Grace's POV
The next morning I woke up before Chester, which was extremely unusual. I stared at him for a little, making sure that he really was asleep. His surprisingly long eyelashes rested on his cheeks and flickered sightly.
I seized the moment, and pulled out my laptop and did some more research on adoption, just like I had done the previous night. The topic was fascinating. The more I read about it, the more interested I became. This whole concept was becoming real to me and I felt like I had found the missing puzzle piece of our lives.
"Gracie?" Chester mumbled sleepily as he opened his eyes and watched me.
"Morning." I spoke softly, but didn't take my eyes off of my laptop.
"What are you doing up so early on your laptop?" He rubbed at his eyes.
I moved my laptop slightly so he couldn't see the screen. "Just some research on something that might help us..." I tried to keep a suspenseful atmosphere, because I knew Chester would be excited about the things to come.
He looked up at me with a confused expression. "What?"
I closed my laptop and looked him in the eyes. "I know a baby of our own would be ideal, but clearly that's not very likely, because my ovaries hate me." I managed to get a slight smirk from Chester. "So," I paused and took a deep breath, hoping to inhale some kind of courage. "What if we adopted? There are plenty of kids out there who don't have homes and I think it'd be great to do something about it."
Chester's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "You know, I've always known that you had some sort of soft spot for kids." He was now not only cheered up, but also engaging in some mockery.
"Whatever." I playfully rolled my eyes as he drew me into a soft and gentle, yet passionate kiss.
Chester's POV
I was glowing with happiness and Grace could certainly tell. The house became alive again. I felt alive again. There was hope for us being parents, whether we had birthed it or not.
It was possibly one of the best mornings of my existence. It felt like Christmas as a kid. I was so cheery that I made my famous, delicious pancakes, whilst I hummed one of my songs.
"Well aren't you just ball of sunshine?" Grace entered the kitchen and folded her arms.
I grinned and raised one eyebrow. "I know. It just feels like we're finally stepping into a happier part of our lives, you know? Like we've stepped into the light."
"Chester See, you fucking cheese-ball." She beamed and sipped a cup of coffee that I left on the counter for her. I gasped with feigned offence, making her laugh infectiously.
I slid a plate of stacked pancakes onto the counter, along with a bottle of syrup and sat opposite Grace.
"So according to my research, we need an adoption caseworker to help us with the process. It can take 3-9 months to have outings with the child, get police clearances and have our house and finances evaluated and approved, all depending on who we consult, of course."She tucked into a pancake. My jaw dropped. Grace was really serious about this.
"Woah, Grace. Someone's been doing some intensive research?" I smirked.
"Just skimmed some text. Nothing serious." She blushed slightly.
"It's okay to be excited. I know that no matter how awkward you feel and act around children, you still like them."
"You've blown my cover." She teased sarcastically and put my empty, along with hers, in the dishwasher. "I think we should consider going to speak to my parents about this, before we do anything drastic." I nodded in agreement.
"Does this mean a trip to New Jersey?"
"Indeed, it does." Grace gave me a sly grin as she wrapped her arms around me and leaned to kiss my temple.
