Chapter 65
Thomas lingered in the doorway, watching as Adam carefully tucked the blankets around each child. The usually stern CEO’s movements were surprisingly gentle as he adjusted the covers, making sure the triplets were perfectly cozy. With a knowing smile, Thomas quietly pulled the door closed, leaving just the soft glow of the smart nightlight to illuminate the room.
Lily and Lucas had claimed Adam’s arms like their personal teddy bears, snuggling close on either side while Alex lay perfectly still beside his brother. The gentle scent of children’s shampoo – a mix of bubble gum and something fruity – filled the air, creating a peaceful atmosphere that felt strangely right.
Adam glanced down at their sleeping faces, each sporting identical expressions of contentment. There was something about their complete trust in him, the way they’d claimed his space without hesitation, that made his chest feel peculiarly tight. The smart nightlight cast a gentle blue glow across the room, just enough to navigate by without disturbing sleep. Somehow, its soft illumination made the scene feel even more dreamlike.
His first awakening came when he found himself struggling to breathe properly. Opening his eyes, he discovered Lucas sprawled across his chest like a tiny starfish, while Lily had managed to swing one leg over his stomach. Only Alex maintained his original position, sleeping as precisely as a soldier at attention.
Adam couldn’t suppress a quiet chuckle. He remembered Irene once mentioning the kids‘ terrible sleeping habits apparently, she hadn’t been exaggerating. With movements that would have impressed a bomb disposal expert, he gently repositioned Lucas and Lily, ensuring they were both safely back on the mattress before readjusting their blankets.
The second time consciousness crept back, it was to the sound of tiny feet padding across the floor. Lucas was sleepwalking, his eyes closed but his body somehow navigating toward the bathroom with surprising accuracy. Before Adam could decide whether ta intervene, Lily kicked off her blankets with impressive force for someone her size, her pajama top riding up to expose her small belly to the cool air.
He quickly tucked the blanket back around Lily, then waited patiently for Lucas’s return. The sound of running water preceded the boy’s zombie–like journey back to bed – except instead of returning to his spot, Lucas simply collapsed across Adam’s legs, bottom in the air, dead to the world.
Fighting back a smile, Adam carefully lifted the sleeping child and returned him to his proper place. The night continued in this fashion – a constant cycle of blanket adjustments and child repositioning that left him marveling at how Irene managed this times three on her own.
Each time he woke to fix another twisted blanket or reposition a wandering child, he found himself less bothered by the interruptions. His attention suddenly snapped to Lily as a small whimper broke the silence. She was trembling slightly, her face scrunched up in distress as tears leaked from beneath her closed eyelids.
“No… don’t go…” she whimpered, her small hands clutching at empty air. “Daddy… please…”
Adam froze, his heart clenching at her broken plea. For a moment, he just stared at her, completely at a loss. Then, instinct took over. He reached out, awkwardly patting her back like he’d seen Irene do countless times.
“Shh… it’s okay,” he whispered, his usual commanding tone softened to something gentle and unsure. “You’re safe.”
Lily’s eyes fluttered open briefly, still glazed with sleep and tears. “Daddy?” she murmured, her small hand finding his and holding on tight.
Something caught in Adam’s throat. Before he could respond, she’d already drifted back to sleep, her fingers still wrapped trustingly around his. He found himself watching her peaceful face long after her breathing had evened out, that single word echoing in his mind.
The night settled back into its quiet rhythm, but something had shifted. Each time he adjusted a blanket or soothed a restless child how felt less like an interruption and more like… belonging.
1/3
Chapter 65
Morning arrived with a soft knock at the door. Thomas poked his head in, ready for the usual routine of helping his boss start the day only to stóp dead in his tricks at the sight before him.
“Oh man,” he whispered, trying not to laugh. “If only the board could see this.”
His usually impeccable boss was thoroughly trapped beneath three sleeping children, looking more relaxed than Thomas had seen him in years. Before he could decide whether to wake them, tiny eyes started blinking open.
“Morning, Thomas Uncle!” Lily stage–whispered, careful not to disturb Adam. “Isn’t Uncle Adam super comfy?”
“Like the best mattress ever,” Lucas added with a sleepy grin.
Thomas tiptoed closer, grinning at their conspiratorial expressions. You guys wore him out, huh? Usually, he’s up way before this.”
“That’s ‘cause he had to keep fixing our blankets,Alex explained matter–of–factly. “We’re kind of crazy sleepers.”
“Kind of?” Thomas raised an eyebrow. “From what I heard last night, that’s putting it mildly.”
The conversation gradually roused Adam, who found himself the subject of intense scrutiny from three identical faces hovering
inches from his own.
“What are you looking at so intently?” he asked, voice still rough with sleep.
The triplets had formed a careful circle around him, their small fingers tentatively exploring his features with a kind of reverent curiosity. Lily gently poked his cheek while Lucas traced the line of his eyebrows. Alex, ever the observant one, was studying his face
with intense concentration.
“Uncle Adam frowns in his sleep exactly like Alex does!” Lily giggled, demonstrating by scrunching up her own face.
“And look at his hands!” Lucas exclaimed, holding his palm up against Adam’s much larger one. “His fingers are long like mine!*
“But his eyelashes…” Lily pouted, leaning in for a closer look. “They’re even longer than mine! No fair!”
Alex tilted his head, a thoughtful expression on his face. “You scrunch your nose when you’re thinking, Uncle Adam. Just like I do.”
Thomas watched from the doorway, hiding a knowing smile as the kids cataloged their similarities to Adam with such innocent
enthusiasm.
“Let’s go brush our teeth!” Lucas suddenly announced, bouncing off the bed with impressive energy. “First one to the bathroom gets
to use Uncle Adam’s cool electric toothbrush!”
“No fair, you got a head start!” Lily protested, scrambling after her brother with a squeal. Their voices echoed down the hallway, mixed with the sound of pattering feet and gleeful laughter.
As his siblings raced ahead, Alex lingered just a moment longer. His small fingers closed discreetly around a few strands of dark hair from Adam’s. pillow. His heart thumped with excitement as he carefully slipped his prize into his pajama pocket. Soon we’ll have real proof, he thought, hurrying to join the others in their morning routine, the precious evidence safely tucked away.
