A/N: And here we are at the beginning of the end…

Turning Tables

To Begin Without

The hallway was spinning and focus was zooming out, becoming blurry like looking through a window running with rain. Adrian Lee held her breath. She'd fantasized about this moment for years; about all the things she'd say, all the things she'd do, and now that he was within arm's length she couldn't remember any of it.

Was he within arm's length? Was he really? She couldn't be sure. Everything seemed corporeal enough, but it always did in dreams. If it was a dream, she wasn't about to squander it. Adrian lurched forward and pressed her hands to either side of his face. Warmth. She felt her mascara running. "¿Antonio? ¿Es realmente usted?"

"Si," he promised.

"But…how?"

"I beat the cancer. It beat my hair, but I beat it in the end."

Adrian brushed her thumb in a circle around his eyes, the curves of his ears, down his jawline, and ran her fingers over the spiky stubble of his army-looking hairstyle. She found herself missing the heat of his thick black waves. "No," she wheezed, something between a laugh and a sob. "How did you find me? Here? Today? Now."

Antonio Vasquez reached into the pocket of his slacks and pulled out a folded piece of paper. When he opened it to its full length, the fold lines were soft and deep. He turned it over and showed it to Adrian. "Mi tía saw the Valedictorian announcement in the local paper and sent me an e-mail. She knew I'd been trying to find you online, but I guess you're not really into social media."

Adrian shook her head, unable to stop the flow of tears.

"Anyway, when I got the e-mail I looked up the article on the newpaper's website and when I read the ceremony date I immediately booked a flight down here." He shook his head, laughing. "I was sure I was going to lose you on your way out of here and then you ducked into the hall and I followed."

"I can't believe you're here."

Antonio rubbed his fingers over the watery black ribbons on Adrian's cheeks. "Neither can I."

And just like that, she was fourteen again. Every feeling she'd ever had about Antonio slammed into her chest like a detonating skyscraper and she pulled his face towards hers, their lips barely brushing before she remembered Ben and turned her head; Antonio's kiss landed on her right cheek. She drew her arms around his neck and held him against her body, crying softly when he slipped his arms around her in return.

TSLOTAT TSLOTAT TSLOTAT TSLOTAT

Grace Bowman angled her cell phone at a small cupcake in her hand: it had orange frosting topped with an upside down mini peanut butter cop, a small Hershey's rectangle balanced atop the Reese's, and a tail of yellow icing to mimic a graduation tassel on the Hershey's. The photo snapped, she hit Send, and proceeded to lick away the frosting tassel. A few minutes later her phone buzzed.

Those are cute!

Aren't they? I'm slightly jealous I didn't think of them myself. Do you want me to bring home any for you and George?

Only if it's not too much trouble.

O.K.

"Grace?"

"Ms. Lee!" Grace squeaked.

Cindy Lee scrunched her eyebrows. "Have you seen Adrian?"

Grace shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. "No, sorry," she said, finding it increasingly difficult to look Cindy in the eyes. "I've been looking for her too."

"That's strange," Cindy mumbled. "I would have thought she'd be here by now. I tried to call, but she won't pick up."

"Maybe she's driving?"

"Maybe. Everyone else seems to be here."

"If I see her, I'll tell her you were asking."

"Thank you."

Grace stuffed the Reese's into her mouth and stared down the dessert table until she felt it was safe to peer over her shoulder again and her best friend's mother was nowhere in sight. She breathed a sigh of relief.

TSLOTAT TSLOTAT TSLOTAT TSLOTAT

"Adrian, it's me. Where are you? Your mom's wandering around half mad. You should've been here twenty minutes ago. Come on, please just call me back. Or text. Anything to let me know you're okay. I don't want to be clingy, but the last time you fell off the face of the Earth it was because you got abducted, so I think I have a right to be a little overly cautious—"

"If you are satisfied with your message, press one. If you would like to re-record, press—"

Ben Boykewich hit the first option and shoved his phone into his back pocket.

"Hey, Ben, I think you might wanna come wrangle your loin fruit!"

Ben hurried in the direction of Heather Willis' voice and found her waiting with one foot in the mansion and one foot in the backyard. "What's going on?"

Heather smirked and motioned to the lawn.

Ben heard uproarious laughter as he stepped outside and the first thing he noticed were some guests aiming their cell phones near the gift table. When he followed the direction of their eyes and camera lenses, he saw his daughter's pigtailed head peek out from under the tablecloth, her mouth covered in orange frosting and cupcake crumbs. Ben moved to step forward, but felt Heather grab his arm.

"No, wait, this is where it gets good…"

"Wh—"

Mercy Lee crawled out from beneath the gift table in nothing but her birthday suit and Disney Princess Pull-Ups. She saw many of the guests laughing, cooing, and pointing at her and she clapped excitedly and began do her best imitation of her mother's dance to Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie."

The color drained from Ben's face. "How long–"

"She's been stripping for about five minutes. First the shoes, then the socks…she kept peeking out from under the table, doin' her little jig, and running back under there to hide."

"Why didn't you do something?!"

"What?" Heather shrugged. "She's not my spawn. Besides, she's clearly loving the attention."

Ben waved his hand angrily at Heather. "Mercy!"

At the sound of her father's yelp, Mercy squealed and darted back under the table.

"Mercy!" Ben yelled. "You come out from under there right now!"

"That's gonna work," Heather snorted.

Ben dropped into a squat in the grass, attempting to avoid kneeling in his new slacks. "Mercy Valencia Lee!"

With feet like greased lightning, Mercy sprung off down the length of the table.

TSLOTAT TSLOTAT TSLOTAT TSLOTAT

"So, have you given any thought to it yet?"

"Yeah," Ricky Underwood replied sarcastically. "I was thinking about it the entire time I was in the bathroom."

"You had to have given it some thought," his girlfriend, Clementine Tristesse, pressed.

Ricky fingered a strand of Clementine's golden-brown hair and tucked it behind her ear. "My parents put you up to this, didn't they?"

Clementine kissed the corner of his mouth. "They just want to get you something special for graduation."

"Well I haven't decided yet."

Clementine gauged him and slowly rolled her head back on her shoulders. "Well don't take too long."

Ricky slid his arm around her waist and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply. "I'll get back to them, but they aren't here right now."

"They're just downstairs," Clementine replied, her face flushed as she pulled away from his mouth.

"We don't have to go downstairs."

Clementine entwined her fingers with her boyfriend's. "I think we do."

Ricky pulled her back as she tried to walk him away and kissed the back of her hand.

TSLOTAT TSLOTAT TSLOTAT TSLOTAT

"I don't know about this, Adrian…"

"Por favor," Adrian rasped. "For me."

Antonio reached across the passenger seat to lay his hand on hers. "Para usted."

"Thank you."

"Are you sure your friends are going to be okay with this?"

"It's my party," she smiled. "Everyone close to me was invited. I would've sent you an invitation myself if I'd known…"

Antonio squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry—"

"Don't. No apologies, not today. I just want to celebrate."

"Right." Antonio nodded. "Well in that case, let's get this party started!"

Adrian grinned as she walked around to the trunk of the car and looped her arm around Antonio's. She noted his gaping expression as they approached the front doors of the Boykewich Mansion.

"You've got some fancy friends."

Adrian held her breath at the word friend.

"Someone actually lives here?" Antonio asked, his head rolling around on his shoulders. "You could fit a whole church in this place! That's it, isn't it? A convent lives here?"

"Not quite. It belongs to Leo Boykewich."

"Boykewich?" Antonio echoed. "That sounds fam–"

"The Sausage King."

"That's it!" Antonio nodded. "You know him?"

"Well," Adrian said, stopping suddenly before they reached the door to the backyard. "There's something I need to tell–"

"There you are!"

Adrian stilled.

"Everyone has been looking all over for you," Cindy rambled. "Where have you—" She stopped, mirroring her daughter's stance as she saw the young man looped around her daughter's arm.

Antonio stood a little straighter. "Señorita Lee. Or is it Señora now?"

Cindy twisted her head between her daughter and Adrian's old flame. "Uh…no," she said, flashing him a ringless ring finger. "I…Adrian?"

"It's really him," Adrian whispered.

"I didn't know how to contact you before I came down–"

"No, no," Cindy interrupted. "I – I just don't know what to say."

Adrian felt Antonio's muscles tightening under her arm. "There will be time enough for catching up later, right Antonio?"

"Of course."

Cindy swallowed uncertainly. "Mr. Boykewich has been waiting on you."

"Where is he?"

"Out by the stage."

"Stage? If he thinks I'm giving another speech—"

"Just hurry, he's been waiting long enough."

"Right. Thanks, Mom."

"There's a stage?"

Adrian shrugged as she pulled Antonio into the backyard. "There's a theater too."

"You seem to know this house pretty well."

"About that…Antonio," she said, stopping halfway across the lawn. "Mr. Boykewich is the father of—"

"Adrian!"

"Grace!"

"Grace?"

"No, sorry," Adrian said, "Leo's not Grace's father, that's Grace." She pointed at her best friend.

Grace's brow furrowed. "Nice to meet you…" she said, offering her hand automatically.

"Antonio," the latter filled in.

Grace's hand stiffened in the Latino's hand. "I'm sorry, Antonio?" She looked pointedly at her friend.

Adrian nodded.

"I take it there's something I'm missing?"

"No!" Grace said quickly. "It's just—are you graduation-speech-Antonio?" But what she really wanted to ask was if he was first-love-Antonio; even if she already knew, she wanted it said out loud.

"Guess I got to be there with the graduating class after all."

'Surprise,' Adrian mouthed.

Grace bit the insides of her cheeks. "I can't wait to hear this story…"

A tap punctuated the outdoor sound system and a familiar cough pushed its way through the speakers. "I see our guest of honor is here," Leo's voice boomed jovially.

Adrian turned to see Leo on stage in his wheelchair, holding the microphone.

"I'd like to thank everyone who has come today to celebrate Adrian's accomplishments with us. We're all so proud of you, Adrian."

Adrian nodded and closed her eyes, feeling everyone's eyes on her.

"And I hope you don't mind, but there are a few old friends I've invited to join us." Leo motioned to Camille Cartmel to draw back the curtains on the stage. "Please give a warm welcome to a little brand I had the pleasure of catering for a few times over the years. You may have heard of them, Green Day?"

The curtains drew back, revealing Green Day in position to sing their first song.

Leo wheeled over to the lead singer, shook his hand, and offered up the microphone.

"Congratulations, Adrian!" the brand members called collectively. "This one's for you." The guitar strums of "Time of Your Life" began to ping from the speakers.

All around them, people began to find partners and begin dancing. Antonio offered his upturned hand. "I know I've missed quite a few over these past few years, so would it be okay if I asked for this dance?"

"…time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go. So make the best of this test and don't ask why…"

Adrian blinked back the welling in her eyes and swallowed hard. "Sure," she whispered, placing her hand in his.

Antonio drew her close and wrapped his arm carefully around her waist.

Adrian rested her cheek against Antonio's shoulder and settled into the slow sway of their feet.

Across the dance floor, Margaret and Sanjay Shakur danced up alongside their son and his girlfriend. "Mind if we cut in?" Margaret asked.

"Not at all," Clementine laughed. She disentangled herself from Ricky and took Shakur's awaiting hand.

Ricky rolled his eyes as his mother took his hand. "I know what you want."

"That's interesting," Margaret said. "Because your father and I haven't the slightest idea what you want."

"Come on, Mom. This is Adrian's party."

"And we agreed to come because we're all proud of her, but just because she's Valedictorian doesn't make her achievements anymore special than yours."

"It kind of does, hence the honors."

Margaret shook her head. "You've overcome a lot, Ricky."

"I know."

"Many foster kids don't even make it to graduation."

"I'm not a foster kid; I haven't been a foster kid for a very long time."

"Well I'm glad you feel that way," Margaret said, a surprised yet genuine smile playing on her lips. "That's how your father and I see it too."

"I was wrong all those years ago," Ricky said.

"Wrong about what?"

Ricky stopped dancing. "Wrong about adoption."

Margaret tilted her head to the side.

"That's what I want," Ricky said. "For my graduation present, I want you to adopt me. Officially."

TSLOTAT TSLOTAT TSLOTAT TSLOTAT

"Lita picked this out especially for you to wear to Mommy's graduation last time she had a flight in Mexico," Ben said, holding up the dress Mercy took off downstairs. "This cost a lot of money!"

Mercy blew a raspberry at the dress.

"Well you can't run around wearing nothing," Ben argued.

Mercy folded her arms stubbornly. "Purrnoso."

"Purr what?" Ben asked, racking his brain for whatever Spanish word she might be trying to say. Then he blinked. "Pruriginoso!" he said, excitedly realizing she was attempting to say something in Italian. He glanced at the rough lace trim on the dress and rubbed it between his fingers. "Okay," he sighed. "I guess it is kind of itchy, but…" He blinked and tilted his head at the faint sound coming from downstairs. He moved to the window and peered outside, realizing that the band was already on stage. "She's already here!"

Mercy bounced up and down on her father's bed.

Ben grunted and hurriedly reached for the diaper bag. He rifled through it a few times before pulling out a hot pink Dora the Explorer shirt without bottoms and tugged it over his daughter's head. "We've gotta go find Mommy!"

"¡Mamá! ¡Mamá!" Mercy clapped.

TSLOTAT TSLOTAT TSLOTAT TSLOTAT

"…it's something unpredictable, but in the end is right…"

Grace spotted Ben carrying Mercy out the backdoor and made a beeline to him, attempting to block his view of Adrian and Antonio. "Ben, hey!"

"Hey, sorry Grace, but we're looking for Adrian, I heard the band start–"

"Yeah!" Grace said brightly. "I thought maybe we could have then next song?"

"Well, the first song really should've been with Adrian, but I've just about missed the whole thing." He motioned agitatedly to the stage as the music was fading from the speakers. "So the next one should be with–"

"¡Mamá!"

"Exactly." Ben kissed Mercy's forehead and looked over his shoulder to where his daughter was pointing animatedly. He wasn't sure he believed what he saw: Adrian, comfortably swaying in the arms of another man, and one he didn't recognize at that. He blinked and blinked again.

"¡Mamá! ¡Mamá!"

Antonio paid no attention to the sound of the screeching toddler, but Adrian's head popped up and her gaze entangled with Ben's. She stopped dancing, despite Antonio's confused gestures.

"Adrian?" Ben asked, nearing the duo.

"¡Mamá!"

"Ben," Adrian said.

Ben and Antonio exchanged confused looks.

Grace gulped. "Maybe I should take Mercy?" she offered.

Adrian shook her head and reached for the bouncing baby girl. "No," she said. "Antonio, I'd like you to meet someone very important to me. This is Mercy…my daughter."

Mercy pressed a sloppy kiss to her mother's cheek.

"And this is her father, Ben…my - my boyfriend."

Antonio's shoulders stiffened, but he smiled graciously at the child. "It's nice to meet you both." As polite as he was, the words dripped with strain.

Ben offered a rigid hand. "Antonio?" he said, repeating what Adrian had said when she introduced Mercy.

"Maybe I should take Mercy now?" Grace offered again.

This time, Adrian wordlessly handed her daughter over to her friend.