Adopted by Dear Evan Hansen: Could we go on For Forever?

A Perfect Day

**Mike's POV**

"Michael Faist! Hurry up!" Ben turned around to yell at me.

"You hurry up," I answered, picking up my pace anyway to join Laura, Ben, and Ryder, who's shoulders I put my arm around, "Are you sure you want this?" I asked her.

Ryder's shoulders moved with her breathing, "Yeah," she leaned into me slightly, "I'm sure."

We arrived at the courthouse and a bored-looking clerk handed Laura and Ryder a stack of forms and two clipboards. They retreated back to the seats Ben and I had secured and we looked at the forms together.

"This looks like a name-change form," Laura handed the paper to me to keep it separate.

"That means that these are co-parenting forms," Ryder held up the ones on her clipboard.

"Where are Will and Kristolyn?" Ben asked, looking around.

"We're here," I looked up to see the last two members of our party arrive and pull chairs over to the table we'd claimed.

"Good," Laura placed a hand on Ryder's back, "These are the forms," Ryder handed each of us one, "Fill them out and we'll turn them in once we're done."

The form asked simple questions - what is your full legal name? What is your address? What is your date of birth? Do you have a history of drug/alcohol use? What is your social security number? etc. I finished the form first and started a pile in the middle of the table. Ryder was wrapping up her name-change form, with help from Laura and put it into a separate pile. I reached around my castmate and squeezed Ryder's shoulder and she gave me a proud smile in return.

Will, Ben, and Kristolyn finished their forms and we sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Thank you for agreeing to this," Ryder broke the silence, "None of you had to help me and you did and I am forever in your debt - truly, thank you."

Kristolyn leaned across the table and put her hand on Ryder's arm, "You owe us nothing, Trix, okay?" she shook her head, "Whatever debt you think you're in has been paid a thousand times over just by showing up at the Music Box every day."

"Here, here," Will raised an imaginary glass.

I sat forward and looked around Laura, "We're here because we love you and want to be in your life, Ryder, not because we're looking to cash in a favor later in life."

"Let's go turn in these forms," Ben tapped the table in a rhythm before standing up, "Come on."

Laura pulled Ryder from her chair and, as a group, we went back to the clerk.

"All of you?" the clerk sighed, leaning back in her chair.

"All of us," Ben answered proudly, handing over the small stack of forms.

Laura hugged Ryder against her side protectively, "It takes a village."

The clerk cracked a small smile and put our papers in a folder before leaning forward and saying, "It sure does." she then turned to Ryder, "I've seen a lot of cases in my day, kiddo," she said, "You've got a lot of people here who love you, take full advantage."

Ryder looked at all of us before responding, "I know."

"Also," the clerk waved her finger so that Ryder would lean in, but we could still hear what she was saying, "If one of 'em says 'no', go to a different one - chances are one will say yes."

Kristolyn snorted as Laura pulled Ryder back, saying, "Okay, that's enough. Please don't give her any ideas."

The clerk sat back in her chair, "I've seen a lot of eyes," she sighed, "You start to learn what kind of kids have what kind of eyes, and - trust me - this one," she pointed to Ryder, "Doesn't need my help coming up with ideas."

Will reached around and rubbed Ryder's beanie around on her head, "We've noticed."

The clerk laughed and picked up the folder, "I'll get these finalized - congratulations."

Each of us told her "Thank you" and we left the courthouse.

"Come here!" I snuck up behind Ryder and picked her up, causing her to shriek in surprise, but it quickly turned to laughter.

"I'm not six, Mike," she protested, but I could see the glow in her eyes.

"I know, Rye," I shrugged, "But we missed out on a lot of your life and so we're going to make up for it in whatever way possible."

"Will!" Ryder shouted as her beanie was pulled away. Will started running ahead and I set Ryder down as laughed as she chased him.

"This is going to be an adjustment, isn't it?" Laura asked as we followed.

"Yep," Kristolyn nodded, "It's going to be an adjustment beyond anything we've ever seen before."

"Her boyfriends better watch their backs," I shook my head, laughing when we saw Ryder jump on Will's back right in the entrance to Central Park.

"Or girlfriends," Ben added, shoving my shoulder playfully.

I shoved back, echoing, "Or girlfriends."

Ryder had reclaimed her beanie and walked back to us, "That's my cardio for the week."

We laughed and Ben pulled her into a hug. I vaguely heard him whisper something to Ryder and she nodded and smiled, but I couldn't get details.

We spent the rest of the day in Central Park. I challenged Ryder to a race, which she crushed me in and Will and Ben kept us all laughing. Ryder showed us the blues band that played in the park close to the back of the MET and she introduced us to the players. She later explained that she would spend a lot of time in the park listening to their music so she wouldn't have to go back to wherever she was living at that point. They were all thrilled to hear that Ryder had been adopted and they played a song that they'd named 'Ryder'.

She knew every inch of the park by heart and when the sky turned orange, she led us to the closest exit and subway station.

"Did you have a good day today, Ryder?" Will asked, leaning for her beanie again, but this time she ducked out of his reach as she replied with,

"It was perfect."