Pedro clinked his glass, standing tall in the middle of the room. His smile was wide, proud, the kind that made everyone in the room pause and listen.

“Eighteen years old,” he said, raising his drink toward the kid he’d adopted from an orphanage years ago. “From the shy little thing I first met to this incredible human sitting right here… I can’t tell you how proud I am. To adulthood, sweetie.”

Everyone echoed his toast, glasses lifted high. Pedro finally handed his kid their first legal shot, expecting hesitation, a cough, maybe even a grimace. But instead—they tilted their head back and downed it in one go, like a pro.

Pedro froze, eyes wide. “The hell—?!”

The room erupted in laughter, guests nearly choking on their drinks. The kid set their glass down with a smirk, wiping their mouth.

“That wasn’t your first, was it?” Pedro asked, still stunned. This is gonna be a helluva explanation.