I remember you

The way your eyes shine

The color of your favorite shirt

Your crooked smile

How you always hid in the covers

Alexander smiled, watching the girl flit about between the other kids with her eyes taking in everything around her. She was always excitable on Halloween. Costumes were just her sort of thing and she loved helping everyone get them on. If he didn't pull her away, she wouldn't have time to put her own on.

"C'mon, Anna. The fairy's wings can wait you gotta get your stuff on too!"

"But Alex-"

"No buts. We got ten minutes left."

The girl squeaked and ran off to the bedroom, nothing else needed to spring her into action. Alexander laughed at her eagerness and waited by the door. When she stepped out in the little princess dress, he took her hand and dragged her to the door. Any longer and they would have been late.

"Alex, wait! I forgot teddy! He's supposed to be my prince."

He groaned inwardly, looking between the front door and the stairs before making a snap decision.

"Well, I'll just have to be your prince instead."

I used to think you were a dream

I used to think I wouldn't see you again

Alexander tried not to look back as he waited on his new dad to finish with the lady he'd called mom for most of his life. His name was Alexander Hamilton-Washington now. He hadn't wanted to get rid of his last name. He liked it too much. It was the last thing of his real mother he had left.

Even now he could hear the little girl crying in the other room. He felt bad, leaving her behind like this, but he was happy to be adopted. It wasn't like he wouldn't see her again. Adoption wasn't the end of the world and he wasn't really leaving. He just lived somewhere else now.

He tried explaining it to her, but she didn't get it. She thought he was abandoning her. I'm not, he told himself. I'm not abandoning her. How could I, anyways? It's not like we're that close.

"Are you ready to go, son?"

Alexander risked a look back, the sound of crying fading. He leaned a little to the side to see the girl sleeping, her face red from all the crying and the bear he gave her secure in her tiny arms. It was better that she didn't see him walk out the door. He wasn't sure she could handle that much. With a nod, he looked up to his dad.

"I'm ready."

But now you're here

And you're real

And I see you every day

Through the pictures and texts on my screen

And all I know

Is I'm not letting you go

Alexander looked down at the girl who fell asleep on his shoulder and sighed. There was no way he was moving now. Eliza looked too amused with them to help with the situation and Angelica was acting like she didn't see anything. He never should have agreed to come to the group meeting. He wasn't even a part of this club. Of course, Johanna wasn't either but she was still sitting there. He looked back up to the screen and tried to focus on the show.

"I don't think our little Anna is letting you go very far, Alexander," Eliza said softly, scooting a little closer to make sure he heard her.

He frowned a little, eyes going back to the girl. If she was going to lay on him like that, there was no way he could move. She wasn't heavy or anything; Johanna was surprisingly small, really. He would just feel guilty if he moved and she woke up.

"She really does adore you."

Alexander's head shot up to look at Eliza, who had completely turned her attention back to the activity and effectively ended the conversation there. When he was younger, hearing someone say that Johanna adored him would have just bene like pointing out a fact. He knew it, she knew it, and everyone else knew it. He thought that would have faded out by now.

Johanna shifted a little, head turning and nuzzling into him. His surprise lessened the more he looked at her. It sort of made sense, when he thought about it. She still had the bear and she'd thought about him even after he was gone. It made sense that she still had affection for him. Some things just really don't change do they?

"…Man, you still drool in your sleep too."

Until the end of time