[ 18+ ] Adrianna Lee's whole world had come crashing down, unexpectedly, all around her. Losing all stability in her life, she's questioning what's the next steps to take.
That is, until an adorable seven-year-old comes bouncing into her life-which...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The house felt different this weekend. And not in a good way.
I loved getting to spend extra time with MG at home; getting to take her out for ice cream, having her help me cook dinner. Watching her favorite movies with her. Quality time with my daughter will always be my favorite thing in the world.
But at the same time, I also missed spending time with Adrianna, too.
I don't know how to describe the difference. When Nancy was here, nothing was good enough for her. She always thought she deserved more, and we were always on edge, tense around her. She just made the atmosphere almost unbearable. MG was the only reason I kept trying with Nancy until she split.
But with Adrianna? It's just different. Lively. Fun. Something I craved to have, to be around. And it goes beyond a physical attraction to her. I love to hear the sound of her laughing, seeing her smile. It's like she wraps her delicate hand around my heart and squeezes.
And don't get me started on the conversation I came home to the other night. I don't know what happened beforehand, because I didn't want to ask MG and put her in an awkward spot. But what I heard is what changed everything.
But you can tell him how strong you are. And smart. And resilient. Because you, Mary Grace, are one of the bravest and strongest people I know—and you're only seven. I admire you, MG. You have a full life ahead of you. So what if you can't read lips yet? We'll practice. Every day if that's what you want. But that doesn't make you any less strong. And it doesn't make what happened to you your fault at all, do you understand me?
I swear, my eyes swelled with tears. I can only infer that Mary Grace was frustrated and the way Adrianna comforted her? I can only comfort her so much, but I'm just dad. She doesn't have that female influence in her life the way she should. A gentle, kind, empowering influence.
Please don't ever leave, Adri. You're better than anyone we've ever had here. You're actually my friend.
That broke my heart. Because the nanny's who have quit before have said that MG is a handful, misbehaved and mischievous. I don't get how they all said those things about her when all she wanted is some validation. To be seen.
And when I saw Adrianna come down those stairs, it took every ounce of willpower I had not to pull her into my arms and just hug her. Thank her for who she is. Because I know I wouldn't be able to stop myself from kissing her, too.
That moment changed everything for me. Because what if Adrianna could be a perfect fit for this house? For Mary Grace? For me?
But I can't put that on her. She's so young, she has so much potential, so much to live for. I couldn't take her whole life away to be selfish. As much as I want to, I can't.
