Page 149 of Offside Angel

“Aiden has something he wants to talk to you about.” Zane loops an arm around Aiden, who I realize now is shaking with nerves.

My heart jolts, but I walk myself through the facts.

We’re all together.

The house is safe.

No one is trying to hurt us.

I kneel in front of Aiden. “You can talk to me about anything, bud. What’s wrong?”

“You and Daddy got married,” he says slowly. “Because you loved each other.”

I’m not sure if it’s a question or not, but I nod. “Yes, we did. I love your dad very much. And you.”

He blinks at me with wide, blue eyes. “But we can’t get married.”

“No,” I chuckle. “We can’t. I’m already married.”

“So… we can’t be a family.”

I frown and glance at Zane, but he doesn’t look like he’s planning to jump in. He’s just observing. Watching me flounder.

“Oh, um, well, that’s not exactly—” I blow out a deep breath. “You and I are family, Aiden. When I married your dad, you and I became family, too.”

“But you’re not my mom.”

I bite my lower lip. I knew conversations like this were coming, but I didn’t think we’d be getting into this yet. He’s only six. He doesn’t understand how money works. He thinks the internet is the one fruit matching game I let him play on my phone. How do I explain what constitutes a family?

I take his little hand in mine. “No, I am not your mom. I didn’t carry you in my tummy and I didn’t know you as a baby, but I love you like you’re mine. I’ll be whoever you want me to be.”

“I want you to be my mom,” he says with no hesitation, thrusting the manila folder at me.

I stare down at it. “What’s this?”

Aiden looks at Zane like I’m being silly. “You said you wanted to be my mom. Now, you can sign these and you will be.”

I flip the folder open, my chest seizing when I see the word ADOPTION printed across the top of the complicated-looking documents.

“What…?” I breathe.

Zane flips the folder closed and takes my hand. “Aiden came up with this idea on his own. He said he wanted you to be his mom. He wanted to have a ceremony like you and I did to make it official.”

“But the social workers…” I look nervously at Aiden. “They haven’t?—”

“He’s officially mine as of two weeks ago.” Zane can’t hide the grin that stretches across his face. “Peter Morris signed off on my legal guardianship himself, to my utter shock. Aiden is mine—and, as soon as you sign these papers, he can be yours, too.”

Any attempt at swallowing down my tears goes right out the window. I sob so hard that Aiden gets concerned.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” he gasps because I’m squeezing him so tight.

I kiss his soft cheek. “Of course I want to, Aiden! I’d be honored to be your mom.”

He points to my wet face and asks, “Happy tears?”

I nod fervently. “The absolute happiest.”

I try to pull myself together, but after I cry through the entire first bedtime book, Aiden politely suggests I leave so I don’t interrupt his routine. I don’t even blame him.

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