The apartment was quiet, except for the soft hum of the dishwasher in the kitchen. Londyn sat cross-legged on the living room floor, threading beads onto a string. Adam leaned on the couch nearby, scrolling through his phone, occasionally glancing at her.
"Do you think this looks okay?" Londyn asked, holding up her bracelet.
Adam leaned forward with exaggerated seriousness. "Hmm… I think it looks awesome. Way better than I could do."
Londyn giggled softly. "You think so?"
"Absolutely," Adam said. "You're a natural."
She smiled but fell silent again, her focus returning to the beads. After a few minutes, she let out a quiet sigh and set the bracelet down. Adam immediately picked up on the shift in her mood.
"Everything okay, kiddo?" he asked gently.
Londyn shrugged, her fingers fidgeting with the unfinished bracelet. "Do you think… Do you think I'll mess this up?"
Adam blinked, surprised. "Mess what up?"
"This," Londyn said, motioning between them. "Living here. Being with you." Her voice grew quieter. "What if I do something wrong and you don't want me anymore?"
Adam's chest tightened. He slid off the couch to sit on the floor beside her, his voice steady. "Londyn, that's not going to happen. I don't know what made you think that, but you don't have to be afraid of it."
She hesitated, her gaze fixed on her lap. "That's what my mom used to say…" Londyn's voice wavered, and Adam stayed silent, letting her continue at her own pace. "She used to tell me I ruined everything. She said it all the time. When she was mad, she'd yell at me and say I was the reason she couldn't do anything with her life."
Adam's stomach twisted, anger and sadness flooding him all at once. "I'm so sorry, Londyn," he said, his voice soft but firm. "You didn't deserve that. None of it."
Londyn shrugged again, her shoulders drooping. "In foster homes, it wasn't much different. One of them used to say I was 'just another check.' If I got in trouble, they'd say they didn't need me there, like they could just send me back."
Adam took a deep breath, trying to keep his emotions in check. He hated the thought of Londyn carrying these words, these wounds, around with her. "Look at me," he said gently, waiting until she met his eyes. "None of that was your fault. Not your mom, not those foster homes—none of it. You didn't ruin anything. They were wrong, Londyn."
Her lip trembled, but she bit it, trying to hold back tears. "What if… What if I do mess up here?"
"Then we figure it out," Adam said, his voice steady. "Because you're not going anywhere. I'm not those people, Londyn. I'm your dad, and I'm here for you. No matter what."
The word seemed to hang in the air between them. Londyn blinked up at him, her brown eyes filled with uncertainty and hope. "You really mean it?"
Adam smiled, his hand resting lightly on her shoulder. "I really mean it. You're my kid, and nothing you do will change that."
Londyn hesitated, then spoke in a quiet voice, almost a whisper. "Thanks, Dad."
Adam's heart stopped for a beat before surging with warmth. He stared at her, his voice catching. "Say that again?"
"Dad," she repeated, her voice a little steadier this time.
Adam grinned, his eyes shining. He reached out and pulled her into a hug, holding her as tightly as he dared. "You have no idea how happy that makes me."
When they pulled apart, Londyn smiled shyly. "Can we watch a movie now, Dad?"
Adam chuckled, brushing a hand through her curls. "Anything you want, kiddo. Anything you want."
They settled on the couch, Londyn leaning against Adam's side as he wrapped an arm around her. For the first time in years, Adam felt completely at peace. He wasn't just Detective Ruzek anymore. He was a dad.
And that was everything.
The evening passed peacefully as Londyn and Adam sat on the couch, the glow of the TV reflecting off their faces. Londyn had curled up under a blanket, her new stuffed bear tucked in her lap. Adam smiled as he glanced down at her—she looked more relaxed than he'd seen her since she arrived.
"I'm gonna grab some popcorn," Adam said, standing up and stretching. "Be right back."
"Okay," Londyn replied softly, her eyes on the screen but her hands idly fidgeting with the bear's ears.
Adam walked into the kitchen and rummaged through a cabinet for the popcorn. As the microwave hummed, Londyn's curiosity got the better of her. She glanced toward the kitchen, then toward the coffee table. A small cup of juice Adam had set there earlier caught her attention.
She carefully reached for it, but her hand bumped the edge of the table. The cup tipped, spilling bright red juice across the wood and dripping onto the beige rug below.
Panic surged through her chest. Her breath quickened as she scrambled to grab the nearest thing—a pillow—to mop up the spill. It wasn't working. The juice was already sinking into the fabric.
She froze, her mind racing. What would Adam think? Would he be mad? Would he send her back?
"Londyn?" Adam's voice called from the kitchen.
She quickly shoved the pillow aside, her hands trembling as she tried to blot the stain with her sleeve.
Adam appeared in the doorway, the smell of freshly popped popcorn following him. He frowned, his gaze shifting to the juice-stained rug and the crumpled pillow.
"Londyn, what happened?" he asked, his tone calm but concerned.
"I—I'm sorry!" she blurted, backing away from the mess. "I didn't mean to! It was an accident!" Her voice cracked, tears welling in her eyes.
Adam's heart sank at her reaction. He set the popcorn down and crouched to her level. "Hey, hey, it's okay," he said gently. "It's just juice."
"But I messed up!" Londyn cried, her hands clenching her shirt. "I ruined it, and now you're gonna be mad at me!"
Adam's chest tightened as he realized what was happening. He reached out slowly, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Londyn, listen to me. I'm not mad," he said firmly but kindly.
She blinked at him, her tears spilling over. "You're not?"
"Nope," he said, shaking his head. "Accidents happen. That's all this is—an accident. You didn't do it on purpose, right?"
She shook her head rapidly.
"Then there's nothing to be upset about," he said, his voice warm. "We'll clean it up together, okay? And next time, if something spills, just call me. We'll handle it as a team."
Londyn sniffled, a flicker of hope crossing her face. "A team?"
"Yeah," Adam said with a small smile. "That's what families do. We work together."
She hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Okay."
Adam stood and grabbed a towel from the kitchen. He knelt down and began blotting the rug, motioning for Londyn to join him. She hesitated but then took the edge of the towel and helped.
As they worked together, Adam glanced over at her. "You know, I once spilled a whole bowl of spaghetti on this rug," he said with a chuckle.
Londyn's eyes widened. "You did?"
"Yup," Adam said, grinning. "Took me forever to clean it. And you know what? I survived. So will this rug."
A small giggle escaped her lips. "Spaghetti's worse than juice," she said, her voice steadier now.
"Exactly," Adam said. He winked at her, then added, "But maybe we don't test that theory tonight."
Londyn giggled again, this time more freely. Together, they finished cleaning up the mess. As Adam tossed the towel into the laundry, Londyn looked up at him, her expression shy but grateful.
"Thanks, Dad," she said softly.
Adam paused, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Anytime, kiddo. Anytime."
They settled back on the couch, the juice forgotten, and started the movie again. Londyn leaned against Adam's side, her earlier fears melting away.