The holidays came and went and soon the temperatures were rising in the city as the summer weather started to hit.  The new year brought more milestones for the Miranda-Nadal family including Lin's Puerto Rico run reprising his role as Alexander Hamilton and Lia's eighteenth birthday. It didn't seem like things were likely to slow down anytime soon. The twins' third birthday was just around the corner, Vanessa's work had been ramping up, Lin had his hand in a multitude of projects, and Lia's graduation was rapidly approaching.

It was a quiet night in their apartment with only Lia and Vanessa in the home. Lin was in California for the week at ComicCon promoting 'His Dark Materials' and Vanessa's parents had asked for a sleepover with the twins to celebrate their upcoming birthday. For years, it had just been Lia and Vanessa. Now, it was a rare occasion and, especially with Lia having decided she was going to Stanford in the Fall, Vanessa was grateful for the time her eldest was still living at home. 

Vanessa was vegged out on the couch with a glass of merlot on the side as she worked on deposition questions and had 'Maid in Manhattan', streaming in the background. She and Lia had watched it countless times over the years so neither was giving it their full attention.

"Tobi lives such a plush life." Lia commented from her place at the kitchen sink, as she meticulously hand washed each individual item, "She has everything done for her and she lives rent free."

"Sounds a lot like you kids," Vanessa joked, rubbing Tobi over who was cuddled into her side.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Lia rolled her eyes, "Speaking of plush, would it really kill us to run the dishwasher every hundred years?"

"Your dad says that it builds character." She replied with a smirk, hearing her husband's voice in her head. She remembered when they had been teenagers and Lin would balk at his own father's insistence on never using the dishwasher. She laughed at him endlessly the first time he had suggested the rule for their own home.

"Dad says and does a lot of things." Lia said over the sound of the running faucet.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Vanessa asked.

"Have you seen what your husband put on the internet?"

Vanessa slowly shook her head, not at all phased, as she reworked one of the questions in her word document. "That statement should probably worry me more than it does."

Lia dropped the plastic dish in her hand into the sink and immediately went over to her mother. She handed off her phone to Vanessa, who didn't press play until she shooed her daughter back to finish her chore.  When the quick video ended, Vanessa looked up at Lia, who was already stewing at the sink, undoubtedly from listening to the audio that had played from her phone. standing over her not at all trying to hide the look of disgust on her face, "It's a video of your dad and Dafne rapping 'My Shot',"

"It's ridiculous!"

Vanessa turned her attention back to her laptop from her dramatic daughter, "Emilia," 

Lia continued washing, a bit rougher than her mother would have preferred, as her rant continued, "What middle aged man wants to rap with some teenager?"

"Lia, they are co-workers who have a job to promote the show," Vanessa tried to reason with her eldest daughter but was quickly cut off. "Posting on social media is just part of the gig."

"They are promoting 'His Dark Materials', not High School Hamilton!" Lia argued, "And they are getting paid obscene amounts of money to hang out in interviews and gush all about how much fun the project was and how close they all are," Her voice reached a higher octave as she animatedly explained.

"You want to talk about what's actually bothering you?"

"The fact that dad is acting insane and putting out a dumb video for the entire world to see?!" Lia said as she turned the water off as she dried off the last bowl.

"No. That even though you are now legally an adult, you are still incredibly immature about some things." Vanessa patted the couch cushion as Lia sat down next to her. "You're jealous of your dad's friendship with Dafne."  "

"I am not," Lia protested as her mother remained quiet and closed her laptop. She didn't think she'd be getting much work done until their conversation was wrapped up. "I just don't like her!"

"And now we are getting somewhere," Vanessa adjusted her legs as she felt her foot start to fall asleep. "Why don't you like her?"

"Because she's just so... so... ugh!"

"Lia, Lin doesn't like Dafne more than you." She verbalized the words her daughter was clearly avoiding saying out loud.

The contrite look on Lia's face wasn't lost on Vanessa. "Do you know what your dad kept bringing up when we were in Puerto Rico?"

She continued once Lia shook her head, "That if it hadn't been for Hamilton, he would have never met you." She paused for a moment, seeing the hint of astonishment on her daughter's face, before she spoke again, "Lia, we all know I had absolutely no plans on going anywhere near 46th while Hamilton was running. If it wasn't for your damn persistence and winning the lottery," she added with a light chuckle before she paused for a few beats trying to find the rights to express her thought, "I really don't know when I would have seen Lin or even had the chance to tell him about you."

Lia digested the information, she rubbed at her temple with her pointer finger. It wasn't newsworthy information - she remembered the odd way her mom had persistently shut down the idea of going to see Hamilton whenever she had brought it up. When she thinks back on Vanessa's behavior at that first show, it's painfully comical how uncomfortable she had been that entire night. But she still went anyway to make Lia happy - having no clue how much that night was going to change everything.

"As someone who knows him fairly well," Vanessa said with a wry smile, "I can almost guarantee Lin wouldn't say his favorite parts of being on the show were meeting his co-stars. They're great, of course. But when he looks back he's going to say it was all of us living in the UK again because he knows how much you and I loved it. Watching the twins get star struck whenever they saw the puppets. Performing as a character that we read about when we first started dating. Give the guy a bit more credit, Lia." She judged her daughter with her elbow, "We're it for him."

When Vanessa saw the soft smile start to form on her daughter's face, she knew she had gotten through to the young adult. She leaned over and planted a kiss on her temple and the two settled into the couch to finish their movie. Life had been great just the two of them, but Vanessa was even more excited for the other three members of their family to return home. Life as a family of five surpassed all of her expectations.

___

Lia felt elephants in her stomach. She wasn't sure where that phrase had been originally coined from, but she had overheard Lin once say it in a made up bedtime story to the twins and it was the only thing that seemed applicable for this very moment. Butterflies were too small.

She stood to the side of the auditorium stage, her clammy hands clasped together behind her back. Her principal's words from the podium were going through one ear and out the other as she looked on at the sea of purple robes sitting in Hunter College High School's gymnasium from her spot behind a curtain.

The last few months had flown by and she could hardly believe that it was already the day of her high school graduation. After visiting Stanford in January with her father, she'd fallen in love with the campus.  Sunny California called to her after her entire life spent in New York City.  She'd been accepted and was now due to start in the fall.  Lia had also finally landed on a major: Journalism. After spending the last few years having so much of her life reported on, she wanted a chance to write about things that were meaningful to her.

She had finished in the top ten of her class, which Lin had attributed to her mother's smarts.  Her family, unsurprisingly, took up three full rows, ready to make a whole lot of noise. Lia had joked that with the amount of people in tow, there family wouldn't be considered a fire hazard.

When Lia heard her full name announced, she took one final inhale of breath before pressing her heel down and continuing into the stage. She shook her principal's hand before he was guided off the stage and it was just her and the sea of people In the stands. Her eyes quickly scanned the crowd and spotted Vanessa in a bright red dress. She was thankful her family had been seated close enough to the stage where Lia could see the proud smile and wink her mother flashed towards her, giving her the boost in reassurance that she needed.

"Good afternoon. You may know our commencement speaker as a former Hunter teacher of student. You might recognize him for his writing, acting, or freestyling skills. You most likely detest him for how many times you have had to listen to a child's rendition of 'How Far I'll Go'. You're welcome." The laughter that emerged from the audience made Lia proud of the corny joke she had thought of. "Or if you're anything like my younger brother and sister, you may simply know him as the guy on top of the star. While he is all those descriptions and so much more, the role I love most about him is that he's my dad." She paused for a beat, willing herself to not get choked up on stage before coming to the conclusion of her speech, "His journey from Heights to Hollywood, so to speak, should be a testament to us all to be proud of our stories, to forge our own paths, and to never make our voices smaller. It is my privilege to welcome to the stage, the one and only, Lin-Manuel Miranda."

Thunderous applause erupted.  It was known amongst the students that Lia's dad was Lin, but he wasn't a regular visitor to the school.  The chance to see him in person was a thrill for most of them. Her emotions nearly got away from her when Lia saw the choked up look on Lin's face as he walked on the stage and immediately engulfed his daughter in a bear hug. He quickly whispered in her ear, "You fucking killed it," which Lia was grateful for, leading to her laughing instead of her bawling. He pressed a kiss on her forehead before she returned to her seat with her fellow graduates.

Lin thanked the crowd and launched into his speech, choosing to talk about how Hunter had prepared them well for college.  Lia listened, thinking about her years at the school over the past four years. Lia had mostly enjoyed her time here, but she didn't think she'd exactly miss it.  High school had been difficult for her, trying to balance her work load and trying to navigate a regular life with a famous father.  She was more excited about the future.

"I know that many of you have a variety of emotions right now.  Excitement, fear, unsure of the future.  I've seen these emotions in my own daughter over the past few months.  What I've told her is the same thing I will tell all of you.  Follow your heart, try your best, and try everything you can.  Don't let fear run your life.  Trust in yourself and you can never go wrong."

As her father continued, Lia looked over to the crowd and found her family.  Sebastian was sat on her mother's lap, with both sets of grandparents and other aunts, uncles and cousins.  Vanessa looked on at her husband proudly, looking happy and confident.  Lia was in awe of her mom. She had done a phenomenal job raising her by herself.  She'd never had to want for anything and always felt loved and supported.  Lia had learned to have high expectations of herself, seeing her mom work as a scientist and then become a lawyer, all while being her mother.  Lia wondered if she'd ever be as amazing a person as Vanessa. Sebastian caught her gaze and animatedly waved his hands.

Lia smiled back and then looked up at the stage.  Her father hadn't let her read any part of his speech prior. She was hearing it all for the first time just like everyone else in the auditorium.

"My dear, terrified graduates, you are about to enter the most uncertain and thrilling period of your lives. The stories you are about to live are the ones you will be telling your children, grandchildren and therapists." Lin remarked with a stoic smile, "They are the temp gate and internships before you find your passion. They are the cities you live in, before the opportunity of a lifetime pops up half way across the world. They are the times you say no to the good opportunities, so you can say yes to the best opportunities. I feel so honored to be a detail, a minor character in the story of your graduation day. I feel so honored to bear witness to the beginning of your next chapter, I'm painfully aware of what's at stake, I can't wait to see how it turns out."

Lia was the first one on her feet applauding as the rest of the auditorium followed suit. The speech had been the perfect combination of wit and important life lessons. She wasn't shocked though. After all, her dad had a knack with words.

——-
Lia could hardly believe the summer had flown by as fast as it did. There was seldom a day where there wasn't something on the schedule. It was a mix of preparing to head off to California in the Fall and savoring all of the moments that would become memories. The Heights movie started filming in Washington Heights and Lia made sure she was on set as much as she was allowed. Lin had surprised her with the chance of being an extra in the final song - which might have been her greatest achievement sans her diploma. Because of his work-study schedule, Wednesday nights had become exclusively reserved for Justin and Lia. The doorman at her apartment had gotten used to seeing Lia creep back in in the early morning hours. Although they had decided to go their separate ways once Lia left, she was grateful that he had become a close friend, albeit one she really enjoyed making out with.

If she had to narrow down her favorite parts of the summer, however, it was the mundane moments. She'd spent countless hours and dollars on afternoons with the twins at the park, which always had to end with piraguas from up the block. Binging the newest season of 'One Day At A Time' with her parents in one day. Lunch dates with Miko to compare their Fall schedules. Listening to the entire 'Harry Potter' series on audiobook on walks with Tobi.

And, finally, the day was here. After multiple trips to Target and innumerable FaceTimes to Hunter over how many command hooks she should buy, it was the day she was jetting off to Stanford. She and her family had spent the majority of the last week staying up until the middle of the night packing and organizing through all of her stuff. Fortunately for Lia, Vanessa was the brains to the operation and Lin was there for moral support.

Her extended family and friends had also made their way over to pass along their well-wishes. It had been a morning filled with laughter and tears. The hardest goodbyes were still to come. Her grandparents were watching the twins while Lia and her parents flew to California. She still hadn't quite figured out how she'd form a coherent sentence when it was officially time to say bye to her siblings until the Thanksgiving break.

In between farewells, she and her trusty Hamilton sweatshirt found a moment to sneak up the fire escape and onto the roof. She looked out at the skyline over the George Washington Bridge, the sky beamed onto it. She rested her elbows onto the brick alcove, taking in a deep breath and holding it for a few beats, letting herself just bask in the ambiance of Washington Heights. It felt as if the world passively paused. This was it. This view would no longer be the one she saw outside her window everyday. She would no longer have a fire escape to climb up when she needed to avoid her problems and just listen to the city beneath her. She wouldn't wake up to the loud laughter, and sometimes crying, that her family brought every morning. She'd miss it - each day that had passed made that clear as day.

Just Breathe.

She released her breath and the corners of her mouth upturned as the world played on. It felt simultaneously like no time and all the time had passed when a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Figured I'd find you up here." Lin commented as he strolled over with his hands firmly placed in the front pockets of his hoodie, "Saying bye?"

Lia smirked. It never ceased to amaze anyone, especially Lia, how in sync the two always were.

"I don't think it wants me to leave."

Lin mirrored his daughter's expression, leaning on the metal railing next to her, "New York will definitely be different without you, but it'll still be here when you get back."

"What if I'm not ready to leave?" Lia voiced the thought that had been plaguing her since she officially decided on a school.

Lin shrugged, holding the exact same look of composure. "You don't have to go."

And Lia knew that was true. She knew if she told her dad she didn't want to go to California, he wouldn't push. They'd have to get back all of her boxes that a moving company already had on their way to the West Coast and they probably wouldn't get any of their money back on their flight tickets, but she still knew she'd be supported by her family.

"But," Lin spoke back up, "I think you're ready, and I think it's going to be a really incredible experience for you."

Lia turned to face Lin, his face was filled with pride. It was the extra boost of reassurance she needed without having to say a word. They both looked back out towards the skyline, a comfortable silence fell upon them.

Their time was cut short by a text Lin received from Vanessa to remind him that the trio had to leave within the hour if they still wanted to make their flight. Lin threw his arm around Lia's shoulder as the two headed towards the door.

"You know, the offer is still open for you to fly home every Friday."

The mocking advice from her father was enough to make Lia's entire body shake from her laughter. "I think I'll manage."

Lin joined his daughter in laughter as he pressed a kiss on her temple and the two made their way back to the apartment, as they talked about what plans Lia had already made for her first week away.

Lia was excited for California, but she knew in her heart that her return to New York was inevitable. Unlike Nina Rosario, she knew that she lived at the top of the world.  Even though she was starting a new chapter of her life, she'd always have her family and her block on Washington Heights to return to.  Afterall, it was her home.

A/N: Thanks for traveling on this journey with us! We'll be back soon with a new story!