1 year later

Ari

I couldn't be more happy with my life. I never thought I would be here today. When I was sitting in that basement praying for death. I'm so greaful my prayers weren't answered. Making it back to sebby, staring our family made was worth the fight to stay alive.

Stephan is officially adopted, he's a junior in highschool, he plays football, and it making straight A's. Charlie is in preschool and loves it, she's still spoiled rotten by her daddy. Rory, our sweet baby girl is four months old and has everyone wrapped around her little finger.

Sebby and stephan have been meeting with Tammy and Justin twice a month for over a year. As Tammy's health continues to decline, their visits are now at thier home. Sebby still doesn't want them in our girl's lives. I will support whatever decisions he makes when it comes to that part of his life.

I have continued to take online classes while staying at home with rory. It's Friday night football. The whole club goes to most of the home games to show stephan support. The look on his face when he saw everyone in the stands at his first games was priceless.

I'm so happy he found sebby, and that we were able to give him a better life, with an amazing family that will always support him. If I know one thing about the club it's that family comes first blood or not.

Meadow is on the sidelines, she decided to try out for the cheer team and made it. She loves being on the field cheering stephan on. They are still close, but neither of them have admitted their feelings for each other. I saw the look of pure heart break on stephans face last weekend when meadow got dropped of by her date next door at uncle parkers house. Seb stood beside him on the porch and told him he needed to tell that girl how he felt.

Uncle parker uses the same logic dad does, and I thought he might kill the boy who took meadow out without asking. The boy made it out alive. When I asked meadow how it went she said she didn't tell the boy where she lived or who her dad was, he hasn't spoken to her since. Uncle parker said the boy was a pussy.

I feel bad for my little girls when they get older, the don't just have a protective dad, but uncles and a grandpa too, lord help whatever boy is brave enough to show up asking permission to date our girls.

"So, your boy came and talked to me today." Uncle parker says standing next to me in the stands.

"Yeah?" I ask.

"Mhmm, he wants to take my little girl on a date."

"Well, at least he's not a pussy." Sebby chimes in.

"Yeah, I guess not. How do you both feel about it?"

"Uncle parker, they have been friends forever. Stephan would put his life on the line for meadow. He loves her, even if neither of them will admit it. He won't let anything happen to her, he'll treat her right."

"I told him yes." Uncle parker sighs.

"Good," I nod.

When we get home later that night stephan told sebby and I meadow said yes, she'd go on a date with him. He looked like a five year old on Christmas morning.

"They're getting so big." Sebby said looking at the video monitors sitting on the night stand. One for each of them. Stephan decided to move to the spare room downstairs so both the little girls could be upstairs with us, he's very protective of them and didn't want either of their rooms to be downstairs.

"Yeah, I know. They're perfect."

"Just like their mamma," he says leaning iver and kissing my temple. "When we having another one?"

"Nope," I shake my head.

"Why not, angel? I want a whole baseball team."

"We'll adopt in a few years, there are so many kids out there that need parents to love and protect them. We can do that. We can make a difference in their lives and make sure they never have to go through what you and stephan did."

"I like that idea baby. I still want a baseball team."

"Well you better get to building a bigger house then."

"I will." He nods like I just asked him to take the trash out.

5 years later

Sebby

My little girls aren't so little anymore. Charlie is going into the fourth grade. Rory is starting kindergarten. Stephan is off at college. My wife graduated and is now one of the few social workers that are actually making a difference in kids lives. I know their are other good ones out there, I just never met any in my time in foster care.

"So is that a yes?" Ari asks with her bug green puppy dogs eyes.

"Yes, baby. A happy wife, a happy life."

"Sebby this is serious."

"I know, ari. The answer is yes."

"There's two of them, are you sure?"

"Angel, yes.."

Ari fell in love with a little boy and little girl who were placed in the system after their parents died. The boy, Bryce is ten and the girl thlia is five. We already have another foster son living with us chase, he's sixteen. He's been with us for over a year and we are in the process of adopting him. He, like stephan never thought that was what was going to come out of him staying with us.

I'm pretty sure if ari could adopt all the kids she came in contact with at work she would. That's why I built her a huge house, seven bedrooms all with their own bathrooms, a huge family room, kichen, and dinning room, a basment with a game room, and a play room for the littles, amd a five car garage. Prez wasn't suprised at all when I showed him the plans and told him why it needed to be so big.

Stephan comes home with meadow for visits at least once a month, they go to college about an hour away. He asked three years ago if he could call us mom and dad, I thought he was joking considering I'm only five years older than him and ari is only three years older, he wasn't. He said it didn't matter our ages we took care of him like our own we gave him a real shot at life, and he didn't think he would be where he's at today without us. Ari cried and told him yes. The looks we got at the college the few times we went to visit and he called us mom and dad were priceless.

Tammy passed away four years ago, Justin couldn't cope. He went back to drugs. He overdosed and died a couple months later. I can't say I didn't understand his pain. I don't know what I would do if I had to watch ari go through everything Tammy went through and die in my arms. I would probaly die of a broken heart.

There are a few things in life I'm sure of after all of these years. Ari is a true angel sent from God himself to make this world a better place. My sons are going to grow into great men, who love, respect, and protect their woman. And my daughters are going to get me locked up when they are older if they get anymore beautiful, I'd say chances are good I'll be serving some jail time.

In a life full of what ifs, I'll never wonder if this is where I was meant to be. My family proves everyday that everything ari and I have been through was worth it in the end. After all soulmates always end up together...

The end

I just wanted to say, THANK YOU! for all the comments, votes, and kind words. Everyone deserves a happily ever after, I hope you find yours❤️

Jaspers book is next!!