Page 63 of Christmas Chaos
Josh looks. “And you doubt yourselves? You’re naturals.”
Tabi smacks Josh in the arm. She points at Elle. “I’m out. You work on somewhere for us to lay down our kid’s sweet head. I have my parents and Pro/Ho to contend with. I literally had them drive around the block. Couldn’t deal with the happy dramatic Greek sobbing. They needed to chill out.”
Josh says, “I forgot we’re open today. I’ll try to come over and pour once I get through all my meetings this morning.”
Tabi says to Josh, “Thanks. It will take my mind off things. We’re not opening until eleven, and I’ve just decided we’re having a sale. An ‘I’m getting a baby, so everything is half off today’ sale. And, Elle, please find me somewhere to sleep.”
I squeeze Tabi as we kiss Emma yells, “There’s kissing, daddy. And I want to be kissing.”
Josh’s voice gets deeper, “No. You’re not allowed to do that until you’re thirty-five.” Emma turns away from him and kisses me on the cheek.
“I kiss now Daddy.” Josh scowls at her. Emma’s going to be so much trouble.
As she walks out the door, Elle heads to the bottom of her staircase. She looks at me. “I’m on it.” There is nothing that woman can’t fix, plan or maneuver, so thank God she’s on our side.
I move to leave the room and Becca clears her throat.
“The wrinkle?” I forgot.
Josh gets bottles together and sticks the girls into little bouncy seats. Then scoops Emma from my arms and hands her a squeeze packet of something green and off she toddles in her diaper.
Josh claps his hands together at Becca and me. I will never get over that our brooding, titan of industry, billionaire asshole of a friend is such a girl dad.
“Becca, what’s up?” Josh folds his hands over his chest and steps behind the girls to keep a watch on the bottle feeding. He adjusts one of them and nods to Becca.
“Are you sure we do this without Tabi?” Becca asks.
Josh chimes in, “That does not seem like a great idea, whatever this is.”
I overrule any objections in the room. I’ll hear it out and then discuss with her if she needs to know. “She has enough on her plate.”
Becca’s a no-nonsense gal and I’m glad for it. She blurts out, “They’re yours if you still want them. Their mother surrendered them into the foster system this morning and signed away parental rights. I know all about parental rights after what went down with David, and these are iron clad. They’ll scheduled to be sent to an orphanage near Chico. It’s a good facility. I looked into it for you. But the state reverts to their last home to see if you want to emergency foster or follow through with adoption.”
I stumble and Josh puts his hand on my back. I flip my head around the room and then land on Becca’s serious face. This can’t be happening. “Joaquin and Jay?”
Becca nods. “Look. I have a shit-ton of things happening right now. And now I have to be your legal team to basically get a basketball team together today. I have a ton of paperwork but I need you to decide right now. The boys are down south of San Jose in a random DCF office. They don’t know about you and Tabi getting to decide. But it is your choice.”
Our foster boys were only with us for five months when their mother wanted them back. That hurt more than the miscarriages. Tabi never quite bounced back. She’s still Tabi and still perfect, but there’s a dull spot on her heart where those boys should be.
My voice breaks. How much more can this day be? “There isn’t a choice. Today we become a family of five.”
“From none, to outnumbered. Are you sure?” Josh puts his hand on my shoulder, and I cover it and squeeze. I’m sure.
I smile and again tears spring to my eyes. “So, fucking sure. And I do not need to consult Tabi. Do it. I’ll go down and get the boys right now and we’ll surprise her at the hospital in Oakland.”
Elle enters, a weepy mess. Josh disregards it and mutters. “Hormones.”
“Those boys. I love them. I’m so happy.” Elle breaks into a sob.
“Not only do we love them, and they’re supposed to be ours, but knowing Natalie and her story, there’s no fucking way we’re not doing this.” David’s wife was a foster kid who was never adopted.
“You’re still homeless,” Becca says.
Shit. “Elle, find me a VBRO, anything. A tent. Find me beds, a crib, a bale of hay. Anything. And no one tell anyone about this. Oh shit. Christmas.”
“Get your siblings and friends on the Christmas thing,” Becca offers up.
Josh says, “Sam and David are out with the woolly weeders today, in the back vineyards of Pro/Ho.”
