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New York.
Hudson Riverfront.
Vansmoot Hotel.
Wedding Venue.
Adam kept playing troubleshoot, and finally, the wedding went off just as Lily and Matthew had dreamed—smooth and perfect.
The ring exchange, the "I do's," all that sweet stuff? Already done in the castle-style hotel's chapel. Now it was time for the reception!
"Ladies and gentlemen—first time saying it this way—let's give a warm welcome to Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Erickson and Lily Aldrin!"
With the emcee's gesture, the newlyweds stepped into the banquet hall hand in hand. Matthew rocked his hat, while Lily's wedding dress faintly revealed red lettering underneath: "Matthew Erickson Exclusive!"
"Why don't they have the same last name?"
Tatiana tilted her head, curious. She was pretty sure her own parents shared a surname.
"That's your Aunt Lily's choice," Adam explained gently. "Even though she's marrying your Uncle Matthew, it doesn't mean she's just tagging along with him. She wants them to be equals.
Instead of taking his last name like most people do, she'd rather keep her own—or maybe they could even create a new family name together, something fresh to mark their new start."
In both Eastern and Western traditions, brides often take their husband's name. But back in the East, that custom's long been ditched. Over here in the West, though? Still going strong, accepted by most.
The devil's in the details, right? Who's more progressive? Easy to see.
And yeah, a few companies don't exactly stack up to a whole civilization when it comes to class!
"Ohh."
Tatiana nodded, half-getting it, then her eyes lit up. She pointed at Matthew and Lily, who'd just started their first dance. "Uncle Adam, they're dancing! Dancing!"
"My little princess, may I have the honor of a dance?"
Adam stood, bowing with a playful flourish.
"Yes!"
Tatiana giggled like crazy.
Adam took her hand and led her to the open dance area up front. A few other couples had already joined in, swaying around Matthew and Lily.
"Step on my feet—I'll guide you," Adam said, letting Tatiana stand on his shoes. It gave her a little height boost and let him lead her along.
At her age, no way she could dance on her own yet!
"Hehe!"
Tatiana didn't mind one bit. She happily perched on his feet, letting him steer her through the moves.
When the song ended…
"Uncle Adam, go dance with Mommy now!"
Tatiana turned down his offer for another spin and tugged him over to Heather, who was chatting with Juno and Karen. She plopped Adam's hand into Heather's.
Adam led Heather onto the dance floor.
"How've you been lately?"
He held her close, swaying to the music, locking eyes with her stunning light blue gaze. Seeing the affection and trust there, he couldn't help but soften his voice.
"Everything's good. With Tatiana around, my mom's got a new focus besides smoking and drinking. She's in way better spirits—everything's just… better," Heather said quietly. "I just miss you a little."
Sigh.
Adam felt her arms tighten around him instinctively, and his heart sighed too.
Drunk on wine, I once whipped a famous steed; I feared too much love would burden a beauty.
This was the real deal—love weighing heavy on a beauty.
Heather wasn't like Robin and the others, able to walk away carefree. In her unique world, Adam had become her anchor, her sunshine.
"How about you come visit more often?" Adam suggested gently. "Maybe two days a week?"
"Sounds perfect!"
Heather's face bloomed into a smile. "With Juno around, my mom and the others don't need me 24/7 anymore. But I can't be gone too long either—two days is just right. Juno suggested the same thing. Did she mention it to you?"
"…"
Adam's mouth twitched. "Nope, I came up with it myself… What else did she say?"
"She said Monday to Friday works best," Heather said, glancing at him. "Pick any two days. I could bring Tatiana along. You're at work during the day, so I'd take her around to study and play."
"Ahem," Adam coughed lightly. "Who's teaching Tatiana now?"
"I hired a private tutor—a woman who comes to the house," Heather smiled. "I pitch in and teach her sometimes too."
Adam nodded, staying quiet.
Tatiana was born with HIV, so sending her to school wasn't simple. Adam and the others had enough medical know-how to avoid transmission and adored the sweet girl enough to treat her normally.
But other kids and their parents? Not so much. Why take the risk when they could just avoid her altogether?
So, home-schooling it was.
"She needs friends," Adam said after a moment. "I might know someone she'd hit it off with."
"Who?"
Heather's curiosity piqued.
"A super-powered girl named Megan…"
Adam filled her in. "Megan's an orphan too—adopted, with a big heart and a strong sense of justice. Right now, she's under Sheldon's 'good habits' training.
Their stories are similar, they're close in age, and both struggle to fit in. They'd make awesome friends! They could chat on the phone, hang out for a couple days a week—wouldn't that be great?"
"Yes!"
Heather's eyes sparkled. "I've been stressing about Tatiana's friend situation. Kids at places like Sunshine House have similar struggles, but since I adopted her, they might not want to play with her. I'm worried she'd get picked on."
Take Megan—orphanage kids grow up fast, forced to mature early. But not all of them are as kind-hearted as her. Truth is, girls like Megan are rare.
Most would just envy Tatiana's happy new life, and without adults watching, they'd probably bully her.
Megan can go to school and mingle fine, but with Sheldon's habits kicking in—teaching her self-defense and caution—she won't exactly blend in either. Once those habits stick, though, she'd be a safe bet to hang out with Tatiana.
The more Adam thought about it, the more perfect it seemed.
"But would Megan's parents be okay with it?"
Heather was thrilled but still a little nervous. Tatiana's condition? Even with precautions, most people wouldn't risk it.
"They're good people," Adam smiled. "They didn't ditch Megan when they learned about her situation. Trust me, I'll talk them into it."
"Okay," Heather nodded. "I trust you. Tatiana's gonna flip when she hears this!"
"Don't tell her yet," Adam cautioned. "Let me lock it down first. Then we'll surprise her with the good news. Things can change, you know—no guarantees."
"Got it," Heather said, tilting her head up to gaze at him tenderly. Her soft "yes" melted his heart.
Oof. Adam felt a warm rush.
No rush, though.
Youth fades fast, so seize the day—that's for other people. For Adam and Heather, who might stay eighteen forever, their youthful golden days stretched out long and bright ahead. 😊
(End of Chapter)