Just Being Friendly

All three of us shook hands on another understanding that afternoon: this conversation never took place.

*******

Hannah, Casey and I settled into a normal life. With the girls it was something they had craved for so many years. Casey was doing well at school and from time to time I would come home to mothers collecting their children from our house. Ernie offered Hannah more hours at the hardware store. She smiled and thanked him before telling Ernie that she had two children at home now and they needed all her supervision.

When Hannah told me of her conversation with Ernie and that she thought she was going to have to phone for an ambulance since Ernie was laughing so much, she thought he was heading for a heart attack. Hannah's at first hesitant steps towards acceptance into the arms of the folks of Maple Grove was going better than even she had expected. The "Screaming Banshee" never made an appearance ever again, even on a bad day. Hannah would just pour herself a coffee and sit out back on the swing.

The ghosts of her past still came to her, mostly in her more unguarded moment. Casey and I noticed that those ghosts were leaving her alone more often now that both girls had established themselves into the living, beating heart of this family and the kindness of the folks of Maple Grove. I came here and fell in love with the place, it was her turn now. Casey and I would leave her alone until she had finished her drink and then I would send Casey out to rescue her and we would all go out for the day.

*******

Three months later.

"Mom wants to know why we ain't married yet?"

I slid out from under my truck; Casey was sitting crossed legged on the grass of the front lawn looking at me.

"Because you're ten and it isn't allowed."

She rolled her eyes. Damn, she looked so cute when she did stuff like that, even more when she doesn't even know she looks cute doing it.

"Not me, dummy, you and Mom."

I smiled and she just knew I was baiting her so I quickly added. "Casey. Go into the house and in my room you will see a brown box on the cabinet by my bed. You can't miss it, it has your name on it. Open the box and take out the envelope and the little black box and bring both down here please. Feel free to find your mother when you open the envelope."

Much to my own amusement I did managed to finish my statement before Casey was up on her feet and running full pelt into the house. I slid down and leaned against my truck and my mind's eye followed our heavy-footed daughter into the house and up the stairs. The pause must have been her finding the box and opening it. By now Hannah had come and joined me outside, even sitting next to me against my truck as well.

We were still there ten minutes later, Hannah wanted to go find Casey, and I held her arm when I heard Casey slowly descend the stairs once again. She came out of the house, stood and then knelt in front of us both. She had tears streaming down her cheeks and I knew with a great deal of relief that they were happy tears. Her right hand held a small black jewelry box that she held out to me and in her left hand were three sheets of paper, the top sheet headed with the word "ADOPTION".

I of course in turn, got onto one knee and looking deep into those expectant emerald green eyes, I asked one of the women in my life if she would be so kind as to spend the rest of her life married to me.

Maple Grove was officially shut for the day of our wedding, it seems no one wanted to miss me marrying Hannah and she, of course, had Casey as her bridesmaid. We took Casey to Disney Land for our honeymoon. Joan Becks and even the Mayors wife offered to look after her while we had a real honeymoon and little ears even heard the offer and said she would be ok while her mom and I went away.

It's perhaps one of the few times I ever got on one knee and looked my daughter square in the eyes. She went to take a step back but I held onto her and told her point blank that her mom and her were a package deal from the very beginning, marrying her mom didn't change that opinion. Getting hugged to death by a tearful ten-year-old was worth the wet shirt any day.