Medical Center
"Sanya!"
Just as Adam and Christina were watching the fierce mama bear tear into her timid daughter, catching a fleeting smirk in the mama bear's eyes, an anxious male voice cut through the air.
"Tom."
The fierce mama's face froze in an instant.
Adam turned toward the voice.
A lean man in his fifties, with an impressive head of hair, was hurrying toward the plump woman, worry etched all over his face. From the way he called her, it was obvious this was Tom—the guy the plump woman adored and the bald dude envied.
"Sanya, thank God, are you okay?"
Tom scanned his wife up and down.
"I'm fine."
The plump woman forced a smile. "Tom, what are you doing here?"
She distinctly remembered calling her husband earlier, using her multitasking superpower to smooth over his disappointment after she'd bailed on their plans.
"I tried calling you about something, but it rang forever. A nurse finally picked up and told me you were at the hospital."
Tom explained, "Why didn't you tell me? Are you feeling okay? Oh, Jenny, you're here too."
The plump woman cursed inwardly.
It must've been during her surgery.
"Hey, Uncle Tom!"
The timid daughter flashed a cheeky grin and waved.
Sure, she'd been intimidated by her mom earlier, but now it hit her—her mom was the one who should be panicking, not her!
The small talk and lovey-dovey vibes that followed? Adam tuned it all out.
But according to the nurses' gossip later—
At first, the plump woman dodged and weaved, keeping it cool and covering her tracks. But this wild, headline-worthy case was the talk of the night—impossible to escape.
When Tom stepped out to use the restroom, he overheard people chatting about it. It took him a minute, but he finally pieced it together: the star of the story was his beloved wife.
Even a good guy's got a breaking point.
The understanding and forgiveness she hoped for? Yeah, that was a pipe dream.
A slap flew across her face.
Classic American tough-guy mode: activated.
It turned into a full-on beatdown until security stepped in and dragged them out.
Meanwhile, Adam was there to find Ross.
Monica and the gang had already headed home, leaving only a fidgety Ross behind.
Outside the VIP ward—
"Mrs. Geller."
Adam walked up just as Ross's mom was chatting with him in the hallway.
"Oh, Adam!"
Mrs. Geller gave him a warm hug, exchanged a few pleasantries, shot Ross a knowing look, and then excused herself.
"Adam, you'll never guess what my mom gave me."
Ross's tone was pure disbelief.
"What?"
Adam grinned. "Don't tell me it's the family ring for a proposal?"
"How'd you know?!"
Ross was floored.
"Come on!"
Adam rolled his eyes. "It's not rocket science. No old-school parent wants their grandkids born out of wedlock—especially when you and Rachel are such a perfect match. This is your last shot, man…"
"OMG!"
Ross's eyes went wide. "You sound exactly like my mom!"
"So, what's your call?"
Adam chuckled.
"No way. Rachel and I agreed—we're not getting married just because of a baby."
Ross shook his head.
"Then why'd you go and make a baby?"
Adam snorted.
"Don't blame me!"
Ross flared up. "It's the condom company's fault! They didn't make the 'not 100% effective' warning big enough!"
"Follow me."
Seeing Ross was too stubborn to get it, Adam dragged him to witness the bald guy's dramatic retelling. After painting a vivid picture and pointing out that the bald guy was basically Ross's future self, Adam walked off.
His job was done. The rest was up to Ross's conscience.
Hmm.
Just conscience, though.
Because Adam didn't buy that Ross and Rachel still had any love left.
Late that night—
After finishing his daily tutoring session with Alice Grey, Adam was about to head home when Ross tracked him down.
"You're proposing?"
Adam asked calmly. "You sure?"
"I'm sure."
Ross nodded firmly. "I want to give Emma a real family."
"Nice."
Adam gave him an approving pat on the shoulder and grinned. "I'll round up the crew. A moment like this needs everyone there."
Not for Rachel, but for Emma.
Pretty real stuff.
"You think Rachel will say yes?"
Ross's nerves were kicking in.
"Relax, she'll say yes."
Adam smirked confidently. "Just don't waver. If you're halfway through and she throws a curveball, don't let her talk you out of it. She needs to feel you mean it."
"No way that'd happen…"
Ross started to protest, but Adam's "be real with me" stare shut him up.
He was a proud guy, after all.
Or maybe this proposal didn't carry the same fire as his years-long crush on Rachel.
Or deep down, Rachel's value in his eyes had plummeted.
If this proposal hit even a tiny snag, he'd probably lose it and bail.
Adam had to give him a heads-up, box him in with words, and yank the ladder out from under him. If Ross tried to back out after that, he'd crash and burn.
Monica and the crew got the word and rushed over.
So—
Rachel, who'd been frantically looking for Ross to help her induce labor, saw the setup and had a hunch.
When Ross dropped to one knee and popped the question—
It was like an ancient emperor passing the throne. The next in line always pretends to refuse a few times for show, right?
At first, Rachel said no.
Obviously.
She wasn't dumb.
She could tell how much of this was Ross's heart talking—and as a woman with sharp instincts, who knew this guy inside out, how could she not?
Under Adam and the gang's glares, a frustrated and slightly ticked-off Ross swallowed his rising temper and kept asking.
Finally—
Rachel said yes.
Why?
A newborn party had already exposed how clueless she was about parenting.
When her mom offered to help raise the kid—
At first, she hated the idea.
Young people don't wanna live with their parents, duh.
But after mistaking a breast pump for a baby beer tap, using the dirty diaper bin for clean ones, and learning babies need ten diaper changes a day—each one a trip to the outside trash that'd drive anyone nuts—plus realizing you can't just leave a baby alone…
After all these basic parenting fails, she hugged her mom tight and begged, "Mom, please don't ever leave me!"
Her single-mom bravado? Gone in a flash.
Everything's easier said than done.
And this was just the start—being a single mom is no joke!
In that state, how could Rachel not want to get back with Ross, the baby's dad?
If she didn't—
She wouldn't have been so eager to have Ross help her induce labor.
Back when she'd truly dumped him, she wouldn't even let him fantasize about her.
Now, after a few "no's" for the sake of pride, she'd played her part.
Seeing Ross was one push away from giving up, she couldn't keep stalling.
"Woah!"
"Congrats!"
"Finally tying the knot!"
The friends went wild with applause and cheers.
Ross and Rachel, sticking to classic sitcom vibes, started a full-on French kiss in front of everyone.
Monica (his little sis) and the gang watched with wide eyes, totally unfazed.
"Ahem."
Adam cut in. "Alright, alright, proposal's a success, but the paperwork's gotta wait 'til tomorrow when City Hall's open. So, Ross, don't stir up any trouble 😏—head home. We don't need you here tonight."
Ross: "…"
What the heck?
He hadn't wanted this before, but now that he'd nailed the proposal and was pumped to play birth coach, they didn't need him?!
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