Chapter Forty-five

34 weeks

Monday morning was the first time Sarah had slept late in a long time. When she woke up, she was alone in bed. Richie didn't have plans for the day either but must have gotten up to make sure everyone had gone to school.

Craving a nice breakfast, Sarah slowly got out of bed. Lately she did everything slowly, Sammy was growing a lot, which made it harder for Sarah to get up or move fast.

She made her way down to the kitchen but it was empty, Richie wasn't preparing breakfast for her as she had hoped, instead Sarah took an apple from the fruit-bowl on the counter and took a bite.

As she ate apple she made her way around the downstairs room but found every room empty and quiet. If Richie wasn't here, there was only one place left that he could be.

On her way back upstairs, Sarah took a detour in the kitchen to toss the core of the apple in the trash can. Then she slowly made her way back up the stairs to Richie's office.

Once she stood by the door, she could hear a few voices and wondered who he was meeting with, making her feel selfconcious about still being in pj's. Even though she had now replaced the flimsy nightgowns for lounge pants and large shirts she found in Richie's part of the closet.

Carefully she knocked on the door, not wanting to disturb in case it was an important meeting but Richie called her in right away.

As she opened the door, Sarah was a little surprised to see her husband and two sons sitting on the couches casually.

Frowning, she asked. "Shouldn't they be in school?"
"We had more important things to discuss." Richie explained, showing her the adoption papers again. "We kinda just started talking about it during breakfast and since I had all the info here, we sort of forgot school."
"Oh, it's okay. You're right, it's more important."

Richie got up, told the boys he'd be back in a few minutes, took Sarah's hand and walked outside of the office with her, closing the door behind them.

"How's it going?" She asked curiously.
"Great. I told them about all the options but they only want me to adopt them, change last names and everything." Richie said happily.
"I know, they're as excited as you are about it."
"We just need to sign every, you too, then we have to inform Jonathan about it and he needs to approve too. He can still say no but if so, we'll find a way around it."
"He said he wasn't their father, he should just sign the papers." Sarah said annoying, thinking about what might happen when Jonathan refused to sign the papers that would make it official that he had stepped away from being a father. "He never was their father anyway."
"I know," Richie wrapped his arms around Sarah to hug her, "he will. Remember he got a couple of years jail for not paying alimony? If he signs, those years might go away."
"What?"
"It wouldn't make a difference, he's never getting out again. It would still be 60 years of imprisonment."
"Are you sure?"
"He'll sign." Richie said confident, then reached in to kiss his beautiful wife. "You should go enjoy your time off with Sammy."
"Shouldn't I be there for moral support?" The reduction of years had her a little worried and wanting to be with her sons.
"We're doing fine. Go back to bed or stay upstairs and you'll be close by."
"Okay but call me when something happens."
"Nothing's gonna happen." He kissed his wife again and went back into the office, continuing his conversation with his soon to be sons instead of stepsons.

Sarah sighed and hoped Richie was right about Jonathan. Even-though she didn't like the possibility Jonathan might get a reduction on his sentence, it would only be one or two years, Richie was right. By the time Jonathan ever got free he would be a 100 years old.

She walked back to Sammy's room, turned on the little radio they had added to the room to play music to help Sammy sleep and put in Richie's new album. She loved it and could listen to it all day long, it was amazing. Carefully she sat down in the rocking chair and listened to the music with Sammy.

As she listened, Sarah started thinking of all the possibilities. Soon Richie would gain three children instead of just one. It wouldn't change anyone their relationships in the family. Even if the boys became Richie's son, she knew Richie would still treat them in the same way and the boys would do the same.

Sammy was another matter, with Sammy they were starting over again, they were starting a whole new family.

In a year, Caleb would go off to college and soon after that Noah and Ava would follow, leaving Richie and Sarah with Sammy and the possible other children. She always wanted a big family but she also knew that with such a big age difference between the children, they might not bond the same as sibling with a smaller age gap would. Ava, Caleb and Noah would always be fifteen years older than Sammy.

Sammy needed siblings, otherwise it would seem like Sammy was an accident. Who knew what kind of rumors people would make up about that too.

It had been a complete surprise to find out she was pregnant, but not in the way of Sammy being an accident.

They had talked about a little sister or brother for Sammy even thought Sarah still didn't know what Sammy would be but siblings had to be there. Because of their age, they didn't want to wait too long either.

It was too early to get ahead of themselves, Sammy still needed to be born.

With the next song, Sarah brought her thoughts back to the adoption. It seemed strange to adopt teenagers, usually people adopted babies but this was entirely different.

Richie would become their father instead of stepfather, his role would change.

Considering that thought, Sarah realized it wouldn't really change at all. The boys were living with them and Richie had made sure they had a college fund too. He had taught Caleb play guitar and drive, now he was teaching Noah and Ava. He did everything for Caleb and Noah as he would for Ava. Everything a father would do, see their school games, teach them life lessons, help with school lessons, made time for them when they needed a little bit of time.

The day Sarah had moved in with her two sons, had really been the day Richie had become their father.

Now all they had to do was make it official.

For the remainder of the album, Sarah tried to shut off her mind and just think about the music and their baby. The thought of naming the baby David if it was a boy ran through her mind again.

A knock at Sammy's bedroom door made her look up to see Richie walk into the room, holding the same file.

"All done?" Sarah asked hopeful.
"Just need your signature, then I'm bringing it to my lawyer's office."
Sarah smiled and got up from the chair, walking over to her husband she kissed him and wrapped her arms around him. "Congratulations with your new sons."
His hand stroked Sarah's pregnant belly, knowing soon their extended family would become even more extended. "I never knew going to rehab could turn out like this. I should have met you 7 years ago."
"7 Years Gone? You had to weather the storm first." Sarah teased.
"And take a chance on the wind with you." Richie went along.
"Now I'll always walk beside you."
Richie laughed. "Alright, enough."
She gave him an innocent look and reached up to kiss him, then teasingly whispered. "Don't you want to be my sugar daddy?"
"That's it." The files forgotten, he took Sarah back to their bedroom.