Chapter 19

                                    

                                          
Throwing my arms around his neck, shouting my acceptance into his neck; "Yes!" 
"You had no clue what I was gonna do and ask? No one gave you any idea?" he asks, sounding slightly shocked as he slips the beautiful promise ring onto the ring finger of my left hand. 
"I was only confused when Kyler asked me when you were coming over this morning, but I honestly had no idea why," I admit, pulling back from him to give Kyler a fake glare, causing everyone to laugh, including me. 
"That figures, I figured out of anyone, he would've been the one to spill, or say something that would make you wonder," Logan mumbles, giving his best friend a mock glare, causing Kyler to grin broadly. 
There's a knock on the front door, and I look around confused at everyone else, and they look as confused as me. Walking to the door, and after opening it, I'm shocked to find Andrew,Tommy, his aunt and uncle, Jaxson, and the case worker at the door. 
"LiLi!" Andrew shouts, throwing himself into my arms as I squat down because I knew he was gonna do this. "When are you gonna adopt me today?" 
"Here soon, Andy, I promise," I assure him, hugging him tightly to me with another super large smile. "Not that I'm not happy to see you all, but why are you here?" 
"Andrew wanted to see you before we head to court, he's feeling a little nervous," the caseworker states. 
Looking down at Andrew, he gives me a shy smile before he hides his face in my neck. Standing up with him in my arms, I kiss his temple before assuring him that it's okay for him to feel the way he's feeling because I'm a little nervous myself. I do assure him that I'm more excited to adopt him today, and for us to officially become family. 
"Hey, what's that on your finger, Liam?" Tommy questions as we join everyone else in the living room.
Grinning over at him, showing off the silver band; "The beautiful promise ring that Logan gave me." 
Tommy smirks, and I should have realized he knew, too because Logan said he asked Andy for permission. Playfully narrowing my eyes at him, he just smirks at me with a shrug of his shoulders. Jaxson, and his parents smile at me, letting me know that they knew as well, and Andy, he giggles into my neck. 
All twelve of us leave the house, so I can talk with my lawyer, and Andy's caseworker can make sure all of the needed paperwork is ready, which she assures it is, but she wants to double check. Logan and I meet with the lawyer outside of the family courtroom, and we sit on a bench to discuss the process of today one more time. Andy and his caseworker are somewhere in the building, and everyone else is already sitting in the courtroom to wait. 
"Alright, now that we've gone over this again, how are you feeling?" Mr. Wessen asks, and I assure him that I feel good about today, but still a little nervous. "That's to be expected, Liam, but I can assure you that everything will go smoothly." 
"Can Logan stand up there with us, even though he isn't adopting Andy with me?" I ask Mr. Wessen, although I'm positive of the answer already...no.
"Unfortunately since he's not adopting Andrew, too, he can't," Mr. Wesson replies, and I nod in acceptance. "Alright, we should head inside, and wait in the first row." 
We head inside the courtroom, and it's not hard to find my family and our friends because they're the biggest group sitting in the rows. When we get to the row Mr. Wesson wants us to sit at, Logan has already sat down next to Kyler, and Andrew and his caseworker are already waiting for us. Sitting down next to Andrew, he grins widely up at me, and I return his smile. His caseworker is sitting on his other side, and Mr. Wesson is sitting on my other side. 
Sometime later and two adoptions before us, we're finally called up by the court clerk; "The adoption case of Andrew Gale by Liam Ryerson. Will Andrew, Liam, and their representatives please come forward." 
The four of us approach the judge's bench, but stop several feet from the female judge - Honorable J. Jameson. The judge gives us a bright smile before she focuses on the file in front of her for several long moments before looking at us again. She looks between Andrew and I, and her gaze remains on me. 
"You're Liam Ryerson, correct?" she asks, and I respectfully answer with a confident 'Yes, your honor.' "So, from what I'm gathering from the file in front of me, today is your eighteenth birthday, and it's your wish to adopt Andrew Gale?" 
Nodding, I reply; "Yes, your honor, today's my eighteenth birthday, and I wish to adopt Andrew." 
Judge Jameson nods as she studies my face for a second before focusing on Andrew; "Do you want Liam to adopt you, or would you rather be adopted by your current foster parents?" 
"As nice as my foster parents are, Jaxson, too, but I want my Li-Li to adopt me, ma'am," Andrew replies with more confidence than I expected from him. 
Smiling fondly down at him and he grins up at me, and we focus back on the judge again when she asks me; "I've reviewed your answers on how you'll support, house, and provide for yourself and Andrew being that you're a foster child yourself up until yesterday. I'm sorry for your loss of your parents, but I'm happy that you'll be able to provide a home, and are financially stable for yourself and him, if I approve this adoption, but my question is, do you plan on finishing high school for yourself, and potentially furthering your education?" 
Nodding, I confidently reply; "Yes, your honor, I graduate in a month, and I'm graduating second highest in my class, and I'm planning on attending college for my culinary degree at the local college. My plan is to attend online classes for my basic classes there, and then in-person classes for the rest of the classes. With the money that my parents left me, I don't have to work while I attend classes and while Andrew's in school or off on breaks, so I can focus on our schooling, and being there for him."