The house was loud and alive.
I acted like it was normal.
"Goodnight, buddy," I said.
Inside, I was shaking.
***
About a year after the adoption was finalized, life looked… normal, in a messy way. School, homework, appointments, soccer, arguments over screen time.
The house was loud and alive.
A woman in a dark suit stood on the porch.
One morning, I dropped them off at school and daycare and came home to start work.
Half an hour later, the doorbell rang. I wasn't expecting anyone.
A woman in a dark suit stood on the porch, holding a leather briefcase. "Good morning. Are you Michael? And you're the adoptive father of Owen, Tessa, Cole, and Ruby?"
"Yes," I said. "Are they okay?"
"Come in."
"They're fine," she said quickly. "I should've said that first. My name is Susan. I was the attorney for their biological parents."
I stepped aside. "Come in."
We sat at the kitchen table. I pushed cereal bowls and crayons to the side.
She opened her briefcase and pulled out a folder. "Before their deaths, their parents came to my office to make a will. They were healthy. Just planning ahead."
"To them?"
My chest felt tight.
"In that will, they made provisions for the children," she said. "They also placed certain assets into a trust."
