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"I was just looking at some old photos," explained Adam, handing the picture of Charlie over to his father-in-law. "That's a good one of her, isn't it?"

When Chuck recognized his daughter's beautiful face, he nodded proudly. "She looks like her mother."

"Does she?" Adam smiled. He showed Chuck another of Charlie during the renovations of Villa Rosa. Her hair was tied back and her face smudged with sweat and dirt. "I took this one while she wasn't looking!"

Chuck looked at the photo and then at Adam.

It was difficult to say what Chuck was thinking, if anything at all, so Adam continued. "Here's one of our wedding," Adam smiled, handing Chuck a loose photo that had fallen out of the only album in the box. "I must have been the happiest man on the planet, the day she became mine." Adam was about to place the picture back in the album where it belonged, when Chuck took the photo from his hand and stared at it intently.

Chuck pointed at the groom standing beside Charlie. "That's you," he observed.

"That's me," smiled Adam.

Chuck continued to gaze at the picture until he finally dropped it and started looking at something else in the box. He held up a photo of Charlie in a beautiful black evening gown and looked to Adam for an explanation.

"I took Charlie out to dinner that night."

"Oh," came Chuck's response.

"And in this one, we were in Alaska, just after our honeymoon."

"Honeymoon?" asked Chuck.

Adam pointed back to the wedding picture and Chuck slowly nodded that he understood. "Oh," he said once more.

Leaning his back against the wall, Adam watched as Chuck went through the contents of the box. "I don't know if you can understand this," Adam told him, "but I love your daughter very much."

Chuck looked at Adam and then at the wedding picture.

"I've been trying to take good care of her, Chuck. She has a roof over her head, and people around her who would do anything to see that she stays safe and happy. I know I'm not worthy of Charlie, but I try to be."

After some reflection, Chuck gazed at Adam and then nodded that he understood.

Gently touching Chuck's shoulder, Adam smiled gratefully at his father-in-law. He knew this acceptance would only last for as long as Chuck's short-term memory would allow him to, but it still felt good to have his acknowledgment.


The next day, Adam went into Twin Yucca with his bodyguard. Charlie thought he was still smarting from the change she had made to their anniversary plans, and tried to be extra nice to him by not asking where he was going.

Several hours later, Charlie found out why. Adam returned with a shopping bag full of picture frames, a large envelope, and their wedding album. Evidently happy with himself, he placed his purchases on the living room coffee table and sat down on the couch to begin.

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