Chapter 310 

Adam dove into work the moment he got back from his mother’s place. Nothing like spreadsheets and phone calls to wash away the bad taste Natalie and Sophia had left behind. By evening, he finally tossed his tablet aside and wheeled himself to the window. The city spread out below, a sea of lights against the darkening sky. 

Irene paused at the doorway. There was something about Adam with his guard down that made her hold her breath for a second. 

“Ready for your session?” she asked quietly. 

Adam turned, catching her eye right away. “Hey.” Simple, but enough. 

She pushed his chair toward the sofa. “Rough day?” 

“Just wrapped up.” He gave her a half–smile. “Talk about good timing.” 

Irene knelt to check his legs. “Running yourself ragged again?” 

“Someone’s gotta keep the lights on in this town.” 

She bit back a smile. “My hero.” 

Adam tried not to stare as she worked, her hair falling forward, lips pressed together in concentration. He suddenly found the ceiling fascinating. 

“This looks promising,” she said, looking up. “Better than last time.” 

“I aim to please.” 

Irene set up the equipment, placing attachments in slightly different positions. “We should change things up a bit. You’re making real progress.” 

“You’re the expert.” 

She adjusted the settings with practiced hands. “Try moving around more between our sessions. But don’t push your luck–stop the second it hurts. No tough guy act.” 

“Spoilsport.” 

She gave him a pointed look. “I can tell when you’ve been pushing too hard, you know.” 

Rain began tapping against the windows. Irene glanced up. “Weather should clear by the weekend. Heard they’re doing fireworks at the beach.” 

Adam watched her instead of the rain. “Yeah, sounds cool.” 

He cleared his throat. “We should take the kids once it’s nice out. Lily would flip.” 

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Irene looked up quickly, meeting his gaze. Something sparked between them. 

“We?‘ The word slipped out before she could stop it. 

His smile reached his eyes. “If you want.” 

“The kids would be thrilled.” 

Neither mentioned what really mattered–that little word “we” that somehow included him in their family plans 

without question. 

The door banged open as three kids burst in like they’d been shot from a cannon. 

“Mom!” Lucas’s face was all panic. “Sparkle’s missing!” 

Irene straightened up. “What? When did this happen?” 

“He just vanished,” Alex said, glasses slipping down his nose as his voice shook. “We turned the house upside 

down.” 

“Checked everywhere,” Lily chimed in, eyes already wet. 

“The bird?” Adam asked, though he knew perfectly well. That golden parrot he’d helped them rescue a few months 

back. 

“You picked his name,” Lucas reminded him… 

Irene moved to her kids, spotting all their worry tells–Alex’s nervous glasses adjusting, Lucas’s bitten lip, Lily’s wobbling chin. 

“Come here,” she said, wiping Lily’s face. “Take a breath. Sparkle’s no dummy. He knows his way home.” 

She hugged them close. “Remember when we first got him? Skinny little thing, and look how strong he got. He’s a fighter.” 

Alex tried to sound logical despite his sniffles. “He can’t fly that far yet.” 

“What if something got him?” Lucas whispered, eyes wide with horror. 

“Hey now,” Irene squeezed him. “He’s way too smart for that.” 

The kids didn’t look convinced. Their faces said it all: disaster had struck. 

“Guys,” Adam spoke up, his voice calm but firm enough to grab their attention. “Birds are smarter than people 

think.” 

Three tear–streaked faces turned to him. 

“Sparkle probably spotted something interesting and went exploring,” he continued. “And remind me—who named 

him?” 

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“You did,” Lucas said quietly. 

“Right. And I don’t give good names to quitters. Adam shifted in his chair. I’ll get Thomas on it. We’ll check every tree and bush until we find him.” 

“Promise?” they asked in unison. 

“Count on it,” Adam said, like it was already done. 

The change was instant. Hope flickered across their faces as they exchanged looks that said, Uncle Adam’s got this. 

Irene couldn’t believe what she was seeing. This patient, reassuring man seemed nothing like the cutthroat businessman everyone feared. 

“Let’s go,” she said, guiding her kids toward the door. “Uncle Adam has calls to make.” 

Everyone spent the evening hunting for Sparkle. Security guards checked bushes with flashlights while Thomas coordinated the search teams. Still no sign of the bird anywhere. 

By bedtime, the kids had bounced between hope and despair a dozen times. Irene found them wide awake, staring at the ceiling when they should have been asleep hours ago. 

She sat on the edge of Lily’s bed instead of just turning out the light. 

“You guys need rest,” she said gently. 

Lucas buried his face in his pillow. “Too worried.” 

She stroked his hair. “Everything’s harder when you’re tired.” 

“What if he never comes back?” Lily’s voice broke halfway through. 

“Uncle Adam said he’d find him,” Irene reminded them. “Has he ever let you down before?” 

The triplets looked at each other, something clicking into place. 

“Never,” Alex said quietly. 

“There you go.” She kissed each forehead. “Sparkle’s going to need you bright–eyed when he gets back.” 

“Night, Mom,” they mumbled as she slipped out. 

In the hallway, Irene leaned against the wall. Now that she didn’t have to be brave for the kids, her own worry surfaced. She couldn’t help noticing how quickly Adam had jumped into action over something as small as a missing pet. Her kids were getting attached to him–and if she was honest, maybe she was too. What happened if this whole playing–family thing got old for him? 

The next morning brought a knock at the door. Thomas stood there holding a disheveled but very much alive Sparkle in his hands. 

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“Look who I found,” he said as Irene’s jaw dropped. 

The triplets appeared instantly, still in rumpled pajamas with wild bedhead. 

“SPARKLE!” Their shout was loud enough to wake the neighbors. The tired bird perked up at their voices. 

“Where was he?” Irene asked, barely heard over the excitement. 

Thomas carefully handed over the parrot. “Caught in a tree just past your yard. Mr. Haven kept teams searching all night.” 

The kids traded looks of amazement. Uncle Adam hadn’t given up after all. 

Irene watched her kids practically glowing with happiness–the simple, complete joy she’d never really had at their age. Her chest felt tight watching them. 

Joseph sidled up next to her. “Those kids sure love having him around.” 

“He’s surprisingly good with them,” she admitted, unable to deny the obvious anymore. 

“That worry you?” Joseph’s eyes crinkled with the wisdom of someone who’d seen generations come and go. 

“Sometimes,” she said softly. “What if he gets tired of all this?” 

“Some things you can just tell, Irene.” Joseph smiled. “That man’s here to stay.” 

She ducked her head to hide her smile. Without anyone asking permission, Adam had somehow become part of the family tapestry. 

Later that evening, as she watched the kids fussing over Sparkle in his cage, Irene caught herself absently touching the bracelet Adam had given her for her birthday. Perhaps some broken things really could be fixed after all birds, legs, and hearts alike. 

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