Adopted

Chapter 18

Everyone were having a great time at Stephanie's birthday party at the park. Stephanie invited all of her friends and they were playing games and had fun. The adults were nearby, having a conversation. In fact, Milford and Valeria had a good talk that wasn't about Stephanie for a change. At least until a car pulled off not far away from them, and another two adults and a little child got out of it.

"Do you know who are they?" Milford asked them.

"That's, um... That's my brother." Valeria answered with a little embarrassment.

"Oh..."

"Aunt Valeria!!" the little boy screamed as he ran to their way. Valeria left the group and bent down opening her arms wide to catch him.

"Hey, Sean! I've missed you!" she told her nephew and kissed his cheek.

"Um, maybe you shouldn't-" Alex tried to tell her, but she stopped him.

"C'mon, he's not that heavy, I'm allowed."

"Hey, Alex, how are you?" Daniel hugged his brother in law.

"Great, and you?" Alex asked with a smile.

"Same here." He answered and then he noticed the mayor and Bessie.

"Oh, and you must be the mayor. I've heard a lot about you." Daniel offered his hand and the mayor took it.

"Well, only good I hope!" the mayor said.

"Of course."

With Sean still in her arms, Mandy walked up to her.

"Are you sure it was a good for us to come?" The blonde girl asked.

"Yes, although now I do regret it a little."

Mandy noticed how her sons hugs his aunt tight and she remembered that Valeria was going to have another baby soon.

"Do you realise that in a few months you'll have something like him?" she smiled.

"No, I actually don't... It's gonna be amazing." Vale told her friend.

"What gonna be amazing?" Sean lifted his head.

"I'm going to have a baby soon. You'll going to have another cousin." Vale told him with a smile.

"Really?" his eyes lit up.

"Yeah, but right now it's in my tummy." She laughed.

"Speaking of cousins..." they heard Daniel coming forward to them, "Where is my niece?" he smiled.

"You can't miss her, she's right there." Valeria pointed at the children in the park.

"Oh, you mean the pink blur?" he asked cynically.

"Yup, you can't miss it."

*****

At the same time, at the park, Stephanie was having fun with her friends when she noticed Valeria talking to another two people and she was holding a little child.

"Why, I didn't know that your mother already gave birth!" Trixie laughed.

"No, that's Sean, my cousin. I saw some pictures of him, but he looks so much cuter in real life!" she told her friend.

"Your cousin? So that means these two other people are your aunt and uncle." Pixel added.

"Yeah, Mandy and Daniel..." Stephanie said.

"Do you want to go and meet them?" Pixel asked.

"No, no, I'd better wait after the party." She told him and they went back to play.

*****

Around 5:30pm, all of Stephanie's friends went back home except for Trixie. The two were still talking at the park. The mayor and Bessie left to their homes, especially because the mayor didn't want to see the meeting of Stephanie and Daniel.

"Oh, Pinky, that was a great day, but I think I should go home too or my parents will be worried." Trixie said and stood up.

"You're probably right." Stephanie stood up too and gave her friend a hug.

"Bye!" she said as she saw Trixie going to her way. Then she turned to the other way and saw Alex and Valeria talking to Daniel and Mandy. She took a deep breath and thought 'It's now or never'.

She slowly walked towards them and stood next him. They all looked down at her.

"Oh, Daniel, I think you never made an appropriate introduction – Daniel, Stephanie." Valeria tried to break the awkwardness.

"Hi, Stephanie. Nice to meet you." He knelt down to her. He had the biggest smile ever. Stephanie was speechless because she was so happy, so she just laughed at the joke.

"Gosh, you became so beautiful..." he said stroking her face. He suddenly, but gently, pulled her into a big hug and she hugged him back.

"Welcome back..." he whispered so quietly through his tears that even Stephanie didn't hear.

*****

At the Schevings home, the six of them just enjoyed of being together. Sean was still excited about finally having a cousin, that Stephanie finally gave in and went with him upstairs to play in her room.

"She's gonna be a great big sister when the day comes." Mandy said.

"Speaking of that, I think you promised me something two weeks ago." Daniel told his sister, Mandy and Alexander looked at them very confused.

"Oh, yeah!" Valeria remembered and went to the kitchen island, opened one of the drawers and walked back to the living room with a white envelope.

"Here you go." She handed it to him.

He opened it and Mandy moved closer to him.

"What is it?"

"Vale's first ultrasound." He replied looking at the copies.

"Gasp, oh my god!" Mandy covered her mouth.

"Aw, I can't wait for it to be here! Ah, these are such great news for us." Mandy held Vale's hands.

"I know, for us too." She told her sister in law.

"You know, I remember the day you told Alex that you were pregnant as if it was yesterday." Daniel added.

"Yeah, so do us..." Alexander commented.