Laying a Foundation: Bonus volume: Includes series prequel, The Groundbreaking (The Love Under Construction Series) (77 page)

“You’re breathtaking, do you know that?” Tony whispered into her hair. “I want you so bad, girl, you have no idea.”

“I want you too, but the doctor said no sex until I go back to see him,” she whispered back. “I don’t know how I’m going to stand it. We’re going to have one very boring honeymoon,” she pouted.

“Yeah, but at least we’ll be together.” He smiled down at her, and his handsome face made her heart skip a beat. Flitting through her mind was the knowledge of all she’d almost lost, and she was so relieved that she had to fight to keep from crying, but she didn’t want to mess up her makeup – it had been too hard to put it on. “Now let’s get going,” Tony told her. “Being late is not an option. This is going to be a wonderful day for our family. I’m so excited!”

“Me too!” She managed to get her shoes on, and he walked her to the door.

The courthouse had Christmas decorations galore, big greenery wreaths with huge red bows adorning every door and window, and poinsettias in marble niches in the walls. Tony and Nikki entered the main doors and passed through security to meet Clayton, Brittany, and the children in the mezzanine area. Stringer was dressed up in a suit that fit him perfectly, and his tiny striped tie made Nikki smile. He ran to her, grabbed her around the knees, and asked, “Hey, can I see you buwwet hoe? Pweaze?”

Nikki laughed. “Not here, buddy, but maybe later, okay? Ella Jane, you look beautiful today!” Nikki cooed.

“Thank you. My dress is new,” the little girl sing-songed as she twirled around and tapped about in her favorite black patent shoes. The time she’d spent with Clayton and Brittany had completely rejuvenated the child, and her once-brittle, shabby hair was lustrous and golden.

“You look like a princess!” Tony told her, and she blushed.

Annabeth and Katie rushed up to greet all of them. “Mom, you look gorgeous!” Annabeth said, kissing Nikki on the cheek.

“Thank you, sweetie! It was hard work.”
And I’m exhausted from the effort,
Nikki wanted to tell them, but she just smiled.

Tony beamed. “It took her awhile, but it was absolutely worth it. She looks great, doesn’t she?”

Brittany hugged her. “You look like you feel a lot better.”

“I do. I feel so much stronger. I think a lot of it has to do with actually getting some sleep! No one sleeps in a hospital,” Nikki laughed. “So what do we do now?”

“Well, we go up and check in with the judge’s secretary, and then we wait to be called in.” Clayton motioned to the group. “Come on. We’d better get up there.”

They all made their way up to the second floor. Clayton checked in at the judge’s office, and they all hung out in the hallway, Tony making sure Nikki was sitting. After what seemed like forever, the judge himself came to the door and called out, “Walters?”

“Yes sir. Ready?” Clayton asked, looking at Stringer.

“Weddy!” Stringer cried out, and they stepped through the doorway.

They found themselves in the judge’s chambers. Before anything else could happen, Clayton asked the judge if they could get Nikki a chair, while she argued that it was okay and she didn’t need one. But the judge seemed to be familiar with what had happened to her and found her a chair himself.
Uh-oh
, Nikki thought.
Did all of that wind up in the news?
She didn’t know; she hadn’t been watching the news, but she would have to remember to ask when they left.

“Clayton and Brittany Walters?” the judge asked when they were all settled in.

“Yes sir,” they answered in unison.

“Stringer DeWayne Foster?” he then asked.

“Dass me!” Stringer cried out in his loudest voice. Everyone, even the judge, laughed.

“Well, it appears we are here today to adjudicate the adoption of Stringer DeWayne Foster by Clayton Lewis Walters and Brittany Ann Norton Walters. Over the years, I’ve learned that a lot of formality is nonsense on a day like this. Everyone involved wants it or they wouldn’t be here, so let’s cut the rhetoric and get down to it,” the judge said. Nikki looked at his desk name plate: Judge Richard Thornton. He seemed like a very pleasant man.

Suddenly the door opened and a slight woman popped in. “Oh! I’m so sorry I’m late!”

“Ms. Beech. Glad you could join us.” Judge Thornton invited her to take a seat. She had on a name tag that read “
Joanna Beech, Social Worker
.” “Now, as I was saying, I just have a few questions. Mr. and Mrs. Walters, are you prepared to care for the aforementioned child for the rest of his life as his parents, to take responsibility for his physical, educational, and emotional needs, and to love him as any parent would love their biological child?”

“Yes, we will,” Clayton answered.

“And I see you have family here; will you encourage his bonding experience with extended family and friends?”

“Yes, your honor,” Brittany answered.

“And to all of you,” the judge said, directing his question to the rest of them, “will you join with this couple in ensuring this child has the best life they can possibly offer him, and enhance his life with your love and support?”

“Yes!” Annabeth and Katie answered in unison.

“Yes we will,” Tony answered for the two of them, and Nikki nodded.

“Then I see no reason why I shouldn’t sign the adoption order. I see there is a name change requested also. Young man,” he said, turning to address Stringer directly, “come here for a minute.” Stringer went straight to the judge and, to their astonishment, climbed up onto the austere man’s lap. The judge looked a bit shocked at first, then smiled. “I see here you’d like to change your name. Is this your idea, or theirs?” he asked, pointing to Clayton and Brittany.

“Iz my idea, mistaw judge. I wanna change it,” Stringer stated clearly.

“And what do you want your name to be?” the judge asked him.

“Iz gone be Tony!” Stringer practically shouted and grinned all over his face. Nikki heard a sound and turned to find Tony choking back tears.

“It says here you want your name to be Anthony Lewis Walters. So that would be where you got Tony?” he asked.

“No, dass whaw I got Tony!” Stringer exclaimed, pointing at Tony, who now had a tear rolling down his face. “He my gwampa.” Nikki reached over and squeezed Tony’s hand, and he smiled down at her. “And dass my neenee!” he shouted, pointing at Nikki. It was her turn to lose it, and she choked a sob and felt the waterworks start. “And dems my Zia Beffie and my Zia Katie,” he said, pointing at the two young women. Annabeth and Katie were crying too, and Brittany’s eyes turned red. Clayton kept clearing his throat; he was fighting back tears. Stringer, however, was unfazed. “I not gone be Tony. I gone be Widdow T. And dass gone be Big T,” he told the group and pointed to Tony, who started to laugh.

“Well, that’s probably the best rationale for a name change that I’ve ever heard,” the judge said, starting to laugh. “And so, I’m going to sign this adoption petition. Young man, your name is now Anthony Lewis Walters, and Clayton and Brittany Walters are now your mom and dad.”

“Well, fank you, mistaw judge! I needin’ a mama and daddy. Now I Widdow T!” He grabbed the judge’s face and kissed him right on the lips, then hopped off his lap and ran to Brittany, grabbing her around the legs and growling as he hugged her knees hard. The whole room erupted in laughter.

“I can honestly say I’ve never been through an adoption proceeding where I’ve been met with such enthusiasm,” Judge Thornton grinned.

A small voice pierced the merriment. “Your honor, may I have a moment?” the tiny woman asked.

“Yes, Ms. Beech. Please, go right ahead,” Judge Thornton seemed to already know what she was going to say.

“Thank you. I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting the rest of you, just Clayton and Brittany,” she said.

“And me!” Little T yelled. “And huw,” he reminded her, pointing at Ella Jane.

“That’s right, String . . . um, Anthony.” He glared at her. “Little T.” The little boy smiled. “But I have something everyone needs to hear.” She took a deep breath. “Ella Jane’s birth mother has relinquished her parental rights. If you still want to go through with her adoption and your attorney can get the paperwork drawn up, I see no reason why the adoption can’t be finalized in the next two months.”

There was an enormous amount of shrieking and squealing, mostly from Annabeth, and even the judge said, “That’s fantastic!”

“I get to be adopted! I get to be adopted!” Ella Jane was screaming, and Brittany grabbed her and hugged the little girl to her chest.

“Well, I have to say, this is the happiest thing I’ve gotten to be a part of in a long time. Mr. and Mrs. Walters, thanks for being here today and giving these children a loving home. Have a great Christmas!” Judge Thornton told them, shaking hands all around. He bent to shake Nikki’s hand and whispered in her ear, “You feel better, okay? And have a great holiday season. I hope to see you again.”

“Thank you – you too!” Nikki replied.
He hopes to see me again? What an odd thing for him to say,
she thought, then put it out of her mind while she watched her family enjoy the moment.

When they got to their vehicles, Little T said, “Hey, Neenee and Big T, guess what? Santa gone come tonight. Bwitty and Cway say he comin’.” He turned to Brittany and Clayton and asked, “Hey, can I caw you Mama and Daddy now?”

Nikki had seen Clayton get teary several times, but for the first time since she’d known him, she saw the quiet, stoic young man she now saw as her son completely break down. Sobbing, he went down on one knee in front of the little boy and whispered, “Son, that would be the best Christmas present you could give us.” Little T leaned into his arms and Clayton hugged him close. Then Clayton turned to Ella Jane and told her, “Sweetheart, you can call us Mama and Daddy too if you want.”

“That would be awesome!” Ella Jane whispered.

Brittany wiped her own eyes and, taking Ella Jane’s hand, said, “Let’s go get some lunch, baby.”

The kids scampered off to Brittany’s new minivan, and she hit a button on her clicker to open the doors and let them get into their restraints. “See you at the restaurant?” she asked everyone else.

“We’re right behind you,” Tony called out, grabbing Nikki’s hand and pulling her toward the Mercedes.

They hadn’t gotten more than two blocks away from the courthouse when Tony turned to look at Nikki and saw she was sobbing. He pulled over and reached for her hand. “Baby, please tell me those are happy tears,” he said, wiping one off her cheek.

She nodded silently, then sniffled. It took everything she had to pull herself together and get the words out. “I never thought I’d be anybody’s grandmother. No one could’ve given me anything that would’ve made me happier than that little boy calling me Neenee.”

“Yeah. And I’m Big T. I think it suits me, don’t you?” he asked, grinning.

“It truly does, precious.”

“So, Neenee, let’s have a happy day with our grandchildren. I don’t know about you, but this is going to be the best Christmas I’ve ever had.” He kissed her hand and then said, in mock seriousness, “That is, if you’re still going to marry me.”

“Absolutely!”

“Good. Because I really didn’t want to have to put you out of the car to let you walk back and think about it some more.” He cut his eyes toward her, and it made her laugh. “And I would too!” he told her, laughing at the way she was laughing.

“Do you still want to marry me?” She looked up at him from under her lashes.

“More than anything in the world.” Nikki could see that he was struggling to keep his composure.

“Then it’ll be the best Christmas I’ve ever had too,” she told him and watched a single tear roll down his cheek. “Tomorrow we’ll be forever linked. And I can barely wait.”

“Are we packing up to go to Shelbyville tonight?” Nikki asked on the way home from the restaurant.

“Yep. We need to be there tomorrow morning. It’s going to be a very busy day.”

“What are we going to do about Christmas gifts? You’ve been in jail, so you have a legitimate excuse.”

“And you’ve been in the hospital. I’d say that’s a legitimate excuse if I’ve ever heard one.”

“But . . .”

Tony shook his head. “Baby, don’t worry about it. That’s just extraneous nonsense. We’re together. Our kids are happy. As of today, we have a grandchild and another on the way, in a manner of speaking. And tomorrow every dream I’ve ever had is going to come true when you come down those stairs and say those vows to me.”

“Oh, god!” Nikki whispered. “I don’t have any vows written!”

“You’ll have time to do that tonight. I know you; it’ll be fine,” Tony smiled and chucked her chin. “It’s probably mine you need to be worried about!”