Chapter 117

   Aaron walked up the walk. He was there to pick up his niece. It had taken months but Aaron had finally been granted custody of Austin’s daughter. Part of the problem he knew was that the child was of mixed color. There were significant legal hurdles for adopting a mixed color child than for a pure blood child. The fact that Aaron had to keep the whole procedure secret didn’t help matters.

   He smiled warmly at Nadia. “Hi, munchkin. Are you ready to go home?”

   She just stared at him. The social worker assured him that this wasn’t uncommon. It would take time for her to warm up to him.

   He knelt and picked the girl up. She felt so light in his arms, much lighter than any of his children at the same age.

   “You’re going to love it there. You’ll have plenty of older brothers and sisters to play with and help take care of you. Your uncles will also take care of you. Nothing’s going to harm you.”

   “Well, Mr. King, all the paperwork is order. You can take your niece home now. I’ll be stopping by periodically over the next couple of years to assure that she’s being properly cared for,” the social worker said.

   Aaron nodded, shifting the girl in his arms. “I assure you I know how to care for a child. I’ve raised plenty of them.”

   “I know. That experience convinced my superiors that you would make a proper guardian for her. There aren’t many people who would adopt a mixed color child even if she is their own flesh and blood.”

   “There are some who wouldn’t adopt her regardless of their blood kinship. Families can be crueler than strangers,” Aaron replied softly.

   “Good luck, Mr. King.”

   He turned and walked out the door. It was easy to get her home. She was so quiet, so reserved. He was used to toddlers wailing and making a fuss about riding in the car. None of his children enjoyed being restrained in their car seats, though most of them tolerated it eventually.

   He carried Nadia to the nursery that she would be sharing with his youngest son, Benjamin. The other sixteen children still living at home had outgrown the nursery.

   “Hey, Aaron,” Blade said wrapping arms around Aaron’s waist, “Is that your niece?”

   “Yeah.” He watched the sleeping toddler.

   “You made the right decision, adopting her. We support you one hundred percent.” Blade kissed his temple lightly.

   “Thanks. It helps. I just wish the rest of my family accepted her. How can I tell her that her family wants nothing to do with her?”

   Blade was silent for a moment before replying. “The same way you’ve told your other children. Your parents are idiots to reject them just because of their color and they’re better off not knowing them.”

   “I love you, Blade.” Aaron turned around and kissed his lover tenderly. The little girl sleeping in the crib would never know hunger or want or neglect. She would be raised in a loving supportive family. Aaron just wished he could have helped his brother. He wondered if Austin’s overdose was an accident or deliberate. The police had ruled it an accident, but there was the lingering suspicion that he’d killed himself. Aaron had felt that way when he’d been thrown out of the house. If Ice hadn’t taken him in, Aaron wasn’t sure that he would have had a different fate. He vowed that he wouldn’t let that happen to his niece.