Chapter 412
After dinner, the triplets practically dragged everyone toward the garden. Night had just fallen, but the garden looked completely different: hundreds of tiny lights twinkled from trees and shrubs, flowers and candles lined the paths, and rose petals created a trail leading to the central gazebo.
“Oh my god…” Irene gasped, her eyes widening at the romantic scene, “When did you guys pull this off?”
“Been working on it forever,” Lily said with a proud grin, bouncing on her toes. “Everybody pitched in!”
“Even Uncle Brandon helped, though he whined about it the whole time,” Lucas added with a smirk in Brandon’s direction.
Brandon rolled his eyes. “Come on, don’t you think all these rose petals are a bit over the top?”
Katherine elbowed him gently. “Zip it. This is sweet and you know it.”
The triplets led Adam and Irène down the flower–covered path to the gazebo, with everyone else hanging back just enough -close enough to see everything but far enough to give them some privacy.
Rose and Sophia stood side by side, something nobody would have believed possible a few months back. Rose took a breath before quietly saying, “Thanks for being there for the kids, especially after everything John and I put you through.”
Sophia’s face softened. “We’ve all messed up, Rose. I wasn’t exactly warm and fuzzy with Irene either. But for their sake, she glanced at the five figures ahead, “we can leave all that in the rearview mirror, right?”
Rose nodded, the two women who’d once been enemies finding something they could agree on: their love for the family.
Inside the gazebo, candles flickered, champagne sat cooling in an ice bucket, and rose petals blanketed the floor. Adam and Irene stepped inside, both laughing at the elaborate setup.
“I think the kids went a tad overboard with the whole romance thing,” Irene said, gesturing at the sparkling decorations
and sea of petals.
“It’s cute,” Adam replied with a grin. “They basically raided every romantic movie ever made.”
They exchanged amused smiles, touched by the kids‘ intentions even if the execution was a bit much.
Adam glanced at the family watching from a distance, focusing on three small faces that couldn’t stay still with excitement, and made up his mind.
“Hey, why don’t you all come over here?” he called out. “This is about all of us, right?”
The triplets immediately cheered, leading the others toward the gazebo, forming a semicircle around the couple at the
center.
“That’s better,” Adam said, turning to Irene with soft eyes and a determined look. “Because this story was never just about
us two.”
With everyone gathered around, Adam took Irene’s hands in his and took a deep breath before speaking from the heart: “Irene, we started with a chance meeting, lost six years, and found each other again when nobody would’ve expected it. Some people might call that dumb luck, but I think it was meant to be.”
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His voice shook a little. “You gave me the greatest gifts I could ver ask for three amazing, smart, Incredible kids. You raised them by yourself, taught them everything, helped them become these awesome little people. The way you loved them through everything… it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
The triplets squeezed each other’s hands, barely breathing, eyes wide with excitement.
“And there’s more,” Adam said more quietly, “you gave me another shot at living again. You took me in, fixed me up, made me believe in us and in family again. You showed me what being strong really means–staying kind even when you’re hurt; asking for help even when you can stand
on your own.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box, dropping to one knee. “My grandmother wore this ring, and then my mother. They were both strong, extraordinary women–Just like you.”
He opened the box, revealing an exquisite vintage ring. “Irene Sterling, will you marry me? Will you let me be your partner forever, your guardian and the guardian of our children?”
Everyone held their breath, waiting for Irene’s answer.
Irene ooked down at Adam kneeling there, this man who’d crashed into her life twice and turned everything upside down each time. Her eyes filled with tears, but her heart knew exactly what it wanted.
“Adam,” she started, her voice quiet but steady, “for six years, I had to be the toughest version of myself. For the kids, for my job, just to get by.” my job
She squeezed his hands as tears spilled down her cheeks. “Then you gave me something I thought was gone for good- being able to trust someone again, having the guts to lean on somebody else, believing in being partners. You helped me see that being strong isn’t just handling everything yourself, but also being brave enough to let someone in.”
Her face lit up with a smile that reached her eyes. “Yes. Of course I’ll marry you.”
Cheers erupted throughout the garden as the triplets jumped up and down, clapping their hands. “It worked! It worked!”
Adam stood and slipped the ring onto Irene’s finger, then pulled her into a tight embrace, sealing their promise with a deep kiss as everyone witnessed.
But Adam wasn’t done with surprises. He turned to the triplets and pulled out three small boxes from his other pocket, each with a child’s name on it.
“Got something for you guys too,” he said, handing them over.
The triplets opened them with curious fingers, then gasped at the beautiful necklaces inside, each with a pendant that matched Irene’s ring.
“These are kinda special in the Haven family,” Adam explained, his voice gentle. “They were first made for my great- grandma’s three daughters. They’ve just been sitting in the family safe all this time, waiting for the right kids to have
them.”
“They’re beautiful,” Lily whispered, touching her pendant with careful fingers.
“Now,” Adam said, “all five of us are officially family. Not just your mom and me–all of us together.”
The triplets stared at their gifts in awe before suddenly launching themselves at Adam and Irene, creating a family bear hug that almost knocked them over.
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“We totally nailed it!” Lucas shouted, his voice wobbly with excitement.
“Best. Family. Ever!” Alex added, happy tears in his eyes.
Later that evening, the celebration moved indoors. Champagne was poured for the adults, and apple juice for the children, Joseph raised his glass in a toast to Adam and Irene:
“I’ve never seen a more beautiful family story,” the old man’s voice quavered with emotion. “Love born from hardship, reunion reclaimed from separation, strength grown from pain. Adam and Irene, to this beautiful family!”
“To Adam and Irene!” everyone echoed, raising their glasses.
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