After the paperwork was signed, Adrien tapped the stack on the desk to align the pages before stapling them together. "I probably should have asked this before," he said, setting the papers aside in one of the file racks before finally making eye contact with her again. "Like, a long time ago, but can I ask how you know Alya?"
                          
A smile crept across Marinette's face. "You hired me without asking Alya how we knew each other?"
                          
He grinned sheepishly. "If you know Alya as well as I do, you know two things. One: you never, ever challenge Alya. Two: you never, ever doubt Alya."
                          
To that, Marinette could not disagree.
                          
"So when I implied I needed a nanny and she suggested you, I just took it at face value."
                          
Marinette chuckled. "I met Alya nearly two years ago when my best friend from high school needed my help asking her out. Considering they're engaged now, I think I must have done a decent job."
                          
Recognition sparked in his eyes. "Marinette Kurtzburg," he said as if though for the first time. "The interior designer."
                          
Her smile grew. "Yes, that's right."
                          
"Yes." His own smile grew before hitting his fist against his forehead. "Gah! I'm such an idiot. No wonder your name rung a bell. Took me long enough to figure that one out."
                          
Marinette's smile grew. "Just blame it on stress," she joked.
                          
"Considering the constant chaos my life has been as of late, I think you hit the nail on the head." He then extended a hand to her. "Nevertheless, it's great to finally meet you."
                          
"You as well," Marinette said, reaching out to shake his outstretched hand. "I've had the honor of hearing about you-outside of the public knowledge, of course-but I don't think any of Alya or Nino's attempts to get us to meet ever worked out. "
                          
"No," Adrien huffed. "Not between Emma and both our jobs."
                          
The lighthearted air had vanished in a snap, replaced by something much thicker that just might suffocate Marinette if she didn't keep herself together. Adrien's expression fell instantly as his eyes widened in realization. "I'm sorry," he said. "I...I heard about that and-"
                          
"It's fine," Marinette interrupted. "It's nothing I can't talk about."
                          
"But it's still hard," Adrien finished for her.
                          
Marinette held her breath a moment. "Yeah," she admitted. "It is."
                          
"I understand," Adrien said.
                          
While Marinette had lost track of how many times she'd heard those words, they were different coming from Adrien. It was well known that he had lost his mother when he was a teen. On top of that, he had managed to survive a divorce. If anyone truly knew about loss, truly understood what she was going through, it was him. "I'm at the point where it still stings, a lot, but I'm not in denial any longer," she said. In her mind, she realized this wasn't exactly the best topic to discuss with a man she not only just met but her future boss. But Adrien looked like he really didn't mind.
                          
"That's a really good place to be," he said. "That's when things slowly start getting easier. I'm not saying that there still won't be rough patches, but the worst of it is finally passed and you're able to gain some semblance of normalcy again."