Then she opened the adoption folder.
“Roy can petition to adopt as your spouse,” she said. “But we need to be precise about the procedure and the timeline.”
“How precise?” Nixx asked.
“For the streamlined stepparent process, Millie needs to have lived with you for at least a year after your marriage. The time before your wedding doesn’t count toward that requirement.”
Nixx blew out a breath. “Another year.”
“A year of being her dad, which you’re already doing,” Benny said. “Seems manageable.”
Ms. Salazar nodded. “And we can prepare responsibly during that time. We must establish Millie’s legal parentage before asking the court to grant the adoption.”
“Donald’s not her father,” I said. “He never adopted her.”
“Correct. Her birth certificate also leaves the father unidentified. That
