She is ours

Thirteen months after we took Elise home from the hospital for the first time, we finally can claim her as solely ours.
No, there was no parental rights dispute.
I only mean we can claim her because we finally paid off the hospital bill.
So with a final check of $65 to wipe away the balance, the hospital -- as good as its staff was -- no longer has a financial stake in the little lady.