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It was like waking up from a wonderful dream.
Robert almost had everything he wanted: his brave little girl in his arms ready to call him "dad". But then, she came. From where, he didn't know. All he knew was AJ's mother was here. Here and well and wanting her daughter. And just like that, Robert knew he had to wake up. He wasn't AJ's parent, only a counterfeit. A substitute until the real thing showed up.
This was how it had to be. He knew it all along. That was the plan: to deliver AJ to her pop-pop's and reunite her with her family. But he couldn't have known then how much it would hurt. How much he wanted AJ to stay with him. He would've cleaned up the apartment, and given her her own room. He would've gotten her a dog, as much of a mess it would mean for his home. He wouldn't care. He'd give her everything. He would've tucked her in at night, closing the evening with their 'roses and thorns' tradition. Robert already had his thorn for tonight: letting go of AJ.
He just had to be strong enough until she was gone. AJ needed her mother, and Robert could not in good conscience keep her if it made her unhappy. He had to be happy for her. He had to support her. Whatever it took to give AJ the life she deserved.
AJ was in Brianna's arms, having stopped swinging and started crying, hugging her tight. She suddenly startled and looked over at Robert, like she had just forgotten something important.
Robert held his breath. This was it. He was going to have to say goodbye for real. He could do this.
AJ slowly released herself from her mother's embrace and stepped lightly over to her caregiver. Her face was as vulnerable and desperate as he had ever seen it, and he hated it. He was so used to tough-girl, no bullshit, mess-with-me-I'll-slash-your-tires AJ, it was frightening to see her look so much like... like a lost little girl. When she finally reached him, Robert expected a hug or a sad smile, something to put their journey to an end, something to split his battered heart in half. He did not expect for her to reach out her hand, eyes never leaving his.
Robert took it her hand in his own, warily, and stood up as she walked him over to her mother. AJ grasped her mother's hand tight and said with tears still in her eyes. "I'm not leaving him. I wanna be with you, Mom, but he has to come too", she said like it was a threat, a bargain for her mother to take or leave, "He's my family."
Her voice cracked on the word "family", and she looked up at Robert, just about ready to break. Fortunately for her, Robert broke first. The tears came rolling back out and he fell to his knees and hugged that little girl so tight she couldn't breathe. AJ always did what she wanted, and damn did she fight for it. And God, he loved her so damn much. AJ clutched onto him as hard as her little arms could, hoping maybe if she did, her mother would give in to her proposition.
Unbeknownst to the two of them, Brianna was sitting there watching them, confused and enlightened all at once. This complete and total stranger had been caring for her daughter while she was away. Traveling for who knows how far for six weeks. Six weeks of breakfasts, sunny days, and bedtimes. Of course, they would have grown close. Louis really was telling the truth, his roommate really was taking good care of her. After everything Brianna put her baby girl through, she couldn't possibly ask AJ to give up the only other person in the world that she loves. Not in this story.
She watched her daughter cry in the arms of this warm, kind, and selfless man and stood. Robert took notice and looked up at her, startled by the sudden movement. He stood in front of her, ironically towering over her height, though he felt as small as a mouse under her gaze.
With wetness in her eyes, Brianna whispered, "Maybe we can work something out. For the three of us. I..., " her voice caught and her next words were inaudible. She swallowed deep and tried again.
"I need help taking care of her. I can barely afford to feed myself nowadays. And if you could help, however much you think is right? Well, I think we'd both really like that". She smiled through her tears, with a hand on AJ's shoulder. The kid in question looked up at her mother, searching for the catch or the lie or the scam. Because Jesus Christ did that sound like a dream come true.
"Mom?", asked AJ, wary and excited.
"Robert, is it? Would you like to officially adopt AJ?"
The words shattered Robert's mind like glass, the pounding in his heart being just one more overwhelming feeling on this upside-down day. AJ was the one who pulled him back to reality, her pouncing hug the thing that pulled him backward into the dirt. The tomboy's grin was bigger than he had ever seen, her quintessential scream echoing "YES! YES! YES!-" as she embraced her new father, trusting full well that he would never let her go. And Robert? He had never felt so much joy. This wonderful little firecracker had chosen him. And God as his witness, he would never let her down. He cupped his palm into the back of AJ's hair, laughing as he cried, "Yes."
AJ now sat straddling Robert, while the latter was flat on his back in the grass. And as Robert looked up at his daughter, he laughed. He laughed and laughed and laughed until his tears had all gone and run away. This was no place for them. This was where the happy endings happen.
----
It had been a cathartic couple of weeks. Everyone made it back to New York, safe and accounted for, which is more than Robert could have asked for these past few months. AJ spent her days walking back and forth across the hall, from her mother's apartment to Robert's. Neither were her permanent home. Her life was already anything but normal, two apartments to call her home felt normal enough to her. Brianna was making the first steps to quit her drug habit, Robert helping the most he could. None of them knew it, but it would be for real this time. In years to come, she would be entirely abstinent. AJ needed a role model after all, and Brianna intended to finally start being one. Robert rebuilt his illustrious drag career and took New York City by storm with her Ruby Red renaissance. Everyone, miraculously, got the ending they'd wanted. At least, not quite yet.
The family of three made a special outing to the courthouse one Monday morning. After a lot of technicalities and paperwork, Robert was finally handed the most important piece of paper of his life. The signing of which would legally make him AJ's other legal guardian. He gazed down at it, eyes blurring over the mess of words that were explaining to him what he had already known for weeks. That he would be AJ's father, to love and protect her, whenever she needed him. He looked at his soon-legal-daughter to be and took in her teasing smirk.
"Not trying to weasel out now, are you Pops?", she said with full confidence to the contrary.
Robert flicked his signature on the line, dropped the pen, and turned to face her now toothy smile.
"Not a fucking chance"