"It's going great," Joy rushed to respond, entering the kitchen to pour herself a glass of wine. "Seriously. I don't think I've ever felt this fulfilled in my life … "
While that first part might have been a bit of a stretch, the second part most definitely wasn't.
"So you're still thinking you want to go through with the adoption?" Gloria probed. "Because I just met with Es's caseworker, and I was told that Silas needs to complete an application as well before everything can be pushed through. That's if you're still onboard, that is … "
"Oh we're on board," Joy assured her. "Like I said, we adore her. We … we really can't imagine our lives without her at this point."
"Great," Gloria exclaimed, speaking in a voice that made it obvious that she was smiling. "I just need one of you to come by the shelter to pick up the paperwork. No rush. Just … whenever works best for you."
Joy agreed to drop by sometime that coming week, noting that she'd been meaning to catch up with some of the girls there anyway. When Essie woke up from her nap, she gave her a quick bath and fed her a bottle before leaving with her to run a few errands.
Joy wasn't the only busy one though. Upon leaving Vincent's retirement home, Silas made his way across town to a department store that specialized in all things baby related. He wanted to surprise Joy by coming home with everything they needed to make Essie's nursery feel more like her own, and he hoped the gesture would prove to her that he was every bit as committed as she was.
"Are you sure all this stuff is necessary?" Silas asked the teenage sales assistant who led him through the store pointing out all the items he'd need to fulfil his goal. Some of it struck him as nonsensical, but then again, it wasn't like he came equipped with a wealth of knowledge on any of this stuff.
The sales assistant started to respond, but she was interrupted before she could.
"It's not," a soft voice spoke up from behind him. Turning towards the sound of it, Silas's eyes widened when he came face to face with Joy pushing Essie in her stroller.
"Joy," he exclaimed, his confusion evident in his tone. "What're you doing here?"
Joy smirked. "I could ask you the same thing," she responded, bending down to slide Essie's pacifier back inside her mouth before bringing her gaze back up to his.
The sales assistant must have been able to sense the tension between the two adults, because she took it as her cue to leave, walking off to help another customer.
"I thought I'd get a jumpstart on shopping for Es's nursery," Silas explained. "She's getting a little big for that bassinet, don't you think?"
"Really?" Joy raised a brow and fought to contain a smile. "That's funny, because this morning it sounded like you didn't want us to keep her at all … "
"I know," Silas said, taking a step towards her. "I was an asshole, but the thing is … you were right. I was letting my fear of failure control me, but not anymore. I'm ready to commit...not just to you, but to her." Pausing, he gestured towards Essie and smiled when the child opened her eyes to look at him. "That is if you'll still let me … "
Joy's smile no longer allowed itself to be contained. It swept freely across her face, and she wasted no time in closing the small gap of space that still existed between them to engulf him in a hug. "Of course," she whispered, melting into his arms. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
Chapter 22
The next month was full of changes for Joy and Silas. Silas busied himself with easing into the role of Essie's father. Joy set about in finalizing her adoption. And together, the pair held a ‘welcome to the family' party for their daughter shortly after everything was official.
"You know, I read that babies who start crawling at an early age are smarter than most," Vivian remarked as she watched Essie inch her way across the back patio. "And mark my words … that girl is smart."
Joy smiled at the compliment. She was settling into the role of a mother quite nicely, and it showed in the way she beamed whenever anyone said anything nice about Essie.
"I don't think we're in any hurry for that," Silas said, bending down to pick the child up before she could bump into anything. "We want her cute and easy to control for as long as possible."
Joy smirked from her spot at the head of the table, taking a tiny sip of soda before making her way back inside the house to prepare desert.
Taking notice of the way her ass moved against the fabric of her dress as she did, Silas immediately handed Essie over to her grandmother and went to follow her for a moment of private intimacy. "You know what's great about this party?" he said as he approached her from behind, taking her into his arms.
"Hmm … I don't know," Joy teased. "All the expensive gifts Es got that we didn't have to buy her ourselves?"
"Nope," Silas responded, beginning to kiss his way down her neck. "The fact that she's going to be so exhausted after all of this that she'll probably sleep in until like eleven tomorrow."
"Mmm, I hope so," Joy purred. "That sounds heavenly."
"But that's not all," Silas continued, kissing up along her right earlobe. "Because while she's sleeping, we'll be doing something else … "
Joy closed her eyes and fought to contain a moan as Silas squeezed her buttocks, turning her around so that they were face to face. He kissed her with an all too familiar yearning, but the two were forced to part when Blair entered the kitchen.
"My bad," she exclaimed, covering her eyes. "I just wanted to let you guys know that I'm taking off. Great party, though. I can only imagine what your wedding reception will be like."
Joy thanked her, and she and Silas escorted her to the front door to see her off before turning to face each other again.
"I can't believe that's less than two weeks away," Silas remarked. "It still doesn't feel real."
Joy nodded, beaming up at him for a moment before engaging him in another round of tongue play. "Wow," she whispered once they parted for air. "What has gotten into you lately?"
Silas smirked, his greenish blue eyes glowing against hers. "I don't know. The warm weather does something to me. That's probably why it was around this time of year when you got pregnant … "
Joy smiled in reflection. The memory no longer brought her to tears. "Yes, well, I like to think I've perfected my craft quite a bit since then … "
"Oh that you have," Silas affirmed, pushing her up against the counter and easing his hands up under her dress. "I could still use a little refresher though."
"Silas!" Joy hissed, looking past him. "We can't. Need I remind you that there's a small army of people waiting for us in the backyard?"
"Yeah, all of whom are far too distracted fussing over Es to even notice that we're gone," he reminded her, pushing up closer against her so that she could feel how erect he already was. It was clear that he had no intention on either one of them leaving the kitchen until their needs were satisfied.
Joy relented with a low moan, allowing Silas to lead her into the bathroom for a quickie.
Both adults were glowing when they resurfaced in the backyard a few minutes later, but the abundance of love and acceptance their daughter was receiving from all their family and friends was a high all of its own.
"I told you she'd be out cold," Silas commented as he and Joy tucked Essie in for bed later that night.
Joy smiled down at the child, leaning over her crib to place a kiss on her forehead. "This came in the mail today," she said once she and Silas settled in for bed, pulling a large manila envelop from her purse and handing it over to him. "I wanted to wait until after the party was over to open it."
Silas knew what it was without having to ask. Sure enough, he was greeted with a notarized adoption certificate as soon as he tore open the seal. "Wow," he whispered as he studied it, letting out a low whistle. "So that's it? It's really official?"
"Sure is," Joy confirmed, a small smile pulling at her lips. "She's all ours."