4. Family ties

12 years later...

Thomas and Emily were sitting in the living room on a calm evening. Thomas was watching TV while Emily was reading a book. After a while, Emily placed a bookmark in the book and set it aside.

She turned toward Thomas, a hint of concern in her voice.

"Thomas, where did James go? I haven't seen him since morning, and he didn't even tell me anything. I'm worried," she said, her brows furrowing slightly.

Thomas glanced at her and shrugged. "He's not a kid anymore, Emily," he replied with a soft chuckle. "Well, even when he was a kid, he wasn't really a kid," he muttered under his breath.

Emily tilted her head, giving him a look that said she needed more reassurance. Sighing, Thomas leaned forward and lowered the TV volume. "If you're worrying so much... he's just been busy preparing to throw a party and buy a gift for your birthday. Just don't tell him I told you," he added with a playful warning, his tone affectionate.

Emily's eyes softened, and a smile spread across her face. She felt a warmth in her chest, knowing that James had gone to so much effort for her. But as she sat there, the smile faded a little, and her expression became thoughtful.

She spoke quietly, her voice filled with longing. "All I wish is for him to call me 'Mom' at least once... and you 'Dad.'"

Thomas sighed and shifted to sit beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Emily leaned against him, drawing comfort from his presence.

"You can't force him to do that," Thomas said gently. "Even though he never calls us that, you know how much he cares for you—for us, right? And I hope you don't bring this up in front of him. It might make him feel guilty, and we don't want that. It could widen the gap instead of closing it."

Emily nodded, her head resting against his shoulder. "I know," she murmured.

Thomas gave her a reassuring squeeze. "And now, don't be so down. Today's your birthday—it's supposed to be a happy day. You know how perceptive James is. He'll know right away if something's off with you."

Emily chuckled softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Although I didn't give birth to him... he's definitely picked up my ability to read people like a book."

Thomas laughed too. "That he has, Mrs. Lawyer," he teased, his tone lightening the mood. "Though, if we're being honest, I don't know if that's your legal skills rubbing off on him or just him being... James."

Emily grinned at the familiar banter, her spirits lifting. Thomas stood, stretching his arms above his head. "Look," he said, "I don't know when he'll call us Mom and Dad. Maybe it'll happen with time. But hey, it's a lot better than when he used to call us 'Mr. and Mrs. Bennett,' like we were some business partners or something."

Emily laughed, remembering those early days. "Oh, I do remember. He kept calling us that for what... four years?"

Thomas nodded, laughing with her. "Yeah, four years. He's a unique kid, that's for sure. I still remember how he asked us to adopt him like he was drafting up a contract. 'Please adopt me, Mr. and Mrs. Bennett. I will definitely repay you in the future.' Who says that?"

Emily doubled over with laughter. "He did sound like a little lawyer himself back then, didn't he?"

Thomas smirked. "Yeah, except his idea of 'repayment' was doing extra chores and insisting on saving his allowance to 'contribute to household expenses.' I swear, sometimes it felt like we adopted a middle-aged man instead of a six-year-old."

Emily wiped a tear of laughter from her eye. "But you know, I wouldn't have it any other way. Even if he never calls us Mom or Dad, we're still his family."

Thomas nodded, his expression softening. "Exactly. And honestly, Emily, he's not the kind of person to say things lightly. If he ever does call us Mom and Dad, it'll mean the world to him, too. Until then, we just keep being here for him."

Emily leaned back into the couch, her heart feeling lighter. "You're right. And speaking of being here for him, I should probably act surprised when he shows up with the party and the gift, huh?"

Thomas grinned. "Definitely."

As the couple shared a quiet moment, the sound of the front door opening broke the calm. Emily and Thomas exchanged a glance as James walked in, carrying a neatly wrapped gift and a small cake box. He looked slightly flustered but tried to act casual.

"Hey," James said, setting the items on the coffee table. "I, uh... thought we could do something small for your birthday, Emily."

Emily's eyes lit up, and she quickly hid her earlier conversation from her expression. "James, this is wonderful. Thank you so much!"

James shrugged, his lips widening into a faint smile. "It's nothing, really."

Thomas stood and clapped James on the back. "Nothing? Come on, kid, you've outdone yourself."

James rolled his eyes but didn't pull away from the gesture. "Stop embarrassing me, Thomas."

Emily chuckled. "Alright, alright, let's see what's in the box!"

She opened the wrapped gift and found a beautifully bound edition of her favorite classic novel.

Emily's face lit up as she opened the gift, her fingers brushing over the beautiful cover of the classic novel. "This is amazing," she said, her voice filled with happiness. She looked at him warmly and leaned in to hug him tightly.

Emily stepped back, her eyes shining. "Thank you. This means so much to me."

Thomas, watching from the side, smiled but didn't say anything, letting them share the moment.

They all moved to the small cake James had brought. Emily insisted James cut the first slice.

"Why me? It's your birthday," James said, pretending to complain.

"Exactly, and that's why I get to choose," Emily replied with a grin, handing him the knife.

James sighed dramatically but cut the cake, making Emily and Thomas laugh. They enjoyed the dessert together, talking about little things like high school and weekend plans.

Later, they cleared the table and had a simple dinner, filled with light conversation and laughter.

When the evening ended, they all said goodnight and went to bed. As Emily lay in bed, she thought about the day and felt her heart fill with joy. Even though James hadn't called her "Mom," his thoughtful gift and hug made her feel deeply loved.

In his room, James sat quietly on his bed, looking at the empty cake box. A faint smile crossed his face as he remembered Emily's reaction. He didn't say it out loud, but seeing her happy made the day worth it. In his own way, he felt closer to them than ever before.

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