“It would be so super cool and AJ promises to put half the funds from monetization into our college savings,” Livy chimed in, braiding her arms around one of David’s.
“You should humor them, Peanut.”David chuckled.“Sounds like they practiced this.”
Jessica sighed, shaking her head at her children in turn, but she was still smiling.Adrien’s heart warmed to see her interacting with them—her gentle words and playful countenance soothed something inside of his chest, emboldened him to step closer.With a parting squeeze, Adrien dropped Blake’s hand.
“All right, you little opportunists,” Jessica teased, gesturing behind her with a sweep of her hand.“Where did you want me to stand?”
“Right there is perfect!”AJ insisted, stepping to the side to adjust his angle.
Jessica turned towards him fully as David stepped out of the shot, giving her space.She fixed a piece of her hair, eyes briefly flicking around to those gathered.“Sorry, hope this isn’t—”
Her eyes fell upon Adrien’s and her voice died.The smile dropped from her mouth, lips parting.
Jessica didn’t move.She didn’t speak.The color drained from her face.For one, horrific, agonizing moment Adrien was certain that he’d made an awful mistake.Cold horror fluttered out from the center of his chest, trembling through his limbs, and he bit down a whimper trying to bubble out of his throat.
Everything around him faded to nothing, it was like he was staring down a corridor growing ever longer, time stretching out the distance between himself and his siblings.
“Start whenever you’re ready,” AJ insisted, his muffled voice breaking the spell.He lowered his phone, concern staining his tone.“Mom, are you okay?”
Jessica shook herself, tearing her eyes away from Adrien and presenting her son with a shaky smile.“Sorry.Someone over there…”
She looked back at Adrien with round, almost haunted eyes.
“Jess?”David frowned at her before looking over at Adrien as well.
The recognition was not as instantaneous, but a slow thing that blossomed over his face in layers: confusion, recognition, and finally sorrow.
“I…” he said.
Adrien took a step back, unable to bear the weight of their emotions stacked upon his own, the inevitability of their rage and their disappointment for his parting.Instead, he turned to leave, running straight into Blake’s chest.
“Babe?”Blake asked, steadying his shoulders with gentle hands.
“I—I have to go.”Adrien shook his head, eyes welling up with tears.“I have to—”
“Wait!”Jessica called behind him and Adrien turned, the action sending tears coursing down his cheeks.
Jessica stood before him, her hands gripped into fists at her sides.She shook her head in disbelief, eyes going glassy as her chest heaved.
“You—” she began, voice honey-thick.“I’m—I’m so sorry, but you look exactly like…”
“Mom, are you okay?”AJ asked, approaching Jessica’s side and taking a protective stance in front of her.“Are they bothering you?”
Adrien’s mouth worked, but he couldn’t produce sound.He didn’t know what to say.
Jessica stepped out from behind her son, approaching Adrien with outstretched hands.It was impossible for him to shy away, allowing her to lay her trembling fingers upon his cheeks.
“Jelly?”Jessica sobbed, her face collapsing into grief.
“Hi Peanut,” Adrien croaked, his voice barely a whisper through his tears.Jessica sobbed a laugh, smoothing her thumbs in little arcs beneath his eyes, shaking her head in disbelief.
“How?”Jessica whimpered, grasping him a little tighter, stepping up closer.Her eyes were darting around his face, as if checking for some sort of imperfection, a sign that this was not truly her brother returned to her.
“Jess, who…?”David asked, stepping up beside his sister and setting a large hand upon her shoulder.He stared at Adrien in desperation, hand trembling at his side.
He was even more changed than Jessica, having grown taller than Adrien, almost as tall as Blake.He was built like a linebacker, bald save for a thick goatee and bushy eyebrows.For the first time in his life, Adrien felt small next to his brother.
“Are you really Adrien?”Jessica asked, and the equal amounts of hope and fear that Adrien saw in his siblings’ eyes would have made him lie even if he wasn’t.
