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Next, Mabel appears, with a wink and a red-toothed grin, giving Huck a high five. “Something book-worthy is happening,” she sings, pulling her notepad out of her waistband—giraffe print today—and taps the cover with her pen.

I snort a laugh, glancing over her shoulder at a white-haired gentleman in a grey suit.

“Who’s this?” I ask.

“My current muse, Birdie dear,” she says with a shimmy of her hips and coy smile before taking her seat.

I keep walking.Is that Buddy the cook from Mountain Farm? When he smiles and waves, I realize it is. Next to him—my yoga teacher?

What on earth…

There’s Libby, John, and both their boys. Libby gives me a boa constrictor hug and John hooks his arm around my neck with a gruff, “What would George Strait have to say on a day like this, Birdie?”

I hug him back, but over his shoulder, I only see the familiar shades of brown looking back at me.Bo.

“‘It Just Comes Natural,’” I say, not pulling my eyes off Bo even as John laughs loudly in my ear.

Huck tugs my hand as we approach the front of the courtroom.

On one side, it’s my dad and Sharon. On the other, Bo and Lucy.

“Hi, Huck!” Lucy squeaks. “I wonder what you think about Birdie being your mom today.”

“Huck can’t wait,” Huck shouts. “Hi, Bo! I wanted you to be here. Birdie said you’d probably have to work.”

He kneels down next to him. “Sometimes I keep secrets like this from Birdie,” he says with a grin. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

Then, like I’m not on the brink of bursting from the overwhelming beauty of what’s happening, Huck hugs Bo, and the first tear slides down my cheek.

“Huck,” I pat his back. “We have to take our spot. The judge will bein soon.”

Grabbing his hand again, I pause, eyes on Bo. “Did you do this?” I ask, knowing the answer he’ll never say.

He shrugs, looks around the full room, then says, “These people aren’t here for me, Birdie, they’re here for you. For someone who wants to figure it out alone, you have a lot of people by your side. Who love you.” With a click of his tongue, he takes a seat.

This whole scene I’ve walked into is barely registering in my brain. I’m adopting a kid, and a room full of people showed up for me to do it—because Bo invited them. When Huck tugs my hand, I force the enormity of that out of my mind.

Before taking our spots, I give my dad a hug, who gives me a knowing smile, then shake Sharon’s hand.

“You made it,” she says.

I smile. “That we did.”

When the judge walks in, an older woman with greyish-black hair pulled back, Huck and I stand in front of the court. She smiles as she takes a seat. “Hello there, Huck. That’s a sharp looking bow tie, young man.”

He looks at her and shrinks behind me, which makes her chuckle. “You have a room full of people here for you today too. You’re a lucky kid.”

When she gives her attention to the papers stacked in front of her, I glance over my shoulder to Bo.He’s a lucky kid because Bo did this.

A question from the judge pulls my attention away from him.

After signing too many papers and reciting the required legal statements, the judge looks at Huck and gives him another warm smile.

“You’re getting a family today, young man,” she says. “Judging by the number of people here, a big one.” A few chuckles come from behind us.

“Birdie’s going to be my mom!” he shouts at her.

I look down at him, stunned. I knew that’s what was happening, but to hear my name linked to the wordmomholds a power I wasn’t prepared for. Then he adds, “Huck wonders what it’s going to be like!”