It's a Beautiful Life

Chapter Fifteen

Adrian's POV

        Today was my first session with Peter and Hailey, I was nervous about it. I had spent most of the night tossing and turning. It was so bad I woke Jesse up and he stayed up with me until I fell asleep in his arms again.

      Now here I was sitting with Jesse and Maddie having breakfast. It was hard trying to stay focus on what Jesse and Maddie were doing. All I could think about was what Peter and Hailey had been through. I was starting to doubt myself, maybe I should just let Emily take them. I looked at my little family, we didn’t have everything in the world but we had each other and we were happy with that. There was no reason I couldn’t do the same for Peter and Hailey.

      I had to be strong, these kids had to know they can count on me. I want them to be just as happy as Maddie was. I look at Maddie in her highchair, she was eating the cereal Jesse put in front of her. She was making more of a mess than really eating, as she said ba ba before placing the cereal in her mouth. We were still waiting for her to finally say dada, I just hoped I was around when it happened.

      “You would think I would have learned by now the more I give her, the more it ends up on the floor.” Jesse said as he picked up the cereal off the floor. “Sometimes I feel like she is doing it on purpose, isn’t that right Maddie?” she squealed and banged her hands on the tray causing more of the cereal to fall to the floor.

       I chuckled as Jesse groaned and bent down to pick up the cereal. “Ok now I’m starting to believe she is doing it on purpose.” I finished my coffee and breakfast, I placed my dishes in the sink, “Ok Maddie you be a good girl for daddy and I’ll see you later.” I leaned in and kissed her cheek.

      Jesse stood up and dumped the cereal into the garbage can. He walked back to me and wrapped his arms around my waist. “Have a good day at work baby and we will stop by to have lunch with you. I love you baby,” he gave me a quick kiss and I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him tightly. “Just remember when it gets too hard, you’re helping them to get past all these terrible thing they have had to endure. You are helping them to move on to a better life.” I sighed deeply as he rubbed my back.

      “I know and thank you Jay,” I kissed him again before we broke our embrace. “I love you too and I’ll see you two later.” I kissed them both  before I walked out the door.

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      “Are you sure you want to go through this?” Emily asked as I got ready for them to come in, the social worker was going to sit in on the session.

      “I’m sure, I want to do this. I know if I turn my back on them I won’t forgive myself. I don’t want them to feel like they have no one to trust.” She nodded her head and hugged me.

      “Just remember if you need me, I’m next door.”

      “Thanks Emmy,” I took a deep breath and looked at the clock. They will be here any minute, “The pep talk Jesse gave me this morning is what I’m going to have replaying in my head. I know it’s going to get hard but I need to show them I am here for them.”

      “That’s good, they are going to need to know that if you want them to even trust you enough to speak about what happened to them.”

      Rick’s voice come through the intercom. “Adrian, you eleven o’clock is here. Would you like me to let them in?”

      I pressed the button, “Yes you can send them in, thank you Rick.”

      “Well I’ll be next door if you need me.” Emily said as she walked over the door. I watched her walk out and took a deep breath, the door opened and Simon walked in first. He stood aside to let Peter and Hailey walk in, they were still holding until each other .