The Adoption - Until I Find You Again // Book Three

Part Nine

Emily was asleep when we got home. Gemma warned me not to bother her before she left but I couldn't help it. I kissed my kids goodnight and snuck into the room silently. Our room was dark, save for the sliver of moonlight coming in through the window. I could see her in the fetal position, grasping onto my pillow as if her life depended on it. I felt my heart squeeze in my chest, I knew that's how she slept when I was gone.

I toed my shoes off and peeled myself out of my jeans and t-shirt and crept towards the bed. I tried to inch my pillow out of her death grip without waking her up, but when her eyes fluttered open I knew my plan had been foiled. I gasped in a whisper, a huge smile stretching my cheeks,

"Hey there, Sleepy Head."

She didn't say a word, simply stretched her arms up for a hug. I didn't hesitate as I laid down in her arms, burying my face in her hair. She pulled me down on top of her, her lips pressing against my collarbone. I pulled back,

"Hey, much better places for you to kiss."

She shook her head,

"Still sick."

I frowned,

"Still contagious?"

She shrugged,

"Dunno." Her fingertips traced the planes of my face, "I really missed you."

I stared down at her. Something seemed off. Not that I minded, but she was far more clingy than she usually was when I got home. It was almost like she didn't wanna let me go. I pressed a soft kiss to her mouth,

"I'll live dangerously." I whispered.

"Lucy in bed?"
"Yeah. She was exhausted. Cried the whole way home almost."

Emily quirked her brows,

"I know the feeling. Justin called while you were on the plane."

"What'd he say?"
She paused and I knew she was trying to find the right words to say. She took a breath, her eyes meeting mine,

"Harry, he's doing his best...but I think we should really talk about this whole media thing a little bit more."

I sighed, pushing myself up to sit down. She sat up with me. I rested my hands on her calf that was stretched over my lap,

"Baby-"

"Just hear me out ok? Then if you still don't wanna do it that's it. I won't say anything else." I looked over at her and nodded, "I know you think that using us for this is not the way to go. But what if it sways their decision? Didn't we promise we would do anything we could?" She threaded her fingers through mine, "I love you and I know you love me and I know you love them." She said gesturing towards our children's rooms, "Isn't that what we'll be showing people? What's so bad about showing people how happy we are? It's not a lie is it?" I stared back at her. The amount of love I had for this woman grew exponentially every minute of every day.

I reached up to run the pad of my thumb just under her eye,

"No."

She squeezed my hand, her other hand coming up to card her fingers in the hair on the back of my neck,

"We could just give them a glimpse of it. Jessica could do it. She would do what we wanted. Nothing too intrusive. I think," She started, "I think if we don't do this...we might end up regretting it."

I couldn't deny that she was right.

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I don't know if I had ever been more nervous about anything than I was the day Jessica's film crew showed up at our house. Thankfully Niall showed up as well so Emily and I left him in charge of Lucy and Noah while we tried to calm ourselves down. Emily leaned towards the bathroom mirror to apply some lip gloss to her lips just as I walked in with the fourth shirt I'd tried on in the last ten minutes.