42. Sadie
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Sadie
Six months ago, this place had been a worn-down building, holding memories of the past but struggling to stay afloat in the present.
Now, as I stood in the middle of the newly painted playroom, watching townsfolk move in and out, carrying supplies, setting up furniture, and laughing together, I felt a warmth settle in my chest.
We’d done this.
My events, the fundraisers, the relentless planning—it had all paid off. Willow Creek Orphanage wasn’t just surviving anymore. It was thriving.
And I wasn’t alone.
That realization hit me hard.
For so long, I had been used to standing on the outside, watching other people have what I lost: a family, a home, a place where they belonged. But as I looked around, taking in the dozens of familiar faces, I finally saw the truth.
I had all of that now.
I swiped at a tear before it could fall and turned to find Alicia Thompson watching me with a knowing look, her arms crossed over her chest.
“Don’t you start crying now,” she said, her voice all warmth and strength. “You’ll set me off, and then we’ll both be useless the rest of the day.”
A laugh bubbled out of me. “No crying. Got it.”
She patted my cheek, then turned toward the kitchen, where Marlene Reid and Harriet Cooper were bickering over the best way to arrange the new shelves.
George Cooper, looking thoroughly amused, stayed out of it, holding a drill in one hand and a muffin in the other.
At the front entrance, Milo Byrne supervised the men unloading furniture, his quiet but commanding presence a stark contrast to Marlene’s lively chatter.
Kai stood beside him, an almost boyish hope in his expression, like he was still searching for his father’s approval. But the look in Milo’s eyes said that Kai had already earned it.
I spotted Hayley near the window, her soft eyes taking in the orphanage’s transformation.
My throat tightened. She had been my rock after I lost my parents, the one person who had made me feel safe when the world crumbled.
I crossed the room to her and slipped my hand into hers.
“Thank you,” I murmured.
She squeezed my fingers. “For what, sweetheart?”
“For being my family before I knew how much I needed one.”
Her eyes shimmered, and she cupped my cheek. “You were always mine, Sadie.”
I blinked back the sudden sting of tears just as Adam’s voice rumbled beside me.
“Need a hand?”
I turned to find him watching me with that soft gaze of his, a smudge of paint on his jaw that made my fingers itch to wipe it away.
“We did it,” I whispered, scanning the room again. “Look at this place.”
Adam wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pressing a kiss to my temple. “You did it, sugar. We just followed your lead.”
I leaned into him, my heart swelling. Not just with love for Adam, but for every single person here.
A loud thud made me turn. Across the room, Asher Wolfe had just dropped a massive wooden table onto the floor, grinning like he’d done it on purpose.
“I think it looks good there, what do you think?” he said, shaking out his arms.
Garrett, his older brother, let out an exasperated sigh, arms crossed over his broad chest. “You could’ve put it down without shaking the damn walls, Asher.”
“What’s the fun in that?” Asher smirked, then turned to me. “Sadie, sweetheart, you’d better appreciate this. We had to drag this thing halfway across town.”
“I carried it halfway across town,” Beckett Wolfe muttered from where he stood beside them, arms resting against the back of a newly assembled chair. His dark eyes flicked to me. “Glad you like it.”
Garrett clapped a hand on Beckett’s shoulder. “Don’t mind him. He’d rather be in the woods, but we forced him into civilization for the day.”
Beckett just huffed, clearly not arguing the point.
I grinned, shaking my head. “I do appreciate it. Thank you, all of you.”
Garrett gave me a small nod… approval, maybe. The kind that had to be earned. “You’ve done good work here, Sadie.”
I didn’t know why, but the words settled something deep inside me.
Across the room, Ryan, Jaxon, and Colt were attempting to assemble a set of bookshelves, arguing over the instruction manual.
“You’re holding it upside down,” Lila called from where she sat on the floor with Jace, sorting through a box of new books.
Colt smirked. “Am I? Or am I just seeing the bigger picture?”
Ryan snatched the manual from him. “You’re an idiot.”
Lila just shook her head, laughing.
On the other side of the room, Ethan, Owen, and Mason Grady were setting up new desks in what would soon be the kids’ study area. Aurora sat nearby, rocking baby Evie in her arms, her gaze soft as she watched her men work.
Samuel walked in with a box of supplies, setting it down before stretching out his back. “Someone remind me why I agreed to manual labor on my day off?”
“Because you love us,” Kai said, clapping a hand on his shoulder.
Samuel shot him a flat look. “Debatable.”
Laughter rippled through the room, warmth weaving itself into every corner. I let out a slow breath, looking around at everyone… at my friends, my family. And it hit me again, stronger this time.
I wasn’t just a visitor in this town anymore.
This was my home.
These people were my family.
I wasn’t just surviving.
I was truly, finally home.
The warm hum of voices filled the orphanage, laughter and conversation blending into a place that felt like home. I was still soaking it all in, committing this moment to memory, when Miss Evelyn approached with a kind smile.
“Sadie, dear, do you have a moment?”
I turned to her, returning the smile. “Of course. How are you?”
She clasped her hands in front of her. “Oh, I’m just fine. But I wanted to talk to you about Willow Creek.”
I nodded, leading her toward a quieter corner near the window, where we could talk. Adam must have been watching, because he was already dragging a chair over for me before I even thought to sit down.
His protective streak had only grown stronger over the past few months.
Miss Evelyn settled across from me. “I just wanted to say how proud I am of you. What you’ve done here… it’s incredible.”
My heart warmed. “I had a lot of help.”
“Yes, but you made it happen,” she said firmly. “This orphanage, this community… it’s thriving because of you.”
Before I could respond, a sharp pain gripped my stomach, making me gasp.
Miss Evelyn’s eyes widened. “Sadie?”
I sucked in a breath, placing a hand on my belly. “I think?—”
I broke off as another wave of pressure rolled through me, sharp and insistent. My heart kicked up a notch.
Oh.
Oh.
Oh, shit.
Adam was at my side instantly. “Sadie?”
I lifted my gaze to his, panic flickering inside of me. “I think my water just broke.”
Silence.
Then, chaos.
“Holy hell,” Lila muttered, already pulling out her phone. “I’m calling the hospital.”
A chorus of voices rose around us.
“Oh, damn, it’s happening now?” Asher asked, eyes wide with interest.
“Well, I sure as hell hope this isn’t a false alarm,” Beckett muttered, though his usual grumpy expression was tinged with concern.
Garrett was already taking charge. “You guys need to get her to the hospital. Now.”
Samuel appeared at my other side. “I’ll get the car ready.”
“I can walk,” I started, but the second I shifted, another contraction tore through me, stealing my breath.
“Nope,” Adam said firmly, scooping me up in his arms before I could protest.
“Oh my,” Miss Evelyn gasped, pressing a hand to her chest. “Well, that was fast.”
“Not my first time carrying her,” Adam muttered, his grip secure.
“You make that sound like I have to be carried all the time,” I huffed.
He didn’t even blink. “Because you do.”
The laughter and chaos around us blurred as Adam carried me outside, where Samuel had already pulled his truck up to the curb.
“Ambulance is on the way,” Jaxon called. “Lila just called.”
“Hospital’s not far,” Adam said, setting me gently in the passenger seat before climbing in beside me. “I’m not waiting.”
Kai threw open the back door. “I’m coming, too.”
I barely had time to register the others calling out encouragement as the truck peeled out of the parking lot, my entire world narrowing to the man gripping my hand and the little life about to make their way into the world.
Adam squeezed my fingers, his jaw tight with determination. “Hang on, sugar. We’re almost there.”
I exhaled shakily, leaning into him.
Ready or not, our family was about to grow.