Once Upon a Time

The Final Step

The bush shook even though no wind was blowing. Sarah walked slowly up to the scene of the crime so as not to startled anyone. When she got a little closer, she could see her 2-year-old daughter sitting among the branches holding a small chicken.

"Hey, Sherrie," Sarah called softly. "Why don't you bring your friend out to the front yard where you'd have more space. Besides, you can have an ice cream sandwich."

"Momma, you hold pwease," the little girl said seriously. "I come out, get ice ceem."

Sarah laughed. Sherrie was always up for ice cream. Thinking of the trip she had to make in order to make the custody permanent, she wondered if they served ice cream at the airport? Maybe she should pack a few more snacks for Sherrie. Also, some games...a small assortment of activities for an active toddler. Sarah shuddered at the thought of forgetting such an important bundle for the small queen. While Sherrie's speech was a little hard to understand, her screams at displeasure were absolutely terrifying.

Sarah watched as Sherrie played with her chick. After about an hour, she called the toddler to her. "We have to go pack," Sarah sighed.

Sarah couldn't help but play out the possibilities in her mind. What if they changed their minds, decided to stop the adoption process? This was the last step, but the bio family could still change their minds. She tried not to think about it, but Sarah knew it would destroy her if she lost Sherrie now, after all they'd been through.

And she was six hours from facing her biggest fear.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she packed Sherrie's bag. Sarah lovingly placed all of the little girl's favorite things, things she could take with her if the worst happened. She knew she had to be strong, for Sherrie's sake.

With a heavy heart, she put the toddler in her car seat and headed out. There was no turning back: She had to face this fear alone. She set her sights and decided to focus on the next three hours as they made their way through the airport. Sarah knew if the bio mom changed her mind, then she would send a keepsake with Sherrie so that the child would always have a piece of her: her grandmother's diamond necklace.

A nervous wreck, Sarah boarded the plane to her destiny in a daze. Only a few hours and she would know if her heart would be shattered, or would she be granted the child she had been bonding with over the last year? With a sigh of resignation, Sarah held Sherrie's hand and prayed.