chapter 9

adam met the twins weeks later. Watching him kneel beside them, his patience endless, something inside Winne softened. For the first time, she let herself believe in a future where she wasn't standing alone.

The twins, Lily and Ethan, regarded Adam with curiosity. Ethan clutched a small action figure in his hand, while Lily's bright eyes studied Adam intently. "Are you Mommy's friend?" she asked, tilting her head.

Adam smiled warmly. "I am. And I'd love to be your friend too, if you'll let me."

Ethan was the first to break the ice, holding up his toy. "Do you know how to battle?"

Adam chuckled. "I think I can figure it out. Show me."

As Ethan eagerly demonstrated, Winne watched in awe. Adam had always been confident, self-assured, yet here he was, fully engaged in a child's game, letting Ethan take the lead. Lily, still a bit hesitant, climbed onto Winne's lap, observing quietly. Then, as if making a decision, she reached out to take Adam's hand.

A lump formed in Winne's throat as she watched Adam squeeze her daughter's small fingers gently. It was such a simple moment, yet it carried so much weight. He wasn't just tolerating her children—he was embracing them.

Later that evening, as the twins dozed off in their beds, Adam pulled Winne close. "They're amazing, just like their mother."

Tears welled in her eyes. "I was so scared… scared you'd see them as baggage, as something that made loving me harder."

Adam cupped her face, his gaze steady. "Winne, loving you isn't hard. And loving them? That's just part of loving you."

She let out a shaky breath, her walls finally crumbling for good. "I love you, Adam."

A slow smile spread across his lips before he kissed her deeply. "I love you too. All of you. And I'm never going anywhere."

Later that night, as she lay wrapped in Adam's arms, he whispered, "I love you, Winne. All of you."

Tears slipped silently down her cheeks. "I love you too."

And just like that, the walls she had spent years building came crumbling down.

She was finally home.