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16-year-old Melchior Gabor ran the letter through his hands over and over, tears blurring his vision.The letter was from Wendla Bergmann, also 16. Melchior and Wendla had grown up together and last year…Wendla had given birth to his child, Ada Lise - he’d picked out the first name based on a character in the book he was reading at the time, and Wendla had chosen the middle name because she liked it.Wendla was back in their hometown while Melchior had been living in a reformatory since his parents and Wendla’s mother found out she was pregnant, and Melchior’s friend Moritz had taken his own life.Moritz had been curious about sex, something that Melchior had read all about in books as his parents and teachers had been no help. So, Melchior wrote very detailed notes about it, as Moritz had been having very vivid dreams and was quite distraught. Learning about sex however had made him more anxious, and his strained relationship with his father didn’t help. After his death, his notebook with Melchior’s notes had been discovered and Melchior blamed and shipped off to the reform school.He missed Moritz and he missed Wendla - he didn’t even realize how much she meant to him until they couldn’t be together. And now he had a daughter!Ada almost hadn’t been born, however. Wendla’s mother had nearly taken her to get an abortion, but after Wendla learned what this meant from a friend, she’d talked her mother out of it and been sent to live with her sister and sister’s family for a while - it was at their home that Ada had been born.Wendla was back living with her mother, who had become somewhat of a doting grandmother, and was determined to keep Wendla and Ada away from Melchior.Wendla had managed to sneak away to the reformatory a couple of times in the early stages of her pregnancy, though, and she and Melchior corresponded via letter, which was how Ada was named.Wendla had just told him in this letter that her friend Anna, and Melchior’s friend Otto, wanted to help him meet the baby. Wendla was going to tell Mama that she and Ada were going to spend Friday night at Anna’s house. Early Saturday morning, Otto would pick the three of them up in his buggy and take them to see Melchior and have the girls back home before their parents were any the wiser.Melchior was going to finally meet his daughter.Wendla said that everyone told her Ada looked just like her, but she had told Melchior she thought Ada quite resembled him. It was Wednesday evening which meant Melchior had less than three days left until the big day.He tried to fall asleep but he couldn’t. Early Saturday morning, Melchior arose from his bed, careful not to disturb his roommate, Rupert. He put on his clothes and jacket and headed outside.He was to meet Otto and the girls by a specific elm tree. He made his way over to it and sat down.He was the first to arrive. This didn’t surprise him as he wasn’t sure how easily Wendla had been able to wake Ada. He hoped she had been able to sleep in the wagon, as he didn’t want his little girl to be tired - especially on account of him.But he also had been waiting a whole year for this day.Soon, he saw a wagon off in the distance. As it approached, he saw Otto driving!Otto stopped at the elm tree and hopped out. Wendla handed a quilt-covered bundle to Anna and Otto helped her step out. Anna handed the bundle back to Wendla, and then Otto helped her out as well.Melchior hugged all three of them, and then turned to the bundle in Wendla’s arms. Ada was fast asleep. She really did look like Wendla.“Melchior, this is your daughter - Ada Lise Gabor. I fought Mama tooth and nail but Ada is a Gabor - officially,” Wendla gingerly handed the bundle to Melchior.“Oh my God,” Melchior said softly. “Maybe we should go walk around,” Otto said to Anna.“No, no,” Melchior said. “Stay. You both helped make this happen. You helped me meet my daughter and I -“Ada stirred. She opened her eyes and began to cry. Understandably, being that she didn’t recognize the person holding her, and it was cold outside despite her coat, hat, and quilt.“Shh…it’s okay, baby. Mama’s still here,” Wendla soothed. Melchior readjusted so Ada could see Wendla.“That’s your papa holding you,” Wendla said. She looked at Melchior who was crying. Wendla pulled a handkerchief out of her coat pocket and wiped Melchior’s tears.“I don’t want to cry on the baby,” he chuckled. Hearing Wendla refer to him as Ada’s papa had been overwhelming in the best way possible. He knew it was the truth, but hearing it said out loud for the first time was glorious.Ada continued to fuss, but Melchior sang her a lullaby he could remember his own mother singing to him and that seemed to soothe her.“Ada Lise Gabor,” he said. “My Ada Lise Gabor. Our Ada Lise Gabor,” he turned to Wendla who smiled.“Is she eating alright?” Melchior asked.Wendla laughed. “Like a grown man, it seems. She loves strawberries, blueberries, especially her morning porridge. She had a hard time weaning but now she drinks cow’s milk, too.”“And sleeping?” Melchior asked.“Very well. She slept through the night at three months old and still does. She’s been too big for her cradle for a while and now she has her own little cot on my bedroom floor. She likes to sleep in my bed during thunderstorms,” Wendla replied.Melchior smiled. “Good. I think about her everyday - both of you. And I worry ever since you wrote that you both had the measles.”“It was hard but we both made it just fine - I think I may have had it worse than she had. She got her energy back within two days,” Wendla said.The four teenagers talked a while longer - Melchior holding Ada the whole time. He rocked her, patted her, rubbed her back and kissed her. He couldn’t stop giving her affection, it seemed.Finally, Otto announced it was time to go. “I suppose we want to get back before Mama and Papa wake up,” Anna said.“Thank you, again,” Melchior told Otto and Anna.“You’re welcome,” Otto replied.“It was about time you met the baby!” Anna said, giving Melchior a hug.Melchior turned to Wendla.“Goodbye, Wendla,” he gave her a hug and then a kiss, which surprised Wendla, but she accepted gratefully.“And you,” he turned to Ada. “Be good for your mama, okay?” He pulled her in for a hug and gave her a final kiss on the forehead. “I love you, Ada Lise.”Slowly, Melchior handed Ada back to Wendla. He didn’t want to, he wanted them to stay with him forever, but knew he’d see them again soon enough. As Wendla walked towards the wagon, she put Ada over her shoulder, so now Ada was looking directly at Melchior.And Melchior could’ve sworn his daughter smiled at him just for a split second.