Landing In London {Dreams & Bleachers Sequel}

Close To Home

Ryder's POV

I was sitting in my office, working when I heard my Baby call my name. "Hey Babe, can you come here?"

"Yeah!" I replied. "Be there in a second!"

What now? Couldn't be a lot. I got up and walked to the kitchen, seeing an older woman standing there with him.

"This is Mrs. Ellis, our adoption case manager." Nicky said, giving me that look to say, behave.

I extended my arm out to her, smiling. "Nice to meet you, finally!"

"You as well." She grinned. "Well, let's get started. I have a few good profiles here for you guys to look through."

Shit... Already? I thought it was going to take us months! This might be going a little quick for me.

Nicky and I sat down on the couch, and I let him do the majority of the looking. He just knows better when it comes to these kinds of things.

He took his time, and I sat back and just supported him. Then he hit one, that took him back a little bit. Nicky took a loud swallow as he set the folder down. Glancing over at him, I saw his eyes were watery.

"Excuse me." He mumbled as he got up and ran to the bathroom.

I sighed, seeing Mrs. Ellis was a little concerned. As I picked up the folder he just dropped, I could see why.

A baby girl, born right before her father killed her mother. The older sister was also on there, and it had been noted she was sexually abused by her father. She was only four.

Nicky was sixteen when it happened to him. Maybe it was worse, because he knew what it was. A little girl, she's too young to know, but she still knows her father hurt her.

"Mind explaining this?" Mrs. Ellis asked.

"He was raped by his father when he was sixteen. Never had much of a mother either, so I think this case hit a little too close to home." I muttered.

She took a sharp breath, a little shocked by what I told her. Not too soon afterwards, Nicky came back in the room. He had a tear stained face, and that sad look in his eyes.

As he sat down next to me, I wrapped my arm around his waist and kissed the side of his head.

"We can continue this tomorrow, if you'd like." She suggested.

"No! No, I-I'm sorry. It took a lot of processing, b-but," He paused, looking at me briefly. "I think this is the one, as long as you do."

Woah, that's a lot to take on. I mean, one kid, sure, but two? He was right though. I knew it in my gut, this was the one.

"Yeah, it is... It is." I smiled as I put my hand in his and gave it a tight squeeze.

"Okay, then. We'll get you through legal and processing as soon as possible." She spoke as she stood up.

"You can take a little time. We still have to get the kids rooms ready." I nervously laughed.

"You'll have plenty of time. It was nice visiting you both." Mrs. Ellis smiled, then let herself out.

I sighed heavily, looking down at Nicky. "We're going to be parents."

"Yeah," He smiled, almost in tears from happiness. "I can't believe it. We're finally going to have... A family, of our own."

"A family, yeah." I grinned at the thought.

Wow, it's finally happening. We're going to be a real family.