Donald's P.O.V (Anne's Adoptive father)
My dear Juliet hasn't stopped crying since we got the test results back confirming that she could indeed not have children of her own. Secretely I have applied for us to adopt a little baby and went through the whole process to get us confirmed and listed as adoptive parents looking for a baby. I couldn't bare see my lovely wife in tears any longer and did what was needed to be done. If she felt the need to hate me for it, then so be it, but I did what was necessary to get my wife back to eating, living her life and being there and present for me to love and cherish her.Ignoring the heart wrenching cries and sniffling I heard coming from the room again, I went to check the mailbox hoping to have a letter of approval in there that would hopefully get my wife's back to me. Hoping has become my only saving grace each time I have walked to the mailbox the last couple of weeks each and everytime just to have my hope crushed and having to continue again listening to the sadness coming from my Juliet. Each and every day I wake up hoping that today will be the day.At least I managed to get her so far as to come and eat a meal once a day and drink enough water so she doesn't dehydrate. She still doesn't want to go and see someone to talk about the matter. I will get her to someone. I just need her to return to her life again. At the moment, it's baby steps to get her to return to doing the things that are normal in everyday life.I continued on my morning routine and started my journey from the house to the mailbox. Hope flaring and nagging at the strings of my heart. Slowly, I opened the door and there actually was something in there. Breath in, breath out.I took the envelope in my hand and turned it around to see where it had been sent from. I think my heart stopped when I saw that this would be the letter that would change our entire lives for the better.I tore open the envelope and read the letter. They were confirming if we in fact had everything ready and were in fact ready to take in a little baby girl as soon as possible.If we did have everything ready, we could go and sign the last needed documents and bring our baby girl home. I just had to first talk to Juliet and then I would be calling them to let them know that we would be coming into the office to finalize everything today still.Juliet's P.O.V (Anne's adoptive mother)Ever since we got those test results back, I have lost my will to actually participate in my life for the time being. I wanted to be a mother so badly and now there wasn't a way that that would be happening.I hadn't left the room in a while but Donald made sure that I ate and drank. I know he must also be devastated, but I can't focus on his pain until I have worked through mine.I don't want to think about him and that maybe he is planning to leave me. He doesn't think I know, but he has been walking to the mailbox daily, so he must be expecting something important. The only thing I can think about is the divorce papers he would be handing me as soon as they arrive.I don't think I would be able to live without him, but if he wants to divorce me because I can't give him a baby, then I would try and respect his decision and try and carry on with my life. It would be very hard but I would try my best and move on.He has also been spending huge amounts of time in the extra empty bedroom we have next to our room. We would have used it as the nursery if I would have gotten pregnant." Love, could you come to the empty bedroom please?" What could he possibly want with me in there? He can't be planning to do what I have though in there, could he? " I'm coming."I hope that my imagination ran away with me and that this is only a surprise he planned for me.When I arrived in the room, it was painted pink with a baby cot and toys and baby stuff. Was this a joke? Had he lost the plot and I didn't notice that he had been going downhill?" What is this for?" I asked him.He gave me one of those beautiful smiles he always does when he knows something that no one else knows. " I was going to try and keep this a secret until I had gone and got her tomorrow but we both need to be there to sign the papers and pick up the little girl that we are able to adopt. Suprise, honey you are going to be a mommy" " You did what? I am going to be a what..... wait, am I really going to be a mom?"It took me a while to grasp what he had said to me, but when my brain made the connection I was excited out of my mind.I jumped into his arms and in between kisses thanked him for adopting a little baby for us to take care of.Donald's P.O.V (Anne's Adoptive father)She literally jumped me off my feet.Laughting, I stood up and helped her up from the floor. She was so overjoyed to become a mom that she jumped without thinking that I wouldn't be able to act fast enough to catch her.Juliet then hurried and kept on bugging me so that we could go and sign the papers and go and collect our baby girl. I feel exactly the same way and couldn't wait any longer.When we arrived at the adoption agency offices and after we had signed all the needed papers and documents and all the admin had been handled, the adoption agent went out of the office and came back with the most beautiful small little girl with her. She was perfect and we both fell in love with her almost immediately.Seven years laterJuliet's P.O.V (Anne's Adoptive mother) Anyone ever feel that time just goes past way too fast? I feel this way today. It is hard to believe that it has been seven years that I have been a mother to dear Anne. It really does feel like only yesterday that we were blessed to adopt our beautiful baby girl but in fact today is her first school day. Me and Donald love her so much and we would do anything and everything for her. Only the best is good enough for her. Even with saying this we will be making sure that she grows up a kind hearted soul and not a spoiled brat. We took a while to decide in which school we would be enrolling Anne and we finally after visiting them all decided on a small private school near our home. Anne looked most happy there and the teachers are competent in doing their jobs.Donald made sure that he would be able to provide for his family. He started out as a bell boy at the local hotel and worked himself up from there until he owned it. He
Juliet's P.O.VI was so worried when she asked about pregnancy and that she wouldn't love us like she has these past years when she would find out that we weren't her real parents that I had to quickly think of something to tell her so that she didn't keep on asking too many questions now with me all alone. Donald was the calm and collected one in situations like these and he would know how to answer her to the ability of her understanding everything. We aren't naive and we knew that sooner or later she would either start asking questions about why we don't really look alike or something might happen and that would have her asking questions. We were prepared to tell her but we thought we would have a little more time to prepare before we would need to tell her this. After she picked her photos to use for school I went downstairs to put away the photo album. I heard footsteps in her room so I knew that she was busy in there. I quickly called Donald and told him what had happened and
Donald's P.O.V We went up to go and tuck Anne in as we had promised her before she went up. I first had to get the tears out of me and wash their trace from my face. I didn't want Anne thinking that she had made me sad when in fact they were happy tears. We were walking down the hallway when we heard this beautiful voice sing the one song that I would call special. It was the song that Juliet and I danced to when we got married first and it was also the song that Anne has loved to be sung to her when she was restless in the evenings. Mind you we weren't singers and it was off key but at least we got the correct words in and she seems to have learned and memorised them. I turned and looked at Juliet. She had tears in her eyes and she was smiling so bright. We started quitely walking to her bedroom where we stood just outside the door as quietly as we could while she was singing the last part of the song. She even added some of her own dance moves in. I doubt she knew we were stan
Two months laterArnold's P.O.VErnie is turning seven today. I can't believe that Elizabeth and Ernie have been in my life for the last eight years now. Time really does fly when you are having fun and that is exactly what I have been having with Ernie. The same cannot be said about Elizabeth. She is sad because she still misses the little girl that we had given up for adoption at birth. She doesn't show it openly anymore and she doesn't do anything for her on their shared birthday anymore, because Ernie is at the age when he would be starting to ask questions and we both don't want to be the one that would need to be answering those.Everything has been going better. Elizabeth has a job and I have a better one that is bringing in more money. We haven't struggled financially in a while, not that we are rolling in the dough as they say either, we have enough to get by and have everything that we need and that makes m
Juliet's P.O.VThe last two months have been absolutely wonderful. Anne's singing lessons are going wonderful and her teacher said that she has great potential if she does later want to continue on with her singing. She has the voice of an angel.Donald and I are very happy and we even sometimes get a little private show in the house. For her birthday party we invited all of her friends and we got her her favorite cake shape. She is absolutely in love with butterflies these days. The morning of the party everything finally started sinking in. My baby girl is seven years today. I will be blinking and then she will be all grown up at the rate that she is growing. All of her invited friends showed up and brought her the most amazing presents. She really loved the butterfly decorations and she absolutely loved the cake that was made for her. They had the most fun. They didn't stop smiling once. Pickin
A week later Anne's P.O.VDad's funeral is today. I don't think I will make it through the whole service, but I do have to try and be as strong as possible for mum. His body is still missing so the funeral is just a formality for mum to try and say goodbye. I know that I wouldn't be able to say goodbye to dad without having definite proof that he is indeed gone but I will go and pay my last respect to my beloved father's coffin even if it is just so that mum would think I'm doing fine. I really need mum to be okay.Arriving at the church for the service I was overcome with a great sadness. All you could see was all the business people that knew dad as the business man he was. There wasn't anyone other than me and mum that knew dad as the loving father and husband he was. I already miss him and it hasn't even been a week. How will I live my life without him? I mean I wanted dad to meet my boyfri
Eight months laterElizabeth's P.O.VAnother training session for work. I really do hope that there is going to be another person to train me, the last few times, as he was so extremely busy and important that we were being interrupted more than the actual training we were doing, and this tended to have us finish later on than the scheduled dates and that would have Arnold mad at home all alone with Ernie because he is in fact mad in the first place that I am even going on these training sessions. After the first one, I learned and just added more days to the trip when I told Arnold the dates when I would be away so he didn't get upset when I called home and had to tell him that it had been extended yet again.Arriving, I was escorted to the normal sitting area and was told that I had to wait for someone to come and fetch me any minute to take me to the office of the person in charge of my train
Three weeks later Anne's P.O.VWith the help of my singing instructor and mum, I had decided that I would be trying to organize a small concert for myself and see how that would go. I mean I have sung in public before at my residles and at special events for people that are close to me, so the singing part wasn't going to be new and strange. The new part was going to get people to actually come and buy tickets to the concert. "You won't believe me but I need to tell you that the tickets are sold out. You are performing in front of a full house." Liam and mum said in unison while I was busy getting ready for the show, worrying that there wouldn't be anyone in the audience. Well, it looks like I'm going to do a show tonight and the tickets are sold out." Mom, you want to come to my concert? I got backstage passes for you and Elizabeth?"" Yes, honey, that sounds like fun. I'll d
Anne's P.O.VThe funny thing about life is we make plans and then it just happens, whether as planned or a completely different way. My current life may not have been as I had planned it, but if I had a second chance, I believe I wouldn't be changing one thing. After having heard the reasons why I wasn't chosen, I was happy that I had gotten amazing parents and that later on in life I had received an additional mother and father figure in Rachel and Harold.I had received an amazing husband, life partner and best friend all wrapped into one perfect person.I have amazing friends who have stood with me and with us through everything, good and bad, whatever it was.I have two amazing children whom I love and that love me back. They have gone out into the world and brought me another two children to add to the family. They gave me two cute grandchildren to keep me on my toes.Not forgetting, I
The day of the reading of the will.Anne's P.O.VThe weekend stay over actually turned out to be heaps of fun. We played games, had fun and just talked about everything about dad.Now for the reading of the will.We all gathered around the table at the lawyers' offices to hear dad's last wishes. I had the feeling of deja vu about being here again and sitting around this table again after a funeral and having to hear what last wishes that person wants you to make happen for them. Last time he mostly left everything to me and mum and I'm wondering what will happen today."If I can get everyone's attention, please, so we can start the proceedings and get you all home again."Everyone quieted down and sat down on one of the chairs set out for us. The will was taken out of the envelope and looked towards all of us before starting to read."This is the last will and testame
Rachel's P.O.VHe is gone. My Donald is gone. He had promised me he wouldn't leave me alone and now he's gone forever. I knew we weren't today's kids anymore and I had been blessed to have him for as long as I did have him, but he was my happiness and now there is just nothing. The house is empty when everyone leaves to go to their own homes and I'm thinking of selling it and going back to a little flat where I wouldn't feel so lonely when I'm there alone, but I don't know what Donald wanted to happen to the house after his passing so I guess I would have to wait and see.Anne has been very helpful. Bringing over large dishes of food that is easily free able and reheat able in big portions so I have enough easy to heat food ready to eat when I feel like eating. Speaking of eating, that is something I no longer have the energy to do because Donald used to make the best meals in the kitchen and every time I warm a portion up I
Two weeks later Anne's P.O.VI was at the office when I got the phone call from Rachel telling me to come to the hospital as soon as possible. She didn't want to elaborate more and kept telling me to come to the hospital she was at as soon as possible. She was in tears so I knew it had to be serious, so I packed up my bag and rushed to the hospital. Upon arrival, Rachel ran into my arms and stood there crying for a while before she could even get a word of what was wrong and what had happened out.After she had calmed down enough, she led me to a hospital room and when I looked through the little window I saw dad laying there connected to so many wires and tubes and... it just didn't look right."What happened? Why?... How?... NO!""He had a heart attack this morning and they rushed him here in the ambulance where he had another one. He is for now under sedation so he can rest and
Four years laterAnne's P.O.VI cannot believe that we are attending another graduation ceremony again today. This time the guest of honour is our Nat. She had continued and fought and she is now finally picking the fruits of her hard work. Although she has been practicing medicine since the end of the year when she finished studying, she is practically only a doctor from today on as she now has the papers to prove it.To me they mean absolutely nothing, as Natacha is the best doctor at the hospital she works at and this can be seen by everyone and she has been praised for this a lot of times by her supervisor and even the people and the kids she takes care of.She is not the only one excelling in their careers as Darren wins almost all of his legal cases he takes on for his firm. Ethan was sad to see him leave his firm but knew that Darren wanted to start his own and get on
Three years laterAnne's P.O.VMy baby boy is graduating from college today as a lawyer and we already have a job set up for him at Ethan's firm where and through whom he can do his articles and get further training and experience before he, as he has planned, starts his own law firm. Ethan is the best I know and I trust him with the business and we still make use of his firm for the whole family matters as well as the business legal matters we have. He is and will stay a trusted friend and the only law firm we use if they continue their ways as he has set them out and I know Darren looks up to him just as much as me and Liam do along with dad.We sat down in the designated seating area for the parents and waited to hear his name called to watch him walk the stage and get his degree. What we weren't expecting was that he would be graduating with honours and that he would be in the top five of hi
Darren's P.O.VI was luckily allowed to stay the whole time with Nat and little Jo-Anne. I was going to say night, but then remembered that it had been three am when Nat's water broke and we haven't had any sleep since arriving at the hospital until the nurse had chased everyone out and Nat went to lie down for a little while. I decided that I wanted to hold Jo-Anne for a little while longer. She was just so perfect, cuddling my finger the way she was while sleeping. She definitely had her mum's cute nose and I don't know about her eyes as she hadn't opened them when I was looking. Don't forget the pair of lungs she has. I was so shocked to hear that huge sound came from such a small little body.She was now silently sleeping in my arms while her mother also got some sleep in before she needed to feed again. Hoping the parents won't come and visit in the first early visiting hours, so that we can spend some time together alo
Anne's P.O.VWhen the phone rang, I was dressed before Liam was even done with the call. I had been expecting this call to come ever since she had hit eight months pregnant. I have bags packed for both me and Liam if we need to stay over and everything. I want to get to Natasha as soon as possible and help her with her breathing exercises and so on as she had asked me to do. I pulled out the bags from the closet and put them at the door while Liam was still getting dressed. He could get them on his way down."Liam get the two bags when coming down. I am going to go and make some coffee for the road and maybe, if I have time, pack some snacks."I hurried down the stairs and switched on the coffee machine on my way to the cupboard to get something to nibble on. I grabbed some chocolate bars and bags of chips just to keep our sugar and energy levels high. In a thermal flask I put the made coffee and closed the lid, packe
Three months laterDarren's P.O.VNat was sitting and studying for some important test or practical session that was scheduled for next week. Said she wanted to be fully prepared for it just in case our little distracter was going to make her appearance, that could literally be any day now, as Nat was already nine months. We were still referring to the baby as our little distracter because Nat didn't want to know the gender and I was also not allowed to know as I wouldn't be able to keep it a secret.We really have had our fair share of scares with some Braxton hicks contractions and slight spotting. Permanently, now had the hospital bags in the car and made sure that they were there whenever we went anywhere. We have turned my room and some of the spare space in the flat into a baby room and moved the cot and such into our room that we are now sharing. Nat and I had decided together that we wou