"How come you never get sick?" Alder asked suddenly and I blinked at him.

"Um, explain?" I asked my husband. Alder sat up.

"Well, it seems that you're always healthy and I'm always in this hell-hole."

"Alder, I know your gripes with it but the hospital is not a hell-hole, they are busy treating your hypothermia and to be perfectly fair, it was your own fault for walking out in the middle of winter, in the snow."

"I know, I know," Alder said. "But besides, you almost never get colds and stuff like that."

"Maybe I have a better immune system?" I suggested, shrugging. Alder crinkled his nose in a pout.

"Huh."

"It was just a suggestion, Alder," I said throwing my hands up in a 'don't hurt me' fashion. He sighed, smiling slightly.

"That's probably true," he said in a happy yet defeated tone.

"Look on the bright side! You're almost out of the hospital!" Alder smiled more, happy at the prospect of the news. "And Emmalyn is expressing fear at the prospect of her audition." 

"Does she need a confidence boost?"

"No," I laughed. "I think you've given her enough of those. Unless you want to be embarrass her further." Alder chuckled, clearly feeling a lot better. He'd been in the hospital for about a week, and I'd been visiting him everyday to take his mind off this hospital 'hell-hole' as he called it.

"Oh," he said. I checked my phone.

"Oh! A text from Emma!" I said.

"What's she saying?" Alder asked glancing at his phone on the side table but not picking it it up.

"Watch me audition, s'il vous plaît!" I flinched at my mispronunciation. Alder rolled his eyes.

"Repeat after me," he instructed. "See voo play. S'il vous plaît." I turned to him.

"I take this as another French lesson? Kay then," I chuckled. "See voo play," I repeated. "That's how s'il vous plaît is pronounced right?"

"Something like that," Alder answered. I smiled. He'd taught me French before, just a few phrases. "Je t'aime. Both of you, my husband and daughter." I love you, that was the first thing he taught me.

"Je'aime mes péres," Emmalyn liked to say to people. I believe it meant, I love my fathers. Cute. That Alder'd taught her that. Emmalyn was a fast learner, I believe she knew more French than me. Not that I was complaining. If I wanted to I could ask Alder to teach me more.

Oui, I texted back to Emmalyn, we'll be there.

Emmalyn answered back immediately despite being at school, it made me make a disapproving look at my phone screen. Merci! Merci! Merci! I'm so freaking scared about it, Timothy is trying to comfort me as well, over text, but with you there, my parents there maybe I'll have a burst of confidence!

I smirked at the mention of Timothy. Despite Emmalyn's best efforts to hide it, I knew it. I could see the look she gave him when she thought we weren't looking. I wondered if it's like what my mother experienced with my feelings for Alder. I decided to send her a text.

Hey, Mom? Can I gossip about my daughter for a bit?

Ohoho, what's this? What's up with Emma? I don't think you should be gossiping about your own daughter but go on.

Well, not gossip, per se, but I couldn't think of a better term. Just something I've noticed.

Do go on.

My mother's statement made me giggle, causing Alder to look at me suspiciously. "It's nothing, just a funny joke my mother sent," I lied, trying to sound as truthful as I could. Alder would freak if he knew about Emmalyn's 'tiny' crush on Timothy.

Anyway, you know her best friend?

The boy.... yes, why do you ask?

Well, I've kinda noticed things, I think Emma has a crush! Isn't that exciting?

Hm. Reminds me of someone I know...

I blushed at my phone screen. "Mom," I growled, so Alder wasn't suspicious.

Do not bring that into this.

Why not? You're picking up on signs, why can't I tell you about the whole 'Sully has a secret crush on his best friend that he is completely unaware of' thing I experienced?

Well, I always have kind of been curious about how the hell you found out about it when I was an oblivious idiot.

Okay, firstly Sully, you're not an idiot, you were just blissfully unaware and can we leave it at that? Anyway, I started seeing you change. You were visibly anxious about Alder on days he hadn't been at school and also quite distracted like your mind wasn't focused. Sometimes I'd catch you dreamily staring into space while you were supposed to be doing homework. And when I asked about who you thinking about you'd stammer and say you weren't think about anyone except your 'best friend'. You'd blush constantly too. When Alder came over to the house I would catch you staring when he wasn't looking, you two both blushing when your eyes met. I didn't know Alder personally so I didn't have much to go on to see if he liked you back. By that point I knew, I knew that your feelings for your friend were apparent, and you had fallen hard. I'd never seen you so deeply attracted with any of your crushes before Alder. I knew the connection you two had was special. With any other of the crushes you had, your 'symptoms' were never that strong. It made me realize that you were actually bisexual and not just a theory that I'd had for a while, judging by some of your reactions to men.

Wow, was all I could type and I felt my face burning.

"You're so red," Alder commented, "what's up?" I sighed.

"My mother was just teasing me about my feelings for you." Alder grabbed my face, and his strength was clearly back. He kissed me.

"And I'll say it now if I have to say it a thousands times over. It got you married to your best friend and adopting a child." He kissed my cheek.

"Oui, je t'aime." I gave a him a return kiss.