"American Adoption"

Chapter Two



Beckie’s cowgirl boots clacked as she stepped onto Chrissy’s porch. Looking around she moved to the window and peaked in. Inside, she saw a child’s clutter and a television on. No sight of Chrissy, she thought to herself. Beckie stepped in front of the door and rang the bell. She threw on a smile and waited for someone to open the door. When the door finally swung open, all that Beckie saw was a swollen-eyed Chrissy. But that soon changed, as soon as Chrissy saw Beckie a smile spread on her face and her eyes grew wide. “Beckie!” Chrissy exclaimed, throwing herself at Beckie and hugging her.

“The one and only,” Beckie said to her.

“What are you doing here??” Chrissy asked, after finally letting her go.

“Trent’s doing some business here in New York. So, I tagged along and before I knew it, I was out the hotel and heading here before I even got a chance to unpack!”

Chrissy smiled at Beckie’s words, and then invited her in. Beckie gladly stepped into her home and watched as Chrissy began to frantically pick up baby toys and what seemed to look like party left over. This was the first time Beckie had ever been to Chrissy’s home in the Bronx. Beckie looked around at all the pictures hung on the wall and the shelves of medical books. This was Chrissy’s home.

“Sorry everything is such a mess. Jai-li was baptized yesterday and so we had a party,” Chrissy said.

“Wow, really? Where is she anyhow?” Beckie asked.

“She’s upstairs napping. I really didn’t expect you. I sent you a party invitation and you never RSVPed,” Chrissy told her while she did more cleaning.

“I never received an invitation…”

“I hate the mail system,” Chrissy said with a grunt.

“It’s fine, I’m just glad I’m here now!” Beckie told her to lighten the mood.

“Me too,” Chrissy said with a smile. “Let’s move to the kitchen, it’s much cleaner,” She added.

As Chrissy suggested, they moved to the kitchen. Beckie took a seat at her table and Chrissy served her some iced tea. Chrissy joined her at the table and they sat there in silence. Finally, Beckie said,” So, what’s up? Is everything ok? You look like you’ve been crying.”

Chrissy’s jaw dropped and her hand flew to her face. She threw her head down on the table and began sobbing. Beckie reached out and put her hand on Chrissy’s arm. Chrissy looked up at her and took a deep breath. “This mourning I suggested to my husband that we adopt… He didn’t take the idea so well. He stopped by during his lunch break with some flowers,” Chrissy stopped to take a glance at the sink. In the sink, was a bouquet turned upside down and shoved into the garbage disposal.

“Yikes,” Beckie said.

“He said he wasn’t comfortable with the idea of raising someone else’s child. He said he wanted more children with me and only me. He also said that if I didn’t feel like carrying another child we could always have another woman carry it out to full term for us. He wants to go over our options.”

“And you really want to adopt?”

“Yes! I don’t see it as raising someone else’s child. I see it as taking in a child and raising it as our own. I see it as giving another child the same opportunities as our child. We have the room and we have the money. I don’t see why we wouldn’t!”

“Well, maybe you just need to talk to him more.”

“I will not beg for us to adopt. If he doesn’t want to adopt then we won’t. I will not force us into something,” Chrissy said.

“I’m sorry C,” Beckie told her, reaching for her hand.

“It’s not your fault. I’m just glad you’re here. Let’s forget about the drama and catch up,” Chrissy said with a smile. “So, how long have you been with Trent now? You guys ever going to get married?”

Beckie let out a belch of laughter. “Chrissy, we are married.”

“What??? Where was I when this happened??”

“I’m not sure, I sent you an invitation!”

“Those dang mail people! You know what? We need to exchange numbers!”

Beckie smiled and said, “Seriously.”

“So, you’re married. Any kids?” Chrissy asked.

“Not yet,” Beckie said.

“Wow, so, Lyd-e beat you to it!”

“What?”

“Yup, Lydia Rosario is pregnant.”

“Hahahaha! That’s got to be hilarious. Let’s go check it out! Lydia said
she’d never have kids!”

“I know,” Chrissy said with a bark of laughter.


******************************************************


Lydia stood in front of the long mirror. She laid a hand on her stomach and couldn’t imagine something actually in there. She wasn’t sure she was ready for this. She didn’t want to become Chrissy and Jolene. She didn’t want to be a soccer mom. She hated those sappy seventh heaven moments and couldn’t stand how sweet everything the babies did was. Most of all, Lydia was not willing to gain 100 pounds for this child.

“I’m going to get really fat,” Lydia shouted to Kiral.

“Are you looking in the mirror again??” He asked from downstairs.

“Yes! Will you still love me when I weigh 300 pounds??”

“You’re not going to weigh 300 pounds!”

Lydia ran to the steps and glared at him. “So, you’re saying you wouldn’t love me if I weighed 300 pounds?”

“No Lydia, I’m saying you won’t weigh 300 pounds!”

“But, will you still love me if I did?”

“YESSS!!” he shouted.

“Jeeze, I’m sorry I had to force it out of you,” Lydia said taking a seat at the steps and placing her face in her hands. Just as Kiral began to step up toward her, the doorbell rang. Kiral turned around and opened the door. Lydia heard some words being exchanged and then a loud clunk on the steps.

When Lydia looked up, sure enough there was Beckie banging her cowgirl boots on Lydia’s steps. Lydia jumped up with a smile and ran down the steps. She hugged Beckie and then Chrissy who was holding Jai-li.

“Hey pregnant lady!” Beckie said to Lydia. Lydia’s draw dropped and she gasped.

“Why would you call me that?? So soon? Good God,” Lydia said in horror.

Beckie and Chrissy laughed. They all stepped out of the stairwell and into the living room. Chrissy noticed the new play pin and placed Jai-li in it. She smiled at Lydia and Lydia rolled her eyes. Kiral sat on the couch watching a football game. Lydia grabbed the remote and shut off the plasma. “Hey!” Kiral said to her with a questioning look.

“Bedroom,” Lydia said with a smile.

Kiral rolled his eyes and grabbed his bag of chips. “Yes mom,” Kiral said with a wink before running up the steps. Lydia grunted and shook her head.

“How does that one taste?” Chrissy asked.

“FOUL!” Lydia replied. Now, Beckie, Chrissy, and Lydia sat on the couch while little Jai-li sat in the play pin. It was silent for a while until Beckie said, “I can’t believe your pregnant.”

“Pregnant again, Darling.” Lydia said. Chrissy nodded her head and they both smiled at Beckie.

“Oh man, what did I miss out on?” Beckie asked.

Chrissy threw an arm around Beckie and said, “Depends how much time you got!”


*********************************************


Zhi looked at his watch and noted that he had three hours to go. It was four in the afternoon and he was ready to go home. Or maybe just get out of the clinic. Last time he went home it was to tell Chrissy that he didn’t want to adopt, she didn’t take it as well as he hoped. Suddenly, the loud speaker came on and announced that he was to report to pediatrics. Zhi sighed and took himself to the front desk to inquire about this demand. He never worked in pediatrics.

Once at the front desk, he raised his eyebrows. The young new nurse looked up at him a smiled. “Well, there’s this lady who is requesting you. She says that you have to come and see her,” she said to Zhi.

Zhi smiled and her and said, “Oh, how exciting!” with those words he walked away and headed for pediatrics. It didn’t take him long to get to the room the loudspeaker had told him to get to. When he did, Jolene and both kids starred out at her. Zhi let out a bark of laughter when he realized that both kids were covered in what looked to be chicken pox.

“Uncle Zhi!” the kids yelled in unison.

“Hey kids,” Zhi said to them. He hugged them and then smiled at Jolene.

“You’re the only doctor they will let examine them,” Jolene told him.

“That’s understandable,” he said smiling down at the kids. “Why don’t you guy take off some of your clothes? So, I can examine what you got here.”

“Okay, we’ll do it. But, can you do me first?” Little Adyli said.

“Sure,” he said to her. He turned away and closed the room door. He moved to the sink and washed his hands. He put on some gloves and then turned back to the kids, each sitting waiting for him to give them the proper attention. Zhi began examining Adyli’s skin.

“So, how long have they had it like this?” Zhi asked Jo but didn’t look at her. He only turned to Darius and looked at his skin.

“Since this mourning, but I couldn’t bring them in till now,” Jolene said.

“Well, it doesn’t really matter when you bring them in as long as they understand that they can’t scratch,” Zhi told all of them.

“Yeah, no scratching!” Darius yelled at Adyli.

“Sush kids,” Jolene said with a wave of her hand. “So, how’s it going with Chrissy?”

“You mean since you saw us yesterday?” Zhi asked.

“Yeah, well, I had a conversation with Chrissy about…” Jolene was cut off before she could finish her sentence. “Look,” Zhi said. “You can’t convince me to take in someone else’s child. I really don’t want to adopt. I thought I made it clear.”

“What?” Jolene said. “Chrissy wants to… adopt? And you said no?”

“Yes,” Zhi said.

“How could you? Chrissy loves kids and she’d love to take in someone who needs help. By saying no you more then likely crushed her heart!”
Jolene said.

“I know, and I’m sorry, but I can’ help my feelings. I just can’t,” he told her.

“Why not? There is nothing wrong with adoption!”

“I want to have more babies with Chrissy.”

“There is no difference between having a child and adopting one.”

“Yes, there is.”

“In the end, you’re still raising a child with Chrissy. You’re still loving someone who needs your love and support,” Jolene said. “You got to do this.”

Zhi looked at Jolene and saw the urgency in her words. He knew she was serious and, he knew that he was going to listen to her. “If I give this a try,” he said. “Would Chrissy hate me if I ended up not liking it?”

“Impossible,” Jolene told him.

Zhi smiled and cleared his throat. “Well,” he said. “Your kids have chicken pox. I’ll have the nurse give you prescriptions and advice on what to do. But, I’m pretty sure you already know most of it. Most importantly, keep them away from Jai for a while,” he told her with a wink.

“You got it doc,” Jo said with a nod as she began to help the kids put their clothes back on.

Zhi turned to leave the office when he called out, “Thanks for the advice!”

“That’s why I’m here,” Jo said to him.

Behind him the kids giggled and shook their heads. Just another crazy day in Zhi’s crazy life. And, he knew it was just about to become even more complicated. He was adopting a new child. Oh, what he would do for his wife.

Next Story in the American Lifestyles Series

"American Adoption"


Chapter One


Several Months Later…


Laughter spread through out the room and the voices became louder. Chrissy smiled at the sight of everyone in her living room. All here to celebrate the Baptism of 1-yearold Jai-li. She thought about the beautiful ceremony and how happy Jolene and Danny were to become the new God parents of her daughter. “I’ve got dibs on the next one,” Lydia said to her after taking a snap shot of Jai being dipped into the water. Surely, Lydia did have dibs on the next.

“Someone is in deep thought,” Jolene said to her as she poked her.

“Hah, kind of. Just thinking,” Chrissy replied.

“About?”

“About what Lyd said,” Chrissy said.

“I don’t get it.”

“The next one… I don’t know when the ‘next one’ will come around.”

“That’s entirely up to you and Zhi. Technically, the next one could
happen tonight. That’s if these people cleared out earlier enough for you guys to still have some energy left,” Jo said with a smile.

“True,” Chrissy said. Jolene and Chrissy slipped into some chairs in the living room and began chatting with some more family members. Somehow, music began to play and all the kids came to the middle of the room. They each danced together and moved in awkward motions.

Suddenly, the music was shut off and everyone looked to the stereo. Standing in front of the stereo was Lydia and Kiral. Chrissy was surprised to see them here, together. Over the past months they had become an off and on relationship. Last time she checked, things were off.

“Uh, Well,” Lydia began.

Kiral bent to her ear and whispered something. She nodded and turned around. Her armed moved around a bit and then, she turned around. When she turned around she held a sign in her hands. Then Kiral turned and did the same. When both faced the crowd with the signs in their hands, they finally flipped it.

Lydia’s sign read, “I’m pregnant!”

Kiral’s sign read, “ And it’s mine!”

Kiral and Lydia laughed together and everyone else joined them.

“Sorry,” Lydia said. “I just couldn’t get myself to say it!”

Jolene was among the first to jump up and congratulate them. She hugged Lydia and laid a hand on Lydia’s stomach. No doubt there was barely anything there, but when you are pregnant, people touch you anyway. Knowing Lydia would think it odd of her if she didn’t, Chrissy got up and gave Lydia her obligatory congratulation. “On again?” Chrissy asked.

“On forever,” Lydia said with a smile.

“So, you’re moving out?” Chrissy asked. Since their relationship had become so unstable, Lydia lived with Chrissy. Chrissy and Zhi lived in a home that was well fit for a family. But because they only had one child, they had plenty of room. In their extra room, Lydia had settled. It wasn’t bad though. Lydia came home from work and cleaned up. If Chrissy needed a sitter then Lydia was there. If Lydia needed advice, about Kiral mostly, then Chrissy was there.

“Yeah, I will be moving out. I’ll be out of hair for good now,” Lydia said with a smile.

“You never bothered me!” Chrissy argued. The party continued and everyone did as they would do. Eventually, it was all over. The house was cleared out and all that was left was a large mess. Lydia, Kiral, Zhi, and Jai-li were all that remained in the house. Jolene had left early to put the kids to bed and get some rest of her own. Chrissy gathered all plates and cups and dumped them in the sink.

She looked at them and contemplated doing them. She shrugged and said to herself, “Zhi will do them later.”

Behind her, Lydia laughed. “I heard that,” Lydia said.

“Well, it’s true,” Chrissy replied.

“I know. Zhi is great like that. Speaking of, he went upstairs with Jai-li. She fell asleep and he said he needed a shower.”

“Good,” Chrissy said with a nod. Chrissy leaned against her counter and looked at Lydia. She didn’t look pregnant. That was good, she guessed.

“So, I wanted to speak to you about all of this.”

“What’s there to speak about?”

“Well, it’s all kind of abrupt and you seemed kind of odd.”

“Odd?”

“Well yeah,” Lydia said. “I saw your face when you read it. Like you were disappointed or sad…”

“What? NO! I’m happy for you, I am. I was just thinking about stuff, and you know how people in my family get to me after a while.”

Lydia nodded and smiled. “Well, if anything, you’d tell me right?” Lydia asked.

“Without hesitation,” Chrissy replied.

“Ok, I feel better! I packed some clothes so I can take the night at Kiral’s.”

“Technically, you live there too now,” Chrissy told her with a stiff finger and a smile.

“Very true, and I will be back for more stuff soon,” Lydia informed Chrissy.

“Ok, so, then I will see you around!” It was an awkward goodbye, but goodbyes never went too great anyway.

“Yup, see you around…” Lydia gave Chrissy a hug and left the kitchen. Chrissy heard the front door close and lock and she knew Lydia was gone. Sure, she also knew she wasn’t gone forever. She would just miss having her sister around.

Chrissy yawned and decided it was time to go upstairs. She snuck upstairs and into her room. She changed her clothes and lied in bed. Just as she closed her eyes she heard the bedroom door open. Zhi came into the room and climbed his way into bed. He moved closer to her and snuggled into her body. He smelled good and his body was warm.

It was early winter and the weather was cool. It wasn’t cold enough for heaters, but it was just the right temperature to cuddle close to someone for warmth. Chrissy didn’t move and didn’t make an attempt to open her eyes. She was perfectly happy with the silence. It wasn’t long till she was actually asleep.





************************************************


Zhi grunted at the sound of their hideous alarm. Five O’clock on the dot. Zhi wasn’t at all a mourning person, but he had to adapt. He had to make peace with the mourning to get to work on time. Zhi was a doctor at a local clinic. He worked from seven to seven and dealt with the Bronx’s most paid patients. He worked from Mondays through Fridays and was paid enough. It was all he could ever ask for.

Zhi rolled over and looked at Chrissy. Her eyes were open but she wasn’t looking at him. He kissed her forehead but didn’t say anything. He then got up and checked on Jai. She was still asleep. Zhi went into the bathroom and brushed his teeth. Chrissy came into the bathroom and smiled at him. She grabbed her toothbrush and brushed her teeth with him.

It’s had became a routine for them. Jai would be awake by six thirty and begging for food. So Chrissy and Zhi only had an hour and half to shower and change, along with make breakfast. Finally done with brushing, they looked at each other. “Good mourning baby,” Zhi said.

“Mourning,” Chrissy said.

Zhi extended his arms and Chrissy came into them. He hugged her close and kissed her cheek. “You ok?” he asked.

“Yeah, I think so,” Chrissy replied.

“You think so?”

Chrissy looked around at the green bathroom, and then finally looked at Zhi. “Well, I was just thinking…”

“Oh boy,” Zhi said teasing her.

Chrissy pulled away from his grip and mumbled, “Forget it…”

“No, no, no… Tell me baby,” Zhi said grabbing her again. The bathroom wasn’t very small so they had room to move around together.

“Well, I was thinking about us having a second child.”

“Wow,” Zhi let out. It wasn’t exactly what he was expecting. He wasn’t thinking it at all. But of course, he knew at some point it would come up.
“Well, sure!” he said. “I wouldn’t mind having another baby with you. Maybe if we get to work now, you can be close to Lydia,” he said with a smile. He began kissing her neck and holding her close.

“Well, I don’t really want to be pregnant again,” Chrissy said. The words made Zhi stop in his tracks. He pulled away from her neck and looked at her. Was she serious?

“Then how do you expect to have another kid?” He laughed at his own question.

“Adoption…” Chrissy said.

“Wow, well,” Zhi was out of words. He never thought about adoption one bit. He wasn’t even sure he liked the idea of adopting. Sighing he pulled away from Chrissy and said, “Let’s save this discussion for another time. I don’t want to be late.”

Chrissy nodded her head and walked away. Chrissy needed an answer, but he couldn’t give her one now. Best he could come up with was that they should take time to think things over. Adoption is a long process and the kids are not exactly perfect. Zhi couldn’t believe she suggested this.
Then again, anything was believable with Chrissy. She was wako and that was just the way Zhi liked her. Zhi took a long shower and got dressed for work. He quickly said his goodbyes to Chrissy and Jai, and left for work.
The drive to the clinic wasn’t very long. Though, Zhi didn’t really time it. His mind was completely thinking about Chrissy. She wanted to take in and raise someone else’s child. He couldn’t see why. Pulling into the clinic lot, he parked his car. He made a quick exit and before he knew it he was inside the clinic.

Adriana, one of the nurses, greeted him. “How’s your morning going Zhi?”

“Quite crazy,” Zhi said. “And yourself?”

“Not too bad… so, what’s so crazy about your morning?” Adriana asked.

“My wife wants to adopt.”

“Wow, that’s intense.”

“I know, I think it’s because her friend is pregnant. Like, maybe it has her wanting more kids.”

“So, what did you tell her?”

“I told her we’d talk later,” Zhi told her. Adriana winced at his words and
shook her head. “So, you wouldn’t happen to know where I can buy a gift that says, ‘I’m very happy for your pregnant friend, but I don’t want to adopt. Can we spend time looking at our other options?’”

Adriana shook her head, “Sorry, I’m clueless in that department.”

Of course, Zhi thought to himself. Since he didn’t know where to locate that perfect gift, he figure he might as well just settle for flowers. He knew if he just explained himself to Chrissy she would understand.