Bev and Red | ✓

Epilogue

| B E V A N D R E D |
• • •
EPILOGUE : THREE YEARS LATER

     Beverly's breathing was erratic, his fingers curled around the arms of the fancy, yet uncomfortable chair. Red sat in the chair right beside him, his leg bouncing, and his nose firing hot, fiery breaths.

The two had never been so nervous in their entire lives.

Sure, they'd made the decision over four months ago, but while asking around, they'd discovered that it normally took couples years to find an adoption agency that would allow them to adopt.

But when they had e-mailed an agency, and had gone to a family festival, where they had met tons of kids in need of families.

But Beverly had fallen in love with one particular little boy, whose skin was as tan as any other skin tone Beverly had seen. When Beverly asked where he was from, he explained the bad place with the bad man.

It was that exact moment where Beverly had spoken with the woman in charge of it all, and told her how amazing that little boy had seemed.

His name was Emilio, and Beverly remembered how the Emilio's nose had scrunched up at his own name.

As though on cue, a woman Beverly recognized stalked into the office, a tan colored folder in between her fingers. She sent them a reassuring smile, as Red reached over and squeezed his husband's fingers.

     The woman who both Beverly and Red knew as Helga Rivers, crossed her hands before her, on her wooden, chocolate kissed desk.

    "Mr. and Mr. McCoy, I called the two of you in today, due to your liking in Emilio Juarez. But, there are a few things I need to discuss with you before we go any further into the process." Her words were firm, yet inviting.

     Beverly nodded eagerly, Red's hand gripping onto his.

     "Well," she began again, "as, I'm sure, you've been left in the dark about one small detail. When Emilio was brought here, to the states from Guadalajara, it wasn't just him. It was him and his two sisters. His older sisters.

     "I understand while hearing that, most parents prefer to either keep looking, or try and separate the pairing of siblings. But, the choice is most-definitely yours." She ended her speech with a satisfied grin, her exiting the office with a comment about leaving them alone to talk for a moment.

     Beverly's breath hitched, as he turned to Red, whose face was frozen in thought.

     Beverly waited for Red to answer, his eyebrows raised in surprise. "I-I can't believe it. I mean, we obviously can't separate them. They're siblings, for God's sake. But I really did fall in love with him, Red. And you remember how sweet he was, always apologizing if he said something he thought he wasn't supposed to."

     Red nodded, he lips curling at the thought of the curly-headed three-year-old. "I know, baby. It's just, that—we haven't thought about it, yet—the taking multiple kids home, I mean. A-And Helga said his sisters are older."

     "I don't care," Beverly smiled, him being close to tears at the thought of them creating a family sooner than he had ever expected. But, tears of joy, of course. "I'm ready for this, if you are, baby. These kids need a home, with two parents who will love them no matter what. And we can be those parents, Matt."

     Red leaned into Beverly, his lips pressing onto Beverly's, then his cheek, them his forehead, the the back of hand.

     "I love you so fucking much, Beverly McCoy. And yes—yes, I'm ready for this. I'm ready to be happy, with you, and three kids who might not like us so much in the beginning, but will grow to love us later."

     The door opened, and Helga smiled warmly at the two, clearly having been eavesdropping from outside of the door.

     "So, have you two made a decision?" She asked, biting onto her lower lip, as though waiting for verbal confirmation.

     Beverly nodded, a tear slipping down Red's cheek, as he watched the scene unfold before him. "We're doing it."