I rang the doorbell and waited. The door swung open. "Taylor!" Maddy greeted me by wrapping her arms around my legs.
I picked her up. "Hey, kiddo! Now, what have your mother and I told you about opening the door?" Laura was right. We had our work cut out for us where this behavior was concerned.
Maddy rolled her eyes. "I looked out the window first, Taylor. Besides, I'm five. I can open the door."
I laughed and set her down. "So, all ready for the first grade?"
"Mmm-hmm," she said, nodding her head for emphasis. "Hey! You're back early! Mommy said you'd be back just before I started school."
"Yeah, well, we finished early. I wanted to suprise you and your mom. Is she around?"
"Yup. She's in the back."
"Okay. What do you say the three of us go out to dinner tonight?"
She smiled. "Maybe you should just be with Mommy tonight."
I shrugged. "Hey! Don't say I didn't offer."
Quietly, I walked towards the pond. Laura was sitting on the bench, staring into space. A peaceful expression rested on her face. I laughed to myself. She was sitting on that bench when she said she'd be right there when I came back. I didn't think she meant literally though. I stood behind her, covering her eyes with my hands. "Guess who!"
She jumped up, threw her arms around me, and kissed me passionately. "I've missed you so much," she said softly.
"I've missed you, too." I brushed a few stray hairs away from her eyes.
"I thought you weren't coming home until next week."
"Well, fine. If you want, I can go," I said, turning around.
Laura grabbed my arm. "Oh, no! You're not going anywhere!"
I laughed. I moved to sit next to her on the bench. We wrapped our arms around one another. "So, how did the tour go?" she asked.
"It was all right."
"Just all right?"
"Well, I missed you."
"I missed you, too," she said, delivering a gentle kiss to my lips.
"So, what have you been up to while I was gone?"
"Well, finshed another school year. Signed Maddy up for Girl Scouts. We'll see how long that lasts. Umm, and I got a dress."
I perked up at that last piece of information. "Oh really? What does it look like?"
Laura laughed. "You'll just have to wait until November and see."
"November?"
"What? Novemeber's not good? You said on the phone it was okay. Doesn't matter. I'm sure the church can work something out," she said, standing up.
I laughed, circling my arms around her waist and pulling her into my lap. "November's fine."
"Good. By the way, did you decide..."
I sighed. "No, I didn't."
"Taylor! You must be driving your brothers crazy! But don't worry. I have a solution for you."
"You do?"
"Uh-huh. You don't have to choose."
"I don't?"
"Nope."
"Why?"
"You see, I'm in a bit of a jam. When I was ten, my best friend Nikki and I promised we'd be one another's maid-of-honor. I wasn't really getting along with my sister at the time. Anyway, sure enough, when she got married before I moved back here, I was her maid-of-honor. Well, I kinda forgot and asked Pam to be my maid-of-honor. But Nikki thinks SHE is. So..."
I laughed.
"Don't laugh! This is serious!"
"I can't help it! Only YOU could wind up in a mess like this."
"Well, for your information, you're in this just as deep as I am. Ike and Zac are waiting."
I stopped laughing. "Okay. You're right. And it's a good idea. Anything else we have to do?"
"Well, you have to sign the paperwork for pre-cana."
I nodded my head. "Speaking of paperwork, there's... there's something I've been meaning to ask you."
"Sure. What is it?"
I had been deliberating over this the entire tour. I played this scene out in my mind over a thousand times. But now that I was going to actually SAY the words, I couldn't find my voice. I was incredibly nervous. Normally, I would've spoken to Ike and Zac beforehand, but Laura had to be the first to hear my thoughts.
"Tay?"
This was it. Now or never. "Well, while I was gone, I missed you. I missed Maddy too. And, well, it got me thinking... and I was wondering... I mean, if it's okay with you..." I took a deep breath. "I want to adopt Madeline."
Laura just sat there, dumbfounded. Then she closed her eyes, and silent tears spilled over. She put her arms around my neck and leaned in, our foreheads touching. "YOU are the most wonderful man," she whispered. She pulled back and looked into my eyes. "Maddy will be thrilled to call you dad, and nothing would make me happier."
I smiled because, at that moment, Laura, Madeline, and myself officially became a family.