December 12th 2020
- Lilah -
It's finally birthday weekend and while I'm not particularly excited about my birthday, I am excited for it to be over for another year. Nia kept her promise and informed me on Monday that she has something planned for tonight and Taylor and Karlie agreed to let me go out since we're spending tomorrow with Taylor's family.
"Do you want any help, honey?" Karlie gives me a soft smile as she stands in the doorway and I laugh, "did Taylor send you up here?" She raises her eyebrows as she walks in and wraps her arms around my shoulders, "maybe, but since I'm here why don't you let me finish curling your hair?" I roll my eyes as I laugh at her but I hold out the curlers for her to take them from me.
Karlie comes to sit on the floor behind me, the model smiling gently as she takes another strand of my hair to curl.
"Are you excited?" Taylor and Karlie have been more nervous about tonight than I have and they've been trying to interfere all day. "I am, I don't know what she's got planned but I know it'll be something interesting," I laugh as I check my phone, we always take turns picking our dates but Nia is always way better at it than me. "I'm glad you decided to celebrate, Li," she smiles as she rubs my arm and I nod, "thank you for not forcing me to make a huge thing out of it."
Karlie finishes curling my hair for me and then pins half of it up. "So, Taylor might've sent me up here for a reason, do you have five minutes to come and have a chat with us?" I frown as she turns off the curlers and I nod, "is everything okay?" Karlie smiles as she rubs my back, "of course."
She gets up and then offers a hand to help me up too, giving mine a tight squeeze before letting go. I follow her downstairs, hearing the commotion from Rosie in the playroom on the way past.
Taylor is in the kitchen, clearing up from Rosie helping her make a cake for tomorrow as Auggie plays in his jumper, laughing at himself as he bounces around.
"What's going on?" I laugh as I nervously look between them and Taylor wipes her hands off before coming over, indicating for me to sit as Karlie takes a seat beside her. This feels a little too formal for my preference. "We have some news," Taylor starts, looking to Karlie as she takes her hand, "we heard from the social worker, Li."
My heart starts to pound, this is either awful news or it'll be everything I've been hoping for. "Ronnie and her boyfriend confessed to everything, Sweetheart, which means there won't need to be a trial," I nod as I tug on my lip, a nervous habit I just can't seem to shake, "what does that mean for me?" Taylor smiles as she reaches for my hand that's sitting on the table, "we can file for adoption, Lilah, if that's still what you want?"
I laugh as I nod, "of course it's still what I want," I get up and move around the table to hug them, both women wearing bright smiles as they sandwich me between them. "We can talk more about it tomorrow, but we wanted you to be the first to know," Taylor tucks a curl behind my ear and I give them a soft smile, "you've changed my life and I love you both so much."
I don't know where I'd be without them, they really did turn my life around. They gave me so much to live for and be happy about. I could never repay them for that.
"We love you, Lilah, more than you'll ever know," they kiss forehead at the same time and I just laugh, it's been a long time since someone loved and cared for me the way that Karlie and Taylor do.
- Karlie -
"Be good, okay?" I smirk as I look over to Lilah, the teen nodding as she blushes. "I'll pick you up at eleven, alright?" Lilah nods again as she leans over and kisses my cheek, "see you later, mom." I smile to myself as I wave her off, she's been walking on clouds all day and after the news from the social worker, the teen hasn't stopped smiling. I think that might've been the best birthday present we could've given her.
