Uniting the Souls (Souls of Chicago #6)(75)

Emma and Mark showed up a few minutes later with my other grandbaby and my namesake, Katherine. I scooped her up in my arms quickly and began kissing her face as Mark helped me tug her heavy coat off. I nuzzled my face into Katherine’s neck, breathing in the sweet smell of little girl and making her laugh in the process.

“Rylie and Lachlan will be a little late. They said they had something they needed to do before they could come here,” Carter told us.

“I wonder what was up with them. They were acting strangely on the plane, like they were nervous or excited about something,” Ryan said.

“Yeah, I know what you mean. If it was just Rylie I would’ve just chalked it up to the fact that he’s always strange,” Carter joked. “But Lachlan was acting weird too. Any idea what’s going on?” he asked, directing his question to Micah who was close friends with Lachlan.

Micah shrugged his shoulders. “Lachlan told me he had some good news he couldn’t wait to tell me, but he refused to say what it was. Said I’d find out when he got home.”

“Come to think of it, Rylie was acting very secretive the last time he and I Skyped,” Hudson added. “He seemed happy though, so I wasn’t concerned. I figured he’d tell me whatever it was when he was ready.”

“Well, I’m definitely intrigued now,” Rick said. He still had Ricky in his arms and we shared a grin, each of us thrilled to get to spend the day with our children and grandchildren.

“That must be them now,” Carter said when the doorbell rang. All eyes were trained on him as he hurried to the door and opened it.

Rylie walked in first. I’d known him for many years and I’d witnessed the struggles he’d gone through. I’d worried about him just like a mother would, and prayed that he’d find his way eventually. I’d been so happy when those prayers had been answered. Rylie had turned his life around after he fell in love with Lachlan and he’d been much happier ever since. Still, I’d never seen him smile as widely as he was when he walked through my door that day.

I stared in surprise as Dylan and Max, the two young brothers I’d gotten to know and love at Agape House, walked in behind him, followed quickly by Lachlan who was wearing a grin that matched his husband’s.

“What’s going on?” Isaac asked and I saw the hopeful look he gave Rylie.

“We know everyone here has met these two guys, but Lachlan and I would like to formally introduce our sons, Dylan and Max. Lachlan was able to pull some strings despite the holiday and we just came from the courthouse, the adoption became official about an hour ago,” Rylie said, his voice cracking at the end.

Everyone was quiet in the room and then Isaac spoke up and his voice sounded shaky as tears swam in his eyes. “You mean they get to stay with you? They get to stay together?”

“They’re ours,” Lachlan confirmed, smiling down at the two boys who gazed up at him like he’d hung the moon. “They’ll be raised together in a loving home from now on.” Matt put an arm around Isaac and kissed the side of his head, whispering something in his ear. Isaac nodded his head and smiled up at him.

Everyone moved at once then, hugging, kissing, and congratulating the new family. I swallowed around the lump in my throat, but couldn’t stop the tears that were streaming down my face. I couldn’t have picked a better couple to raise those boys.

“So, this…” Hudson said as he approached Rylie. Rylie nodded his head.

“Yeah. The other things I have to live for,” he answered. Hudson pulled him in for a tight hug and whispered something to him about how beautifully he’d painted his portrait. I didn’t understand what that meant, but I heard the fierce pride in Hudson’s voice and saw the happy tears in Rylie’s eyes.

“It seems that we have even more to be thankful for than we’d realized. Welcome to our family, boys,” Rick said. Max and Dylan looked around at all of us with wide eyes, but they were grinning all the same. I knew we were a lot to take in all at once, but in time, they’d get used to us.

“Who’s ready to eat?” I asked and everyone shouted at once.

Laughing, I led them into the dining room where the food covered every available inch of space on the table. No one would leave hungry, that was for sure. Rick and I grudgingly handed the children back to their parents who promised to give them back as soon as they were finished eating.

Rick grabbed a couple extra chairs for Dylan and Max then everyone settled into their assigned seats, families intermixing according to Sarah’s plan and I noticed that she’d seated herself right next to me. I kissed the top of her head as I sat down next to her and she grinned up at me. Rick stood at the head of the table and we all bowed our heads as he said grace then everyone was laughing and talking as they passed the food around, filling their plates.

I looked around at the people gathered there to celebrate Thanksgiving with us. We’d been through an awful lot over the past few years, some good and some bad. We’d been sad when Caleb had left to study abroad, but he’d returned to take the job of his dreams and in doing so, met the love of his life.

We’d been worried sick when Carter had been trapped in a fire at Romero’s, but Ryan had pulled him to safety and we’d all stood by his side as he struggled through physical therapy to repair the damage done to his hand, not sure if he’d ever play his guitar again. Carter was strong and determined though and he’d regained the strength needed in his hand and we’d all been there to celebrate his first sold out concert.