“Yay! Can I pick?”
Getting up from the couch, Alexander shook his head. “You know the drill.”
He approached the tree and grabbed three boxes, handing one to Melanie. Grinning a wide toothy grin, showing where she was missing a few teeth, she shook the box with excitement, even though she knew what was inside.
“Da? Da?” Landon slid off the couch, pointing to the box in Alexander’s hand.
“Come here, buddy.” He dropped to the floor, pulling Landon onto his lap, placing the box in front of him. He tore into the wrapping paper as best as an eighteen-month-old child could. Finally, he ripped all the paper off. Alexander helped him open the box, pulling out a pair of pajamas with trucks all over them.
“Vroom! Vroom!” he squealed, running around the room, his pajamas in his hand.
“Thanks, Dad.” Melanie came up to him and placed a kiss on his cheek. “Pajamas. What a surprise,” she said sarcastically.
“It’s tradition.”
“I know. I love it.” She smiled. “What’s that?” She nodded to the final box in his hands.
“It’s a gift for your mother. Well, for everyone, but mostly your mother.”
“What is it?” Olivia got up and joined him on the floor, crossing her legs in front of her.
“Open it and find out.” He handed the shirt box to her.
Eyeing him suspiciously, she looked at the box and tore into the wrapping, tossing it to the side. With slow hands, she pulled the tissue back, her eyes scanning a piece of paper, her mouth moving as she read the words. Then she shot her gaze to Alexander, shaking her head.
“Is this real?” she asked in a quiet voice.
He nodded, beaming.
“But the judge said he wouldn’t be making his decision until he clarified a few things in the home study.”
“I guess he was able to do that.”
She held the paper in her hands, tears falling down her face. Having a baby was a lot of work, the nine months leading up to the birth nerve-wracking every step of the way. Adopting a child was a whole different type of anxiety neither one of them had expected. They’d gotten to know Landon. They loved him. They couldn’t fathom ever having to give up custody of him. They wanted him to be a Burnham, but for the past year, they didn’t know if that would ever happen based on concerns regarding what Melanie had been through. The thought of him being taken away from them was constantly in the back of all their heads.
“What’s that?” Melanie came up to them, Landon in her arms, and plopped down beside them.
“Adoption papers,” Olivia answered, a smile on her face as she tore her eyes away from the papers and gazed lovingly at Melanie and Landon.
“We just have to go to court next week to make it official.” Placing a kiss on Olivia’s head, Alexander wrapped his arm around her and pulled Melanie to his side. He glanced at his two girls and the son he never thought he’d have, his heart filled with more love than he thought possible. It didn’t come without sacrifice and heartache, though.
Regret can torture a man, but his mistakes don’t define him. What does define him is how he learns from those mistakes.
Alexander Burnham had made more mistakes in his past than he cared to admit. For the longest time, he let those mistakes wear him down. But as he sat surrounded by his family and soaked in their unconditional love, all his mistakes, his failings, his shortcomings rolled off him. Life wasn’t about his job, the amount of zeros in his bank account, or owning the latest gadget. It was about the little moments.
Alexander vowed to never take the little moments for granted again.
The End.