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“This is Selene Chancelor.” I introduced them to the horrid woman my brother had somehow gotten pregnant not once, but twice. “And she’s the reason he stayed in the gang so long.”
Germaine stood up and walked to me, placing both of his hands on my shoulder before saying, “We’ll fight.”
I didn’t realize that I had OCD until I watched my kids hang Christmas ornaments.
—Quinn to Shayne
QUINN
2 years later
Nervously I rubbed the length of my chest, running my knuckles along the space where my rib cage met.
Shayne’s hand met mine, and she squeezed. “It’ll be okay.”
But would it?
We walked into the courthouse, for a much different reason than the last two times we’d been there.
The first was when Costas was sentenced.
The second was when Elliette got two life sentences in prison for attempted murder, with no chance at parole.
The third?
Well, the third had to be the most nerve wracking.
“Come on. Let’s go.”
I did, and we came out an hour later with two very happy kids.
Catherine, Rin, who was now five, was bouncing up and down excitedly.
Cillian, now three almost four, was just as excited but had no clue why.
Obviously, we’d had lengthy discussions with him about us not only applying for custody of them, but also wanting to adopt them, but he was still too young.
Hell, Rin was just as young, but at least she understood what today was.
We’d officially adopted Catherine and Cillian as of 11:50 AM with Costas’s blessing on the Zoom meeting.
Rin and Cillian’s mom, Selene, had her rights terminated last week.
Today was the day that we made it official on our end, not just in our hearts, but in the official way as well.
“I like the name Catherine Rodriguez Carter.” Rin squeezed my hand. “Don’t you?”
I grinned down at my girl. “It does have a nice ring to it.”
“I like my name, too!” Cillian crowed. “Cillian Rodriguez Carter!”
Cillian’s name was a mouthful, and he’d butchered it in the cutest way.
“You two are too cute,” Shayne teased.
The two of them jumped up and down, squealing in delight. “Let’s put up our Christmas tree to celebrate!”
I looked over at my wife.
