Heartwarming / Selkie

• First off, pretty much any occurrence of "the happy-squeal" from one of the kids falls under this or Funny.
• When Selkie first realizes that Todd isn't yanking her chain - he genuinely means to adopt her.
• Selkie saying goodbye to her friend George.
  Selkie: Tochte'kunet. Vahn sient toht... It's "Goodbye, my friends. I loves yous."
• When Todd realizes how much Selkie has in common with his childhood self, and that he has an obligation to her.
• Theo's parenting advice.
  "Son, when an eight-year-old offers you their favorite food, don't recoil in horror."
  "Sometimes, part of being a dad is knowing when to suck it up and eat the eyeballs."
• Merigold quickly warms up to the girl.
• Immediately followed by this.
  Todd: Welcome to the family, Selkie.
• Heather gets into trouble for stealing Selkie's shirt, and has a Freak Out at the prospect that her parents will take her back to the orphanage. Her mother reassures her that they still love her even if she's done something bad... before saying that she is crazy grounded for what she'd done.
• The first day of Selkie's suspension (and throughout it, apparently), she gets to spend it with her grandparents. The pun in the author's commentary caps it, though.
• Andi is, justifiably, getting torn to shreds by Todd and his parents over having lied about Amanda being stillborn. Amanda comes to her defense in a combination of this and Tearjerker, as she's sporting some Berserker Tears by the end of it.
  Amanda: YOU didn't take me back, Mom did! S-she hunted for me, a-and sleeps on the couch s-so I get the bed, a-and a LOT. You IGNORED me, and adopted THAT!
  • It even triggers a (mild) Heel Realization in Todd.
    Amanda: ...the adults are apologizing? What witchcraft is this?
• Later, after accidentally drinking wine after being called "awful" by an adult, Todd reassures Amanda that she can change if she wants to. Unfortunately, calling Amanda "Sweety" upsets Selkie, as it had long-been Todd's nickname for her.
  • Prior to this, Lillian interrupts Amanda's pity party with a You Are Better Than You Think You Are speech.
• Andi finally comes clean to Amanda regarding the circumstances, and Amanda surprisingly takes it in stride.
  Amanda: Ugh! Being mad was easier when I could just hit people!
  • Todd seeing Amanda and Andi off during the Christmas Eve arc hits right in the warm-and-fuzzies.
• The best-received gift at Amanda's birthday party is Keisha's, causing Amanda to glomp onto her.
  Selkie: Ats the orphanage, they wrotes stories for each others ons birthdays. Guess she likes traditions.
• Selkie and Amanda have a brief exchange when Amanda gets royally ticked at Tehk, then starts counting to keep from lashing out.
  Amanda: Yeah, yeah, stuff it. I'm just trying to be not-crappy.
  (Beat as Selkie looks at Amanda with sympathy)
  Selkie: Heys... you wants me to calls Tehk a butthole?
  Amanda: No. Teach me to say it in... Sarnothi or whatever.
  Selkie: Wells, "nehti" is butts. Close enough.
  • In a surprising turn, Amanda then actually apologizes to Tehk for her ulterior motives, much to the shock of her best friends, who ask Selkie what she did to make that happen.
    Selkie: That's all hers. I's greats, but not THAT'S great.

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