Lily realized something after her conversation with her Uncle Franz, but she didn't know what it was until she found out what adults mean by consultant much later.
She heard from her grandparents that Arianne had started working with their Uncle Franz as his consultant, helping him manage the company until it was stable. It made her sound important, but not permanent. Someone who could leave quietly once she had served her purpose.
Lily didn't want that.
She didn't like abrupt endings.
"They said she's only helping Uncle Franz," Lily said one afternoon, sitting on the floor beside Leo while he tried to line up his toy cars in one straight line. "That means she could leave anytime."
Leo pushed a car forward, then paused. He picked up his whiteboard and marker and wrote, "Why leave?"
"Because that's what helpers do, Leo," Lily tried to explain, "They help, then leave after. I don't want Aunt Aria to leave."
Leo furrowed his brows and scribbled on his board. "She can't leave."
"Yes, she can," his sister insisted, "That's the problem."
Later on, Lily heard about one of the servants leaving the Rochefort estate to get married to her long-time partner. It dawned on her then that marriage tied two people together, just like her mommy and daddy.
If their Uncle Franz married their Aunt Aria, she wouldn't have to leave again. It would also solve Uncle Franz's problem of finding a wife. Surely, their Aunt Aria wouldn't send her and Leo away.
When she told Leo her conclusion, her brother accepted the explanation immediately. He was immediately on board.
"Then she should marry Uncle Franz," he scribbled on his whiteboard.
"Yes," Lily agreed. "That would fix everything."
But the problem was how?
Even if their Uncle Franz was willing, there was no reason for Arianne to marry him.
"We need to find a solution, Leo. A permanent one."
Lily pulled out a stack of papers, a ruler, and their box of crayons from the drawer. If adults solved problems with documents, the documents were clearly important in convincing their Aunt Arianne.
"We'll make a proposal!" she exclaimed.
Leo's eyes widened, and he scribbled in a hurry. "Like Uncle Gilbert does?"
"Exactly!" Lily replied, "But better!"
They worked in silence.
When their nanny came to check why they had suddenly gone silent, she found them sprawled on the floor, papers scattered around them, and crayons in their hands.
She sighed in relief. Children who suddenly went silent and behaved suspiciously were the ones to watch. But seeing the twins occupied with their drawings, she left them be.
On the first page, Lily wrote in large letters:
PROPOSAL: MARRIAGE
Underneath, she added a subtitle:
Purpose: To Ensure Long-Term Stability
On the second page, Lily wrote the reason for their proposal. Help Uncle Franz and Aunt Arianne at the company, and help them be part of their family.
Leo wrote on his whiteboard again and showed it to his sister.
"Should we add pictures?" it said.
Lily furrowed her brows. She had seen her father looking at the presentation before. There had been numbers, tall bars lined up with each other, and some even had pictures.
"Yes," Lily answered. "Aunt Arianne would like to see some pictures."
Leo suddenly stood up and ran towards the other room. When he came back, he was holding an old magazine with Franz's picture printed on the center page.
A smile bloomed on Lily's face upon seeing what her brother was holding.
"Leo, you are a genius!"
How could she forget the most important thing about this proposal?
They needed to convince their Aunt Arianne that their Uncle Franz was a suitable husband for her.
On the next pages, Lily listed the advantages of marrying Uncle Franz. Each was accompanied by Leo's colorful drawing of their uncle. He also cut out pictures of their uncle from the magazine and pasted them onto their handmade slides.
First, she listed the advantages of marrying her Uncle Franz.
He is RICH!
(Lily wrote the last word in big letters to emphasize her point)
He got a big house.
He doesn't smoke or drink.
He listens when people talk.
He doesn't yell
He would not cheat! (Unlike your ex!)
Uncle Franz is the most handsome!
In the next part, Lily then listed the possible disadvantages. Although she loved her Uncle Franz, she couldn't possibly lie to her Aunt Arianne. She listed it as "RISK ASSESSMENT".
He is very famous.
People take pictures of him without asking.
He is sometimes on Big Screens.
Other fans think they owe him.
Crowds follow him
He has to smile a lot
People make up stories about him. (which are not always true!)
He might not be home often
Reporters ask strange questions
People might say Aunt Arianne is not good enough
Seeing what she'd last written, Lily frowned. It seemed there were more disadvantages than advantages of marrying their Uncle Franz. Would their Aunt Arianne still marry him after seeing this?
She stared at the last entry for a moment, then scribbled something below it. It read: This is not true. Ignore their comments!
When they reached the closing slide, Lily wrote:
CONCLUSION
Uncle Franz is suitable.
Aunt Arianne should stay with us
Marriage is the most effective solution.
Lily checked the masterpiece she had created with her twin brother, confident they could convince their Aunt Arianne with it. She grinned with pride while Leo gave her a thumbs-up.
Now, the last step was to meet their Aunt Arianne. Lily thought they wouldn't be able to present the proposal with their Uncle Franz around, so they had to ask their Aunt Samantha for help this time.
Lily dialed her Aunt Samantha's number, saved on her phone, while Leo tucked away their presentation and his drawing so the nanny wouldn't see them later.
"Aunty Sam, can I ask you something?" Lily asked as soon as Samantha answered the call.
"Sure, darling. What can I do for you?"
"Can you please bring us to see Aunt Aria. Leo and I want to thank her for the last time and bring her some freshly baked cookies."
Samantha hesitated on the other end of the line for a moment, though Lily could sense it. She didn't know what the twins were planning. With Dominic actively making moves, she feared the twins might get hurt.
"Please, Aunty Sam?" Lily used her cute tone that her Aunt Samantha could never resist.
"I promise Leo and I will behave."
Samantha sighed. She found it hard to say no to Alex's children.
"Can't you ask your Uncle Franz instead? I'm sure he would like to see your Aunt Aria."
"No, can't do, Aunty," Lily insisted, "Uncle Franz rarely comes home on time. We want to meet Aunt Aria before she leaves again!"
In the end, Samantha had no choice but to accept Lily's request.
Lily ended the call with a broad smile. With their proposal ready, she was certain they had finally found a way to keep everyone together.