Moore Than Forever (24 page)

“She’s adorable,” Lois was beaming. Handing the phone to Seth, “We are going to have so much fun shopping for this one.”

Scrolling through Mia’s pictures, Seth could not contain his smile, “Oh, she is precious. She has no clue what is about to happen to her life,” looking up at Lois and Mia unable to contain his excitement, “and I finally get to shop for pink.”

Chapter Forty-three

Departing the plane with Portia in his arms, “Do you want to practice again?” He kissed her cheek.

She nodded, smiling.

“Ok, what’s my new name?”

“Daddy,” she squealed with delight.

“What’s Mia’s new name?”

“Mommy,” she was clearly very proud of herself.

“What’s your name?” his smile was contagious.

“Portia,” she grew more excited with each name.

“What’s your baby brother’s name?”

“Nathaniel,” she was all giggles.

“Do you have any more brothers and sisters?”

Nodding and ready to show her new daddy how smart she was, “Zac and Holly.”

“Very good. You are so smart,” they stood on a Customs line, “So what are you going to say when you see Mommy?”

“Mommy,” she screamed, the people in line turning around and laughing.

The long, exhausting journey had not dampened the sunshine of her mood or her hungry curiosity as she took in all the new sights and sounds. She was a brave little one, Schooner mused, definitely destined to be Mia’s mini-me. The only telltale sign of her anxiety had been her continued tight clutch on her ragdoll.

Exiting Customs, Schooner surveyed the crowd, his heart melting at the sight of Mia and Nathaniel.

“Da-da, Da-da,” Nathaniel was screeching like a pterodactyl, pointing at Schooner and trying to throw himself out of Mia’s arms to get to his father.

Coming together, they did an immediate child-swap, smothering each little one in kisses.

“Mommy,” Portia was elated to see Mia, clinging to her neck as Mia continued to cover her in kisses, tears streaming down her face.

With his free arm, Schooner pulled Mia close. When she gazed up at him, the look in her eyes matched the euphoria in his heart. They did it! And it had been just as he expected it would be. No surprises as to what it would take for him to make this happen. Yet still, it wasn’t until the plane’s wheels lifted off the runway in Lusaka that he allowed himself to feel both satisfied in what he was able to pull off and happiness that his family had just expanded. He would do anything for Mia. But this time it was even bigger than that, and he was fully aware that this accomplishment cemented together his family and confirmed his own unequivocal berth.

Bending down, he planted a sweet kiss on her lips, “I have missed you, Baby Girl.”

“It’s smoochal, Pretty Boy. You are a sight for sore eyes.” Looking back at the toddler in her arms, “Portia, this is your brother Nathaniel.”

“Hi Nathaniel,” Portia reached out, touching his arm.

Looking at her very seriously, he surveyed the new little girl smiling at him from his mother’s arms. Reaching out, he touched her arm, rubbing it with his finger, then poked her. Looking up to take her all in, he remained very serious until his new sister shrieked, “Nathaniel,” and he immediately broke into his classic Moore smile and the two started to giggle.

Schooner and Mia looked at one another and broke into laughter at the first interaction between their two children.

“Portia, I see you’ve brought Roberta with you,” Mia was smiling at the little girl.

Portia suddenly looked stricken, “Mommy, Roberta is the only one who didn’t get a new name.”

Again, Mia looked up at Schooner, her look saying, “Isn’t she adorable,” and at the same time understanding the deeper significance.

“Do you want her to have a new name, too?”

Nodding her head vigorously, “Yes, she needs one too.”

“What would you like to name her?”

Holding out the ragdoll and looking at her, Portia thought for a long moment, “Bupe. I want to name her Bupe.”

“I think that’s a wonderful name for her,” Mia kissed the little girl’s cheek, “and you know what, I think she’s going to really like her new name. It fits her perfectly.”

Pulling Mia under his arm and kissing the top of her head, Schooner didn’t need to see Mia’s face to know that there were tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Let’s go home,” he said to his family.

Chapter Forty-four

The loft was empty when they arrived home. The plan was to let Portia settle in and get rest before meeting her very colorful extended family. Lois and Seth had insured that the loft was filled with things to make Portia feel right at home from the minute she walked in. Dolls, stuffed animals, a tea set, little ponies in a multitude of colors and a fantasy wardrobe that could only be purchased by a doting grandmother and a fashion plate gay uncle.

So fascinated by the sights and sounds of the city, she stared out the window on the drive back from Kennedy Airport. Knowing that Portia had never slept alone before, Mia made the decision to add a toddler bed into Nathaniel’s nursery and of course, Lois and Seth rose to the task by finding a bed with a pink and white dollhouse headboard and painted picket fence sideboards.

Taking her by the hand, Mia showed Portia her new home.

“This is where Mommy and Daddy sleep,” and taking her down the hall, “here is your bathroom.” Mia loved the look of awe on the little girl’s face. Just the grand scale of things was a lot to take in. “Are you ready to see where you and Nathaniel sleep?”

Walking her into the jungle room, Mia knew it would be like walking the little girl into a fantasy.

Portia looked up at Mia, her excitement barely contained, but questioning, if it was ok.

Mia nodded, “Yes, sweetie, that is your bed.”

With a gasp of delight, Portia ran to her bed, Bupe still in her tight grasp.

“Look there’s a spot here for Bupe, too. Are you tired?”

The little girl nodded and placed the ragdoll in one of the empty cubbies in the dollhouse headboard, letting go of her for the first time since her journey began. Mia felt the sting of tears. One small action spoke volumes.

“Would you like me to read you and Bupe a book?”

Knowing exactly what she was going to choose off the bookshelf, Mia came and sat on the floor next to the bed, “I think you already know this one,” and Mia held up the vividly colored book.

Gasping, “It’s the moon.”

As Mia started to read her the book they shared daily together in Zambia, Portia sank deeper into her pillow, curling up into a ball under pink and white eyelet covers. She was asleep long before the end of the book.

Quietly carrying a sleeping Nathaniel to his crib, Schooner stood watching as Mia tucked in Portia.

Getting up from the floor, she went to him, arms wrapping around his waist, face buried in his chest. They stood there, silently, for the longest time before leaving their children to their naps.

Chapter Forty-five

“You must be exhausted,” they closed the door to the kids’ room.

“I could use a nap and some Mia time,” he kissed the top of her head as they walked down the hallway to their bedroom. “Hello bed, I have missed you,” Schooner sat on the edge and pulled off his shoes. “I have been in these clothes for far too long,” he stripped down to his boxers.

“Do you want to take a shower?”

Shaking his head, no, “I’m too tired to shower.”

“Poor baby,” Mia lied down next to him, pulling his head to her chest, gently brushing his hair back from his forehead.

“Mmm, that feels good. You feel good,” he looked up at her, “I missed you, Baby Girl.” And then the smile, “When did I become such a wuss, I hate being without you.”

Laughing, she dipped her head to kiss his forehead, “Not a wuss, you’re a family man. You just love being with your family.”

“Mmm, I like that answer,” he nuzzled his face into her soft breasts, “I spent the last three and a half weeks dreaming of making love to you.”

“And you’re too tired,” she finished his sentence.

Looking up at her, his tired sapphire eyes twinkling, “Still love me?”

“More than ever, Pretty Boy,” she continued to gently stroke his hair. “So, let me ask you a question.”

“Shoot,” he began to rub his thumb over her nipple, clearly enjoying making it hard.

“Did you have to sell your soul for this?”

Focusing on taking her breast out of her shirt and bra and getting her nipple into his mouth, he didn’t look up, “Nah, not my soul. Just some stock and that’s pretty soulless stuff anyway.”

Running his tongue around it until it contracted into a hard little knot, he drew it past his teeth, sucking hard until Mia began to moan. Tangling his legs with hers, he pressed his throbbing cock against her thigh.

“Are we going to be ok?” she wanted to finish the conversation.

He stopped sucking and gave her nipple a hard lick before looking up at her, “Yeah, we’re fine and even if we weren’t, I still would have done it. She belongs with us.”

“I love you.”

“It’s smoochal, Baby Girl,” he sucked her nipple back into his mouth and ran a hand up her thigh, excited to see how wet his sucking had gotten her. Releasing her nipple, he looked up at her with his All-American boy smile, “Sleep is overrated. I’ll sleep later,” and plunged two fingers into her warm, awaiting wetness, totally turned on that he did not find the usual silk bikini under her sundress.

Pulling her underneath him, he pushed her thighs apart with his, “I need a welcome home pussy hug,” and he was not going to wait another second to take what he needed as he drove deep into her with a low guttural moan.

Chapter Forty-six

Dressed in a bright colored Mini Boden ‘Vintage’ dress, courtesy of Nana Lois and Uncle Seth, Portia Moore was enjoying being the center of attention at her “Welcome Home” party.

Practicing all the new names; Nana (Lois), Poppy (Bob), Uncle Seth, Aunt Kami, Uncle Charles, Aunt Gaby, Paola, Aunt Yoli and Aunt Debbie, Portia was not at all overwhelmed in meeting her new family. She had met Grandma Dee and Grandpa Gavin and her other brother and sister, Zac and Holly, via Skype earlier in the morning where Holly had asked, “Dad, can I call you later?” Both she and Zac were staying with their grandparents.

“Is everything ok?” Schooner was concerned.

“Yeah, fine. There’s just something I want to talk to you about.”

“Wonder what that is about?” Mia and Schooner were both perplexed at the end of the call.

“We’ll find out tonight,” and he and Mia continued to prepare for Portia’s party.

With the homecoming celebration in full swing, Schooner grabbed Yoli and headed down the hall to the study. Yoli had come in to mind L9/NYC during Schooner’s prolonged absence.

“It’s good to see you. She is really adorable, Schooner.”

With a proud smile he nodded, “She is something special, isn’t she?” Sitting down at the desk, “It’s really good to be home,” he stretched out his long legs, leaning back in the chair, knitting his fingers behind his head. Schooner was happy and relaxed.

“I’ll bet. Mia and Nathaniel have missed you. And I think so has the staff.”

Laughing, “Ah, so you’ve been going all Dragon Lady on them?”

Yoli rolled her eyes, “Believe it or not, no. I love this staff, that have so much more on the ball than most of our west coasters. Everything is just done immediately here, without having to ask even a first time. They anticipate and I like that.”

“So, do you like New York?” He opened the bottom desk drawer and pulled out a bell shaped bottle and two heavy crystal, ultra modern glasses. Pouring two fingers of the amber liquid into each snifter, he slid one across the desk to her. “Do you like it enough to live here?”

Yoli choked on her first sip, “Come again?”

“As soon as I can get my hands on Mia,” he loved making her grimace. “Seriously though, how would you and Debbie feel about moving east.”

“We’d love it, but what’s going on? Please don’t tell me you’re retiring or doing a John Lennon stay home with the kids and bake bread thing.”

Laughing, “Damn, I miss you.” Schooner took a sip of his cognac, “I want to continue the work I’ve started overseas. Expand it and formalize it, too. I want to establish a foundation to begin funding physical rehabilitation sites in developing nations.”

“Would it be the L9 Foundation?”

“That’s what I’m thinking. Expand on a respected brand.”

“Wow Schooner, that’s exciting.”

“I’d like to officially move L9 headquarters to New York, Yoli. I want you to step into the President’s role and oversee all U.S. operations.” As he said it, he could feel his excitement growing. His whole life was beginning to truly take shape on the East Coast. With Zac starting college in the fall at a small private school outside of Boston, he would have his whole family, except for his parents, on the Eastern Seaboard.