Chapter 8 - ADRIAN DID NOT BECOME MY HERO
People assumed Adrian and I would fall in love immediately.
Ridiculous.
I could barely sleep with the freezer closed at the grocery store.
Romance was not my priority.
Trauma therapy.
Physical recovery.
Premature-infant appointments.
That was my life.
Emma came home after six weeks.
Grace after eight.
Both needed follow-up care.
Neither followed a perfect movie path.
Grace had feeding therapy.
Emma had respiratory infections that terrified me.
Slowly, both became healthy toddlers.
Adrian remained around.
Carefully.
He never called himself Uncle Adrian again after I teased him.
The girls eventually did.
Without permission.
He pretended not to love it.
Failed.
Our friendship repaired first.
That took two years.
Trust after betrayal should take time.
Then one evening, after the twins’ third birthday, Adrian walked me to my car.
“Can I ask you something?”
“What?”
“Dinner.”
“We just ate.”
He smiled.
“Different dinner.”
I understood.
My heart panicked.
Not because I disliked him.
Because I didn’t.
“I’m scared.”
His expression softened.
“Then say no.”
I looked at him.
Victor would have persuaded.
Explained.
Pushed.
Adrian waited.
“I’m not saying no.”
“Okay.”
“I’m saying slow.”
He smiled.
May you like
“I can do slow.”
Turns out he could.
