Layers of Us (Second Generation Book 2)

Chapter 40

MILES

“Are you doing okay over there?” I glance quickly over at Ember who has been awfully quiet since we left the family law attorney about an hour ago.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Her words said she was fine, but her body language and tone are telling me the exact opposite. I reach my hand over the center console and take her hand in mind. She gives it a little squeeze, but still not relaxing. Tension is running through her entire body and spilling out between us.

Right before her parents packed up to leave, the four of us sat together and discussed our future and Peyton. Although I still hate the way that they brought it up, I kind of got what Hank and Rebecca were trying to tell us. They weren’t wishing or hoping for an end to our relationship, they just wanted to make sure that our feelings were put down on paper in a legal way. The courts don’t give a shit that Ember feels like Peyton’s mom. What freaked me out was realizing that if something were to happen to me, Ember wouldn’t be able to be a part of Peyton’s life unless my family allowed it.

Now don’t get me wrong, I cannot imagine Bev and Walker preventing Ember from being a part of Peyton’s life, but once again that is all feelings and unicorns and fairies. I didn’t like that. I wanted protection for Ember and for Peyton. I wanted to know that there would never be any doubt to anybody where Ember stood in my life. We found a really great family law attorney in Hillshire and she was able to fit us in for a quick meeting today.

“You know I can tell that you’re not happy about this, right?”

She turns to me and gives me a tight-lipped smile. “It isn’t that I’m not happy.”

“Then what is it? Talk to me, please.”

“It just all seemed so clerical and harsh. I didn’t think it was going to be like that.”

“Okay, but at least we got the paperwork that you wanted”

She huffs and tosses the file folder onto the dash. “This isn’t what I wanted, Miles.”

“What are you talking about? We sign those papers and get them filed, which means you get temporary legal guardianship over her. I know it is only temporary, but she explained that it was only set that way because if we get married in the future we’d have you officially adopt her.”

“I don’t want to be her ‘legal guardian’,” she says in a mocking tone, “I want to be her mom.”

“You ARE her mom!”

“Not according to these papers. Not according to the state. Not according to the law.”

“Why does any of that matter? Come on, Ember! You know what you mean to her and me, this is just temporary until we can go through the adoption process. You were right there in that meeting, the process for you to adopt her before we’re married is long and complicated. This gives you almost all the same exact things right now.”

“Then let’s just get married so it isn’t the less complicated version?”

“Whoa, what?”

“Why the hell not? We can turn around and stop by the courthouse. I’m sure they’re still open and we can at least get a wedding license and get married by some court judge or something. Then we will be legally married and I can adopt her and we can be a family, officially.”

I shake my head. “I’m not doing that.”

“Why not? Don’t you want to marry me and spend the rest of your life with me?”