The Adoption - Until I Find You Again // Book Three

Part One

Stepping off of a plane on London soil was always a comfort to me. The tarmac of a London airport meant I was an hour or two from the embraces of my kids and the love of my life, Emily. I had been gone for an extended period this time, longer than usual. Updates from home had Lucy getting the highest marks in each class, Noah motoring around the house creating havoc wherever he went and Emily buying what had to be the sexiest piece of lingerie I'd ever seen. I couldn't wait to get home to hold my children and bury myself inside Em.

I handed the gentlemen who would be driving me home my bag after shaking his hand and thanking him for making the hour long drive to get me to my family. He put my bag in the trunk and within a few minutes we were off.

I tapped Emily's phone number on my phone screen and put the phone to my ear,

"Hello, My Love." I heard her honey sweet voice a few minutes later.

I let my head rest against the back of the car seat,

"Hi."

"You sound exhausted."

"Just a long flight."

"And how did you leave Africa? Are they more in love with One Direction than ever?"

I laughed softly,

"Of course."

My smile faded though. Emily had no idea what had happened in Africa for the most part. I wanted to get home and tell her, but I needed to gather my thoughts and my words so I could adequately give her the right information. What I was going to ask her was big.

Going back to Ghana with the boys was only supposed to be a few days to reconnect with the kids in the hospitals and orphanages we'd met before. A sort up update on some of the kids to see where they were now for Red Nose Day. I certainly didn't expect what happened.

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Niall, Louis and Zayn had been taken off in another direction while Liam and I were once again paired. Both of us laughed that for all the years we hadn't been a band people still liked to throw us back to that time as some sort of reminder.

I smiled when I saw an older, rounder, shorter woman approach us. Had she been here the last time we were? I racked my brain but I couldn't remember. She had blonde hair that was turning a darker grey now from what I could only imagine was the stress of her job. She had a pair of wire rimmed glasses she perched on the end of her nose. She reminded me of what Mrs. Claus would look like...if she'd been real, that is.

She had a clipboard on one hand, her other hand jutting out in an offering to me,

"Claudia Grant. I'm the director here." She had the thickest southern accent I'd ever heard in my life.
Wow. And people thought I was hard to understand after a few months back home.

"Harry Styles."

"Liam Payne." Liam stated as she reached for his hand.

She let out a deep sigh, glancing down at her clipboard,

"One Direction, right?" The word "right" came out as "rot" and I stifled a giggle. She caught it though and looked up at me over her glasses.

I quickly righted myself and nodded,

"Right."

Liam slapped at my arm when she looked back down, shaking his head in quiet admonishment. I couldn't help it. This woman's voice was tripping me out.