ADRIEN

Marinette is awake again. I know because I could not feel any heat radiating off beside me. Groggily, I sit up on the bed and look at what was unfolding across from me.

Marinette is rocking Tommy back and forth again in her arms.

Tommy is three months old now and we have started to place him in his crib as he would sleep. He stopped sleeping on the bed for almost a week already, but it seems that Marinette could not accept the fact that she could not sleep beside him anymore.

"My lady?" I quietly call out to her and she turns around to face me. "Come back to bed."

"It's weird that he's not beside us when we sleep."

"He's growing, my lady." I remind her with a gentle smile. "Babies grow fast, you know."

"I...I know." She says in dismay. "I...I just want-"

"Stay there." I interrupt before she bursts into tears. She's overthinking again. She is starting to think of the future wherein our boy wouldn't exactly be a baby anymore.

I get up and walk towards her and wrap my arms behind her, holding on to our boy also. "You're making me jealous, eh? Hugging Tommy all to your own. Why won't you hug me like how you hug our baby?"

She playfully pulls away and softly giggles at me. "We've done far more intimate things rather than hugging, Adrien."

I could not stop the blush creeping up my cheeks. "Don't make me too flustered, Mari." I admit shyly. I scratch the back of my head in new-grown frustration. "Bring Tommy to the bed and let him continue sleeping there. You might just be tempting me to get intimate with you."

She sticks her tongue out and walks to the bed, carrying Tommy. She places him in the middle and wraps him in his small blanket. She looks at me and pats my space beside her. "Will my husband be sleeping beside the two of us?"

"With pleasure."

-----------------

"Get me another glass." I command the bartender, my words slurred as I'm intoxicated with alcohol.

"Dude, you need to stop." I feel Nino trying to pull me away but I try to go against him.

"No!" I exclaim, waving my hands in different directions, trying to push him off from me. "Let me drink!"

"You need to stop, dude."

"You can't make me stop..." I utter, suddenly feeling weak and giving in to him pulling me away. "Let me continue to drink!"

"Why must you keep on drinking?!"

"Because I drink to feel numb!" I exclaim with the sudden strength to finally push him away. He just stares at me with surprise and concern as I start to feel my eyes form tears and my chest feeling heavy. "I drink to forget." I continue in a mere whisper. I bury my head in my hands and continue for one last time, "I drink to die..."

"Adrien..."

"What was her name?" I ask quietly- debating if I should really know or not.

"Dude-"

"What was her name?!" I exclaim and I see him visibly gulp.

"Emma." He meekly answers.

"Emma..." I whisper and decide to pour myself another glass. "S-She wanted that name..." I whimper and start to sob, letting go of the bottle of rum.

Rum mixed with cola, one of the best ways to get a man drunk after just three to four glasses.

"Adrien." I hear Nino say my name sternly. He moves the bottle of rum away from me and I weakly reach out for it.

"G-Give it to me..."

"Your daughter would not want to see you in your current state."

"Whu...what do you know about my daughter?" I slur, starting to feel aggressive. "What other more secrets are you keeping from me? I'm her father! I should know more about her than you!" I exclaim jabbing an accusing finger at his chest. Then my hands turns into a fist and I shove him away in anger.

He's not her father but he knows more about her than me.

"Why did you not tell me?" I ask, wiping away a stray tear that has reached my right cheek.

"I never had the right to...it was never my place to tell you." I hear him answer and I face away from him, knowing that what he said is true. "You should go home, Adrien." He suggests again and this time I accept with no complaints.

"No one is waiting for me back at home...I don't have a home." I mutter, fixing myself another drink wanting to numb the pain I'm feeling once again.

Nino allows me to do so for one last time.

----------------

"Sir?" I raise my head from checking my students' papers upon one of them calls for my attention. I see Lea Sivan with a hand slightly raised in the air.

"Yes, Miss Sivan?"

"Sir," she starts, hesitating. "We've been wondering..." She gestures to the whole class and now I just notice the students around her looking shy and avoiding eye-contact with me. Even David Chapman has stayed quiet, waiting for Lea to continue.

I fold my arms in front of me and prepare myself for some interrogation.

"You were wondering about what?" I urge her to continue.

"We were wondering if the rumors about the school were true..."

I sigh heavily and rub my forehead as I was expecting this to happen. "I'll tell you if you'll tell me the rumors that are roaming amongst you."

"I heard that you owe a large amount of money to the IRS." One student speaks and I sadly nod my head.

"Unfortunately, that's true. Thus they are taking the school away from me."

"And what will happen next?" David asks quietly from his seat.

"Well..." I move to the front and sit on my table so that I'm facing everyone. "Before anything else, as my last class of graduates, you deserve to know from the beginning. People tend to spread false news without any verification. At least now I have you to relay correct information."

My students nod their heads in agreement thus I clear my throat as I continue. "I had everything planned for the establishment of this school. Everything was planned...with the help from my wife."

The students start to murmur amongst themselves and I take a deep breath to compose myself. "Yes, I have a wife...well, had. We were doing what was right- paying our dues at the exact dates, checking out the construction and all. It was going well until something came across us suddenly."

My students quiet down as they start to notice the mood I'm giving off in the room.

I scoff at myself and try to fight the tears that are starting to build up in my eyes. "It's hard to lose someone...you grieve over that person and then you have a lot to pay for that person to have the proper...death bed.

My wife and I had to start giving the money we saved to our son's funeral and burial..." I face my students and they all carry shocked faces. Some were even starting to wipe their eyes. "It was hard for the both of us to see our first-born not alive and well anymore at just six months. Six months and then he leaves...that was when the loans and debts started. My wife and I...we were falling apart." I take a deep breath and look up to blink the tears away. "I was left with a broken heart and an incomplete school building. I-I had hit rock bottom and I wanted to stop. But I thought of my son." I chuckle a bit and think of Tommy's laugh as Marinette and I would tickle him on his stomach.

"And I thought," I continue, "he would not want to see his father in such a state. I had to do something even if it meant a lot of sacrifices. Thus I continued the construction even if my wife was not there for me anymore. But I would not blame her, I-I love her too much to even do so." I smile at my students and wipe my sweaty palms on my pants. "In the end, I would slowly pay the debt I owe and the school finished. I got you as my best gift, students who were willing to be in this school." I utter whilst gesturing to my students.

"And things were hitting off really well. In just a year I could start paying what I owed the IRS...but the amount was just too high and I was too slow. The deadline would always be moved for me but it was never enough...and now we're here- in present times. I have ran out of time, I did not earn as much as I should to pay therefore, I decided to give it away to the IRS." I look down in disappointment and rub the back of my neck. "I'm sorry. You would have to see your dear Alma Mater not as a school anymore."

"But you still have us." David utters and the students start to chime in with him. "You may have hit rock bottom but you're still here in front of us, teaching what is essential for our future. You're not doing anything wrong here. In fact, you are inspiring us to become better people. And that is enough for us- that should also be enough for you."

"David is right." Lea loudly chimes in and some of the class started to tease her, causing her to blush.

"One way or another, we will end this school year with great memories and cherished friendships." One of the students announces to the class.

I chuckle in amusement at my students and I can't help to feel touched with their optimism and support. "This is why I love you, guys. Come here," I open my arms wide. "I would like a group hug right now."

They all stand and run to where I was. They all wrapped their arms around each other and if only I had longer arms, I would include all of them in my embrace. Then they started to hug each other individually, bidding their dearest farewells to one another. They are the graduating class, meaning that they would go on their separate ways after this school year. Some were crying as they hugged one another tightly.

The scene unfolding in front of me is bitter yet fulfilling at the same time. But overall, I could not help to feel very proud of my students.

----------------

The word, 'Welcome' on the floor mat has been mocking me for the past few minutes and I've been doubting if I should push through or not. The bouquet of chrysanthemums have made my heart start to pound harder and I don't think I can do it.

You have to go for it, Adrien!

Jesus Christ, I can't!

No! Do it for Tommy!

...do it for Emma.

I inhale sharply and release it as a deep breath. I push open the door and the sweet scent of croissants immediately greet me at the entrance.

Although it's closing time, the lights are still on and I can see Sabine baking a few pastries. Maybe she might eat them later or they are for Tom, rather dad.

"Can't you see the sign? We're clo-" When she turns to face me, she stops talking and freezes in place.

I can feel my heart beating faster and I fluster with the next words I utter. "I-I...got, uh, I got you flowers." I present the bouquet of flowers to her. "Chrysanthemums...your favorite."

"That has stopped being my favorite ever since that type of flower was used for my grandson's funeral." She states bluntly and sternly. She just stares at me with no emotion at all. I have never felt so scared in a long time.

"O-Oh..." I utter and try to use any magical power I have to make the flowers disappear. Instead I place it on the chair nearest to me. "I'm sorry if I brought back any bad memory."

I hear her sigh and she goes back to fixing unbaked croissants on the tray. "Why are you here?"

"I...I want to buy a croissant...a chocolate-filled one if it's possible." I utter timidly.

"We're closed already."

"But you're making another batch and I'm willing to pay."

"You will never stop, won't you?"

"I won't stop until I get that croissant and until you hear me apologize." I say and she looks up at me. "I'm sorry, Sabine, for hurting your daughter unknowingly and consciously. I have broken her heart once again and I don't know how to mend it. I don't want to leave her hurting but I don't know what to do..."

"How is the school?" Sabine suddenly cuts in and her question leaves me speechless. I was not expecting it at all.

"Um, it's on its last year already. Next year it will be turned into a public orphanage." I answer. She nods in understanding and goes back to doing her handiwork.

"How was your art exhibit?" She asks another question, making me feel a bit relaxed now.

"It was a success actually. I had a lot of guests every night and I sold almost all of the paintings..." I then start to think of one specific painting but I block such thoughts of it. I should not be thinking of it now. "I had a great team of staffers too."

And this time, with a soft smile, she asks one last question that caught me off-guard, "And how is my son?"

Son...she called me her son again.

And this time, I start to lose the cover I've built. I could not stop the tears from my eyes and I start to sob quietly. "He is hurt." I answer truthfully, "and tired and devastated with what he just found out about his daughter."

"Then tell him that I forgive him and that I'm just here, ready to take him in my arms just like before."

I run to Sabine and wrap my arms around her. I embrace her as I cry on her shoulder. I could hear her cry too in our embrace. "I'm sorry for everything, Sabine."

She pulls away and wipes under my eyes. She kisses me on the cheek and pulls of a smile. "Call me 'mom'. I will always be 'mom' for you."

"I miss you, mom." I cry, pulling her into an embrace once again. "Everything is falling apart and I feel so alone. And with what happened to Emma, Marinette has suffered so much but I was not there for her at all."

"You have me." She cries, rubbing my back comfortingly. "And I will always forgive you." I pull away and try to smile at her amidst the tears. "I love you as much as I love my daughter. And I'm sorry for everything too."

"Don't apologize, mom. You shouldn't be sorry over anything."

"I have something to be sorry for. I have left you alone for all these years." She wipes away my tears once again and I lean in to a mother's touch- something that I always yearn for every since I was a young boy.

"We all made mistakes, Adrien. But now I'm here to make it up to you."

I nod, "And I will do the same, mom."

"Don't do it for me. Do it for Marinette as she'll also do the same for you."

"Anything for her." I whisper and now it's my turn to wipe away her tears. She chuckles and looks around her workplace.

"Marinette is with her dad tonight. Would you like to stay for a cup of coffe, a slice of custard cake and a chocolate-filled croissant?"

"I would love that, mom. But could you make it to two croissants?"

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Mother and son-in-law bonding: something we exactly need right now ❤️ that was some closure over there, ladies and gentlemen!

Hope I wrote the chapter well. And what the students were doing in the middle part of the chapter- hugging each other and crying- we were doing that in our graduation. It was really sad yet truly memorable.

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