What The Heart Wants (Sebastian Vettel)

62. Preparations

Jessie's heart was racing as Seb brought the car to a stop outside a modest semi detached house on a quiet residential street. She didn't know why she felt so nervous. It wasn't as if she'd never met Isabel before, and they already knew they'd been chosen as the adoptive parents of her baby. She couldn't help it though. She'd been a nervous wreck since the moment they'd woke up that morning.

Seb had done his best to try and calm her down but he'd soon realised he'd been fighting a losing battle, and the truth was he was as nervous as hell too.

Jessie took a deep breath in and then released it, sighing loudly.

"Are you ready?" Seb asked.

"Not really," Jessie replied. "What do we say to her? How can we ever thank her enough for this beautiful gift she's giving us?"

"I don't know," Seb admitted. "Words will never be enough."

Jessie sat for several more seconds staring at the house. It had been eight days now since they'd had the phone call that had changed their lives, and now they had made the short drive to Heather and Isabel's house.

Jessie had had a phone call whilst they'd been in Maranello. Isabel had called her to invite them over for lunch so they could discuss things going forward. Jessie didn't really know what there was to discuss as the agency would be dealing with all the legal aspects of the adoption, but she'd accepted immediately.

"Come on kleine maus, let's get inside."  Seb undid his seatbelt and opened his door. Jessie followed suit. 

As they fell into step besides each other Jessie grabbed hold of Seb's hand.  They walked through a wooden gate and up a path to the dark blue front door.

Seb rang the doorbell.  As they were waiting for someone to answer a tabby cat appeared from behind the dustbins and began to brush against Jessie's leg.   She crouched down and began to pet it. 

"Oh look at you, you're gorgeous," she told it. Seb rolled his eyes.  He wasn't one for cats.   Now, dogs were a different matter.

The door opened and Jessie straightened up.

"Hey!" Heather said.  "Come on in.  I see you've met Gracie."  She gestured towards the tabby cat.

"She's adorable," Jessie said.

"She's a pain in the ass," Heather replied.  "But we adore her.    She's my second baby.  Anyway, come on in.  Isabel is just having a shower.  She'll be down in a minute."

They stepped inside. There was no hallway like they had.  The front door opened straight into the lounge.   There were two large brown corduroy sofas set in an L shape, and Jessie thought they looked like the comfiest sofas she had ever seen.

Along the back wall there was a  staircase leading upstairs, and a door that she could see led into the kitchen. 

"Take a seat.  Can I get you a drink? Tea? Coffee?"

"No thank you," Jessie said.  "But a glass of water would be great."

"Of course.  Seb?"

"Water too please."

They sat down on one of the sofas as Heather went into the kitchen.   Gracie, who had followed them inside, jumped up onto the arm of the sofa next to Jessie and laid down.