Page 140 of Reclaiming Adelaide

“My parents,” I swallowed hard, “they named me after a place in Australia they always wanted to visit but couldn’t afford. I want to name our son after something important like that.”

“Maybe I’ll take you in their honor.”

I turned to him. “You’d do that?”

“I’d do anything for you. Haven’t I made that clear yet?”

I sucked on my bottom lip to hide the girlish blush and looked out at the window, dreading the next moment.

“Do you think it will take long?”

“What? You can’t wait to be back home hiding from society again?”

I laughed and interlaced my pinkie with his. “I don’t have to hide when you’re with me, but yeah, basically.”

Jake pulled up to the courthouse, parking next to his friend’s vehicles, then rushed over to my side, opened the door, and helped me out with an outstretched hand.

“Thank you.” I adjusted my knee-length purple lace dress and grabbed my ID from my purse.

“Do I need to make sure it’s the real one?”

Smirking, I thrust it towards him like when we’d first met. “It’s real.”

“Hmm.“ He thumbed the ID card. “Adelaide Leaver,” he said, reading off my name on the card. “Seems real enough to me.”

“It’s one of a kind.”

“Yes,youare.“ He kissed the top of my head and took my hand, leading me through the courthouse doors, tucking my ID into his pocket.

Butterflies floated around in my belly like a sacred dance as we walked up to his friends waiting for us in the lobby. Becca stood with Hannah in her arms, giving her a little bounce as she slow-danced with the cooing baby. She’d been instrumental in helping me with my grief, stopping by every day, even if it was for a hug or to ask how I was feeling, if there was anything she could do. I’d never had a sibling, but I looked at her as a sister, just as Jake did.

“Look, Hannah, they finally showed up,” Becca said.

“We took a slight detour.” I glanced down and smiled as though we were out doing something we shouldn’t have been.

My parents may not be able to be here, but at least I visited them beforehand.

“Has the clerk said anything?” Jake asked, looking at the tall white marble pillars that towered to the dome ceiling.

“She said give the judge about two minutes, and…” she glanced at her watch, “that was two minutes ago.”

A woman with short curly gray hair stepped out and stood in a doorway, reading from a paper in her hand “Mister Murray and Miss Leaver?”

“Here.” I raised my hand, then lowered it.

She glanced up at us and waved us forward with the paper. “Right this way, please.”

We followed her down a brightly lit hallway with tiled floors and white walls with pictures of presiding judges, at least I thought they were, hanging in a triangle shape, then disappeared into a stuffy room.

Three rows of three chairs faced the quaint standing area where we’d be at the center of attention for approximately…way too long.

“We made the right choice,” I said, leaning into Jake, who’d I’d latched onto when I stepped out of the vehicle.

He snorted and patted my hand.

The thought of having a large wedding where people sat back and scrutinized my choice of flowers, or my dress, or just having to interact with people I didn’t know sent hives crawling up my arms.

“Judge Rascome will be here momentarily. Go ahead and stand here.” She motioned to Jake and me, her eyes landing on my belly. “The rest of you can take your seats.”

---