We all stood and sat staring at Ray like he had just told us that the moon really was made of green cheese. "Why is everyone staring at me like this? Wait... None of you knew about this, did you?"
"I seem to recall Beth having a couple of meetings with Edan about something at his office at the school, but she kept saying she would tell me about it when it was all taken care of. She and Eden were really excited about something that day at the restaurant as well. I had gone along with her wanting to discuss the shared custody thing because she was a lawyer and could be really nitpicky about details like that. I knew Cam and I could work out when each of us got Andy."
"Lawyers are not nitpicky," Ray pouted. "We are thorough."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Janice said patting on the head like he was a dog. "But for now spill the beans, buddy."
"The day before Edan and Beth were killed, the judge had officially signed off the adoption papers for Edan. Derek's name wasn't changed because they weren't sure what name Derek wanted to use at that point."
"Draper!" Derek blurted. "I want my father's name," he said as tears ran down his face. "I'll get Dad's name when Bren and I get married anyway, but I want to be Derek Draper. Please, Uncle Ray, can you make this happen for me?"
"I will get it done for you by the end of the week, if I have to camp out in the judge's chambers to make it happen," Ray assured him.
"Well, I guess this sign makes even more sense now," I said as I handed the plaque I had retrieved from Edan's desk in the barn to Derek.
"Draper and Son Copper Fountains and Sculpture," Derek real aloud. He then broke down sobbing, hugging the plaque so tightly I feared he would injure himself on it.
"Nobody is taking the fountains and sculpture work away from you, Derek, because no one can. It's all yours because you are the surviving owner of the business," I told him as I pulled him onto my lap and held him not unlike I would hold Andy, Caine, Todd, or Billy when they were hurt. All the family gathered around and joined me in hugging him and sending all of our love toward our hurting Derek.
"He never told me he was going to... None of this. He never said a word," Derek finally whispered, staring once again at the sign. "He did like calling me son when we working together in the barn, though."
"He told me often that the happiest moments in his life were meeting me, and every time one of you boys called him Pop," I whispered.
"I can't believe I've been his son all this time. Dad, do you think the school can change the name on my diploma?"
"I will handle that for you as well, Derek," Ray offered. "I can also get my staff to work on the paperwork transferring full ownership of the LLC Draper and Son into your name, your new name."
"Thank you, Uncle Ray," Derek sniffled.
"HEY!" Ephraim suddenly blurted. "This means we really are real brothers. Because Dad and Pop had both adopted me, and Pop adopted you."
"Of course we're real brothers," Derek said as he wiped tears from his face and hugged Ephraim. "We have been since the minute you walked into this house. Please forgive me for being so stupid lately and forgetting that?"
"Of course I forgive you, brother," Ephraim said returning the hug eagerly. "I'm the luckiest kid in the world to get the world's best big brother, and I got you, too," he added and then ran from the room. Derek sat for a moment with his mouth hanging open before giving chase.
I stood up and hugged Ray tightly. "That's for telling us all what we really needed to hear today," I told him. Then I smacked him on the head lightly. "That's for waiting until now to tell us, you goofball."
"Ow!" he pouted. "Karen, your vicious ninja brother just assaulted me."
"Don't look at me for sympathy, I'm with Cam on this one," she told him, but she did kiss the spot on his forehead lovingly. She then turned to me and vowed, "I swear Cam, I will get the office staff to tell me everything that the family needs to know from now on."
"My office staff is bound by the same privacy...." Ray started then looked at the facial expressions of me, Karen, and Janice. "Yeah, I'll just make sure they know that my wife is not included in that."
"What do you know?" I teased. "You can teach an old straight dog new tricks sometimes after all. Now if we can just teach him to stay out of my flowerbeds," I growled.
"I'm never living that down, am I?" Ray mumbled.
"Has Hell frozen over yet?" I asked pointedly. "I'll let you off the hook for that."
"Your stupid overpriced bush will bloom again next year, you know," Karen said as she poked her tongue out at me.
"No, it won't," I corrected. "It's not native to this region, so it was an annual here. You got the only blooms it was ever going to make."
"Oh, alright you big whiny ninja baby," she grumped. "I kept the flowers ok. I've been drying them so I could always remember the first bouquet Ray gave me. If you shut up about it, I will give you back two of the blooms for seeds."
"You never gave her any other flowers?" I asked Ray. "Karen, keep those. I'm just teasing the brother-in-law here, but you may not get any more out of him. Besides, I've decided to plant rose bushes by the steps there, anyway. They are very special ones, I should point out. One is called 'Best Sister Ever' for Janice, one is called 'Karen Blixen' for Karen, and one is called 'Chloe." Karen, Janice, and Chloe all wrapped me up in hugs.
"What about me? Are you going to start growing your own carnations?" Scooter teased.
"Actually I have a rose for you as well," I told him. "It's called 'Scentimental' and it looks a bit like a carnation. I want to do a whole rose garden with a rose for all the special people in my life. I just haven't decided on which roses I want for everyone yet."
"You really are a human marshmallow, aren't you?" Ray teased. "Seriously, Cam, I think it is one of the most wonderful and sweet things I have ever heard of and I wish that I could help with it. I used to love tending to the roses in my mother's gardens when I was younger."
"You're welcome to come over any time, Ray," I told him. "A little manual labor will help repay me for the Lisianthus you stole."
"You really aren't going to let that drop, are you?" he whined.
"Now why would I do that?" I returned. "You're so easy to pick on, and you can't retaliate."
"And why not?"
"First, because you know it would be a hate crime to harass the gay guy, second, because Karen would be on my side," I teased.
"You would side against your husband?" Ray asked Karen who shrugged.
"I love you, Ray, and I support you in anything and everything you do, but never ever ask me to choose between you and my kids or between you and Cam. He got me through the loss of Dan and I was there for him when he lost Edan. Beyond that, he included my son as his own when he swore to end the slimy dirtbag that dared to hurt our boys. I may be blood-related to half this county, but Cam is my brother in my heart and soul."
"The same here," Janice told me. "You are my oldest and closest friend, my brother in every way except blood."
"I owe you the very life I am living now," Chloe added. "I had a brother once, and it is the biggest ache in my heart that I lost him, but thankfully, I have another big brother now. I will be anyone's worst nightmare that tries to take me away from this family now."
"Karen mentioned this, but I will say it this way," Grandma Sarah said as she joined the women surrounding me. "Blood makes you related. Love makes you a family. This man gave me back my grandson when I thought he was gone forever, and then he just kept giving me more and more family, including a husband and a fabulous nephew and two wonderful great-nephews. You mess with our Cammie, you will be facing four very angry, very powerful, very vindictive women."
"Ladies, I swear on my life, I would never, ever cross Cameron, for a great many reasons, but most importantly of all, he gave me a new family as well. I will have the most beautiful wife in the world, a gorgeous daughter that I had always hoped for, another fine young man as a son, who just happens to want to someday take over the law firm from me. My dreams are coming true thanks to this man, too. I will defend him in court, or anywhere else, to my last breath. Of course, I will sneak over and steal flowers from his garden for my girl, though. I mean, come on, if you didn't do such a good job with your garden, Cam, it wouldn't be worth it."
"Well, as long as the flowers are going to family, I guess I can live with that, but don't be surprised if you keep getting emails with links to flower shops in the area," I told him as he joined the group hug.
"It may be our graduation day, Cam, but I really think you are the one we should be celebrating today," Brendan said as he too squeezed into the cuddle fest. "None of us in this house right now would be as happy, and safe, as we are without you. Quite a few of us probably wouldn't even be alive."
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"Grandy! Grandy! Grandy!" I look up from my newest rose bush being planted in honor of the baby that Ephraim and Peter have just adopted, giving me seven grandchildren so far. I smile as Brendan and Derek's little ones come running up to me. "Daddy said we could come see you while he works today, and I brought my coloring book so you can help me pick out pretty crayons to use," Gabby continued, living up to his nickname from his uncle Peter as he talked a mile a minute. I had tried to encourage everyone to call the boy Gabriel since that was his name, but the boy himself adored his uncle Peter so he insisted on the endearment every time.
"No no no, Grandy make cookies today me help Grandy promised," little Lynnette protested as she struggled to keep up with her big brother racing across the yard from the barn.
"Hi Dad," Derek called out. "They really wanted to come see you today. I hope it's ok. I have to finish up that fountain for the senator today, so I can't watch them and Bren is busy at the office with some trouble with that new program he and the crew have been working on. They'll probably be at it until all hours again."
"Well, at least all he has to do is ride an elevator back home from his office," I yelled back as I met my grandbabies at the gate of the rose garden and gave them hugs. "Now you two, Grandy can help pick out crayons with Gabby and still make cookies with my littlest helper. Let's go in the house and see if your uncles Andy and Caine are awake yet."
"Grandy you're silly," Gabby told me. "It's Saturday. They won't be woke up 'til lunchtime."
"You're probably right, sweetie," I admitted.
"Grandy dirty," Lynnette said in a scolding tone.
"I am dirty," I agreed. "I was planting a new rose bush for Baby Liam."
"I hope it smells better than he does," Gabby said with a wrinkled nose.
"Liam doesn't always smell bad, Gabriel, he just had a dirty diaper when you met him," I explained.
"I'll play with him when he smells good then," the five-year-old informed me.
"Well he might have to grow up a bit more too," I pointed out. "He's only two weeks old right now."
"He'll smell better when he grows up, too," Gabby agreed.
We opened the French doors and stepped into the dining room just in time to see a naked teenager run through the room and head for the stairs. "Ragland Wehrmann-Prevett! What have I told you about walking around this house nude?" I called out.
"That I'm not supposed to do it unless I'm the only one at home and the only one that will be home for at least an hour," he yelled back. "Sorry Dad, but I woke up starving."
"Despite your waifish waistline young man, you will not wither away to nothing in the two minutes or less that it would take you to put some clothes on and keep private what is supposed to be private."
"You tell him, Dad," another voice called downstairs.
"Don't even try that routine on me, Caine," I returned. "You have been egging him on since the day you two met. I swear I wonder if you two are really straight as much as you like to parade around in front of each other naked all the time."
"EEEEWWWW DAD!!" Caine screeched.
"Oh that's gross, Dad," Andy yelled out.
"I saw Lynnie getting out of the bathtub the other night, Grandy. I had to pee really bad, so Daddy said just to go but not to peek, but I didn't peek cause she was getting out anyway. Daddums told me that girls don't have pokers, cause I got scared somebody stole hers."
"And that would be why I never wanted a girl child in this house," I mumbled under my breath. The subject of girls jogged my memory though. "Andy, did you buy your sister a birthday present for her party this afternoon?"
"That's today?"
"Yes, oh straight brain, your baby sister will be twelve tomorrow and you will get her something nice and tasteful this year. There will not be another spaghetti strap mini dress like last year, do you hear me?"
"Yes, Dad, but she asked for it," he called back.
"I don't doubt that she did, but that doesn't mean she should get one," I reminded him.
"Grandy, cookies," Lynnette prompted as she pulled me toward the kitchen. "We make cookies for Annie's party."
"Yes, baby doll, let's make the cookies," I agreed but I paused and looked at the panoramic photo over the kitchen door. It had been taken at Caine's high school graduation last week. It was the entire family. From left to right was Uncle Vinny, Jonny and Piper and their three kids, Vonny and her husband and their two children, Janice, Kathryn, and our daughter Annie (yes Janice talked me into doing the donation again). Next to Annie was me and Scooter with Caine and Andy, then Brendan and Derek with Gabby and Lynnette, then Danny and Brooke with their three, Edan, Beth, and Lykan. After that was Ephraim and Peter with little Liam. Next to them was Karen, Ray, Grandma and Grandpa, then Trey and Zack, Todd and Billy who came out to us all as a couple in high school, and Chloe with her husband Dane and their two children. I never dreamed anything like this 20 years ago when I was sitting on the floor of that little apartment crying because I felt so lost and alone. I found my way home though, and I wouldn't trade a single step of the journey for all the gold and cold hard cash on the planet.
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Author's Note: I never thought this story would go the way it did, and I also never thought it would still be going nearly 20 years after I wrote the first paragraph. I also didn't expect my characters to wake me up one morning telling me it was time to quit. That's right, this is the last chapter of this saga. Thank you all for sticking with it and me through all the years with this one. It's been a rough ride both in the story and in real offline life, but it's time to close the laptop on this one for good. Thanks and hugs to all my Fort Site hosts and friends, but particularly Jeff, AC, and TSL for always being there to support me through it all. I love you guys like family, and I am so glad that I found my way home to the CSU and the Fort Sites.