adopted by sandra bullock (and her gf cate blanchett)

chapter 19

sandy drove to cates own apartment building to drop her girlfriend off.

cate said goodbye to dani and dylan, squeezing dani's hand and ruffling dylan's hair before exiting the car.

she kissed sandy through her open car window and turned around to enter the building.

sandy stayed for a moment to watch cate leave, her gaze lingering for just a moment before pulling back into traffic en route to one of her favorite restaurants.

only a couple minutes later sandy pulled her car around the back of the restaurant, she was close with the owner and knew he wouldn't mind her going in the back door.

the kids got out of the vehicle and followed sandy through the back.

she led them down a dark hallway to a gorgeous restaurant with floor to ceiling windows, plants hanging everywhere and the delicious smell of food in the air.

sandy caught the attention of a hostess who led them to a table in the back corner of the room.

"order whatever you want, i've been eating cates pancakes for the past three days so i can't wait to get some real food." sandy joked to lighten the mood.

the kids laughed.

they had never been in a restaurant this nice before, dani didn't know what fork to use or where to put her napkin and this was just lunch, not even dinner!

dylan felt underdressed in this restaurant in his sweatpants and shirt, but felt better knowing dani was in the same and sandy wasn't dressed all that nicer.

a waitress came and sandy ordered a lemonade and a caesar salad.

both of the kids got water and chicken fingers.

sandy laughed at the simplicity of their order, forgetting what it was like to be a kid and eat chicken fingers for every meal.

"so," sandy got the conversation started, "i'm not going to beat around the bush. i want to talk to you about how you would feel about staying with me, at my house."

dani and dylan exchanged glances. they knew this was coming.

"i like staying with you," dylan responded "i like you- i mean- i like being with you."

he never did have a way with words.

"i do too." dani added.

sandy wanted to get straight to the point.

"i know when you first turned up at my door it was kind of a desperate situation. you were looking for a way out of where you were staying, not necessarily seeking me out. but in the short time that i've gotten to know you i've felt this attachment to you, this motherly attachment i guess, and i really would like the chance to be a mother to you both. so, if you'll have me, i would like to adopt you. or i guess, regain custody of you."

it was a bold statement but sandy wouldn't have made it if she wasn't sure of their answer.

she had been tiptoeing around the subject because she didn't want to pressure them, but it became clear to her that they wanted this as much as she did, they just didn't want to feel like a burden.

so sandy took it upon herself to establish that they weren't and never would be a burden to her.

she wanted her kids back.

dylan and dani both started speaking at the same time.

"you go first." dani offered.

"okay then," dylan started, "sandy. i would love for you to adopt us. it's...been a while since we had a good home with a good parent and you seem like a great parent. i know that you gave us up and all that but you seem like you care about us and you want to adopt us now...you're giving us a second chance and i don't want to miss it."