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- Here comes this guy into my office,
drop dead gorgeous.
I was done, Megan, right then and there.
Max was six feet five.
Sat very tall in his wheelchair.
He couldn't use his fingers or his hands,
but he could get his left arm around me to hug me
and that was fine with me and I was smitten.
- How long did you guys date before he proposed?
- We dated for 2 years.
And, when I told grandma and grandpa
that dad had asked me to marry him,
grandmother said to me, "You marry a person 'cuz you love them,
not to be their nurse."
And I said, "Mom, I love him and I won't be his nurse.
"I'll be his partner.
I'll be the mother of his children."
That blew their socks off.
I knew adoption was how we were gonna get you guys,
but getting you wasn't very easy.
I remember the social worker coming out to the house
and telling us how we wouldn't be good parents.
I was devastated. - Right.
- But, dad told her how wrong she was.
Turned to me and said, "Sweetie, get her coat. She's leaving."
And, kicked her out of the house.
And so, when you came along, you changed our world
because you were his little buddy.
And when you were 4 years old,
you were riding on dad's footrest in his wheelchair.
- I used to love doing that.
- Yeah. You had your feet between his feet on the foot pedals
and you had your arms resting on his knees riding down the street
and who's at the gas station at the corner, but the social worker.
And he rode you right up next to her car
and said, "I'm Max Starkloff and I wanna introduce you
to my daughter, Megan. She's 4 years old."
And then he wheeled away. Never gave her a chance to say one word.
- I just feel very blessed
that somebody gave you guys a chance.
- Everything we did, we did together.
Going to your games. Going to your swim meets.
Your father was there.
I knew when I met dad,
that this was a man who I could stand with and love.
He was a man among men.
Your dad was a giant.
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