After sitting in traffic for what felt like hours, Deidre and Scott pulled onto a grassy drive. The car stopped in the yard of a modest two-story house. Scott looked around at the lush greenery and the beach.

"This is nice,"

"I know. It was a long drive with the traffic and, I'm going to go to the bathroom. You can just look around if you'd like. Get acquainted." Deidre unbuckled her seat belt and got out of the car.

Scott continued to look around after she had disappeared into the house. After a few minuets, he got out of the car and walked around. The cool breeze from the water felt good. Down the beach he saw children playing in the sand. In the yard, he spied a wood swing that hung from a tree. He did not know how long he was outside before Deidre came back.

"Are you going to come in or do you want me to pitch a tent?" Deidre asked from the stoop.

"You know how to pitch a tent?" Scott asked amused as he walked over to where she stood.

"I've pitched a tent or two. We usually do it in the summer on the beach. It's really nice out here; provides contrast to the city."

Scott nodded his head. "So, this house is ours?"

"Yeah, it's ours we bought it a couple of years ago. It's our escape, although sometimes your sister tags along."

"She would. So are you going to give me a tour?" Scott asked as he did an initial look around.

"I was actually going to cut up some fruit and vegetables before Hannah gets here. I'm sure you know how to make yourself at home." Deidre left Scott to his own devices.

He stepped into what he guessed was a living area. There was a nice fireplace with pictures on the mantle. In the center was a photo from their wedding. Next to it was another picture of Scott and a little girl who was around the age of six or seven. It definitely was not his niece. The little girl in the picture was of African American decent. She had a massive amount of curly dark hair and very brown, almost black eyes. The two of them were standing with what looked like a rope tied around their ankles. In the background was a large sign that read Cresthill Academy Father-Daughter Day. Scott picked up the picture and stared at it confused. He walked into the kitchen where Deidre was standing at the island counter-top cutting up a pear.

"What's this?" Scott asked handing the framed picture to Deidre.

Deidre smiled, "It’s a picture of you and Rachel. That was taken a few weeks ago." She said as she went back to cutting up fruit. “You guys won the three legged race. She was so excited.”

“Rachel, as in Jessica’s daughter?” Scott asked trying to make sure he got it right.

“Yeah.”

“Do I usually go to her father-daughter events? I mean kids must ask questions.” Scott said sitting down.

“Yes you usually go to the father-daughter events with Rachel and kids do ask questions. But not about this,” Deidre said. She stopped what she was doing and looked up. There was a sad almost haunted look in her eyes. “We adopted Rachel the same year we got married.”

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It was a typical August Friday night for Deidre and Scott. Since the wedding, things were going well for the couple despite their increasingly busy work schedules. They even adopted a puppy from the animal shelter. Bear was an energetic black lab mix that could not sit still if his life depended on it.

While Scott was out walking Bear, Deidre sat on the sofa flipping through channels in search of decent television programming. The doorbell rang, and she stood up from where she was sitting to answer it.

“Good evening.” Jessica said with a smile on her face.

“DeDe!” Rachel said launching her body at Deidre’s legs.

“Well, hi there Rachel. Ready for a fun night in?” Deidre asked squatting down to the two-year-old’s level.

Rachel giggled and then squeezed by Deidre and ran into the house and disappeared into the back.

“Rachel no running inside.” Jessica called as she too entered the house.

“So, are you ready for your date?” Deidre asked after standing up and locking the door.

Rachel parked herself on the floor in front of coffee table. She pulled one of the many magazines toward her and began flipping through it.

“Nowhere near ready. But I think this one might actually work out, Deidre.” Jessica said.

Before Deidre could respond, Rachel came back into the room. She went to Deidre and gave her a sad confused look, “where Bear?” Rachel asked.

“Your Uncle Scott took Bear out for a walk. They should be back in a little while. Why don’t you color something from your book.” Deidre suggested.

Rachel pouted before climbing on the couch to sit between her mother and Deidre. “Oh. Want Bear.” Rachel said.

“I know but you have to wait.” Deidre said.

Rachel turned to Jessica and smiled, “Call Bear.” She suggested.

Jessica laughed and shook her head. “No Rachel, Bear doesn’t have a phone. Bear also has to learn how to go potty outside. So Uncle Scott can’t bring him back until he’s gone to the potty.”

“Make poop outsi’?” Rachel asked.

“Yes he goes to poop outside.” Jessica said.

Not able to sit still for long, Rachel wiggled out from between the two women and landed on the floor. She walked over to her backpack, sat down next to it and began to pull out all of its contents.

“Ever since you and Scott got that dog, Rachel has been asking to come over to see Bear.” Jessica said.

“You know, you guys are always welcome here.” Deidre smiled. “So about your date. Where did you meet him?”

“I met him on a dating site. We’ve been emailing each other for about a month. I’ve just been too busy with my new job to try and meet up with him. I finally got some time, so we are going out to The Elephant Tavern. There is a jazz band playing tonight. It starts at eight so I need to be going.”

“Yeah, you really should be heading out.” Deidre said as she and Jessica stood up and began walking to the door.

“Ray, come give mommy a big hug and kiss before I go.” Jessica said.

“Otay,” said Rachel getting up from her position on the floor.

Jessica bent down and picked up her little girl. “Hugs.” Jessica said as she lightly squeezed her daughter. Rachel giggled at the action. “And kisses.” Jessica kissed both of Rachel’s cheeks.

“Kisses,” said Rachel taking her mother’s face in to her hand and touching her lips to each cheek.

Jessica put Rachel back on the floor, and the toddler went to sit down by her bag.

“Alright I’m leaving now.” Jessica said.

“Okay, have fun, and we’ll see you tomorrow afternoon?”

“Yes.  I will be by tomorrow afternoon, that way I can run a few errands before I get here.” Jessica waved and then walked down the drive.

After closing the door, Deidre joined Rachel on the floor where she was pulling the clothes off of her dolls.

“Little munchkin, what are you doing?” Deidre asked.

Rachel shrugged her shoulders and handed Deidre one of the soft dolls. “Pawly, play.” Rachel instructed.

Deidre took the naked doll and raised her eyebrows. “Okay.”

“I has Mo.”

The door to the house opened and Rachel turned her head. Bear, the puppy, bounded inside and headed straight for Deidre and Rachel. Rachel squealed in delight as the puppy licked her face. Scott followed the dog inside.

“Good evening ladies.” Scott said heading toward the back to put up the leash.

“Hey, how’d he do?” Deidre asked as she rubbed the dog’s head.

“He was fine; although, he did try to take on a couple of dogs nearly twice his size.” Scott called as he was coming back to the front of the house. When he came back into the living room Scott turned to Rachel. “Do I not get a hug Ray?”

Rachel shook her head and giggled. “No hugs.”

“What?!” Scott said. “No hugs?!” Scott picked Rachel up and playfully flipped her around, “no hugs you say?”

Rachel laughed and tried to shake her head, “No hugs! No hugs!”

The puppy began to bark and jump at Scott’s legs. “Put Rachel down before Bear tries to attack you.” Deidre instructed.

Scott stopped what he was doing and held Rachel in the air. “But she said no hugs. And I want my hug!” Scott said.

Deidre tilted her head to the side and tried her best to hold a straight face. Scott was really good with Rachel; he was good with kids in general. Despite her original desire to not have kids, Deidre was slowly beginning to look forward to parenting with Scott.

Scott put Rachel on the floor where she went back to playing with her dolls.

The next morning, Scott woke up to sounds of someone cooking in the kitchen. What he found, when explored further, was Deidre at the counter with Rachel dressed in her pajamas standing on a chair. There was a bowl in front of Rachel, and she had a spoon with what looked like pancake or waffle mix in her hand.

“Rachel, put the spoon back in the bowl.” Deidre said.

Rachel shook her head and jumped up and down. Some of the mix came off of the spoon and landed on Rachel’s pajama top.

“Uh-oh!” Rachel said.

“Uh-oh is right. Now, give me the spoon.”

Scott laughed as he walked into the kitchen. “What are you making there Ray?” Scott asked the toddler.

Rachel smiled. “Wapples.” She said proudly.

“Oh.” Scott sat down at the counter in the empty chair.

“So now it’s okay to stand on the furniture.” Scott said to Deidre.

“When you’re two and you want to help make breakfast, you can stand on the furniture.” Deidre said.

“I see, we have a double standard in this house.” 

“Yes we do. Do you have a problem with that?” Deidre asked jokingly.

“No I don’t. When is Jessica coming by?” Scott asked as he pulled Rachel down toward him. She laughed and struggled to try and get away.

“She said she had a few errands to run before she came for Rachel.” Deidre explained.

“I see so what…” Before Scott could finish the question, the phone rang.

Scott placed Rachel in a sitting position on the chair before he walked into the living room to answer the phone. Unhappy with where she was now sitting, Rachel looked to Deidre, “Down. Get down!” Rachel said as she wiggled to the edge of the high stool.

“Okay, I’m coming.” Deidre said walking around to let Rachel down.

Deidre walked out of the kitchen with Rachel following closely on her heels. When she reached the living room, Scott was ending the call and placing the cordless phone back into its cradle. The look on his face was not comforting, and she could feel a change in the atmosphere. “Who was that?”  Deidre asked.

Scott looked up. This was the type of news he did not want to break to his wife. “Ray why don’t you go in the back and color in the office.” Scott suggested. “Come on.”

Rachel looked between the two adults and she could tell something was wrong. She did not like it. “Otay.” She said quietly grabbing Scott’s outstretched hand. The two walked into the back.

When Scott returned, Deidre was sitting on the couch. “What’s going on Scott?”

Scott sat down next to her and took a deep breath. “That was the Medical Examiner. There was an accident late last night and Jessica was in it. Deidre, she died.” Scott explained. He took Deidre’s hand in his and squeezed.

“What, no. No.” Deidre said trying not to cry. She stood up and began to pace back and forth. “She’s been through too damn much for her to die in a car accident at the age of 25. Jessica is a survivor. They have it wrong.” Deidre said. “They, they got the wrong person.”

Scott stood up and pulled his wife into a hug and held her as she cried on his shoulder. Over the past two and a half years, he watched Jessica and Deidre become close friends, almost like sisters.

“What about Rachel?” Deidre said pulling away slightly. “How do we tell a two-year-old that the one person she loves most in this world is never coming back?”

Rachel chose that moment to make an appearance. “Wan’ wapples. Where wapples?” Rachel asked. She looked up at the two adults who were in obvious distress. “Why you cry?”

Deidre took a deep breath and sat down on the couch. “Because I’m sad. Can you come here and give me a big hug?”

Rachel nodded her head and ran over to Deidre. Deidre picked up the toddler and held her close for a minute before loosening her grip. Rachel touched Deidre’s tears with her fingers. “Why sad?” Rachel asked.

Deidre began one of the hardest conversations she would ever have with a two-year-old. “Rachel your mommy loved you very, very much.”

A week later, after the funeral, Deidre, Scott and Rachel sat in the law office where Jessica used to work. They were waiting for Jessica’s attorney to come in so they could wrap up any loose ends. When she walked in, she had a folder in her hand. She looked at the couple sitting at the table. Rachel sat asleep in Scott's lap, the side of her head on his chest and Deidre held onto his hand—afraid to let go.

“I can’t believe Jessica is gone. She was here just last week in my office working on her first pro bono case. Jess was so excited. She had a very promising career ahead of her and so much life. We’re going to miss her here at the firm.” Jenna, the lawyer started.

“Neither can I.” Deidre said. “I knew her over two years and every time I talked with her, it was hard for me to believe how incredible of a young woman she is, or was.” Deidre said.

“Well, as apart of the company policy, we have every new associate draw up their own will. We guide them through the process. We do this in part as a teaching moment. It allows them to be more empathetic during the process when they go through it with a client. And we also do this because life is crazy and short and unpredictable. I have to say though; this is my first time executing the will of one of my junior associates. With that said, I’m assuming the two of you already know she has left custody of Rachel to you. You guys are her guardians.”

“Yeah, we know. Jess talked to me when she was going through the process and trying to figure things out. I assured her that if anything did ever happen to her, Deidre and I would be there for Rachel.” Scott said.

Deidre nodded her head in agreement recalling the conversation she, Jessica and Scott had over dinner a few weeks earlier.

“That’s good to hear. As with any mother Rachel was Jessica’s number one concern. Growing up without a traditional family, made her want just that for Rachel if something ever happened to her. Which is why I’m wondering if she ever specifically told you that she would prefer it if the two of you went through the process of adopting Rachel. A lot of times in this type of situation, when the child is so young and the legal guardians are not family members, the new caretakers adopt the child.”

“Is that necessary?” Deidre asked confused.

“It is not necessary no, but it is what Jessica wanted.” Jenna explained.

Deidre looked over to Rachel and smoothed a few strands of hair out of her face. “I don’t want to replace Jessica as Rachel’s mom.” Deidre said looking up. “I could never live up to that.”

“Don’t think about it as replacing Jessica, but rather providing Rachel with a stable family that is as close to normal as possible, a family with two parents. This way when she is older, she won’t have to explain to the other kids why she calls you Aunt DeDe and Uncle Scott. You’ll be here parents; her mom and dad.”

Scott looked at his wife. He knew her doubts about becoming a parent and this issue was something they were not even going to face for another few months. They had decided to talk about it after their first anniversary. But life has a way of screwing with your plans. “Deidre.” Scott said trying to get her attention. She had drifted off into her own world in the past few minutes. Deidre turned and faced her husband. “We can do this. You can do this, for Rachel.”

Deidre nodded her head.  “Can we start the process now or is there something else we need to do?” Deidre asked.

“I actually have the paperwork here. I pulled it out after I heard about Jessica’s passing.” Jenna said pulling papers out of the file.

Scott squeezed Deidre’s hand in support. There was never any doubt in his mind that she would step up to the plate.