All you need is love

Round 15: February 2023

Stella Harris is 59 and Deacon Burrows is 58.

(Liv is 25, Dawn is 19, Finn is 18 and Shea is 3.)

Narrated by Stella Harris.

I know that Liv and Finn were quite shocked at first about our plans to adopt a child but they've been really supportive. In a way it feels like we've gotten closer during the process.

I still can't believe we're getting two children. They're a sister and a brother, a 5-year-old girl called Mariya and a 3-year-old boy called Nikolai. They've been living in a foster home for the past few months and we've met them a few times. They're quite reserved but according to the social worker that's quite normal. It's our main goal now to get them to trust us and open up to us.

We invited Liv, Finn, Dawn and Shea for a nice family meal a couple of days before Mariya and Nikolai moved in. Liv asked if we're going to make a public announcement about the adoption but I don't think it's that necessary. The press has come to learn that I'm not very good material for tabloids because I live a fairly quiet life. There's probably going to be some interest but hopefully not too much. We'll find a way to handle it if necessary.

We feel so blessed to have such great kids and now we're getting two more. I always regretted on some level that we didn't have more children but fortunately it wasn't too late for us.

I got a little insecure when Deacon and I were having dinner the night before the kids were coming home.

"What if they don't like me? What if they say they liked the foster mom more than me?"

Deacon usually knows the right thing to say if I start freaking out about something.

"Don't be silly, Stella. They're going to love you. Everyone loves you" he said. I think he was exaggerating a bit but it made me feel better.

The next day social worker Erica Chambers came with Mariya and Nikolai, or Minka and Nick as they've been called in the foster home. They seemed to settle down pretty well and started playing on the activity table together.

After some time Erica was ready to leave.

"Just call me if you have any questions or need help with something" she said and assured that everything's going very well before she left.

We're all just getting to know each other now. Deacon and I took some time off work so that we don't have to leave Minka and Nick with the nanny right away.

The kids have settled down quite quickly which has kind of surprised me. I was expecting it to be more difficult - everyone I know kept saying that it's not going to be easy - but so far everything has gone really well. And when has raising children ever been easy?

I was a bit worried how Deacon would deal with his new role because he was quite reluctant to adopt at first. It turned out pretty quickly that there's nothing to worry about. He seems to be enjoying having kids in the house again and he's reading Minka a bedtime story every night. I don't know which one of them likes the stories more because Deacon usually keeps reading long after Minka has fallen asleep.

Nick is a little sunshine. He's always in a good mood and is always smiling in the morning when I go to pick him up.

I've been putting off my next project until Minka and Nick are settled down but I'm slowly starting now. I directed a movie that ended up becoming a huge hit and the film company wants a sequel. It's about a young female detective and is based on Elissa Cooper's book. I wanted to concentrate on directing so I just had a small part in the first movie and Libby Williamson played the lead. Obviously she's going to star in this upcoming movie as well.

I invited her over to hear her views about the script. It was nice to talk about movies for a change. I'm getting a bit anxious to start filming. I love spending time with the kids but I still need a good amount of the adult world as well.

We decided to hear a nanny for the kids. We can't stay away from our jobs forever and it would be very difficult to arrange our schedules so that one of us is always home.

Deacon is ready to rush home the moment there's a problem but everything's going well.

Finn sometimes brings Shea over so that she gets to play with Minka and Nick. They all look so adorable playing together.

I feel like my life has gotten a whole new meaning. To be a safe harbour to these wonderful children.

Extras:

I took a new family portrait after Minka and Nick had joined the family. Aren't they adorable?

Notes:

• Title reference: All you need is love by The Beatles.
• Stella and Deacon were very lucky with my adoption roll. I gave them time until Stella's 60th birthday to go through with the adoption and they got "yes" on the third roll.
• Minka and Nick have Russian roots. Either they were born in whatever country Wellington is located in or they were brought there from a Russian orphanage. I haven't decided on the details yet but I might create some kind of a backstory for them at some point.
• Stella was promoted to Blockbuster Director this time so she's just one step away from becoming an Icon. I had the idea of her movie and the sequel and then I remembered that Elissa Cooper wrote a novel about a female detective. I thought it added a nice touch to have a "real" book to refer to.