The first thing Sophia noticed when she woke was the absence of Adrian's warmth beside her. Panic fluttered briefly in her chest before she heard the low murmur of his voice from somewhere else in the penthouse. Rolling over, she found a note on his pillow written in Adrian's bold handwriting:
*Good morning, beautiful. Emergency call with Tokyo office - didn't want to wake you. Coffee's ready in the kitchen. Make yourself at home. You ARE home. - A*
The simple declaration at the end made her heart skip. You ARE home. Three words that carried more weight than any grand romantic gesture could.
Sophia padded to the kitchen, wrapped in one of Adrian's shirts, and found not just coffee but a full breakfast spread—fresh croissants from what looked like an expensive bakery, exotic fruits, and a small bouquet of white roses with another note: *Because you deserve beautiful mornings. - A*
"You're going to spoil me," she said aloud, smiling as she poured coffee from what she was learning was Adrian's unnecessarily expensive espresso machine.
"I plan to," came Adrian's voice from behind her, and she turned to find him leaning against the doorframe, still in sleep pants and a t-shirt, his hair mussed from sleep but his eyes alert. "Tokyo crisis averted, by the way."
"Another crisis?" Sophia asked, moving into his arms automatically.
"Minor one this time. Server issues with our Asian release." Adrian wrapped his arms around her, breathing in the scent of her hair. "I'm starting to think the universe is testing my priorities."
"And what are your priorities?" Sophia asked, looking up at him with those honey-colored eyes that never failed to stop his heart.
"You," Adrian said without hesitation. "Everything else is just logistics."
The simplicity of his declaration, the absolute certainty in his voice, made Sophia's breath catch. Three days ago, she'd been invisible, insignificant. Now she was someone's priority—not just anyone's, but Adrian Blackstone's.
"I should go home today," Sophia said reluctantly. "Get some of my own clothes, check my mail, water my plants."
"I'll drive you," Adrian said immediately.
"You don't have to—"
"I want to see where you live," Adrian interrupted gently. "I want to see your space, your books, your life. I want to know every part of you."
An hour later, they stood outside Sophia's small apartment above the used bookstore. Adrian had insisted on bringing breakfast with them, claiming he wanted to eat in her space, but Sophia suspected he was just looking for excuses to extend their time together.
"It's not much," Sophia said nervously as she unlocked the door. Compared to Adrian's sleek penthouse, her tiny apartment would seem laughably modest.
"It's you," Adrian said simply. "That makes it perfect."
Sophia's apartment was indeed small—a studio with a Murphy bed, a tiny kitchenette, and every available surface covered with books. But it was also warm, cozy, filled with plants and soft lighting that made it feel like a sanctuary.
"This is incredible," Adrian breathed, turning slowly to take it all in. The walls were lined with overflowing bookshelves, fairy lights strung around the windows, and comfortable reading nooks created with pillows and throws.
"You really like it?" Sophia asked anxiously.
"I love it," Adrian said, moving to examine her bookshelf. "It's like stepping into your mind. Look at this collection—Austen, Tolkien, Maya Angelou, Neil Gaiman. You have impeccable taste."
"They're mostly secondhand," Sophia said, blushing. "I can't afford new books very often."
Adrian filed that information away for later. Another problem he could solve, another way he could make her life easier.
"These plants are amazing too," he continued, noting the dozens of green specimens thriving in every corner. "You have a gift for nurturing things."
"Plants don't judge you," Sophia said quietly. "They just need care and attention, and they grow. It's... peaceful."
Adrian understood immediately. For someone who'd grown up without stability, without people she could count on, plants offered unconditional acceptance. They would grow under her care, respond to her love, give her a sense of purpose without the risk of abandonment.
"Show me your writing," Adrian said, settling onto her small sofa.
"Oh, you don't want to see that," Sophia said quickly. "It's just silly stories—"
"Sophia." Adrian's voice was gentle but firm. "Nothing you create could be silly. Please?"
Reluctantly, Sophia retrieved a notebook from her bedside table. The cover was worn soft from handling, filled with her careful handwriting and small illustrations.
"This is the children's book I mentioned," she said, settling beside him. "It's about a little girl who sees colors differently than everyone else."
As Adrian read, his expression grew more and more amazed. The story was beautiful—lyrical, touching, with a message about embracing differences that was both profound and accessible. The illustrations, simple line drawings, showed real artistic talent.
"Sophia, this is incredible," Adrian said when he finished. "This isn't just good—it's publishable. It's important."
"You really think so?" Sophia asked, hope and disbelief warring in her voice.
"I know so," Adrian said firmly. "I'm going to call my publishing contacts tomorrow. This deserves to be in the world."
"Adrian, you don't need to—"
"Yes, I do," Adrian interrupted. "Not because you need my help, but because the world needs your stories. Children need to read this, to know they're not alone if they see the world differently."
Tears pricked Sophia's eyes. To have someone believe in her work, see value in her dreams, felt almost too good to be true.
"There's something else," Sophia said quietly. "Something I haven't told you."
Adrian set the notebook aside, giving her his full attention. "What is it?"
"I've been accepted to Columbia's Master's program in Children's Literature," Sophia said in a rush. "Full scholarship. I was supposed to start next fall, but I deferred because I was scared. Scared of leaving what little stability I have, scared I wasn't good enough, scared of everything."
Adrian stared at her, processing this revelation. "Columbia. That's... that's incredible, Sophia. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I'm probably not going to accept," Sophia said miserably. "The program is incredibly demanding, the other students will all be from better backgrounds, and I'd have to quit my job at the bookstore. I can't afford—"
"Stop," Adrian said firmly, taking her hands in his. "Just stop. First of all, you earned that scholarship on merit. They chose you because you're brilliant. Second, the financial concerns are solvable."
"I can't let you pay for my education," Sophia protested.
"I'm not talking about paying for it," Adrian said, though privately he was already calculating exactly how he could do just that. "I'm talking about supporting you while you pursue your dreams. Let me worry about the practical details."
"Adrian—"
"When do you have to give them an answer?"
"End of the month," Sophia admitted.
"That's two weeks," Adrian said, his mind already working. "Enough time to figure everything out. Sophia, you can't pass up this opportunity. It's everything you've dreamed of."
"What if I fail?" Sophia whispered, voicing her deepest fear.
"What if you succeed?" Adrian countered. "What if you become the author you're meant to be? What if your stories help thousands of children feel less alone?"
"You really believe I could do it?"
"I believe you can do anything," Adrian said with absolute conviction. "And I'll be here to support you every step of the way."
They spent the morning in Sophia's apartment, Adrian helping her pack a bag for the next few days while she showed him her favorite books, her writing journals, the small mementos that made up her life. When her phone rang, they both looked at it in surprise.
"Mrs. Rodriguez?" Sophia gasped, seeing the name on the caller ID.
Adrian grinned. "I work fast."
Sophia stared at him in shock before answering the call. "Hello?"
"Sophia, mija? Is this really you?" The voice on the other end was older, more fragile than Sophia remembered, but unmistakably warm.
"Mrs. Rodriguez," Sophia breathed, tears already streaming down her face. "How did you... how did you find me?"
"A very persistent young man tracked me down," Mrs. Rodriguez said with obvious amusement. "He said you were someone very special to him and that you'd mentioned me. He was quite charming—and quite determined to find me."
Sophia looked at Adrian through her tears, overwhelmed by the gesture. He'd actually done it—he'd found the one person from her past who'd shown her unconditional love.
"I've thought about you every day," Sophia said into the phone. "I wanted to find you, but I didn't know how—"
"Mija, I've been looking for you too. When I got better, when I tried to find my kids, the system said you'd all been moved and they couldn't give me information. I never stopped hoping."
"You got better?" Sophia asked, hardly daring to hope.
"Fourteen years cancer-free," Mrs. Rodriguez said proudly. "I'm living in Phoenix now, near my daughter. But Sophia, this young man of yours—he's offered to fly me to New York to see you. Says it's time for a proper reunion."
Sophia looked at Adrian in amazement. "You want to fly her here?"
"I've already arranged it," Adrian said quietly. "If you want to see her."
"Yes," Sophia said immediately, then into the phone: "Yes, please come. I've missed you so much."
"I'll be there tomorrow evening," Mrs. Rodriguez said, joy evident in her voice. "And Sophia? I'm so proud of the woman you've become. This Adrian, he talks about you like you hung the moon."
After they hung up, Sophia threw herself into Adrian's arms, sobbing with happiness and gratitude.
"You found her," she kept repeating. "You actually found her."
"I promised I would," Adrian said, holding her tight. "And she's going to be so proud when she sees what an incredible woman you've become."
The rest of the day passed in a blur of preparation. Adrian insisted on setting Mrs. Rodriguez up in the finest hotel in the city, arranging for a car service, making dinner reservations at a restaurant that could accommodate any dietary restrictions she might have.
"You don't have to do all this," Sophia protested as they returned to his penthouse.
"Yes, I do," Adrian said simply. "She loved you when you needed it most. That makes her family, and I take care of family."
That evening, as they lay in bed together, Sophia traced patterns on Adrian's chest while he played with her hair.
"I've been thinking," Sophia said quietly.
"About what?"
"About Columbia. About what you said this morning."
Adrian's hand stilled in her hair. "And?"
"I think... I think I want to try. I want to accept the program."
"Really?" Adrian asked, unable to hide the pride in his voice.
"It terrifies me," Sophia admitted. "But you made me realize that I've been letting fear make my decisions for too long. Maybe it's time to be brave."
"You're the bravest person I know," Adrian said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "You survived foster care, built a life for yourself, opened your heart to love even after being disappointed so many times. Columbia should be honored to have you."
"What if the other students don't accept me? What if I don't fit in?"
"Then they're idiots," Adrian said firmly. "But more likely, they'll be amazed by your perspective, your talent, your heart. You're going to change that program, Sophia, not the other way around."
"Will you... will you still want to be with me if I'm just a graduate student? If I'm not working, if I'm struggling with coursework, if I'm stressed and tired all the time?"
Adrian lifted her chin so she was looking at him. "Sophia Elizabeth Chen," he said solemnly, using her full name for the first time. "I will want to be with you if you're a student, if you're a published author, if you decide to become a professional cat herder. I'm not in love with what you do—I'm in love with who you are."
"How do you always know exactly what to say?" Sophia asked, her eyes bright with unshed tears.
"Because when you love someone the way I love you, the right words come naturally," Adrian said. "Now, what do you say we call Columbia tomorrow and confirm your acceptance?"
"Together?" Sophia asked.
"Everything together from now on," Adrian promised.
The next evening, Adrian found himself more nervous than he'd been before any board meeting or investor presentation. Mrs. Rodriguez had arrived that afternoon, and they were meeting her for dinner at Le Bernardin—the same restaurant where he and Sophia had declared their love for each other.
"She's going to love you," Sophia assured him as they walked into the restaurant.
"What if she doesn't think I'm good enough for you?" Adrian asked, surprising himself with the vulnerability in his voice.
"Then she'd be wrong," Sophia said firmly. "But she won't think that. She'll see what I see—a good man who makes me happy."
Mrs. Rodriguez was waiting for them at their table, and Adrian immediately understood why Sophia loved her so much. Despite being in her seventies, she radiated warmth and strength, her dark eyes bright with intelligence and compassion.
"Mija!" Mrs. Rodriguez stood to embrace Sophia, and Adrian watched his girlfriend dissolve into tears of joy.
"Mrs. Rodriguez, this is Adrian," Sophia said through her tears.
"The young man who moved heaven and earth to find me," Mrs. Rodriguez said, studying Adrian with shrewd eyes. "Thank you for bringing my girl back to me."
"Thank you for loving her when she needed it most," Adrian replied sincerely.
As dinner progressed, Adrian found himself charmed by Mrs. Rodriguez's stories and touched by the obvious love between her and Sophia. But he also found himself under intense scrutiny—this woman was clearly evaluating his worthiness as Sophia's partner.
"So, Adrian," Mrs. Rodriguez said over dessert, "Sophia tells me you run a gaming company."
"Yes, ma'am. We develop and publish video games."
"And you're successful?"
"Very," Adrian said honestly, unsure where this was leading.
"Money doesn't make a man good," Mrs. Rodriguez said bluntly. "What makes you good enough for my Sophia?"
Adrian felt Sophia tense beside him, but he appreciated the woman's directness. This was someone who'd protected vulnerable children—of course she'd be protective of Sophia.
"Honestly? Nothing makes me good enough for her," Adrian said quietly. "She's extraordinary, and I'm just a man who's been lucky enough to win her heart. But I can promise you this—I will spend every day of my life trying to deserve her. I will protect her, support her dreams, and love her with everything I have."
Mrs. Rodriguez studied him for a long moment, then nodded approvingly. "Good answer. But I have one more question."
"Of course."
"What happens when the honeymoon phase ends? When real life gets complicated, when she's stressed about school or work, when she has her bad days? Because mi Sophia, she has scars that sometimes ache."
Adrian glanced at Sophia, seeing the anxiety in her eyes, before turning back to Mrs. Rodriguez.
"Then I'll be there," he said simply. "For the bad days and the good ones, for the stress and the celebrations, for all of it. Mrs. Rodriguez, I don't just love Sophia when she's happy and confident. I love her when she's anxious, when she's scared, when she's struggling. That's not going to change."
"And if she has a panic attack in the middle of an important business dinner? If her social anxiety makes your corporate events difficult?"
"Then we leave," Adrian said without hesitation. "Or we don't go in the first place. My business matters to me, but Sophia matters more. Always."
Mrs. Rodriguez smiled for the first time since the interrogation began. "Now that's what I wanted to hear." She reached across the table to squeeze Adrian's hand. "You'll do, young man. You'll do just fine."
Later, back at Adrian's penthouse, the three of them sat in the living room sharing stories and looking through photo albums that Mrs. Rodriguez had brought. Adrian listened as Sophia shared memories of her time in Mrs. Rodriguez's care—cooking lessons, bedtime stories, the way she'd made Christmas magical even with limited resources.
"You gave her something beautiful," Adrian said to Mrs. Rodriguez as Sophia dozed against his shoulder, exhausted by the emotional day.
"She gave me something beautiful too," Mrs. Rodriguez replied softly. "That child had been through so much, but she still had such capacity for love, such hope. She made me a better mother to all my kids."
"She makes me better too," Adrian admitted. "I didn't realize how empty my life was until she filled it."
"Love will do that," Mrs. Rodriguez said with a knowing smile. "But Adrian, real love isn't just about the feelings. It's about the choice to keep loving even when it's hard."
"I understand."
"I think you do," Mrs. Rodriguez said, looking at the way Adrian held Sophia, protective and tender even in sleep. "Take care of her. She's had enough heartbreak for one lifetime."
"I will," Adrian promised. "I'll guard her heart like it's my own—because it is."
The next morning, after a tearful goodbye with promises to visit soon and regular phone calls, Mrs. Rodriguez departed for Phoenix. Sophia was quiet as they watched her car disappear, processing the emotional reunion.
"Thank you," she said finally, turning to Adrian. "For finding her, for bringing her here, for... for everything."
"You don't need to thank me," Adrian said, pulling her close. "Seeing you happy makes me happy. Besides, I like Mrs. Rodriguez. She's going to be an excellent addition to our family."
"Our family?" Sophia asked softly.
"If you want," Adrian said, suddenly uncertain. "I mean, I know it's fast, but—"
"I want," Sophia interrupted, standing on her toes to kiss him. "I want all of it—the family, the future, everything."
"Good," Adrian said, relief flooding through him. "Because I called Columbia this morning while you were getting ready."
"You what?"
"I confirmed your acceptance to the program," Adrian said, grinning at her shocked expression. "You start in three weeks."
"Adrian!" Sophia gasped. "You can't just—"
"I can, and I did," Adrian said, spinning her around the living room. "You're going to Columbia, you're going to get your Master's degree, and you're going to become the author you were meant to be."
"What if—"
"No what-ifs," Adrian said firmly, setting her down but keeping his arms around her. "Only possibilities. Only dreams coming true."
"I love you," Sophia said suddenly, the words spilling out with more force than she'd ever used before.
"I love you too," Adrian replied, and in that moment, surrounded by the morning light in his penthouse, holding the woman who'd transformed his world, he felt like the luckiest man alive.
Three days later, Sophia found herself in Columbia University's admissions office, officially enrolling in the Master's program in Children's Literature. Adrian had insisted on coming with her, claiming he wanted to see the campus where his girlfriend would be studying.
"This is surreal," Sophia whispered as they walked across the historic campus.
"This is your future," Adrian corrected. "And it's going to be incredible."
As they passed the library, Sophia stopped suddenly. "Adrian, what if I'm making a mistake? What if I'm not smart enough, or good enough, or—"
"Hey," Adrian said gently, turning her to face him. "Remember what Mrs. Rodriguez used to tell you when you were scared?"
"That I was braver than I believed and stronger than I seemed," Sophia recited softly.
"She was right then, and she's right now," Adrian said. "You've got this, angel. And I've got you."
Standing there on the Columbia campus, surrounded by students and possibilities, Sophia felt a shift inside her—the last of her walls crumbling, replaced by hope and determination. She was going to do this. She was going to chase her dreams, build a life worthy of the love she'd found, and maybe, just maybe, write stories that would help other children believe in their own worth.
"Ready?" Adrian asked, squeezing her hand.
"Ready," Sophia said, and meant it.
Together, they walked toward the admissions building, toward Sophia's future, toward a life neither of them had imagined but both of them were ready to build together.