Wait... Aleksis?
Alaric arrived at Ned's magnificent mansion five minutes before his appointment with them. The butler respectfully greeted him and invited Alaric directly into the luxurious open-air dining room overlooking the large, lush garden on the side of the mansion.
"Good afternoon, Son," Portia immediately got up and hugged Alaric. She kissed his cheeks, while Alaric kissed her hand respectfully. After he greeted Ned, he immediately received a glass of wine from his adopted father.
They sat at the dining table and Portia was sighing incessantly. She then smiled happily upon seeing Alaric as healthy as ever. She kept staring at the young man lovingly.
"It's a good thing we listened to Professor Muller's advice and waited until the artificial heart was successfully produced," Portia said emotionally. "Seeing you rely on life-support machines for years was truly heartbreaking ... After two years I almost gave up."