Nighttime.
Medical Center.
"Emilia, what are you doing here?"
Adam strolled down the hallway and spotted Emilia standing outside a patient's room. Curiosity got the better of him, so he wandered over.
"He's crying," Emilia said, pointing into the room.
Adam peeked inside and saw the patient whose fiancée had dumped him. The guy was lying there, silently letting tears roll down his face.
"Alright, let's go," Adam said, gently tugging Emilia's arm to get her moving.
"You're not gonna go in and cheer him up?" Emilia hesitated. "He looks so pitiful."
"Some pain, for a guy, is better faced alone," Adam sighed. "Outsiders getting involved doesn't always help."
"What happened to him, anyway?" Emilia asked, her curiosity piqued.
Adam filled her in. "He's actually pretty lucky. Things turned around for him—surgery went great."
"What?!" Emilia gasped. "That's awful! He's so可怜 (poor thing)! This kind of 'luck' is the last thing he'd want."
"Nah," Adam shook his head. "Think of it this way: he didn't just survive, he also saw his ex-fiancée's true colors early. Sure, it's tough for him to accept right now, but once he gets through it, he'll be glad."
"…"
Emilia fell silent for a moment, then murmured, "Yeah, I guess as long as you keep living, that's the biggest win."
"Don't overthink it," Adam said with a grin. "Tomorrow's your birthday party! You excited?"
"I just want Mom to be happy," Emilia said, managing a small smile.
"She'll only be happy if you are," Adam reminded her. "Tomorrow, Missy's two brothers—your brothers too—Little George and Sheldon—are coming. Trust me, you won't be able to stop laughing."
"Why's that?" Emilia asked, puzzled.
"Because Sheldon's hilarious," Adam chuckled.
"Missy says he's a pro at ticking people off," Emilia said, a little worried.
She already knew her future. After her mom passed, Aunt Mary would take her in, and she'd have to deal with Mary's kids—her cousins. She'd met Missy already and got along great with her, which she loved. But her two cousins? She hadn't met either of them. From what Missy said, Big Bro Little George sounded fine, but this second brother, Sheldon, had her a bit nervous.
"Oh, he's definitely good at getting under your skin," Adam laughed. "But he's not mean-spirited. If you keep that in mind and don't take his bluntness or rudeness personally, everything he does starts to feel like a comedy show.
Hmm… if he does get on your nerves, just go to Missy. She'll teach you how to handle Sheldon like a pro. Trust me, once you figure him out, he's easy to deal with."
"I hope so," Emilia said, her voice a mix of nerves and excitement.
---
The next day.
Emilia's birthday.
The party was set for the evening. To avoid bothering the hospital patients as much as possible, they didn't start setting up until the afternoon. Even though Mary and the others insisted they didn't need help, Adam called in some pros to handle the decorations anyway.
"Adam!"
Peggy showed up too. It was her first time at the medical center, and her stunning looks and vibe instantly turned heads.
"Boss, we've got the dresses and everything here," Lisa, the assistant, reported.
It was a party, after all—everyone had to dress up fancy!
"Cool," Adam nodded.
"Sheldon's flight's landing soon. I'm heading to pick him up," Peggy said.
"Go for it," Adam grinned. "Take Lisa to drive."
Peggy nodded and headed off to the airport with Lisa.
"OMG!"
The second they left, Christina and the gang swarmed Adam, freaking out. "She's your girlfriend too?! She's gorgeous!"
"Adam, you're ridiculous!" Meredith shot him a look full of disdain. "You've got a girlfriend that pretty and you're still not satisfied?"
"Who is she?" George asked, his tone dripping with envy and a hint of jealousy. "Is she even legal?"
"Hold up," Christina said, wide-eyed. "Don't tell me she's the Adler from the Duncan-Adler formula?!"
"Yup, that's her," Adam said, smirking proudly.
"No way!" Christina stared after Peggy's retreating figure. "A person that talented and that gorgeous actually exists? Are regular people even allowed to live anymore?"
"She's the mathematician Dr. Adler?!" George gaped. "She doesn't even look old enough to be an adult! This is nuts!"
"She's an adult, relax," Adam said, smacking George on the head. "She just looks young."
"So how old is she, really?" Meredith couldn't help but ask. That flawless, collagen-packed face was breaking her heart.
"Almost 19," Adam said seriously.
Everyone: "…"
"You're the real expert on the Romeo and Juliet law, huh?" Christina said, piecing it together.
"Ohhh, I get it now!" George and Meredith chimed in. "You timed it perfectly, didn't you?"
"Nope," Adam waved them off. "Anyway, you're all coming to the party tonight, right? The more, the merrier!"
"This is a young people's party. What are we supposed to do there?" Meredith grumbled.
"Yeah, I'm not feeling it either," Christina agreed.
They were genuinely shaken up. Adam didn't push them.
---
Before the party kicked off, Little George and his wife Veronica arrived first. Peggy came back with Sheldon shortly after.
In the VIP ward, Little George and Sheldon, as big brothers, met their legendary little cousin for the first time.
"Emilia, I'm George. If you ever need anything, just let your big bro know!" Little George gave her a warm hug, then patted his chest confidently. "This is a gift from me and Veronica."
"Thanks!"
Emilia felt their warmth, and her jittery heart settled a bit. She took the gift, beaming happily.
"You siblings should get close from now on," Mary said with a smile. "Emilia, this is Sheldon. Sheldon, come say hi to your cousin!"
"Hello," Sheldon said, giving Emilia a curt nod.
"Hi," Emilia replied, her smile faltering as she sensed his standoffishness.
"Sheldon!" Mary scolded. "She's your sister—this is your idea of manners?"
"Called it," Sheldon muttered with a helpless look. He stepped forward, stuck out his hand, and said, "Hello, cousin."
"Hi, cousin," Emilia said, a little thrown off.
They shook hands briefly. The second it was over, Sheldon yanked his hand back, turned sideways, and sneakily pulled hand sanitizer from his pocket. He squirted some out and started scrubbing his hands, darting sneaky glances at everyone like he didn't want them to notice.
But with moves that obvious, everyone saw the whole show.
Adam and Peggy's lips twitched upward in unison.
"Sheldon!" Mary snapped, fuming.
"What?" Sheldon shrugged. "I did what you said and brought a gift."
"What'd you get her?" Adam asked, stepping in with a grin to smooth things over.
"Here!"
Sheldon grabbed a gift box from the side and handed it to Emilia. "To get you this, I went to Radio Shack first, then hit up a comic store. Couldn't find anything good for a girl.
Oh, boy!
It was so hard! But then it hit me—I got you this Wonder Woman comic set."
With everyone staring in stunned silence, he held up a finger proudly. "And listen, this is the most classic full-series collection.
Wonder Woman's just like you—no dad growing up, raised by her mom.
And get this—later, her mom dies too…"
"SHELDON LEE COOPER!!!"
Mary's roar practically shook the ceiling.
(End of Chapter)