At Peggy's apartment.
"Yes! Yes! Yes!"
Linda was all about that "say it three times if it's important" rule.
David slid the diamond ring onto Linda's left ring finger, got up, and pulled her into a big hug—straight out of a rom-com playbook.
applause
Peggy, being the daughter, didn't bat an eye, so Adam stepped up to clap and cheer them on.
"Uh, guys?"
Adam had to stop clapping and let out a loud fake cough to break the moment. 'Cause if they kept going, it was either gonna get weird or turn into something not exactly kid-friendly.
David snapped out of it first and let go of his fiancée.
Linda bolted straight to Peggy and threw her arms around her. She was all about hugs right then—needed someone to hold.
Peggy patted her back a couple times, rested her head on Linda's shoulder, and gave a small "whatever makes you happy" smile.
"Congrats, man," Adam said, nodding at David.
"Thanks," David replied, his bushy brows and big eyes lighting up with a huge grin.
"I'm engaged, y'all!" Linda finally let Peggy go after a while, holding up her hand and flashing that ring like crazy, totally pumped. "Isn't it gorgeous?"
"Gorgeous!" Adam and Peggy both nodded.
"Look, I'm just getting my business off the ground, so it's not huge, and it's not Tiffany's or anything…" David said, sounding a little guilty he couldn't give her something flashier.
"Nah, nah, nah!" Linda shook her head hard. "This is the biggest, prettiest ring I've ever seen!" Then they locked eyes, all mushy and lovestruck.
"Man, David, if you'd met me sooner, this would've gone way differently," Adam thought to himself. "I'd have hooked you up with a bigger, shinier ring for the same price!"
You know that "diamonds are forever" line? Total nonsense. Plastic bags outlast diamonds any day.
If David had asked his advice before buying, Adam would've told him to pull a Leonard move. Step one: hit up a hardware store for a big diamond drill bit. Step two: yank the diamond off, take it to a jeweler to set in a ring, and grab a Tiffany's box. Boom—suddenly it's a "Tiffany's" giant-carat ring, looking pricey as hell. Just never admit it's from a drill bit, like Leonard didn't. Then your fiancée's rocking a ring that screams "I bled my bank account dry for this!"
Yup! Adam didn't buy for a second that Leonard's ring for Penny was real Tiffany's, even though Leonard denied it three times, cool as a cucumber. But Adam trusted Sheldon more—guy's too straight-up to lie. Leonard, the tech nerd, would totally do this. He's not fooled by ads; to him, a diamond's a diamond, store-bought or drill-bit-sourced. Why spend ten times more? Plus, Leonard's broke—no way he's splurging on a huge rock. Save that cash for Comic-Con and action figures instead—way more fun. 🦸♂️ Adam was actually on board with it. Back before he time-traveled, the diamond hype was already fading.
A few minutes later.
Linda and David took off. Classic TV line: "Get a room, you two!"
Then Adam pulled Peggy into the bedroom.
Late night.
Adam didn't smoke or drink in his past life, and now, as a doctor, he's even more against smoking. Peggy tried a few cigarettes back when she was in her "rebel" phase, but Adam set her straight. Now she's all about science—dropped Missy and smoking altogether. So, no cigarette stink in the bedroom.
"You okay? Something bugging you?" Adam asked, eyes closed.
"How'd you know?" Peggy replied.
"Heh," Adam chuckled. "I'm just an intern, but the top docs say I'm already good as a new cardio attending. We mess with hearts all day—'heart stuff' is our thing. Plus, I'm holding yours right now~"
Peggy ignored his cheesy flirting, not even tossing him a playful wink. She just frowned. "Adam, do you believe in love?"
Linda's upcoming remarriage clearly had her rattled, even if she played it off like she didn't care. Adam could see right through her.
"Not really," he said, dropping the charm. "Love at first sight? That's just hormones. I'm more into the slow stuff—friendship, family, love all mixed up over time."
"Same," Peggy said, voice flat. "Mom was probably over the moon when she got engaged to Dad, but how'd that end? Love's got a shelf life. After the honeymoon phase, it's kaput—just a pointless loop with someone new, over and over."
"Hey, don't be such a downer," Adam said. "It's not always like that."
"Oh yeah? How long do you think Mom and David will last?" Peggy smirked.
"…" Adam went quiet. Who could tell? Months? Years? Maybe forever? With anyone else, he'd toss out a random guess, but not Peggy. She's too sharp—bullshitting her would be an insult.
"What matters is your mom's happy now," he said with a smile. "Right?"
"I guess," Peggy mumbled, sounding a bit down. "She put her life on hold for me for, like, six or seven years. Otherwise, she'd have remarried fast, like Dad did—new wife in less than a year."
"You seen your dad lately?" Adam asked, perking up since Peggy was actually up for a midnight heart-to-heart. Usually, she'd crash first, leaving him wired and wanting to talk—or more. Their dynamic was flipped—normally the guy's out cold while the girl's chatty. But with Adam's… stamina, he just grinned and dealt with it, not sure if it was a win or a loss.
"Nope," Peggy shook her head. "Since college, I've been with Mom. He invites me for Christmas, but I can't be bothered."
"You hate him?" Adam asked.
"Nah," she said, cool and detached. "Their marriage falling apart was kinda my fault. Mom put way too much into me."
Adam ran his fingers through her hair, feeling for her. She used to take all the blame, nearly lost herself over it. He was the one who pulled her back. Even now, she's got that guilt buried deep—nobody but Adam, who knows her heart inside out, can tell.