What, was &quot;Rudy&quot; on cable last night?

Celeste Tafiya - or Nana, as she was insisting everyone call her - had been sitting right up front, next to one of the speakers, like she was afraid she might miss a single word. Her eyes had been trained on their beautiful faces and once they were officially married, she was the first one to stand up and cheer.

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"'Scuse me," Cassie offered the woman a little smile as the party fell into full swing. "You're Nana, right? Hardison's mom?"

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"His nana," Nana corrected gently. "His mom...she couldn't be here today."

Not that Hardison would even want her to be, but that was a different story.

"But I raised an' adopted him, so it's close enough for me," she said. "An' you must be one of Eliot's nieces. I get pictures of y'all now. Ellie or Cassie, sweetheart?"

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"Right, sorry," Cassie shrugged with a little blush. "I'm Cassie. Ellie's the one over there, with the world's straightest boyfriend." Ellie and her boyfriend did in fact exude a certain heterosexual energy where they stood by the bar, her in a floral sun dress, him in a casual suit. By contrast, Cassie was in a tailored waistcoat over a lacy strapless dress, tattooed and muscled arms on full display -- along with the rainbow labrys around her neck. "I think he's even wearing boat shoes." She shook her head. "Anyway. I've, uh. Heard a lot about you. Wanted to come say 'hi'."

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"I'm glad you did," Nana said, brushing right by Cassie's embarrassment. No reason to be embarrassed in front of family, honey. "I think of y'all as my great-nieces, too. If that's all right with y'all. But you family now."

And she had a notion that they were missing out on some grandma love, knowing what she did about Eliot's mom's passing.

"And now that you're here, you can help me make up stories 'bout all the different folks here."

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Cassie teared up just a little at that instant adoption from an older generation, even having already known ahead of time that Nana wasn't the sort to reject people. She blinked it back with a smile and moved to sit next to Nana, happy for the change of subject. "People watching is my favorite," she said. "How about . . ." She pointed to the guy dressed all in black and red leather. "Them."

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"Oh, he knows he's pretty," Nana said cackling. "And trouble, all the way up to his eyebrows. But a good boy, underneath. Even if he probably doesn't like showin' it all too much."

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"Wow. I think that's the first time I've ever heard someone people-watching go the cute route."

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Nana laughed again. "All right, sugar, how would you call it?"

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"NANA." Parker swooped in to beam at her, holding out a glass of champagne for the older woman. "Wasn't that awesome? Isn't this amazing? Did you like it, say you liked it!"

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"I loved it," Nana said warmly, taking the glass. "Can I give you a hug, now that you're officially my Parker-in-law?"

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"Yes," Parker said, nearly before Nana finished speaking, arms open wide, looking thrilled. She had a Nana-in-law! Which was way better than a mother-in-law or father-in-law and better still, Nana called her her Parker-in-law!

"Best. Day. Ever."

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Nana wrapped her arms around Parker in another tight, maternal hug - the same type of hug she'd given Parker the day she'd left Chicago after getting her pension back. "I don't think I've been this happy since my weddin' day," she said, pressing a soft kiss on Parker's cheek.

"Oh!" she added. "You like my hat?"

It was pretty and purple and looked very familiar.

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"I love it," Parker said with a grin, leaning into Nana the way she did with Hardison and Eliot, like family. "You look so pretty in it, I knew it would suit you." She sighed happily. "Can you believe this? And all these people are here!"

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"All these people that love you?" Nana said. "Of course I can believe it, baby. You're amazin' an' everyone in your life is gonna wanna be with you on your special day, to celebrate your love."

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"You are the best." Parker kind of felt like she was drunk, she was so happy, and everyone was being so nice. "I mean, it doesn't change anything? Not for us. Except now everybody knows it's forever, and somehow that ... does something?" She beamed at Nana, then bit her lip. "What was your husband like?"

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"Oh, he was a good, good man," Nana said with a smile that spoke of a love still strong. "We met, bussin' down South for the Civil Rights. Got arrested together and, lawd, it was like it didn't even matter we were in a crowded hot jail. He came over to me and flirted like we were in the middle of a cotillion barbeque. He was a big man, but quiet and polite, but charming. So charming. We never had any kids of our own the usual way, but it was his idea to become fosters. Too many kids runnin' around with no one to look after them. Didn't sit well with him. He knew we needed to do somethin."

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"He sounds really cool," Parker decided. And like Hardison would have gotten along with him, too. "And you met in jail! That's awesome." And romantic! See, she could recognize romantic stuff herself, sometimes.

"We're thinking of. Maybe. Adopting? Sometime. In the future. Because of stuff with the Island, and. I don't know if Hardison told you about all that?"

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"I get pictures," Nana said with a laugh. "I don't quite understand everything that comes along with him, but I've got plenty of pictures on my phone now of Spike and Ada and several other children over the years. It's like getting a sneak peek of what's in store."

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vdistinctive

"Nana," Eliot greeted, leaning down to give her a kiss on the cheek. "If you ain't one of the prettiest ladies here. You get enough food?"

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"Aww, you flatterer," Nana said, chuckling. "Like I could hold a candle to Parker today. And those girls standin' up with you. Oh, they're just lovely. You must be very proud."

She knew Hardison was. He bragged about Raven something fierce, his protege who walked across the nation to save her best friend.

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"Couldn't be prouder if I'd raised 'em myself," Eliot agreed. "Hopin' we're gonna add a whole slew more of 'em, down the road." He gave her a knowing look. "We've got a hell of a heritage to live up to, after all."

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