Who: Tessa Gray and Adam Milligan What: Making a delivery When: Tuesday morning Where: The clinic Warnings: None Status: Closed/Match-up/Complete
Although Tessa was neither a healer nor an invalid, she knew the clinic well. Jem had spent time here when he had first arrived: the healers here had been instrumental in curing him of his disease and his addiction. She herself had helped here when people had mysteriously gone into a coma, bringing food and water to those who had worked themselves to exhaustion to try to help.
Their efforts had not only been for the refugees. They had helped some of her native clients as well, and it was one of them who had sent Tessa to the clinic today with a basket of pastries from Horst’s.
“Good morning,” Tessa said, smiling at Adam, who was the first person she saw upon coming in. “Mrs. Fisher sends her greetings - and a few gifts. She says you are all far too thin and it makes her look bad.”
***
He’d been sitting at the desk with his feet propped up on it and his attention mostly caught by something that wasn’t a textbook -- he wanted to enjoy that kind of reading before the rest of the semester ate him alive, thank you -- but when he heard Tessa approaching he quickly dropped his feet from the desk and shut the magazine.
“Mrs. Fisher thinks everyone is far too thin,” Adam said with a laugh. “But far be it from me to turn away her gifts. The last time I tried, when she was in here for something, I got That Look every time she saw me for like two weeks.”
And he was nothing if not a quick learner.
***
“When it comes to Mrs. Fisher, I find it best to accept her gifts with grace.” Tessa set the basket on the counter. “Otherwise, you would never find any peace. Although as far as gifts are concerned, I have seen far worse. Should I leave these here, or take them to the lunch room?”
***
“Bring them back to the break room,” he said, standing. “That way they stand a chance of lasting for more than five minutes.” He grinned as he led her off in the direction of a room she probably could’ve found on her own, she’d been there enough by now.
“You want something before you go?” he asked. “Coffee? Cup of tea?” It wasn’t fussing, but it was easy to see where his fussing came from.
***
Tessa picked up the basket and followed him down the hall. “Water would be wonderful,” she said. It was a warm day out.
Once in the break room, she set down the basket on the table. “How are Katie and Finch?”
***
“They’re good,” he said, grabbing her a bottle of water from the fridge. “Katie’s growing like a weed. Hard to believe she’s two years old now.”
Harder to believe that he was only not quite twenty-three.
“How are Will and Jem?” He didn’t know them terribly well, had only met Will -- and briefly, at that -- but he was still interested.
***
“They are well,” Tessa said warmly. It still seemed strange, sometimes, when people were so openly accepting of the unique relationship she had with them both, but she was glad for it. They were much happier with the three of them than when they thought Tessa had to choose between one or the other.
She considered telling him they were thinking about starting their own family, but kept it to herself for now. Jem still had concerns, and she did not wish to get too far ahead of what he was comfortable with.
Instead, she asked, “Do you plan to have any more, or are you content with just Katie for now?”
***
“We want more, but at the moment it’s just Katie,” he said. “Though if one were to happen, I don’t think we’d be upset.”
He smiled fondly. “We weren’t expecting Katie, but she happened. I don’t know if we were too young -- you never know these things -- but we made it work. And I don’t regret any of it.”
Maybe wished that some of it had been easier, but he didn’t regret any of it.
***
“From what I have seen, Katie seems healthy and happy,” Tessa told him with a smile. “It is all anyone could ask for of their child.”
She did not know of Adam and Finch’s histories, but she had seen enough on the networks to know that their youth had not been idyllic. Madison seemed to draw people with broken childhoods. In comparison, her own had been almost comfortable, despite the constant hardship and lack of money.
***
“Everything I’ve done the past couple years has been for her,” Adam said. “Her and Finch. It’s been a tricky balancing act, and okay, yeah. I haven’t always managed it. But it’s gonna happen like that, I think. We’re not always gonna have it perfect. But we’re trying. I think we have to be given credit for that.”
A shrug as he went to pour himself a cup of coffee. “All I know is, I want to be a better father to her than mine was to me.”
***
Tessa did not know enough about Adam’s father to say much on the subject, but she heard the bitterness in his voice.
“Sometimes, all that matters to a child is that she is loved,” she said gently.
Of course, there were children for whom love was - and never would be - enough. Her own brother - no, cousin - was an example of that. But it would do no good to Adam to share that piece of information.
***
“And I do hope Katie knows that, as she grows up. I think she does already.” He smiled and took a sip of his coffee. “I tell you, gives me a whole new appreciation for my mother. She raised me on her own since dad was out of the picture for the most part, but she always made sure I knew I was loved.”
And in his own ways, so had John. Those just… hadn’t worked so well, in the end.
“Plus it helps that Katie has family here,” Adam said. “My brothers are here, Finch has the others from Panem, and we’ve both got friends. That kid’s loved like crazy.”
***
From the way Adam spoke, Tessa suspected that had been lacking in his own upbringing. She was glad he was able to provide more for his child. Perhaps he needed it as much as Katie did.
“She is a lucky girl,” Tessa said with a warm smile. “I hope to see her and Finch again soon. In the meantime, I had best resume my errands. I hope you enjoy the pastries.”
***
"Of course," Adam said with a nod. "Don't let me keep you. And oh, I'm sure we will. Tell Mrs. Fisher thank you from all of us the next time you see her, would you?"
With a quiet goodbye and a smile, he let Tessa get back to work; he lingered a few moments to finish his coffee. And a pastry.