Erika was sitting in the back of the van, working on the embroidery kit Aaron had given her. It was a small blue dragonfly made up of several types of flower stitches. Idina had mentioned once that Erika loved dragonflies. She'd smiled and blushed when he had handed it to her and said a bashful thanks after breakfast.

Their nanny was home with the triplets and Walker. They had called a second babysitter to help out. It was just Idina, Aaron, and their daughter today. Keep it small. Walker had wanted to come, insisted, but Idina firmly said no. She was worried there might be a scene. She knew Walker. She knew he loved fiercely as she did, and she did not want him there if the worst happened. It would be better to break it to him at home. But they would not have to.

Idina looked down at her phone. Walker was sending her texts every few minutes, asking if they were there yet.

Please go watch a movie, she texted back. We'll be home before you know it.

She put her phone away and looked back at Erika, then turned on the music. If no one was talking it might as well be on, as long as it wasn't her music they were playing. Leaning back in her seat, Idina mouthed to the words. It was nice at times having a mandatory chauffer. She might as well revel in this time of not being frustrated about her situation.

They arrived at the courthouse. The parking lot was half full; a good sign there wouldn't be press, at least when they entered.

Erika didn't talk or make eye contact, but she did take both their hands as they went in.

There was a line-up. A cade had been held back, so Aaron steered them towards a free bench. Carlyle was quick to find them, and Idina was quicker to give him a silencing jester as she rubbed Erika's back. The room hummed with the light buzz of other families quietly muttering amongst themselves. Everyone seems too involved to notice that Idina and Aaron were present.

Erika still had a tight grip on her hand. Idina kissed the girl's temple, then looked up at Aaron. His normal carefree gaze was gone, replaced by a rigid expression. She tried to smile at him but found herself incapable. They looked eyes. That had to be enough reassurance for now.

Erika wants me, Idina reminded herself. How far they had come. Erika was no longer a name that brought up pity, it was just a synonym for love. For amazing.

"May I go to the bathroom?" Erika asked.

"Yeah," Aaron said.

No one moved for a moment, not wanting to break contact. Erika looked at her hand, firmly clasped to Idina's, considering. Then she got up and left.

Instantly Idina scooted nearer to her husband and wrapped his arm around her.

"There's a different judge," Carlyle said, trying to ease their worry. "I think he'll be more favourable than the last one."

"Thanks," Idina mumbled, pulling herself closer to Aaron. "Why is this so hard?" she mumbled.

"It is supposed to stop children from getting placed with bad parents," he said.

"I think Erika would have some things to take up with that statement," she said.

"In the end, it brought her to us," Aaron said.

"I don't believe in that sort of thinking," Idina reminded him. "Not anymore."

Aaron kissed her temple; he should have remembered. Not after Taye. Truth be told he wouldn't ask her to go through it again, and he wouldn't ask Erika to either if she had a chance to have a happy childhood. But they were here and there were no do-overs in life.

They waited in silence. Erika had yet to return from the bathroom.

"I'm going to go look for her," Idina decided, dreading having to stand up. Already as she untangled herself from her husband the calm was fading. There was this magical realm where as long as Aaron was holding her, and she closed her eyes things never seemed bad. If she thought about how loved she felt, everything was fine, and she existed in a state of nothingness and comfort.

Now, coming back to the quiet buzz and the lights and the noise her mind wandered again. Where was her daughter? Would she come home with them?

She felt like she was waking up from a deep, dreamless sleep and was still trying to get used to reality existing. To being something other than nothing. Erika's embroidery was on her lap. She took the first step by handing it to her husband.

Steadying herself with his arm, she stood up. "I'll be back soon," she said, more to herself than to the men. Aaron nodded and tried to give her an encouraging smile, but it looked forced.

He was worried too. For once she did not feel like it was just her.

Idina followed the signs down the twisting, deserted hallways to the bathroom. Maybe she had gotten lost? That was out of character.

Idina opened the door and Erika was at the sink, washing her face.

"Knock knock," Idina said, unsure what else to say. "We're going to be up soon," she informed the girl.

She walked over to Erika who was drying her face with a brown paper towel. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Erika shook her head, then bear-hugged Idina

"Oh," she said in surprise, before hugging her daughter back. "It will all be fine," she said.

"I threw up," Erika mumbled into Idina's shoulder. "I'm so scared."

Idina thought about what she would want to be told, and then what Aaron would say to her. "No one's mad at you for throwing up or being scared," she started. "This is court meeting is going to happen, all we can change is our reaction to it." She kicked herself internally. She was still too robotic. She rubbed Erika's back. "I love you," she said, "and that's going to be apparent today and every day after. You're going to come home with us today."

Erika squeezed her and she sighed in relief that she was getting through.

"I have some chocolate-covered ginger in the car if you want something to settle your stomach."

"Yes please," Erika squeaked.

Idina smiled and kissed the top of her head. She wiped some stray tears from the girl's eyes and walked her back to the bench with Aaron and Carlyle, then went to the car to get the ginger. She chewed on a few herself as she came back.

This time, she noticed some people staring at her, heard whispers of her name. She ignored them, walking faster until she was reunited with her family. Aaron had his arms around Erika protectively; fatherly and was talking to her quietly. Her eyes were still a bit puffy and red, but it looked like it would clear up by the time they would meet the judge. They still needed to present an image to the judge. Aaron was wearing a suit. Not a Tux, but still a suit. Idina had wanted to wear one too but opted for a dress that matched the pink one she had picked out for Erika to wear. They looked composed for the most part.

"Here," she said, dropping the chocolates in her daughter's hand. "Just don't wipe your hands on your dress."

"I don't," she reminded Idina.

Right, she was neat. Her room always looks immaculate. Sometimes she found Idina's nonchalant attitude annoying.

Four of them did not fit on the bench well, but no one cared. Idina noticed more gazes in their direction than there had been originally. As long as they looked like two parents who wanted their daughter, she did not mind. And with the way they were intertwined and talking quietly to each other, she was sure that was how they appeared.

She checked her watch. They had been sitting here for almost an hour. Her phone had a few more texts from Walker, and one from Jane saying the triplets were napping and she and the sitter were getting on fine.

Idina almost didn't process what happened when they got called. She was so lost in her own world, but Aaron got her attention, and she took Erika's hand. Carlyle had his briefcase full of testimonies and earlier court visits and started getting his folders out. So organized. Erika smiled a bit when she saw the neatly labelled folders and papers.

They sent Erika across the room to her table while they stayed with Carlyle. The judge entered. He sat down. Idina's heart was pounding in her ears and Aaron was squeezing her hand underneath the table.

The judge seemed more agreeable. He asked Erika fairly basic questions after he swore her in.

"Do you want to be adopted by the Menzel-Lohr's?'

"Yes."

He didn't ask questions Erika has issues with. They were all very straightforward, stuff she could easily answer with yes or no. The answer was almost always yes.

Then Carlyle presented his documents. Idina felt herself smiling and she dared look to either side of herself. Aaron was a bit teary but smiling. She caught Erika's eye and the girl gave her a small thumb's up.

I'm going to have two daughters by the end of the hour, Idina realized. Five children. The thought was intoxicating. She felt like a ray of sunshine when she was asked if she wanted to adopt Erika.

"More than anything," she said too quickly.

"Yes or no," the judge said with a chuckle.

"Yes," Idina replied. So many yesses. She was overflowing with yesses.

"Yes," Aaron said when he was asked.

The judge pronounced them a family and Carlyle whooped. Erika was looking around, a bit shocked, trying to figure out if she was allowed to stand up or not. There was little fanfare. There should have been. Idina had wanted her family to be here, as well as the supportive members of Aarons. She'd wanted Walker to be here too, but with everything that happened last time, this small crowd was more manageable.

There wasn't a crowd to push through to try and get to her daughter. Just a floor to cross. There wasn't a large bout of fanfare, or fireworks when the embrace, at least not externally. Internally Idina felt like her insides could explode.

Aaron hugged them both, a wide smile on his face.

"You're stuck with us now," he joked, and Erika chuckled.

"I'm okay with that," she said, still grinning from ear to ear.

Idina wiped tears from her eyes, her face aching from the large smile she had been unable to control. "Let's go home," she said, taking out her phone to text Walker: you now have an older sister.

Erika smiled and nodded.

It was over. She could relax. They were going to New York at the end of the week. As a family. They deserved something nice for once.

The rest of the day was spent in bliss, playing card games, playing with the triplets.

When they entered the room, Walker had tacked Erika, squealing in delight. Idina had snapped a picture of their cheeks pressed together, large smiles and Erika bending over with Walker's arms around her, a light in their eyes that made Idina swell with pride.

She posted the picture online with the capture "Walker welcoming his sister home." Other than calling her sister and parents, she turned it off for the rest of the night. No more worried about Erika being taken away because of the paparazzi. No more worried about anything as far as she was concerned.

Here, under the stars with her man barbecuing and the sounds of her children running around the yard and playing, it felt like nothing bad had ever happened. She was so excited for New York. Nothing could go wrong now.