Chapter 378
Adam stared at Alex, his mint scrambling to process what he’d just heard,
His heart pounded as he looked at the three small faces watching him. Three kids… his kids? It sounded crazy, yet something deep inside him clicked into place.
“Are you… are you serious?” Adam finally managed, his fingers topping nervously on his wheelchair armrest. This isn’t exactly knock–knock joke territory.”
“No, Uncle Adam, please listen.” Alex leaned forward, his expression far too grave for a five–year–old. “We have proof, I promise.”
Adam caught himself studying their features. Lucas’s Intense gaze, Lily’s dimpled smile, Alex’s stubborn chin… Had he been blind this whole time?
Alex dug into his backpack and pulled out a folded paper, his small hand trembling. “This is the DNA test. Katherine helped us get it.”
Adam took the paper, his own hand unsteady. “You collected my hair?”
“When we all slept together that first night,” Alex admitted, scuffing his shoe against the floor. “We’ve always known you’re our daddy. We just couldn’t figure out how to tell you.”
The clinical report swam before Adam’s eyes. 99.99% match. The room tilted sideways.
“This can’t be…” he whispered, looking up at the children–his children–with stinging eyes.
Sweat beaded on his forehead as memories flashed. Irene mentioning scars at the research facility.
“Did your mom tell you?” he asked, voice cracking.
“No!” They answered in perfect triplet synchrony, eyes wide.
Lucas scooted closer. “Mommy has no idea you’re our dad. We figured it out ourselves. From the first time we saw you, we just… knew.”
Each word landed like a sucker punch. Five years. His kids had grown up without him for five years.
“How could you possibly know it was me?” Adam gripped the armrests of his wheelchair.
“If you don’t believe us, do your own test,” Alex said, yanking out several strands of his own hair without flinching. Lucas and Lily immediately did the same, thrusting their genetic offerings toward him.
“The airport luggage switch was Alex’s idea,” Lily whispered, twisting a curl around her finger. “And we talked Mommy into
accepting your treatment. We wanted you together.”
Adam’s brain buzzed. Their meeting hadn’t been chance at all–it was a pint–sized conspiracy.
The triplets exchanged glances, their faces shifting from determined to vulnerable.
“We’ve been watching you,” Lucas said, fidgeting with his shirt hem. “How you help with homework, how you make Mommy
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laugh, how you check under Lily’s bed for monsters…
“Every tune you were nice to us… Alex’s voice wobbled. “We wanted so
bad to call you Dad.*
But we were scared,” Lily’s bottom lip trembled. “What if you got mad? What if you
didn’t
t want us?^
Adam’s throat closed up. These kids had been evaluating him, testing if he was worthy of being their father.
Their little faces fell as his silence Ched.
“It’s okay if you don’t want us,” Alex because of this-”
shoulders slumping. We get it. It’s a lot. If you don’t want Mommy anymore
“Stop.” Adam reached out, pulling all three close. “Don’t ever think that. Of course I want you. I’ve always wanted kids. I just… had no idea.”
His voice cracked. “I want you
to call me Dad. Please… I need to hear it.”
The triplets froze momentarily, then their eyes lit up, tears welling as they exchanged amazed glances.
A heartbeat of silence.
“Dad!” they cried together, the word bursting out like they’d been holding it in forever.
“We’ve waited so long for this,” Lucas said, emphasizing “Dad” like it was the most precious word he knew.
Adam’s tears spilled over as he hugged them tight. “I’m here now. Dad’s here. And I’m not going anywhere.”
Three small hearts thumped against his chest, and a completeness he’d never experienced before washed over him. So this is what it feels like to be a father.
After a moment, Adam’s expression turned serious. “Has your mother ever talked about… your father?”
The triplets‘ faces clouded over.
“Dad, we think it’s better not to tell Mommy yet,” Lucas said with surprising authority.
Adam frowned. “Why? I’m with her now. She should know.”
“Mommy got kicked out of her home for being pregnant,” Alex explained quietly.
“She had it really rough in Country R,” Lucas added.
“She never talks about our dad,” Alex said, “but we know she’s still hurt.”
“If she finds out you’re that man,” Lily worried, twisting her hands, she might get super mad. She might even leave.* Mommy hasn’t liked anyone in forever, until you came along,” Lucas pointed out. “We don’t want to mess everything up.”
Adam’s face darkened, his knuckles turning white. If Irene discovered he was the man who’d unknowingly abandoned her pregnant…
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“I understand,” he said finally, ‘We’ll find the right time. I owe you all so much.”
The triplets reluctantly pulled back, exchanging worried glances
What about Grandma?” Alex asked softly. “She doesn’t seem to like us much. Will she be okay when she knows we’re
yours?
Adam’s jaw set. “Don’t worry about my mother. I’ll handle her. Once she knows you’re her grandchildren, she’ll come
around.”
“You just take care of your mom, okay?” he added, ruffling Lily’s curls.
The triplets stood up, extending their pinkies. “Promise!”
A smile tugged at Adam’s lips as he hooked his finger with each of theirs.
Later, he watched Thomas escort them home, his vision blurring as they disappeared next door.
Back home, the triplets found Irene by the window, moonlight dappling her face, eyes rimmed red.
Mom’s thinking about Grandma again, they thought.
They quietly approached and wrapped their arms around her.
“What’s wrong, Mommy?” Lucas asked. “You look sad.”
Irene forced a smile, smoothing his hair. “Just tired, sweetie.”
“Don’t worry,” Alex said. “We’ll always stick together.”
“And Uncle Adam really likes you,” Lily added, bouncing slightly. “He’ll take good care of you.”
“Do you really like him?” Lucas asked carefully.
Irene’s eyes softened as she hugged her children tightly. “Yes, I do. But having you three already makes me the happiest mother in the world.”
The triplets shared a secret look. One day, we’ll be a real family.
Alex wiped away a tear with his sleeve. “We love you, Mommy. And Uncle Adam loves you too.”
Mom, Dad really loves you, they thought silently. We hope you’ll forgive him when you find out.
Moonlight bathed the room as Irene held her children close, unaware that their little eyes now sparkled with a new hope- they’d finally found their father.
