Chapter 175
Warm sunshine spilled across the bed as Irene stretched, eyes fluttering open. For one blissful moment, she floated between dreams and reality.
Then her brain snapped into focus.
This isn’t my bedroom!
She bolted upright, memory flooding back. The marathon surgery. Coming to Adam’s house. Him letting her sleep instead of waking
her.
“His treatment!” Irene gasped, heart racing.
She hurried downstairs, following voices toward the living room.
Adam sat near the windows, morning light on his profile. He looked up when she entered, expression shifting from calm to cautious.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Irene demanded, skipping any good morning. Her voice had that edge that could make seasoned surgeons squirm in their seats. “I told you to wake me for your treatment. Do you have any idea what skipping it could mean?”
Adam set his tablet aside, taking in her rumpled appearance.
“You were exhausted,” he said simply. “I thought letting you rest was more important. One missed night shouldn’t matter that
much.”
Irene’s eyes flashed. “Are you kidding me? What gives you the right to make that call? This isn’t a game where you can change the
rules.”
She paced, doctor mode crumbling. “One missed treatment could throw everything off. And when that happens, you can’t turn back/
the clock.”
The room went pin–drop quiet. Even breathing sounded loud. Thomas, who’d been fiddling with something on a side table, froze mid–motion, looking like he’d pay good money to vanish into thin air right about now.
Adam’s fingers tapped twice on his wheelchair armrest–a telltale sign of discomfort most people missed. He’d meant to be considerate, but somehow he’d only managed to anger her. The feeling was foreign–usually people bent over backward to accommodate him, not the other way around.
“I was trying to help,” he said, his usual commanding tone softer than normal.
“I don’t need your help,” Irene fired back. “I need you to respect my medical expertise.”
From the doorway came the patter of small footsteps. Lily appeared first, her eyes wide and worried as she cautiously approached her mother and tugged at her sleeve.
“Mommy, don’t be mad,” she pleaded, her voice sweet as honey. “Uncle Adam was just worried about you. You were completely zonked out last night–you didn’t even know we were having a pajama party!”
Lucas stepped forward, hands pressed together like he was begging. “Mommy, Uncle Adam knows he messe some slack? Just this once?”
:. Can’t you cut him
Alex, never one to miss his cue, joined his siblings‘ peace mission. “Uncle Adam goofed up, sure,” he started diplomatically before switching gears, “but holding onto anger is bad for your skin, Mommy! You’ll get frown lines! And since you’re the prettiest mom in Silver City, that would be a total disaster!”
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Chapter 175
Irene’s stern expression began to crumble around the edges. Her gaze softened as she looked at her children’s pleading faces, then drifted over to Adam. Instead of his usual calculating stare, his eyes showed nothing but genuine remorse. Something about that look made her anger start mel ng away despite her best efforts.
I should still be fuming, she thought. So why does my anger keep slipping through my fingers?
She took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and without another word, turned and walked out of the house.
The door closed with a quiet click, leaving behind a thick silence.
“Is she really, really mad? Will she stop treating you? Thomas asked worriedly, finally finding his voice.
Lucas shook his head firmly. “No way! Mom’s not like that. She never breaks her promises!”
“She’s just upset right now,” Lily added with the certainty only a five–year–old could muster. “She’ll feel better soon.”
Alex, his little face screwed up in thought, turned to Adam. “You need to make up with her. Girls need to be coaxed when they’re angry!”
Thomas and Adam exchanged bemused glances at this pint–sized relationship expert.
“Coaxed?” Adam repeated, as if tasting a foreign word. The concept was alien to him–people apologized to him, not the other way
around.
Alex nodded eagerly. “Uncle Adam, my mom likes flowers. You could send her flowers to say sorry!”
Adam hesitated. In his world, flowers were for grand openings, hospital visits, or people with whom you had special relationships. For a doctor who happened to be his neighbor… it seemed presumptuous.
Alex noticed the hesitation and pressed his advantage. “Mom’s still a girl. No girl in the world hates flowers! When she sees them, her mood will flip like a switch, trust me.”
“I like flowers too,” Lily chimed in, eyes sparkling. “Mom definitely likes them, especially pretty ones!”
Adam weighted his options, then made a decision. “Thomas, order a bouquet.”
“Right away,” Thomas replied, already pulling out his phone, internally thinking, For the boss’s recovery, I’d buy the entire flower shop if necessary!
“We should head home,” Alex announced, exchanging a quick triumphant glance with his siblings. “See you later, Adam
As the triplets skipped out the door, they maintained their innocent facade until they were just out of sight. Then they pounced, dragging Thomas to a hidden corner of the garden.
“Thomas, when you order flowers, make sure they’re red roses!” Alex insisted, his voice urgent. “A huge, super romantic bouquet!”
Thomas froze, his expression shifting from confusion to understanding. “Hold up… you little masterminds are trying to hook your mom up with my boss, aren’t you? I may be perpetually single, but even I know red roses scream ‘romance.”
The triplets exchanged glances before Alex took the lead.
“You caught us,” he admitted with a shrug, “We really like Uncle Adam. He’s exactly what we want in a dad!”
“He actually listens when we talk,” Lucas added earnestly. “Not like other grown–ups who just pretend.”
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