About a week or so later, Dad walked into my room with a folder.
"Okay." He sat on the other end of my bed where I was. "So this is a bunch of paperwork."
"What does it all mean?" I asked, putting my phone down.
"So how it works, is that we're going to have to fill out all of these papers. Then we're going to have to turn them into the courthouse, then there will be a court bearing and the judge has to approve it. We actually get to skip a step since you're already adopted, usually you have to get the permission of the other parent on the birth certificate but I'm the only parent on yours." He explained, shifting through them. "So now that I have them, do you want to ask Ryland now, or wait."
"I want to ask today." I decided, "What should I say?"
Dad and I sat on my bed for a little bit, deciding if we wanted to do something elaborate or simple. I eventually decided that I just wanted to talk to him. Dad thought that we should set up a camera to record, not to post anywhere, but for us to have.
Dad went downstairs to set up a "hidden camera" while I got at least semi dressed. I put on some black leggings with a teal Nike hoodie. I put on some black socks too. I brushed out my hair and brushed my teeth. I put on a little bit of mascara just so I felt less of a mess.
I held the folder of papers in my hands. I was nervous. What if he didn't want to? Dad texted me that I could come down whenever, so I walked down the stairs and held it behind my back.
"What are you doing?" Ryland laughed, looking at me. We stood in the kitchen, Ryland and I both standing in front of the stove and dad on the other side of the island.
I can't even imagine how I looked. I could feel that I was shaking.
"Nothing." I answered, then turned my head and laughed.
"Wait you're being weird what's up?" He asked.
"Nothing." I repeated, trying to center myself before I talked. "I just wanted to say thank you for everything you've done for me."
"Lane, you don't have to thank me." He laughed, but I tried to continue.
"No, it's just..." and then I started to feel myself cry, then I looked over at dad and he was crying. "You've always done everything you can for me, and you've always been there for me..."
I didn't know what else to say, so I handed him the folder.
"Will you adopt me?" I asked him as he shifted through the papers and smiled.
"Are you sure?" He was smiling just about as big as I've ever seen him, and had tears in his eyes. I nodded, unable to speak because I was crying.
"Yeah." I managed to get out as he grabbed me for a hug.
"Of course I will." He kissed the side of my head and let me go for a second to wipe his own eyes. "You caught me off guard." He laughed. "Shane!" He yelled, laughing and still crying. But dad had tears pouring down his face.
"What?" He asked, coming up to hug us. "Can I not be happy?" Dad kissed both of us.
Once everything had calmed down, Ryland and I sat alone in my room at like 1 in the morning trying to fill out the papers that we could.
"What made you want to ask me?" He asked.
"I just felt like you do as much for me as dad does and I love you just as much as I love dad, so I wanted you." I smiled.
"Laney, you don't know how happy this made me." He admitted. "I love you so much." He kissed the side of my head.
"Love you too."
