Page 87 of Hero for the Holidays

And tomorrow was adoption day.

And that would be better than IMAX, the Spaghetti Factory and knowing that he got under Fia Sullivan’s skin.

FIAWASHAPPYto finally meets Lila’s caseworker, Angela. They shook hands in the front of the courthouse, and the woman gave her a warm smile. “In all my years in child services, this is the most extraordinary case I’ve ever seen.”

“Yeah. We’re pretty sure nobody would believe it if we tried to sell it.”

“Definitely not,” she said. “I’m proud of you both for agreeing to co-parent like you are.”

“They’re great at it. They get along and everything,” said Lila, sparkling.

Fia felt like that was not strictly true. But she wasn’t going to say that, because they were being praised, and she thought that was probably a good thing, and she should go ahead and just let them get praised.

“Are you ready?” Angela asked.

“Yes,” they all said.

The process itself was quick. It was like she imagined a justice of the peace wedding might be. She had written a small letter to read. And she turned to Lila, her heart pounding so hard she thought everyone could hear it.

When she’d given her beautiful red-haired baby up to her mother, Fia’s heart had overflowed with love and words she didn’t think she would ever get to say.

Now she had a chance to say it.

All of it.

“‘Lila, I have loved you since the moment I knew you existed. I gave you up knowing that I had to want better for you than what I could give at the time. I love that your mother made you into the girl that you are. She will always be the one who raised you this far. She will always be so important. And so loved. Not just by you, but by me. I’m so grateful to her. So thankful for her. And I’m so pleased that I see her shining out from your eyes whenever I look at you. Because it’s the things she taught you that went into making you who you are. It was everything I ever wanted for you. And now I want to do her justice. I want to do the best job that I can for you. I know that you’ll make her proud. But I want to make sure that I do too.’”

And then Landry surprised her by pulling out his phone and reading to them both. “‘I’m going to protect you both. And protect this family. Because it’s the most important thing in the world. You both are. From here on out. This is it. The buck stops here. I’m going to be the best dad that I can be, Lila. And I know that I’m going to make some mistakes. Hell, I already have.’” He looked at the judge, checking to see if he was getting a scolding face for having said the wordhell. “‘But I promise to love you enough to make up for them all. Because you’re worth it. And I promise to keep growing into the father that you deserve. The father that you need. Every day. I’m not going to stay stuck in the things that I believed in the past. I’m going to learn, and grow. For you.’”

Her heart felt bruised. And just so filled with joy. Because it was the best thing he could have ever promised.

Far from feeling like she was still parenting with seventeen-year-old Landry, she felt like she’d found a partner who was truly going to do the best job imaginable.

“It’s very rare to have such a touching story in court,” said the judge. “It has moved me, more than I can say. And I am happy to say that you are now officially adopted, Lila Gates.”

They had opted, for now, to keep Lila as Lila Gates. Someday, she might want to change her name. Maybe. But they had wanted to honor Jack and Melissa.

They had wanted to honor how much Lila loved them. And how much she didn’t want that love to fade. Love couldn’t be greedy, and even if Fia wanted her and her daughter to have the same last name someday... She didn’t need it to happen now.

Well. You wouldn’t. Because you and Landry aren’t together.

That was true. But that was okay. It really was. They didn’t need to be together. They didn’t need anything more than what they were.

They exited the courtroom, and Landry held their papers up high.

Other couples in the waiting area clapped.

Then Landry hugged Lila, picking her up and spinning her around, and Fia felt like she left her body. Because she had never seen anything so damned attractive as that man overflowing with joy over having his child.

Their child.

Theirs.

And she knew a moment of pure unadulterated joy that she didn’t allow to be invaded by guilt or regret orwhat-ifs, that Lila was theirs. That they were a family. That she had the second chance. This opportunity to be a mother to her daughter in this way.

Because she knew sacrifice. Sacrificial love.

What a wonderful thing to be able to love like this.

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