In The End

Bonus: Ten Years of Life pt. 2

    They manage to wake the old woman up as Rem gets the ambulance. "I would life the adoption papers for these two," I wheeze out, half heartedly motioning to Elle and Benaiah. Her eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets.
   "We could always do this at a later date---"
   "Oooooh no, not happening, they're already as good as family, so I'm signing today, even if I'm in the middle of labor," I laugh out, trying to ignore the pain. Elle is trying to get me to sit down throughout all of this, and Benaiah is waiting by the door with Remington. "Which reminds me, they'll be coming with us to the hospital. So like I said, we're signing those papers as soon as possible."
   The old woman sighs. "Well since you've gotten your adoption license a month back--which it seems like you've been planning to adopt for a while now, huh? You're all set to sign, I'll go get the papers. Please don't have your baby in my orphanage while I'm gone," she mutters, and scurries to get the paper work.
   "Remington, love, come and sign the adoption papers so that way I can just go to the hospital and push this baby out of me please!" I shout at him, and he scrambles over.
   "Right, sorry, I'll sign as soon as she brings the papers," he promises me, and kisses my temple while rubbing
My back. His eyes hold worry, and true to his word, as soon as the papers are out, he signs them. We also make the name alterations to both, more so to Benaiah, and I smile--well, more like grimace.
   "Welcome to the family! Thank god, they're finally here--I NEED TO BE HEAVILY MEDICATED VERY QUICKLY!" I shout at the paramedics, and our new kids laugh, along with Remington.

•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•

  "When are you coming home, guys? Everette needs you guys," Zeppelin begs, his deep voice holding worry for his twin.
  "She barely eats, Mom," Maxwell adds, and I sigh.
   "Darlings, we can't fly back home until Griffin is at least two months old, you know that," I tell them. Remington looks at me.
   "What if we fly them here? It's a long time to be away from them, and I don't want to leave out daughter alone when she needs us most," he whispers to me, and I nod in agreement. "Boys, you and your sister pack a suitcase, we'll fly you over here."
   "That'd be awesome! And Everette has been dying to meet her new sister. They talk and text every day," Maxwell muses.
   "Like you and Zeppelin don't do the same with Benaiah," Remington teases, earning him two 'shut up's from out boys.
   We quickly say our goodbyes, Remington reminding the boys to bring some stuff for Griffin before I kiss Rem goodbye as well. "Elle, are you ready?" I call, and she walks out to meet me by the door. I'm taking her to get clothes for her and her baby, as well as to get more clothes for baby Griffin. Elle always wants to carry him, and is holding him right now, at least until we pick up a stroller today.
    As we walk down the streets of Paris, I get to know my new daughter. I learn that she's lived here all her life, and was a ballerina for an opera house here until the owner retired and sold the building to a restaurant chain, leaving her to go to the orphanage. It was in the opera house where she was raped, and the father was one of the singers. However, she hasn't alerted him about the child. Even if she did, she believes he wouldn't support her child.
   We talk for hours, going into shops and buying clothes for the children. Of course, I still have Everett's old clothes from when she was a baby that will go to Natalie, but I do want to get my grandchild some more things. For those of you who've never dealt with a kid, they ruin more than half of their clothes and toys. We also get Elle a few shirts, long sleeved since it's pretty cold here, and I get her lots of shorts and short sleeved shirts since it's way warmer in LA at the moment. I grab her six pairs of jeans, three black, two regular denim, and the last pair an olive green. After that, I pick up tons of baby apparel. And I mean tons.
Soon it's time to head back to the hotel, where we all wait for the rest of the family to get here. I sit on the sofa, my head resting in the crook of Rem's neck while I watch Benaiah and Elle play with their little brother, happiness evident in their eyes as well as postures. I'm glad that we were able to help two lives have a better life than I'd had as I child, better than the life my mother had.
   The doorbell rings, and people are knocking frantically, making Remington and I exchange wary glances. I get up and walk to the door, standing on my toes to reach the peep hole. I see the smiling faces of my children with...
   "Oh my god!" I squeal, and quickly fumble to unlock the door, swinging it open widely once I've accomplished that. I throw my arms open, and my daughter launches herself into my arms.
"Hey, her brother goes first," Mason exclaims playfully, and Everette rolls her eyes, but moves. I hug Mason tightly. "Hey, little bear," he says, and I smile.
"Hey, how was Spain?" I ask him, and he grins. My brother became an artist, traveling all over the world to paint professionally. "I've got someone for you to meet," he says, and motions for someone to step out into my line of sight. A beautiful burnet with tan skin and bright brown eyes greets me, her smile blinding, it's so pretty. I shake her hand, and notice an engagement ring in her finger. I squeal, and hug her, making Mason laugh.
"Did you forget about us?" Jinxx teases, and I giggle, quickly hugging him as Mason, his fiancé, and the rest of y children head inside.
"What about me!?" CC whines, and I roll my eyes playfully.
"Hey CC," I offer with a big smile, hugging him, as well as Jake and Inna. Ashley kisses my cheeks before going it to scout for beer.
"Juju, I know that you're gonna come say hi to me," I scold, and she struts to me and hugs me tightly.
"Aw, I've missed you so so much!" She squeals, and I nod in agreement. She then walks back to Andy.
Andy hasn't changed much over the years, besides the fact that he's let his short hair brown out, but he's the same Andy I met so long ago. His frosty blue eyes are still piercing, his face calm as his eyes show amusement , and his posture ever confident. I give him a small smile, and motion for him to hug me, to which he obliges. We say nothing, but we don't need to, it's a comfortable quiet.
When they walk in, Steph Pearson Kropp launches herself at me, her son walking straight past me, calling at my boys. She rolls her eyes at this. "Such a jerk," she mutters, before motioning Sebby over. He's exactly the same, and I smile at the fact that we live nearly ten minutes away and see each other everyday and yet they still choose to fly to Paris because we've been gone for two weeks. I quickly hug them, but it's cut shot due to the comment Remington made about Sebastian's hair.
Last but not least is Emerson and his girlfriend, Shy. They've stayed together throughout the years, but he's not the marriage type of guy. Why was a little upset when she first realized this, but now she sees it as they love each other, and it isn't necessary to have a paper that says that. She's expecting, but she hasn't told Emerson yet. Though she knows marriage isn't needed, she thinks that maybe it's a commitment issue with Emerson.
    I quickly greet both of them, and then I go inside to see my family. We talk all night about anything and everything, and as the sun rises and I watch Elle and Everette put Griffin to sleep, my thoughts drift to my mother, and the book I had started to write for her when her dementia got bad. The book that told the story of how I broke us out of our home, how she brought us back to it, how her grandchildren's father met me, and now, how she died. I've just pulled it out you see, and I think it's time to finish the story. Mom, you'll never get to read the final chapter, and you'll never get to meet little Griffin, or Elle or Benaiah. But I know you would've love them none the less. And Mom, I've gotta let go now. I love you, and I'm sorry I couldn't finish the last chapter in time. Everette is heartbroken, but I'll be there to pick her back up, I promise. Because I learned from the best.

Goodbye, Mom.