The Way We Were

The Way We Adopt in Kyoto

Xindi knocked on Lady Jeanne's door. George slid it open and bowed. "Miss?"

"May I speak with Mother?"

"Of course." He stepped aside.

She entered the room and saw the old woman reading in a chair by a window. Lady Jeanne lowered her glasses and closed the book on her finger. "Yes?"

Xindi fidgeted, not knowing how to ask for this. "I have never been to England."

"It's dreadful." Lady Jeanne replied honestly. "I would like to move somewhere warmer."

Xindi brightened. "Marcy said she is to live in the California."

Lady Jeanne nodded. "I've never been but it must be dreadful as well. My MarcAn never hates anything without reason."

"She was actually telling me about their neighborhood and the schools. About their home and garden."

"She has her mother's green thumb." Lady Jeanne meant Rose and not Judy. "She told me she had her outside worker plant trees and a veggie patch. She has plants all over their home and a room devoted to them."

That sounded like heaven to Xindi. "Maybe we can visit?"

Lady Jeanne thought about it. She honestly wanted to see her grandkids more. It was why she'd adopted in the first place. She was lonely. All she had was staff.

No one visited her unless something bad happened. Except her favorite eight. It was a reason why she said Mercedes was going to get the bulk of her estate. They loved their elders and tried to communicate if they couldn't visit.

She frowned. "I have an idea."

W.W.W.

Marcy stopped packing and turned her head, almost snapping her neck. "What?!"

"It's the perfect plan." Lady Jeanne was unperturbed.

"You want me to adopt your newly adopted child and move the both of you and George and Francois into my home for the foreseeable future?" Marcy was sure she'd been smoking crack to have heard that.

"Yes." Lady Jeanne nodded.

"That girl is fifteen. I'm eighteen. Why on Earth would she do what I say?"

"She respects you already. And you command obedience."

"Thanks a lot, Nana." Marcy said dryly. "Mal's not going to go for this."

W.W.W.

"Okay." Mal shrugged.

"What?!" Marcy paced, she was so emotional.

"Baby, you should see the way she looks at you." He went to her and held her hands. "She's aching for a mom and you've been a great one for five years."

"Nana's been a mom for 64 years!"

"And she doesn't have it in her to be a mom anymore. She's done her time and just wants to be a nana."

"Why didn't she say that before adopting this poor girl?!"

"You were the one who said nothing's new, nothing's a surprise. Like we were meant to find Cerise and Sola, maybe you were meant to find Xindi?"

"I gotta stop telling you things..."

"Baby." He chuckled.

"How in the absolute hell can you be so bloody perfect?"

His brows lifted. "You think I'm perfect?"

"Perfect for me."

He lifted his injured hand. "Remember April?"

She waved that away. "I was just a little upset."

"A little? The fact that you're pregnant now is a miracle."

"You're pregnant again?" Lady Jeanne said loudly.

Marcy leaned forward and up to bite Mal's bottom lip. "I'm getting you back."

"I thought I was perfect?" He teased.

"Perfect for me. You're still dead."

W.W.W.

"Stop adopting!" Quinn stated clearly.

"Blame your grandmother for this one." Marcy was officially done packing and was now going over the details for Rajah's fourth birthday party.

"What was the purpose of Nana adopting if she was just going to give you her child?" Mercedes shook her head.

"That's yo granny."

Laura smiled. "It's my turn."

The four looked at her blankly.

"To adopt."

"Laura!" Marcy could die.

"I'm serious. I've been thinking about it since you got Rajah-"

"Two minutes ago!"

"It's been a long two minutes."

"I can't have nothin to myself!"

"You have such good ideas." Mercedes soothed.

Maddie giggled. "Can I adopt?"

"No!" Her older sisters yelled.

She pouted playfully. "When are you adopting, Laura?"

"When we get to Yokohama." Laura nodded once. "Marc and I already have an appointment."

"At least you'll be able to understand the baby." Marcy shrugged. "I don't know Korean or any Indian dialects."

"T didn't teach you any Korean?" Mercedes was surprised.

"Nothing I want to use." Marcy was dead serious.

Quinn and Maddie burst out laughing.

W.W.W.

The lawyer pointed to a line. "Sign here and initial here."

Marcy signed then initialed before Mal did.

"Again here and here."

They did it again.

"Now all three of you sign here." He meant the adults.

They signed.

He flipped to the last page. "And the three of you sign and date here." He meant the teens.

Marcy, Mal and Xindi signed and dated.

The lawyer nodded. "I will be back with your copies. Congratulations. You're parents."

Xindi grinned widely and Lady Jeanne smiled smugly.

Marcy shook her head as he left. "So how many kids is this?"

Mal took her hand. "Eleven. Maybe."

She looked down at her stomach. "It better be just one of you in there."