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Ch. 17 - Thanks

Hope POV

Today is Thanksgiving and it is our first major holiday as a family. All of my family and Kelley's family will be here around dinner time and it will be the first time they meet the girls. Both Kelley and I are nervous, but Kelley is having more doubts right now than me.

We are standing in the kitchen getting ready to start cooking while the girls are sitting in the living room watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

"Hopey I'm so nervous about our family coming today." Kelley confided in me as we start prepping the food causing me to look over at her.

"What? Why? Our families will love the girls." I responded.

"I know they will love the girls, but will the girls love them? I mean this is their first major holiday with us, their adopted family."

Confused, I ask, "Okay, and? We are their family now, and I am sure they will love our families. They may get a little overwhelmed because you know how our families can be, but they will get through it."

"I know Hopey, I'm just worried. What if they don't want to be here with us. What if they wish they were with their biological families. Their real family."

"Kelley! We are their real family. Maybe not by blood but by adoption and love. The girls want to be here with us, I am sure of it. Besides, I've never heard them mention other family members besides their biological parents. The only person I'm sure they wish was with them is their mother."

"I know! Saying real family was a bad term. I'm just worried that after today they'll hate our families, leading them to hate us."

I pull her into my embrace. "Everything will be just fine Squirrel. But you need to be careful saying we aren't their real family when you and I both know we are. If one of the girls heard you say that they would be extremely upset. We love those girls with everything we are. We are their family."

"I know Hopey, I'm sorry."

I gave her a peck before telling her to go check on the girls.

Olivia POV

I had gotten up to get a glass of water when I heard Mom and Mama talking together.

"Hopey I'm so nervous about our family coming today." I heard Mama say.

"What? Why? Our families will love the girls." Mom responded.

"I know they will love the girls, but will the girls love them? I mean this is their first major holiday with us, their adopted family."

Mom then asked, "Okay, and? We are their family now, and I am sure they will love our families. They may get a little overwhelmed because you know how our families can be, but they will get through it."

"I know Hopey, I'm just worried. What if they don't want to be here with us? What if they wish they were with their biological families? Their real family."

Their real family. Kelley doesn't see us as a real family. We don't have any other family than them. Mom nor Dad didn't have any siblings, so when Mom died we were just left with Dad.

I backed into the living room where Charlotte was.

She looked up at me, "Livie? What's going on?" She questioned me. I just put a finger to my mouth to motion for her to be quiet before pointing for her to follow me upstairs.

We made it to the guest bathroom and I locked the door before sliding down it and sobbing.

"Livie? You need to tell me what's happening."