Lola was bouncing off the walls. Adoption day was in full swing and I was desperately trying to weave my way through the crowd to keep up with her. She was twirling, skipping, singing—anything she could think of. Fen was following behind me with Abel in his arms, both of them much calmer than Lola but clearly amused by her energy.

"Slow down, Lola!" I called out, trying to make my way through the throngs of people. "You're going to knock someone over."

"But it's adoption day!" she squealed, doing another twirl that narrowly missed an older couple. "Everything's amazing today!"

I smiled despite myself. I couldn't blame her for being excited—it was a big day. Fen caught up with me, adjusting Abel on his hip.

"She's like a pinball," Fen commented, watching Lola zoom ahead, her enthusiasm lighting up the entire room.

"Tell me about it," I muttered, dodging a few more people as I tried to keep up with her. "I don't know how she has so much energy."

Fen shrugged, a soft smile playing on his lips. "She's happy. And after everything, she deserves to be."

As if on cue, Lola collided with somebody's leg but caught herself before she could fall. I moved over, pulling her back slightly before glancing at the person she hit.

"Sorry—"

The words died on my lips when I noticed a man who looked eerily similar to Nolan staring at Fen and me. I glanced back at my mate who appeared to be fine on the outside, but after all the time I had spent with him, I could see the subtle shift in his demeanor.

So this was the former alpha I'd heard about.

The green-eyed man beside the alpha Eli referred to as Nixon smiled at us. "No need to apologize," he said smoothly. "It's a busy day, after all."

"Yeah, adoption day," Fen responded, his tone polite but distant. He adjusted Abel, who was now peering curiously at the stranger from Fen's arms. "Lots of excitement."

"We're gonna get adopted!" Lola confidently told him. "We have a meeting to go to!"

The green-eyed man smiled down at her. "I hope it goes well."

"It will," she assured him before glancing back at me. "Come on! We can't be late."

"We're coming," I told her.

Glad to have an actual reason to end the conversation, I let Lola pull me along and gestured for Fen to follow which he had no problem doing.

I noticed, however, that even when we passed the men and were a good distance away, his body remained tense and something told me it wasn't because of that conversation.

"Fen—"

"We're here!" Lola shouted.

"Here!" Abel tried to squirm his way out of Fen's arms, but Fen's grip remained ironclad.

"I'll set you down when we're inside," he told the pouting toddler.

Lola and I went inside first. The building we were using was technically built to be a recreation center but today it was transformed into a space filled with hope and nervous anticipation. Colorful banners and decorations hung from the ceiling, and tables were set up where kids like Lola and Abel would meet their prospective families.

Lola, of course, wasted no time rushing ahead, her earlier encounter already forgotten. She darted around, scanning the room for the family she was supposed to meet, while Abel craned his neck to get a better look at everything.

As we made our way inside, I glanced back at Fen. He was quiet—too quiet. I approached him once Abel was safely seated in one of the nearby chairs, looking content to play with a stack of blocks. "Fen, you alright?"

He gave me a tight smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm fine. Just... a lot going on today."

"Is it a lot because of that encounter we just had, or a lot because of the possibility Lola and Abel are meeting their potential adoptive parents today?"

Fen paused and I knew it had to be the latter when I saw the way he tensed. I grabbed his hand and started to try and speak, but I didn't get the chance to when one of the doors was pushed open, revealing a woman who wasn't a council member, but clearly had some sort of position. She'd likely been sent only to make sure everything was going by the book, but it didn't stop my grip on Fen from tightening.

"Lola Whitmore? Abel Whitmore?" the woman called out, her voice carrying across the room.

Lola immediately perked up, her face lighting up at the sound of her name. "That's us!" she squealed, grabbing Abel's hand as she bounced in place. "Come on, Abel! It's our turn!"

Abel looked up at her with wide eyes, not entirely sure what was happening but happy to follow her lead. Fen let out a small sigh as the toddler wobbled forward, still unsteady on his feet. Lola pulled him along, brimming with excitement, and I had to hold back a smile watching them.

"Go on," I urged softly, giving them both a reassuring look. "We'll be right here if you need us."

Lola gave me a confident nod as if she had everything under control. Abel, on the other hand, clung to her hand like a lifeline, his tiny legs struggling to keep up with her quick pace as they approached the woman.

"Good luck," Fen called after them, his voice quieter than usual. He watched as they disappeared into the back room with the woman, and his hand tightened around mine again.

I squeezed back, offering him as much comfort as I could. "They'll be okay," I murmured, though my own nerves were beginning to fray. "Lola's a charmer, and Abel's the sweetest. How could anyone not fall in love with them?"

Fen nodded, but his eyes remained fixed on the door they'd just gone through, his jaw clenched. "I know they will be. It's just..."

"It's hard," I finished for him.

I couldn't pretend to know I knew exactly how he felt, but I did know that in the short time I'd been around, the kids had made an impression on me. It had to be ten times worse for Fen, knowing how long he'd been around them.

Fen didn't answer right away, but I could see the struggle in his eyes. He wanted what was best for them, of course, but the thought of Lola and Abel finding a new family—one that wasn't him—was clearly weighing on his mind.

"This is only the first meeting," I reminded him. "They're just getting to know each other. Nothing's set in stone yet."

Finally, after what felt like hours but was probably only about twenty minutes, the door creaked open again. Lola came rushing out first, her face glowing with excitement.

"That was amazing!" she shouted, running straight into Fen's arms. "They liked us! They want to see us again!"

Fen caught her in his arms, a genuine smile breaking across his face as he hugged her tightly. Abel toddled out next, his cheeks flushed and his eyes bright as he clung to the woman's hand.

I crouched down to Abel's level, offering him a warm smile. "Did you have fun, buddy?"

Abel nodded, his grip on the woman's hand loosening as he reached for Fen who wasted no time pulling Abel against him as well.

The woman, who had been standing patiently behind, smiled warmly at the scene before her. "They certainly made a wonderful impression," she said, her voice kind. "The prospective parents would love to spend the day with Lola and Abel, enjoying some of the adoption day activities, if you're comfortable with that."

Lola's eyes lit up even more if that was even possible. "Can we, Fen? Please, please, please?" Fen looked down at the eager little girl, then over at Abel, who was already nestled comfortably in his arms. His hesitation was notable, but he nodded slowly. "Will you come too?"

"Of course we will," Fen replied immediately.

Lola let out a gleeful cheer, bouncing up and down in place. "Yay! We're gonna have so much fun!"

A couple who seemed to be in their late thirties to early forties emerged, both dressed casually but with an air of quiet confidence about them. The woman had a kind, open face with warm brown eyes, while the man stood slightly behind her, a bit more reserved but smiling just the same.

The woman crouched down immediately, meeting Lola at eye level, and offered a bright, welcoming smile. "We're so excited to spend the day with you and Abel!"

Lola beamed, clearly already taken with them. "Are we gonna do all the fun stuff? There's games, and face painting, and—"

"We'll do as much as we can," The woman promised with a laugh, glancing briefly at Fen and me before turning her attention back to Lola. "Whatever you want to do today, we're here for it."

The man gave a small nod, offering Fen and me a polite smile. "I'm David and this is my mate, Amelia. It's nice to meet you both. We'll make sure they're safe and happy."

Fen, still holding Abel close, shifted on his feet. His eyes flickered from Lola to the couple and he gave them a stiff nod. "Thank you. We'll be nearby, just so you know."

Abel's eyes locked on David, who smiled warmly at him. "Hello, Abel. Would you like to come with us too?"

Abel glanced up at Fen almost as if he was asking for permission. Fen gave him a nod and the toddler carefully pulled away from him and took David's outstretched hand.

"You'll have fun with them," Fen said, his voice soft but steady. "They're incredible kids."

The couple gave the both of us one last smile before Lola started dragging them off. Fen and I hung back for a minute and once the kids rounded the corner to get checked out before they went to play, I took the chance to turn to my mate and pull him into an empty room.

As soon as the door closed behind us, I could feel the tension rolling off Fen in waves. He kept his eyes on the floor, jaw clenched tight, but I could tell he was barely holding it together. His shoulders were tense, and his breathing was just a little too controlled.

"How are you?" I asked softly, stepping closer and resting a hand on his arm.

Fen exhaled sharply through his nose, shaking his head. "I'm fine. It's just—" He cut himself off, trying to hold back the emotions threatening to spill over.

"Fen," I said, my voice gentle but firm. "You don't have to put on a front when it's just us. You can be honest."

For a moment, he didn't respond. He just stood there, breathing heavily as if trying to keep everything inside. But then, like a dam breaking, his shoulders sagged, and his walls came down. He grabbed my arm, pulled me closer, buried his head in my neck to cover his face, and a rough, choked sound escaped his throat.

That one noise was enough to tear down the barrier inside him and within seconds, Fen broke. His tears rained down, his breathing grew erratic, and the only thing I could do was tighten my hold on him and wish I could take his pain away.