***COMPLETED *** Endlessly [A G-Eazy Story, Third Book to If I'm Lucky]

Chapter 35: "We'll officially be a family."

October 24, 2019

*** Kaitlyn's POV ***

"I'm not wearing this!" Grady yelled as he came out of the bathroom in his boxers and a t-shirt. "This is so stupid."

"Put it on!" I whined as I looked at myself in the mirror. "We're all alligators. He loves them."

"Do we all have to wear them?" He quizzed me. "You look ridiculous. He's one. He's not going to remember this tomorrow."

"Grady!" I yelled as I smacked his chest. "Put it on. Gerald is going as a puppy. Rachel sent me a family picture," I said as I went over to the bed to pull up the picture on my phone. "See?"

Grady groaned as he leaned against the bathroom door frame.

"We're going to look so ridiculous," He whined. "Nobody else is going to be in costume."

"Yes, they are," I retorted. "The girls I used to work with are dressing up as a couple Disney princesses, and their kids are going to be Disney or Pixar characters. Rachel, Gerald, and Rosie are puppies, and a couple of your friends are dressing up!"

I opened my mouth to say something else, but Rowan crawled into our bedroom and sat in the doorway. He was already dressed in his alligator onesie, and he looked absolutely adorable in his costume.

"Hi, buddy!" I cooed as I picked him up. "You look so cute in your costume. Too bad daddy doesn't want to match with us."

Grady rolled his eyes when I pouted at him and pushed himself off the door frame, going back in the bathroom.

"Fine!" He sighed in defeat as he closed the door. "I will wear the alligator onesie."

Xoxox

Our guests started arriving around 6, but I was patiently waiting for Rachel, Gerald and Rosie to arrive so we could take a group photo.

"Oh, they're here!" I grinned as I watched Gerald's mustang pull up behind some of the other parked cars. "Grady!"

"In here!" He called. "Be there in a minute."

He was in the kitchen catching up with one of his friends that he hadn't seen in a minute, talking about Rowan, and the adoption, and how we couldn't wait to adopt another child in the near future.

Music was playing from the tv in the living room, and Rowan seemed to be having a good time playing with the other kids in the floor with his toys. I wanted him to be around other kids from an early start so he would know how to socialize when it came time to enroll him in school.

"Rachel!" I squealed excitedly when they walked in the door. "Rosie looks so cute!"

They had her in a onesie that was similar to Rowan's, and she even had a little hat that had dog ears on top of it.

"Gerald let me paint his face," She laughed as she hugged me. "Your alligator costumes are adorable. We're all matching."

"I know," I laughed as I smiled at Rosie, who was looking at me with her fingers in her mouth. "I'm trying to pull Grady away from his friends because we need a picture, but it seems Gerald has found him, so that's impossible."

Rachel laughed as we walked in and sat down on the couch. I introduced her to some of my work friends before she said we needed to talk in private.

She sat Rosie down in the pack and play that I kept downstairs for Rowan, and we stepped outside on the deck where there weren't any people.

"What's up?" I asked as I closed the screen door before coming over to the table. "Everything ok?"

"Yeah, Gerald and I are fine," She said as she folded her hands. "But I think I'm pregnant. I'm nervous because that means we'll have two under two. And the executive producer position I've been eyeing at work is opening up, so I'm interviewing for it when I go back on Monday. There's just a lot going on."

"That's awesome, Rachel," I smiled as I looked at her. "Why are you worried? Would Gerald get mad?"

"No," She said as she looked down at her hands again. "He already said we'd be ok, but I'm just nervous because of how my pregnancy with Rosie went."

I squeezed her hands and looked at her with a small smile.

"I think everything will be fine," I said as she grinned at me. "I'm happy for you, and I'm happy everything worked out with Gerald. You deserve it."

"Thank you," Rachel grinned as we stood up and hugged. "Now, let's get back to Rowan's party!"

We went back inside and Kaitlyn gathered everyone in the kitchen.

"Okay, everyone! It's time for Rowan's smash cake!" She said as she went to grab it out of the fridge. "Grady, get your camera!"

Grady went into the coatroom and got it, coming back as she was getting it out of the box. It was a small orange pumpkin with the number 1 on the front in green icing.

"OOOOH!" Rowan gasped as he eyed the cake from the living room. With no trouble at all, he got up and ran into the kitchen, making grabby hands up at Kaitlyn.

"Little dude just got up and walked with no problem all for food!" Gerald laughed as he held Rosie. "His first steps."

"Look at mommy's big boy!" Kaitlyn laughed as she picked him up after putting his cake on the high chair tray. "You ready for your cake?"

She put him in the chair and moved the tray closer. Grady got close with his camera and started snapping pictures as Rowan smashed into his cake and shoved it into his mouth. He was smiling and laughing as he did so.

All the guests stayed for cake and to open Rowan's presents, and started leaving shortly after. Gerald, Rachel, and Rosie were the last ones to leave.

"It's too late to clean up tonight," I groaned as I picked up Rowan. "Let's go to bed. I'll do it in the morning."

I went upstairs and put Rowan to bed, and when I came back into Grady and I's bedroom, my phone started ringing.

"Hi, Kaitlyn!" The voice smiled. "It's Sarah. Sorry for calling you so late, but I just got the call that your petition to adopt has been approved. Your court hearing is set for two weeks from now."

"Really?!" I smiled as tears filled my eyes. "He's going to be ours? Permanently?"

"Yes," Sarah smiled. "Given that everything goes well with the hearing. If it does, it'll be granted by the judge, and then we can file the name change petition. Congratulations, guys!"

"Thank you," I smiled as I wiped my eyes. "Thank you for all you've done for our family."

"It's no problem, really," She giggled quietly. "Alright, I'm going to let you go since it's pretty late. Tell Rowan I said happy birthday!"

"Will do! Thank you!" I smiled as I hung up the phone.

Grady came out of the bathroom as I hung up. He sat down on the bed and looked at me, noticing the tears in my eyes.

"Everything ok? Who was that?" He questioned as he put a hand on my shoulder. "What happened?"

"Our petition to adopt was approved, and our court hearing is in two weeks!" I smiled as he smiled. "If everything goes well, he's officially ours. Permanently."

"Oh, my God," He grinned as he pulled me into him and hugged me tightly. "That's so amazing. Wow. I can't believe it's been a couple of months already."

I smiled as I kissed him and laid back on the bed facing him.

"I know," I agreed. "But now everything is coming together nicely. We'll officially be a family."

"We already were."