Emily

Chapter Seven

A week after her collapsed lung and a total of nine days in the hospital, Emily was released from the hospital. On their way out of the hospital Eddie called Laura.

"Hello." Laura answered.

"Hey Laura, it's Eddie, Emily was just released, and we were headed over to sign those papers."

"Oh, that's great. I'm stuck here with paperwork anyway so I will see you guys when you get here."

"Alright, we'll see you in about twenty minutes." Eddie replied before she hung up and they got into the car.

"I can't wait. You think she'll notice your shirt?" Emily asked referencing Eddie's Harry Potter related shirt that said, "I'm growing a Mandrake."

"Yeah, I think she'll figure it out. It's not too cryptic." Eddie replied.

"Just don't forget to change before we go to dad's tonight. I'm glad we decided to go ahead and tell them tonight instead of waiting until his birthday. I don't think even I have the patience for that." Jamie added as he pulled into traffic and started towards Laura's office a few blocks away.

"Yeah, we would not have made it that long." Eddie chuckled. She had made an appointment to get her first sonogram while Emily was still in the hospital and found out that she was further along than they expected and was now almost out of the first trimester at eleven weeks. They had made sure to do all necessary tests including the genetic reports usually taken at about ten weeks. She also started a prenatal vitamin immediately following her appointment.

"Not to mention the possibility of you showing before then." Emily chimed in.

"Oh, I definitely will be showing before then. If you're looking for it, you can already see a tiny bump." Eddie said as she looked to Emily in the rearview mirror.

Jamie turned into the parking lot next to the social worker's office building and parked the car. He turned the car off and they all got out. Emily could not stop smiling as the went into the building and signed at the visitor's desk before going up to Laura's office.

When they walked off the elevator Emily turned to them with the biggest smile she could manage. Jamie and Eddie could not help but smile in return as they walked to the small office in the corner at the end of the hall.

"Hey Laura." Emily greets excitedly.

"Hey, you feeling better, kiddo?"

"Other than the boot and the soreness of my leg and ribs, yeah I'm doing pretty good." Emily replied as Eddie and Jamie caught up to her and walked into her office.

"That's good. You know what you're here for, right?"

"Yes. I can't wait."

"Hey Laura." Eddie greets and Laura looks up to her, smiling.

"Hello..." She trails off reading Eddie's shirt.

"You're kidding!"

"Nope. We found out the night before you came to visit. I don't know who's more excited, us or her." Eddie chuckled. Emily beamed.

"Definitely me."

"Congratulations. Do you know how far you are?"

"Thank you. Yes. We managed to get an appointment in a practice inside the hospital so Emily was allowed to go with us since she would technically still be in the hospital. As of today I'm eleven weeks and three days."

"Shall we get down to business?" Laura asked pulling out the adoption paperwork.

"Definitely." Jamie finally chimed in. Laura had Jamie and Eddie sign the paperwork first and smiled when Emily signed her name on the last designated line. Laura stamped it with her notary's stamp and smiled.

"Now all I have to do is file this with the courts, they will call you to schedule a date in family court to make everything official, okay?"

"Yes, thank you, Laura." Eddie replied. Emily suddenly overwhelmed with joy and the knowledge that she is finally safe and loved, collapses into Jamie. He picks her up and rubs her back. Eddie joins them and runs her hands through her hair.

"It's okay, Em. You're safe now. We've got you." Eddie whispers. Emily looks up.

"I know. I just got overwhelmed a bit. In a good way." Eddie nods her understanding. Laura smiled knowing that this was the best placement and family for Emily. This was the biggest reason she loved her job.

After about ten minutes, Emily is finally able to calm down and they say their goodbyes to Laura with promises to write letters and send photos. Emily had exhausted herself with crying, so Jamie carries her back out to the car. Once they were back in the car and on their way home Emily dozed off and Eddie smiled softly.

"She's out."

"I'm not surprised, she exhausted herself back there."

"She's almost ours."

"I know. You know we're going to have to move before the baby comes."

"Yeah, I was thinking about that too." She smiled.

"We can start looking around next week when we're both off. Maybe bring Emily along."

"Yeah, that would be good. She'd love to go with us."

"What time do we have to be at your dad's?"

"Same as usual, even though it's Tuesday. They wanted to have dinner there with all of us. With everything that happened this is still technically her first family dinner."

"Yeah. But she knows them well enough that she's not as anxious anymore. She even called Henry 'Pop' the other day. I don't think she knows I heard her."

"How'd he take that?"

"He kind of just let it hang and didn't bring any extra attention to it to make sure she wasn't upset. He didn't know if she meant to say it yet or not. He did tear up though." Eddie smiled.

"Wow." Jamie replied as he pulled into the parking lot for their building and parked in the designated spot.

"Yeah." Eddie replied as she got out and went to the trunk to get all their stuff from their time in the hospital and Jamie grabbed Emily from the backseat. She was still asleep, so Jamie just carries her inside.

After he settles her in her room, Jamie and Eddie decide to take a nap before they have to get ready to go to dinner. They set an alarm to wake them with enough time for showers and everything before they have to leave.

Once they're up and getting ready Eddie showers first and then goes to make sure Emily is awake and getting ready. Emily had just finished getting dressed and was attempting to brush her hair with great difficulty.

"Hey, feeling a little better?"

"Yeah. A nap and a shower was exactly what I needed. And before you ask, yes I used the little stool thing while I was in there."

"Okay, we're leaving in about thirty minutes sweetheart."

"Alright. Can you help me with my hair? I keep trying to brush it, but it pulls at my side where the stitches were, and it hurts my ribs."

"Of course. Want to braid it too? So we don't have to brush it again tonight?" Emily nodded.

"Come sit on the couch." Eddie said as she took the offered hairbrush. Emily followed her to the couch and sat with her back to Eddie who brushed through her hair gently before braiding it down her back and secured it with a hair tie.

"Okay, all done."

"Thanks." Emily said as she went back to her room to put her shoes on. She grabbed her phone and went back to living room while Eddie and Jamie finished getting ready. Eddie put the bottle of Emily's pain pills in her purse. She knew Emily would be due to take them while they were at Frank's.

"Alright kiddo, let's head out." Eddie called and Emily followed them down to the car.