Page 44 of A Daddy of the Heart
Epilogue
Six months later
Eli held onto Jeremy’s hand as he guided the boy up the steps to the courthouse. It was a beautiful early summer day, with the sun shining. He could only hope that was a good omen for today. Behind him, Willem and Raelynn chatted about the new foal that Daddy Willem had gotten as a surprise gift to the horse-obsessed girl for her eighth birthday. It hadn’t been an indulgent gift either. The animal had come with big responsibilities. Raelynn had to feed, water and groom the horse daily, and while he and Willem would provide the hay and alfalfa the horse ate, any extra treats would come out of the little girl’s allowance. She’d done very well, feeding Mr. Ed without fail nearly every day, except for the morning she’d woken up with a nasty head cold. Of course, Daddy Will had offered to do the girls chores, but she’d insisted she could do it. She’d barely made it to the kitchen before Eli had ordered her back to bed.
“Excited, bud?” Eli asked the boy clinging to his hand. Still four, the boy was leery of new things and coming to the courthouse was a huge change. “I promise there won’t be anything scary here. It’ll probably be boring.”
“But I hafta be here, right?” He stared up at Eli. “So, I can tell the judge I want to stay with you and Daddy Will?”
Eli nodded, as he pulled the door open. He paused for a moment, his face serious. “That’s right. But only if you want to. We talked about this, we can go on like we are if you want.”
Jeremy shook his head. “I wanna be a William-Atheron, Unca.”
Eli’s heart melted. Willem hadn’t had to request that he be on the adoption papers they were applying for, but his Daddy had insisted. Which meant the kids would be adding his surname to their existing one. “Of course, you do.” A curl of longing streaked through him. One day he hoped for the same privilege. But whether they married or not, Eli would always belong to his Daddy.
Once they entered the courthouse it didn’t take long for them to be shown into the court room where the judge would review their application. He noticed that Derek had already arrived as promised with their lawyer, Jonathan Grantstaff. He stiffened though when he noticed his parents sitting in one set of chairs on the far side of the room. He’d hoped like hell they wouldn’t have come but he guessed he should’ve expected it.
His mother had made his life a living hell over the past six months. When the Child and Family Services Division had returned an unfounded report, she’d resorted to throwing one legal injunction after another at them. She’d tried to use the fact that the kids weren’t in a proper school, which had been shot down due to the evidence that Eli was indeed homeschooling. Then it was they were using the kids for free labor, which the home visit had proved false. Finally, she’d claimed that his and Willem’s sexuality and proclivities were harshly affecting the kids and they should be removed. She’d filed so many legal documents over the past three months that Eli swore he was in court more than he was at home some weeks.
“Shhh, it’ll be okay.” Willem placed a hand on his shoulder. “As their grandparents they have a right to be here, but they won’t be able to change the result of this meeting, boy. The judge will approve our adoption. I just know it.”
“I know, Daddy,” he whispered. “I just could’ve gone another ten years without seeing them.” He drew a deep breath as the bailiff announced the case, and the judge took the bench.
“So, it’s my understanding that Elias Foster Atheron and Willem Charles William are petitioning the court to legally adopt Raelynn Marie Atheron and Jeremy Issac Atheron.”
“Yes, your Honor.” Jonathan answered from the other side of him. The estate lawyer had been a god-send as they’d navigated all the legalese Eli’s parents had tossed at them. “The children have lived with Mr. Atheron and Mr. William for the past six months and are thriving after the deaths of their parents. Both Elias and Willem have expressed a desire to adopt their charges.”
“I see.” The judge looked over the paperwork in front of him. “All the assessments look to be in order. And inspection of the home, as well as the men themselves have been done and signed off on.” He looked up. “Now all I need to know is how the children feel about this, before I sign off on it.”
Raelynn, looking adorable in her green skirt and ivory top stood slowly. “I want Daddy Will and Uncle Eli to be my parents, your honor.”
The judge nodded. “And you, young man?” He gave Jeremy a look. “What do you have to say?”
“I wanna stay with Daddy Will and Unca Eli, your judge-ness.”
The judge chuckled but noted the boy’s response. “Then I do believe this one of the easiest decisions I’ll make today. I hereby grant…”
“No!” Eli’s mother surged out of her seat. “You can’t give the children to them! They are evil and will corrupt my grandchildren! They aren’t natural and -”
“Order in the court.” The judge rapped his gavel on the desk. “That will be enough out of you Mrs. Atheron.” He glared at her. “One more outburst like that, and I’ll find you in contempt of the court. I’ve been as tolerant as I plan on being with you. Your earlier legal actions notwithstanding, there is the fact that your deceased son choose Mr. Atheron to be his children’s legal guardian. You have no leg to stand on, so I suggest you shut up and sit down. Unless you want to spend the night in jail?”
She sat down with a huff, muttering something like ‘why I never.’ Eli wanted to roll his eyes at her antics but refrained.
“As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I hereby grant the legal adoption of both Raelyn and Jeremy Atheron to Elias Atheron and Willem William. Which means that Mr. and Mrs. Atheron’s suit for custody is hereby denied. From now forward both children shall have the last name Atheron-William.”
A cheer went up in the court as the kids jumped up and down, then threw themselves at Willem and Eli. Relief filled Eli until he was almost swaying on his feet.They’re ours. He drew both kids into his arms, and hugged them, ready to get out of the court room, when the judge spoke again.
“Now that we have the adoption matter out of the way, it seems there’s one more matter at hand before we adjourn for lunch.” The judge glanced up over his glasses. “Mr. William, I see you’ve petitioned for a legal name change for yourself?”
“Yes, your honor.” Willem spoke clearly.
“Might I ask why? Name changes aren’t something I grant willy-nilly.”
“I love my family, your honor. The children already carry the hyphenated name, and I wish to as well.”
“You realize if you and Elias would marry you’d be able to change your name then correct?”
Willem nodded. “I’m aware.” He drew in a deep breath. “I love Eli with all that is in me. Without him my life wouldn’t be complete. However, he’s never expressed a desire to marry, I however do wish to be an Atheron-William.” He turned to Eli. “If that’s okay, boy? Will you share your name with me?”
