Hey, happy Sunday!

First amor all, thank you so much for your comments.

I'm good, I just have been crazy busy at work and I'm trying to catch up on my writing but it's getting difficult.

No, I'm not giving up on any of my stories. I will hopefully jump back on track in a few weeks.

Hope you like this little update.

I'll try to be back asap!

Happy reading!

Xoxo,

Nina

The sound of the doorbell made her jump up and down in the living room. Seeing Uncle Adam was by far one her favorite things, especially after so many days without seeing him.

"He's here! He's here!" Her excitement was the reason for her parents' joy. There have been so many ups and downs in her life, that seeing her beaming like that was all they could ask for. Both Anne and Kit were extremely grateful for Adam, Kim and everything they did for their little girl.

"Why don't you go answer the door?" Anne offered her daughter. "Remember to ask who it is first."

"But it's Uncle Adam, I can see his car in the driveway." She answered as she peaked through the window.

"Just to be sure. You always need to ask who it is." Kit's voice was firm, he drilled safety procedures into her every time he got the chance. He was always trying to protect his family.

"Ok." She dashed to the door and spoke before opening it. "Who is it?"

"It's Uncle Adam."

The door opened suddenly and Grace jumped in his arms, hugging him by the neck before planting a sweet kiss on his cheek. "That was probably the best hello I've gotten in a while. How are you muffin? Better from last night's bad dream?"

"I'm good! Daddy read a story to me before going to bed, and then I showed them the scrapbook again."

"Did it help?"

"Totally! She slept like a baby." Kit added, coming to the door with Anne on his side.

"That's my little champion!" He lifted up his right hand to hi-five his niece, as his left arm still had a tight grip on her. "I'm so proud of you, Grace. In fact, I have a little surprise for you."

"Really?" Her little eyes sparked like bright stars. "Is it a puppy?"

The three adults chuckled and Kit shook his head. Gracie had almost convinced him to get her a puppy, telling him a new fact about dogs every day and even checking out books about dogs from the library.

"It's much better than a puppy." Adam told her.

"Two puppies?"

"Why don't we stop guessing and go outside and check?" He had no option but to cut this conversation short, Gracie could go on for hours if it meant she was a step closer to her much desired puppy.

"Yes!" Adam put her down and watched her run to the front yard as he walked behind her. He smiled when he saw Gracie stop on her tracks when she realized Kim was there. The little girl didn't speak, she just turned around to look at her uncle with her mouth wide open.

"Told ya it was better than a puppy."

"You brought Ms. B for dinner?" It was cute to see how careful she was with her words around Kim.

"No muffin. Your Aunt Kim came over for dinner." Her cute green eyes were shining bright like emeralds.

"Aunt Kim? You remember me?"

"Yes bear, I do."

Gracie couldn't contain herself. She just went running towards her aunt who was waiting for her with wide open arms, holding her up and wrapping the little girl tight to her chest.

"Did the bracelet help you?"

"It did, but what helped me the most was seeing you."

"Really?"

"Mm hmm. That hug you gave me, that was the key." Kim kissed the top of her head. "Thank you, Gracie."

"You're welcome Aunt Kim." She whispered softly as her little head was buried in her aunt's neck. Adam's heart couldn't help it anymore and shy tears were gathering up in his eyes until Gracie quickly shifted her body to face her uncle with a defiant, yet cute look in her face.

"See? I told you you needed to take me to see Aunt Kim!"

The flour adults laughed at her comment and Adam could only shake his head and look down for a second

"I guess you were right."

"Mmm hmm. You need to listen to my advice." Gracie rolled her eyes as she talked to her uncle while a kim was putting her back in the ground, but her little hand was firmly wrapped around Kim's.

"It's so good to officially meet you, Kim." Anne started as she walked outside and reached for a hug. "My husband Kit and I have no words to thank you for all you have done for our family."

"Especially for putting up with my little brother." Kit joked as he joined his wife to greet Kim. "All jokes aside, thank you for everything Kim. And it's a real pleasure to finally meet you. I know how much you mean to two of the most important people in my life, and that makes you as important to me and my wife as well."

"Thank you, but really the pleasure has been mine all this time. Grace is such a wonderful little girl, she has such a special place in my heart. You've clearly done a great job with her."

"Thank you so much." Anne's eyes were getting watery by the second. Hearing someone else express that much affection for her child was moving and emotional for her. "Let's head inside and get ready for dinner."

"Yes! Let's go so I can show you my house." Gracie added enthusiastically and directed Kim into the house. She took total control of the tour while the rest of the adults were taking care of the last details for dinner.

"You have a beautiful room here Gracie!" Kim told her as she sat on the small bed inside a fairy themed bedroom. Her niece had shown her around the whole place and left her room for last, wanting to take extra time to show Kim her books and toys.

"Thank you." She said proudly. "But I don't sleep here every night yet." Gracie was going through her bookshelf trying to find the latest one she was reading, she was eager to show her aunt how much better her reading skills were.

"You don't?" Even though Adam had already told her about Gracie's new routine, Kim allowed her the time and space to express her own point of view on it.

"No. I still go to Uncle Adam's some nights. I miss staying with him."

"I totally get that. Your uncle is very fun to be around."

"Is he your boyfriend again?"

"Um, yes. He is." Kim was a bit hesitant about confirming that because they hadn't really spoken about the status of their relationship; but after everything that happened, especial after the wonderful night they spent together, there wasn't much room for error in the answer she had given Grace.

"Thank God." She got closer to Kim and began to whisper. "He was a total mess without you. He was even kind of boring, but don't tell him I said that. He was trying his best."

Kim wanted to laugh and at the same time she wanted to hug both of them. They were so damn adorable. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. Although, it's kind of hard to picture a boring Uncle Adam."

"Oh puh-leeezeee, believe me." She rolled her little eyes and this time Kim couldn't hold back her laughter.

"Plus, he didn't let me see you."

"Well, he was trying to look out for both of us. That's what he does, and I think he does an amazing job there. Don't you agree with me?"

"Yeah. Uncle Adam is the best." Gracie said proudly.

"He totally is and he really loves you." Kim's index finger playfully touched the tip of Gracie's nose, making her giggle.

"I know." She agreed happily. "He told me that we are his favorite girls in the world."

"Did he?"

"I most certainly did." Adam's voice surprised both of them. They were so concentrated in their conversation that they totally missed the fact that he was standing by the door, almost hypnotized by the sight in front of him. "You two are, without a doubt, my favorite girls in the world, and I love you both so much."

"We love you too, right Gracie?"

"Yup. A whole lot!"

"I'm such a lucky guy." He watched attentively as Grace kept moving around her room looking for things to show to her aunt. She was clearly determined to make the most out of the time she had with her. "What are you looking for muffin?"

"The scrapbook. I wanna show Aunt Kim the pages mom and I added."

"I think I saw it downstairs, but it's time for dinner now and your parents asked me to get you ready. So maybe you can show her the book after we eat. Sounds good?"

"Um, but it's just for a few minutes." She wasn't too convinced. The idea of missing the chance of keeping Kim on the loop sacred her a little. She didn't know when things were going downhill again, so she wanted to be sure nothing was left unsaid.

"It's alright, bear. I'm not going anywhere, you can show me the book after dinner and now go wash your hands so we can get ready to eat."

"Ok." She started her way to the bathroom.

"Do you need help kiddo?" Adam asked as he followed her with his eyes.

"No, I'm good. I'm gonna wash my hands, get the scrapbook and sit for dinner."

"Ok, sounds like a plan." He chuckled and shook his head once Gracie was out of the room.

"She's something."

"She totally is. How are you feeling so far?"

"Good. Too good actually." Adam's eyes were wide in surprise. "I mean, it feels natural."

"I'm glad you feel that way." He was beaming and couldn't hide it even if he tried. "Come on, I'm hungry."

They walked hand in hand into the dining room where Kit, Anne and Gracie were waiting for them.

"We weren't sure if you were a white or red wine person, so we asked Adam and he said red." Kit started as he poured the scarlet drink in four glasses.

"So, if you don't like it, blame him." Anne added playfully.

"Red is my preferred choice actually." Adam smiled proudly at Kim's confirmation. "You guys didn't have to do all of this, I mean, this table looks beautiful and the food smells delicious." Kim continued as she contemplated the table set before her.

"Are you kidding? We were really looking forward to this, we heard so much about you and really have no words for everything you've done, so this is the least we could do." Anne's words were super honest and as Kim eyed Gracie, she could see her squinting eyes and her glittering smile light up the room. It wasn't hard for Kim to decide where to sit, tonight her place was right next to her niece.

"To be honest, I was curious to meet the girl who got my brother to settle down." Kit and Adam had a wonderful relationship, and like any siblings, they never missed the chance to mock each other.

"I would love to take credit for that, but I believe it was your daughter the one who made that happen."

"It was the both of you." Adam said as he looked at both his girls. "You totally flipped my life around and l actually love it."

"In that case, I guess we helped you see what was always in you." Kim's eyes showed just how in love she was with him. She felt a little embarrassed when she saw every adult looking at her, and she was quick to find a way out. "Are we a great team or what?" Her question was directed to Gracie, who nodded with a smile and high fived her aunt.

"We are!" They all laughed at the little girl's excitement.

"So, how have you been feeling?" Anne asked.

Kim sighed before answering. "Overwhelmed." She paused and smiled as she looked at her plate. "And extremely happy. Unveiling the life I didn't remember and realizing it was all I wanted was one of the best feelings ever. Plus, having my family, Sylvie and Adam during this whole process is making it much easier."

"Are you coming back to school? We miss you and our new teacher is boring."

"Not this year, bear. The school year is almost over and I still need a little more time to rest. But I'm getting ready to go back next year, because I really miss you too."

"Can you at least go to the award ceremony?" This time Gracie's question came with pouting lips.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Dinner went great. Kim was happy getting to know Adam's family, and both Anne and Kit where delighted with her. It was so easy to see the pure love she had for Adam and Gracie, and how easily she clicked with them as well; making jokes and laughing all together.

As soon as the last bite of food entered Gracie's mouth, she jumped down from her chair and run to get the scrapbook. She was eager to show Kim the pages she had added. Some of them had pictures of activities she shares with her parents, but there were a few pages that she was especially proud of and excited to show her aunt.

Kim joined Gracie right after offering to help clear the table and getting a definite no from the hosts. As they were going through the pages, the brunette was happy to actually remember putting the scrapbook together with Grace as well as the actual memories that were portrayed in those colorful and fun pages.

As they were getting closer to the end, Kim's eyes began to get watery. Seeing them so happy playing, coloring, or just goofing around filled her heart. But it was the last page that totally had her. It was a hand drawn picture of her and Adam as princess Belle and Prince Adam, next to a picture they had taken the night of the gala, when she was wearing the yellow dress.

"I love this, honey. You did such an amazing job."

"Thank you." The little girl smiled proudly. "My mommy helped me."

"It's lovely. I really want you to show me how to make those glittering hearts right there. They look amazing."

"Yes! It's super easy, I can show you right now."

"Not so fast, Miss Ruzek." Kit called out when he saw his daughter stand up and head towards her art supplies. "You need to get your jammies on, so we can have dessert and then off to bed."

"Can aunt Kim stay over? Please!" She begged putting her hands together.

"I don't know hun, maybe it's too much for one night." Kit answered with a soft voice.

Adam came closer to his niece and kneeled in front of her. "Muffin, I know you missed your aunt Kim so so much and that you really want to spend time with her because so do I, but I was kind of hoping to get a little more time with her tonight. Would you be totally mad at me if we schedule something fun to do, the three of us, another day?" Gracie looked between her aunt and uncle and was still deciding what to answer.

"I'd love to stay with you bear, but uncle Adam and I still have some things to talk about. How about we plan a sleepover next week? How does that sound?"

Gracie nodded at Kim's sweet words.

"Ok."

"Yeah?"

"Mmm hmm. Uncle Adam missed you a lot so he can have some extra time today. I can share."

"That's my girl." Adam cheered. "Come, your dad and I will help you get ready." The three Ruzeks went upstairs, leaving Anne and Kim alone.

"I know I said this before, but I'm so grateful for you. Our girl blossomed through these very difficult times thanks to you and Adam."

"To be honest, I think it was her and Adam who helped me. They helped me get my life together, and I'm not only talking about the accident. I genuinely care so deeply about both of them."

"I know. I mean, we can see that with every word you say and everything you do. Gracie really missed you, she's been having a rough time adjusting to this all, and I think that having you again will really help."

"Adam told me a little about the new routine. She's a smart and sensible girl, I know she'll get through this. Plus, she has an amazing support system, which is always an asset. She's the apple of Adam's eyes, you do know that, right?"

"Oh yeah, we do. Those two have had an amazing bond ever since she was born. I have to show you the pictures and videos sometime, you'll melt. I promise."

"Oh, please. I'd love to see that."

"By the way, he's helplessly in love with you. I, literally, never saw him like this. So devastated when you were in the hospital and so overflowing with happiness right now. He's an amazing guy, a bit crazy sometimes but the most honest man with the kindest heart. Just like his brother." Kim was smiling. She was naturally getting along with Anne and she loved that.

"I know, he's the best. I love him too. I really can't picture my life without him, even when I didn't remember our life together, I felt such an intense pull towards him."

"You two are perfect for each other."

"Thanks. I think so too." Kim's cheeks were slightly blushed.

"We are ready for dessert!" Kit's voice echoed through the house as they came down the stairs, Adam with Gracie on his shoulders.

The rest of the night was amazing, they promised to do this again, only next time they would also extend the invitation to Bob; and although she wasn't sleeping over tonight, Kim did take Gracie to bed, reading her a bedtime story until she was fully asleep.

"She's out." She said as she joined the rest of the adults downstairs.

"Thanks Kim, she was so excited to have you here."

"I was excited to be here too, Kit. It was really nice getting to know you."

"We'll host next time." Adam stated.

"Are you sure bro? We're tough guests."

"Shut up, Kit." Anne playfully slapped her husband on the shoulder.

"Oh don't worry Anne, I have a few tricks up my sleeve." Adam chuckled as he continued to tease his brother. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah. Thanks for everything. I had a really good time."

"So did we." Anne was the first one to hug Kim, followed by Kit and then they both hugged Adam before the happy couple left for his truck.