“Mom! Dolphins! Hurry!” Alexinted frantically toward the amphitheater, nearly tripping over his own feet. The triplets had been buzzing around Ocean World all morning like caffeinated bumblebees. 

Irene laughed, watching them bounce ahead. After the emotional train wreck of saving Rose’s life, this chaotic escape was exactly 

what she needed. 

“Slow down, you three!” she called. “Uncle Adam can’t keep up if you sprint like that.” 

Thomas pushed Adam’s wheelchair along the path, taking pictures when the kids weren’t looking. He got shots of Lily twirling around and Lucas trying to swim like a shark on dry land. 

“The tunnel was incredible,” Lily spun back toward them, her eyes wide. “All those blue lights made everything look magical!” 

Adam smiled–the real kind that reached his eyes, not the polite version he used in boardrooms. “The engineering behind it is pretty 

clever.” 

“Actually-” Alex pushed his glasses up importantly, “-those glass panels are super thick, and those aren’t regular sharks. They’re bonnetheads, basically hammerhead’s smaller cousins.” 

“Is that right?” Adam listened as if a five–year–old lecturing him about marine biology was the most fascinating conversation he’d had all week. 

Thomas snapped a picture–the tough boss everyone feared at work completely caught up in a kid’s lecture on why octopuses have 

three hearts. 

The dolphin arena buzzed with excitement as families claimed their seats. A staff member directed them to the wheelchair section right up front. 

“Jackpot!” Lucas pumped his fist. “We got the best seats!” 

“Stay put,” Irene warned as they settled in. “No blocking other people’s view.” 

Two trainers strode out, waving to the crowd as a pair of sea lions waddled behind them, looking like overweight puppies wearing flippers. 

“Ladies and gentlemen!” The female trainer’s voice boomed through the speakers. “Please welcome our stars–Splash and Echo!” 

The water erupted as two dolphins shot into the air, twisted in perfect sync, and disappeared back into the pool with barely a splash. 

“Holy cow!” Lucas’s jaw dropped. “Did you see that?” 

“Who wants to meet our dolphins up close?” the male trainer asked, scanning the crowd. 

Lucas’s arm shot up so fast he nearly dislocated his shoulder. /Me! Me? Pick me!” 

The trainer’s gaze landed on their section. “How about our front row friends? You three look ready for an adventure!” 

The triplets froze, eyes wide with disbelief before erupting into cheers loud enough to rival the sound system. 

Irene fumbled for her phone as the kids were whisked to the platform. When Echo rose up to plant a fishy kiss on Lucas’s cheek, his expression of shock and delight was comedy gold. She laughed so hard she snorted, instinctively turning to share the moment. 

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“Look at his face,” she said, angling her phone toward Adam. 

He leaned in closer, his shouldet brushing against hers. Something electric zinged through her at the contact. 

“Like mother, like son,” he said softly, looking from the screen to her face. “Same shocked face when you’re caught off guard. 

Irene suddenly realized how close they were–close enough to notice the faint woodsy scent that clung to him, to feel warmth radiating between them. Something changed between them, making her heart skip a beat. 

What the hell? She couldn’t explain the sudden flutter in her chest. a grown woman, not some teenager with a crush. 

She pulled back slightly, trying to get a grip, but not before catching the look in Adam’s eyes. He’d noticed her reaction, and the slight smile on his face told her he liked what he saw. 

While the triplets continued splashing with the dolphins, Adam barely glanced at the show. His attention stayed locked on Irene– the way she tucked her hair behind her ear when she laughed, the faint freckles across her nose that only appeared in certain light. His fingers tapped on his armrest, like he was trying to burn off extra energy. 

After the show, they squeezed through the exit as the kids bombarded them with enthusiastic play–by–play. 

“Their skin feels so weird!” Alex waved his hands wildly. “Like wet rubber but somehow silky?” 

“The dolphin was so gentle,” Lily sighed dreamily. “It felt like it was saying hello when it nudged me.” 

Lucas demonstrated the ball–balancing trick, nearly taking out a passing toddler in the process. “They understand, like, fifty commands! The trainer told me!” 

“Mom, Uncle Adam–were you watching?” they demanded in unison. 

“Got it all on video,” Irene confirmed, absently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “We’ll watch it later.” 

They were almost through the exit when Lucas stopped abruptly, nearly causing a pile–up. 

“Shoelace,” he announced, bending awkwardly in the crowded space. 

Irene moved automatically to help, but Adam spoke first. 

“Let me.” Two simple words, but they stopped everyone in their tracks. 

Lucas didn’t hesitate. He stepped forward and planted his blue sneaker on the footrest of Adam’s wheelchair. With surprising skill, Adam leaned down, his long fingers looping and securing the laces into a perfect double knot. 

“These your favorites?” he asked, giving the knot a final tug. 

Lucas blinked in surprise. “Yeah! How’d you know?” 

“Blue suits you,” Adam said with a half–smile. “When they come undone again, just tell me, OK?” 

“OK!” Lucas beatned, radiating pure hero worship. 

Irene stood frozen, suddenly seeing what she’d missed all along. This wasn’t Adam the patient or Adam the boss. This was just…Adam. A man bonding with her child so naturally it made her heart squeeze. 

Without warning, her mind jumped ahead to scenes that had never happened: Adam checking homework at the kitchen table, asking about their day over dinner, reading stories at bedtime with three sleepy kids cuddled up next to him. 

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The intensity of the images–nd how right they felt–hit her like a splash of cold water. Heat rushed to her face as she quickly looked away, her heart hammering against her ribs. 

“Mom, why’re you all red?” Alex tilted his head, studying her like she was a particularly interesting science specimen. “Too hot?” 

“I’m fine,” she mumbled, waving her hand vaguely. “Just…sun.” 

When she dared to look up, Adam was watching her with a look that made her stomach flip–like he could see right through her. 

“Look!” Lucas showed off his shoes proudly. “Uncle Adam’s knot is way better than yours, Mom!” 

Lily and Alex exchanged a sneaky look of victory that seemed way too grown–up for their age, like little matchmakers watching their plan work perfectly. 

Thomas cleared his throat. “Perhaps we should grab lunch before the restaurants fill up?” 

Irene fussed with the kids‘ messy hair, grateful for something to do with her hands. But she could still feel Adam watching her, his gaze warm on her skin. A simple shoelace had just changed everything, showing her what had been right in front of her all along. 

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