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Albus laid in bed watching the clock as it approached seven in the morning. Usually a reluctant waker, he felt anxious for the day and had been awake for nearly an hour. Glancing over at Brandon, he smiled at the curve of his husband’s trunk as it sloped towards the hips he found so attractive. With a tender touch, Al ran his hand along Brandon’s side and smiled as his spouse stirred.
“Morning,” Brandon managed with a yawn. “I didn’t miss the alarm, did I?” he asked, squinting towards the clock.
“No and you need glasses,” Albus said by way of morning greeting.
“My eyes are just adjusting to-“
“To age,” Albus cut across the excuse.
“To the many woes of having a prat for a husband,” Bran countered before placing a kiss on Al’s cheek.
Pulling Brandon into his arms, Albus enjoyed the warm feel of scruff against his chest and wished they could stay in bed all morning. Invariably, this was the time Cora started making noise. Some days she’d play in her bedroom and sing to herself for a spell. Other days she would make it to the bathroom and clank around doing her morning routine of potty, teeth brushing, and brushing her hair. Today she made it to the hallway before making enough noise to rouse her parents, at least they would both be Cora’s parents before much longer.
The fact of the matter was that Cora was Brandon’s daughter and although she thought of both men as her daddies, the legality of parenthood was less clear-cut for them. Brandon and Albus were married but it wasn’t until recently that they realized their marriage did not grant lasting parenting responsibility to Albus. Wizarding law was as such that the step-parent did not automatically retain custody of a child if the biological parent fell terminally ill or died.
Both men had their health but the thought of Cora going to live with her uncle or another relation made Albus feel ill. It was the death of Brandon’s mother the previous year that made the couple begin to plan for their eventual demise. Perhaps it was the morbid motivation behind the adoption that made Albus so apprehensive. He couldn’t love Cora more and had spent almost her entire life as a parent-figure – adoption was just a formality. The idea that Brandon’s death would make the formality necessary scared Albus more than he’d been able to articulate.
A soft tap on the door told the two men Cora wanted in. “What is it, sweetheart?” Brandon called to the turning door handle.
“May I come in?” came Cora’s soft voice.
As usual, their daughter was permitted entry – it was asking first which mattered – and the family spent a few minutes in bed before starting the day. Cora climbed up between Albus and Brandon before settling in with her favorite doll.
“What do you want for breakfast, pumpkin?” Brandon asked with a silly grin.
Cora inhaled sharply, showing her excitement at the idea of breakfast. “You’re making breakfast today?” she trilled merrily. “Don’t you have to work?” The frown that crossed her small face was nearly identical to one Brandon would make when feeling suspicious.
“Daddy and I took the day off,” Albus explained, trying not to smirk.
Throwing her hands in the air, Cora nearly shouted, “No one tells me these things!”
Both Albus and Brandon were laughing at Cora’s antics but it was Brandon who recovered first to answer, “We did tell you about today – it’s an exciting day.”
Cora whispered, “Do you know what today is?” to her doll. She waited a moment before informing her dads, “I forgot what today is.”
Brandon and Albus exchanged a glance where it was clear they wondered how much of the explanations over the last few weeks sunk in. The Child Advocate felt that, in this case, it was not necessary to belabor the adoption as nothing would change for Cora. It was important to Brandon and Albus that Cora have some level of awareness of the process, however.
“Remember what Dad and I told you about adoption?” Albus started tentatively. Like many kids her age, Cora stored information like they cleaned their room – if there’s order to what’s going on it’s not discernable by adults.
“You’ll be ‘ficially my daddy!” Cora responded with gusto. “Is that today?” Excitement returned to the young child as she looked between her two dads.
Albus recalled the crestfallen face Cora wore when he first tried to explain adoption to her. It was both heartwarming and breaking when she tearfully asked, “Aren’t you my daddy already?” Brandon had been better prepared with bite-sized explanations of how family feels versus what and who is legally recognized as such.
“That is today!” Albus exclaimed to meet Cora’s enthusiasm. “That’s why we’re home today – and Daddy can make us breakfast.”
Her attention turning to breakfast, Cora sat up. Rubbing her tummy she said, “Pancakes?”
“With blueberries?” Brandon checked, knowing her answer.
“Yes, please!” Cora chirped. As Brandon got out of bed, Cora sidled up to Albus. “Can you read to me, Daddy Al?”
“What book shall we read?”
Instead of answering, Cora jumped from the bed and ran to her room to find a book. Albus smiled as her curls whipped around the round face he loved like no other. Listening to the selection process a sense of peace about the day fell over Al. He looked forward to the appointment they had at the Ministry, all stress about the proceedings lifted from his shoulders.
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That evening the Potter-Weasley gang had a small to-do in celebration of Albus finalizing the adoption. For Harry it was essential that the granddaughter he loved dearly always stay in the family, knowing what it was to be left with distant relations. While there was cake and a more festive atmosphere than the usual family gathering, to Albus it felt like every other event they’d gone to in recent years – another night with his family of three. Catching Brandon’s eye, Albus could tell his husband felt the same and that they’d be happy for years to come.