’s smart as can be and I’m relieved to know they really didn’t have a clue Jake and I were interested. It means we never got their hopes up.

  “Mia, Hannah, you have met them. Mr. and Mrs. Houston would like to be your forever parents. If the pre-adoptive trial works out,” she cautions sternly, but it falls on deaf ears; they’re already excited.

  Hannah jumps up and runs to Jake. He releases my hand to catch her when she jumps in his lap.

  “It’s true? You want to be my new daddy?”

  “With all my heart,” he answers, and I can’t help it; I’m crying. It’s the most precious thing ever.

  Mia stands next to me and reaches her arms out for a hug. She’s so timid but it’s what makes her adorable.

  “You’re going to be our new mommy?”

  “If you’ll let me, I’d love to try and I know Jaxson would really like some sisters to play with.”

  “Jaxson would be our baby brother. We’d get to see him all the time, Mia!”

  “We really get to come home to your house today?” She’s taking her time processing all of this information. She’s been here such a short time compared to Hannah and the only home she’s ever known is right across the street.

  “You would, and as soon as we leave here we were going to take you shopping so you can pick out what you want for your rooms… or room, if you want to share,” Jake says, trying to get her excited. Hannah is still clutching on to him for dear life. I don’t think I could pry her off if I tried.

  She nods and a smile finally breaks out across her face. “Can we come back and visit Mrs. Robinson?”

  “Of course we will. She’s taken really good care of you both and we know she’d like to see you two grow up.”

  “I’d like visits very much. I always like to keep in touch with my kids once they
find their forever families.”

  “Alright, girls, why don’t you go with Mrs. Robinson and take a look around, make sure you didn’t forget anything. I’ve got a few things to go over with your new parents.”

  Hannah kisses Jake on the cheek and hops down and Mia follows them into the other room.

  “Do you have booster seats in the car?” Mrs. Bass directs her question at Jake, almost as if testing his knowledge.

  “Yes, ma’am, they are in the trunk just waiting to be snapped in.”

  “Good answer. You’ll have some home visits coming up over the next few months. Some will be scheduled and some will be surprise visits. The girls’ progress at school will be monitored and we’ll keep an eye out for anything we might consider a red flag.”

  Jake looks nervous and this time I squeeze his hand under the table.

  “This is all precautionary, Mr. Houston. We have to do this with all families. My first impression is rarely wrong and considering your strong community ties, along with the fact your wife was a social worker until just recently, I’m sure none of this will be more than a formality.”

  We spend the next few minutes going over documents and signing a few forms before she stands and shakes our hands.

  “Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Houston, you’re starting the beginning of a beautiful family today. Good luck.”

  “Thank you,” we reply as she excuses herself to talk to the girls and Denise.

  “This is happening, Jake, it’s really happening.” My tears are falling freely but I don’t even care. Most women cry when they have children, but today I’m getting two. Even Jake’s eyes are misting. He’s wanted this for so long and it’s finally a reality.

  He holds out his hand and helps me up from my chair then pulls me close, whispering in my ear, “I love you so much.”

  “I love you, too.”

  The girls come running back out, excited to be going home. Mia is holding Tank and Denise is beaming. I’m sure she said something to them to make this easier for them. I don’t know how she does it, taking in kids and letting them go all the time. I’d never be able to let them go.