Asher sat next to the stairs, in the same position the night we overheard about our 'grandparents', staring at nothing in particular. He did not eat his dinner which I thought was relatively strange since he enjoyed Shepherd's Pie. I slowly inched my way towards him before realizing Sandy was sitting next to him, remaining silent. I sat just below them but still in visual view.

He looked up at her, finally noticing her presence. "I don't understand." He paused momentarily, as he concentrated. "There was this lady that I felt like I knew. The longer I looked at her the more I felt scared but I don't understand."

Sandy's brown eyes searched his blue ones before leaning forward and hugging him. He's hug slowly turned into an embrace of tears as he wept, "I'm scared, mommy."

She slowly rubbed his back before rubbing away his tears with her thumb. "Hey, it's going to be okay, Asher. You have Daniel, your brother, your big sister, and I here," she soothed, as she slowly wiped away a tear of her own.

He nodded slowly before snuggling into her comforting embrace once more. He seemed to relax, as she rubbed his back. Sandy's eyes meant mine and I smiled up at her. She smiled back before picking him up and disappeared behind the wall, no doubt to put him to bed.

I slowly made my way up the stairs just as Sandy to close the boys' bedroom door closed. A ping of jealously caused my heart to ache from their moment for I was the one that comforted them for years. Sandy took quick note of my silence and said, "You can go in and-"

"No." She blinked and I paused at my statement.

She released her hand off the doorknob and nodded. "Oh okay."

"No, because you are his mother as... you are mine and Ollie's. I'm sorry for the way I treated you and Daniel when we first arrived. You were willing to take us in as your own... take me in. A teenager! And I treated you guys like shit," I told her, as I shifted my footing.

Sandy smiled and patted my shoulder. "First off, language. Second, if anyone should be apologizing it's me. I judged you straight off the bat without allowing you to settle in first. Daniel helped me see through it and I am so glad I did. You've been an amazing sister and you've grown so much these past few weeks that I am embarrassed to even have thought wrong about you, North." She wiped a tear away before chuckling to herself, "I swear I am not this emotional. Can I give you a hug?"

Wiping away small tears, I nodded before giving her a hug. Asher may be right about a motherly hug. It felt warm, safe, and unfamiliar... but a good unfamiliar.

"Is everything okay?" Daniel asked. He closed the bedroom door slowly with his pajamas and robe on.

I stepped back and nodded. "Yeah."

The doorbell rang and the three of us froze from the top of the stairs. Daisy trotted to the front door barking in circles until Daniel commanded her to hush.

"Who could that be this late-of-in-hour?" Sandy mumbled her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"I don't know but stay there," he told us, as he wandered down the stairs. I watched as he peeked out the glass window before opening it up. He glanced around before bending down to pick up something from the ground. He closed the door, locking it, before looking up at us. "It's a letter addressed to all of us."

I rushed down the stairs to glance at the letter, the familiar handwriting caused me to grimace. "That chicken scratch of handwriting is my father's." He slowly opened it before pulling out the papers. An origami bird fell and I slowly reached down to pick it up, a creative way my father used to put in my school lunches to write messages to me.

"It's adoption papers? They've been signed... giving their constant for us to adopt you three? How-?" Daniel paused once he saw me slowly peeling the letter open to read:

Dear North,

Never when I held you for the first time did I think my life would end up like this. You were there for the boys when I and your mother weren't, something a child never should have to do. I wiped your childhood away, and as much as I wish I could give it back, I can not. Instead, I can write to you goodbye.

Inside you probably have seen the adoption papers that I and your mother signed years ago, in case something like this ever happened. Your mother left me a few days after we left you three at the house. She was the one that called the police because she could not take a life of running anymore. I haven't seen her face since then. Instead of owning up to mistakes as a father and husband should be, I brought you and your mother into it. I'm sorry I was the never the father you hoped I'd be.

I hope they have brought you and your brothers' joy in the short weeks that you have known them then I did in the years you were with me. This is the last time you'll ever hear from me again for all be far from the good old U.S of A. Take care.

Sincerely,

Cal Lowell

I lowered the letter to look at them. "He's gone for good and so is my mother. They are moving on, going their separate ways."

"How did he find us though?"

I shrugged, folding the paper to hand it to them. "I've learned not to underestimate his techniques." I glanced at the papers then up to them. "Does that mean you can legally adopt us now?"

The two of them glanced at each other and Daniel responded, "That is if you want us to."

~~~

14 months later

Honk! Honk!

"Looks like your father is getting impatient. Let's go kids!" Sandy yelled from the front door.

"Wait! My shoe stuck!" I yelled trying to fix it. The boys pulled at their ties uncomfortably, as they jogged down the stairs.

Oliver whined, pulling at the tie, "I don't like it!"

"Bye, Daisy," Asher petted the dog before kissing her face.

"You have to wear it just for a little bit, Oille. Now get in the car. North, come on or we'll leave you behind!"

I jogged down the stairs beaming, "I'm here! Besides, you can't leave me. I'm part of the main event!"

Sandy hummed before pushing me to the door. "Tell that to Daniel."

We were all dressed in our formal attire heading to the courtroom where they would decide if we Lowells would become Thompsons. Nervousness filled each of our bones, as we drove to the court building.

"Do you like my drawing, North?" Asher asked, passing a sketch to me from the back.

"That's not bad, Ash. Keep practicing and you'll be good as me," I smiled to him and admired the family drawing even the dog and cat were included.

Oliver tossed a drawing as well, not that I could decipher what I was looking at. Dog? Cat? Both? "Very good as well."

"Maybe that art supplies won't go to waste after all after you go to college," Sandy laughed from the passenger seat.

I groaned in annoyance, "I don't want to talk about college yet. I was just getting used to Junior year."

"One more year girly. Got start thinking about it," Daniel smiled.

Cars were starting to pull into the courthouse and we were greeted by familiar faces. I got to meet the Thompson's family over Thanksgiving and Christmas break, something the boys and I enjoyed very much. Valeria's family, the Woods, and Mrs. Haley even stopped by to watch. I gave a quick wave to them before making our way to the front.

The courtroom became silent as the judge clears his throat.

"As a judge, I've seen families come in and out, something families shouldn't have to go through. Not only is it hard on the kids... it's always hard on the relationship as a whole. It's occasions like this that make me have hope and mean a great deal to all of us," he smiled at everyone in the room before looking at us five. "Do you Daniel and Sandy Thompson wish to adopt Oliver, Asher, and North into your family today?"

"I do, your honor," Sandy smiled to us and then her husband. She wiped away a small tear.

Daniel smiled, wiped away a tear, and looked at us. "Yes, your honor."

"Do you Oliver, Asher, and North wish to have Daniel and Sandy to be your mom and dad?"

"Uh, yes!" Oliver nodded before collapsing Sandy into a hug, causing a people to laugh.

"Yeah!" Asher smiled at the judge who smiled back.

He looked at me and I glanced at the others. Smiling, I thought back at the amazing year it had been with them, the good and the bad. The number of memories warmed my heart and I only had one word to say, "Yes!"

"By the authority vested in me, by the state of South Carolina, I pronounce you a family."