"Ed!" The little girl let out an excited shriek, raising her hands high and bolting forward. She then leaped into Adrian's arms, leaving Charlize, who was following behind Adrian, dumbfounded.
"Hey, Emma, looks like you've grown quite a bit." Adrian held the girl in his arms, affectionately rocking her forehead and then reaching out to pinch her cheek. The little girl giggled and squirmed in his embrace.
Now almost three years old, Emma had grown a lot since before, appearing even more lovely and clever. Moreover, her vocabulary was expanding. After the initial excitement, she immediately started babbling to Adrian, and even though she often didn't quite convey her thoughts correctly, the gist was still clear. It was nothing but "I miss you," "I'm trying hard to learn," "I already know so many words," "I'm very good," and so on—childish but endearing.
