Restoration in the River

Hello Little Girl

Gracie couldn't believe her ears when Sally came to get her.

"Come on little Gracie!" She said warmly, gently steering the ten-year-old out of the room "your new parents are waiting in my office ready to attack the mountain of paperwork!" 

"But... why did they come back and decide they wanted me?" She asked not knowing what to feel.

Part of her wanted to squeal and shout happily that she was going to a new home, a better place. Part of her was a little frightened and unsure, for eight years this was home, this was all she had ever known.

Emmaline had mentioned she was the Governor of Queensland, would she have to be strict on her job but strict as a Mother too? Would she have time for her? What did a Governor do?    

What was Julian really like? What did he do while his wife to be was being Governor?

"Sally?" She gripped the woman's hand as they headed down the corridor to her office.

"Yes, little Gracie?"

"Do I have the right to say no to Emmaline and Julian?" 

"If you don't feel they'll be the right parents for you, of course!" She said, "but darling, I'd think long and hard before you say you don't want to be adopted by them, you won't live here in Liverpool anymore but they have the funds my, oh my! To take you ANYWHERE in the world! And I don't let the children in my care go to people who will hurt them, and neglect them!"

"But will they have the time, Sally? For me?" They had stopped just outside her office door. "What does a Governor do?"

"Her Excellency does have a pretty busy schedule most days but she will always make time for you when she can, he's a photographer, singer, songwriter, philanthropist, children's book author, runs the White Feather Foundation..."

"Sally, he sounds busier than Emmaline!" She squeaked, getting nervous and unsure.   

"They both have dogs, she has a Husky called Mawko, he has a Golden Retriever called Winston, he has an old Mustang he did up and a Range Rover oh and a Triumph Bonneville Scrambler motorbike!"  

She didn't tell her his last name was Lennon, not yet.

"He has a Triumph?" That piqued her curiosity. "Are you absolutely certain?"

She showed her a photo of Julian and Emmaline sitting on his motorbike. "He's been riding since he was a teenager!" 

"Oh, Sally! I LOVE motorbikes! But I need to talk to them properly first! But that Triumph is beautiful!" 

Sally smiled "He adores it and goes for a ride at least twice a week, around Brisbane a little further if he can, Emmaline goes with him once a week as well! They make the time for them, Gracie and they will make the time for you! The novelty won't wear off and you won't become another feather in their caps! They are good, loving, honest people Gracie, and between you and me, you are going to become the luckiest ten-year-old girl in all of Brisbane and Queensland, maybe even the country!"  

"It's massive change Sally, a massive step!"

"I know Gracie, it's their very first time getting married in a couple of days and they'll be brand new parents as well! It massive, massive step for you all!" 

Inside Sally's neat and professional office, Emmaline chewed her lip as Julian held her hand in his, traced gentle, calming patterns onto the top of her hand with his free hand. 

"She must be having second thoughts about us Darling!" She said quietly. "I just want to hug her and kiss her and get some food into her little tummy!"

"She's a smart girl, this is all she's ever known! It's all going to take a little bit of time for us all to adjust and settle into being a family, nothing we all can't handle!"  

They heard the soft talking of Sally and Gracie, but couldn't actually make out a clear conversation.

"Oh God Julian! My stomach is in knots, I feel sick!" She said looking up at the ceiling to try and distract herself.

He shuffled as close to her as he could and began to press kisses to her hand then worked his way up her arm, much like Gomez Addams did to Morticia, but not as passionate, his kisses were soft and gentle after all, they were in an orphanage.

Their eyes locked.

"Gracie is ours, Sweetness, and we will prove it to her that choosing us will not be a mistake!"

She kissed him just as the door opened, he shoved his chair back to bring back space in between their chairs, so Gracie could fit in between them. 

"Hello, again Gracie!" Julian said, gently clutching Emmaline's fingers.

The little girl saw love in his eyes, in hers too.

Even though they weren't as young as they used to be they were still very healthy adults. 

"Hello Julian, Your Excellency" then she tried a little curtsy.

"Darling, you can call me Emmaline or Emmie if you want, but I'm not royalty, so I don't get curtseyed to, but a curtsy like that is fit for Her Majesty!" 

Gracie smiled "Have you met The Queen?" 

 "On several occasions, yes!" Emmaline smiled "I was even offered a position with Her Majesty to be one of her personal doctors!" 

 "And you turned it down? Why?" 

"Many reasons, I love home too much was the main reason, plus I want to help as many people as I can, to help them get better!"

"She ended up getting Emmie to work for her anyway, Gracie, after all, she is now the Governor of Queensland, representing Her Majesty!"

"Wouldn't it be something to meet the Queen?" Gracie imagined.

"You never know, darling Gracie!" Emmaline said.

"We've already had William and Catherine for a morning tea and State dinner back home at Fernberg!" Julian told her. "Lots and lots of important people come to Fernberg! Some are bright, some are nice, some are obnoxious and some are just downright dull!" Then he poked his tongue out and made a face of boredom and pain and she actually laughed.

"Are you making fun of my guests that come to Government house?" She asked him with a smile, she clearly wasn't angry, Gracie knew anger when she saw it.

He rolled his eyes playfully "Thank God you're the Governor, not me!"  

"So" Sally sat behind her desk, happy that Gracie seemed more happy and relaxed around the Lennon's. "Shall we get down to the boring, but necessary paperwork? Thank heavens Julian and yourself Emmaline have been working towards this for the last six months! Nearly through all the red tape, though I must say, now you're a couple it has definitely worked in your favour to adopt quicker and easier!"

Gracie had carefully eased herself up into Julian's lap as Emmaline was filling her part of the paperwork out.

"We thought a newborn would be too much for us to handle, a young child is easier for both of us," Julian said "I've always wanted children but with Dad, it really turned me off! Meeting Emmaline I began a little while back thinking seriously about adoption but I had no idea she was doing the same after we had started to get intimate!" 

It was now his turn to fill out his half of the paperwork.

"Will you allow us to take you home, Gracie?" Emmaline asked as she watched her man fill out page after page. "Would you like us to adopt you?" 

All that was left was their signatures needed, as soon as Gracie was sure this was what she wanted.  

"And also, would you like to be a flower girl at a wedding in two days time, darling Gracie?" Julian asked kissing her little hand softly.