This will be the final chapter of this story.

Chapter Fifteen

"Sawed" and "Wiley" is not typos.

Today was the day.

Both Nina and Autumn's previous case worker from Houston attended her adoption hearing. Both had trouble holding back happy tears. The child who couldn't stop smiling or laughing before the judge was not the same baby they had first met. The curly haired, bright-eyed girl was now almost three years old. Her beginning without a family and close to death looked totally forgotten. The judge smiled listening to the girl repeat her new name and say her birthday was in a month. Her dads were going to buy her a tricycle, a green one, she said. Rick's parents and Brianna were also at the adoption ceremony. Almost the whole E.R. night shift from San Antonio Memorial was in attendance as well.

The female judge told the couple she was proud of them for "rescuing" another child "from a broken system." Rick and Drew laughed when Autumn clapped at this.

She usually were but Autumn absolutely the center of attention today. A party was ready at the family home. Syd Jennings, Autumn's godmother and Riley were waiting there. The family of four had new matching t-shirts to wear, a family portrait on the front.

How stressing the wait had been neither dad admitted until that weight was lifted, for both it felt literal. "I love you," Rick said, kissing his husband when they went to the bedroom to change clothes. Autumn could be heard chatting away to her sister while Brianna helped her change clothes.

"I love you, too, babe," Drew said. "I can't believe this day is finally here. This has been the longest six months of my life. I don't know what I would have done without you."

Waiting and hoping for Brianna's lung transplant, her very survival sidelined everyone's anticipation and nerves about her adoption. The distraction wasn't there the second time around. Until the adoption ceremony was over, neither Brianna or her parents realized how frightened they were that "the rug might be pulled out under their feet" and Autumn would be taken from their home at the eleventh hour, as Brianna herself almost was.

But with that paper in hand, it was time to party! When Brianna spontaneously gave her sister a tight hug before they left her room the little girl tried to squirm out of it.

"Let go! I sawed cake!" She giggled. "An' Syd an' Wiley are here!"

A throwback to probably their dads childhood, Autumn wanted a Cookie Monster cake. But Autumn's liking was courtesy of the technology of youtube. It was only a matter of time before Autumn's face would be covered in blue frosting.

Everyone wanted a picture with Autumn. She enjoyed making silly faces for them. It was her party, why not let her have fun? She had sat through a stuffy court hearing without fussing. Drew couldn't stop smiling watching Autumn run around the living room chasing a big red balloon. She had come so far in six months. From not knowing what a family was or what it is like to be loved to a child who could be herself and know she wouldn't be sent away again. As far as her health went, that would a day-to-day battle until medicine advanced. Having a sister who was going through the same, even if that was a teenager could only help Autumn cope with the challenges ahead."Déjà vu" was often taken as something bad but for this family, it was the best thing that ever happened.