The conference meeting was in full swing, the air thick with discussions about strategies for the upcoming quarter. I was half-listening to the projections on the screen when my secretary, Mia, quietly slipped into the room. I caught her eye, and her expression—a mix of urgency and excitement—immediately drew my attention.
"Excuse me, Ryan," she said softly, trying not to disrupt the flow of the meeting. "The twins are in your office."
My heart skipped a beat. "What? They're here?" I couldn't help but feel a surge of warmth at the thought of seeing Lily and Jake. The seriousness of the meeting faded as the implications of having my children in the building hit me.
My father, seated at the head of the table, raised an eyebrow, sensing the shift in my demeanor. "What's this about, Ryan?"
Before I could respond, Mia added, "They've been asking to see you, and I thought it would be best to bring them in."
A smile crept across my father's face. "Then we should wrap this up. Family comes first."
I could feel the excitement radiating from my siblings as they exchanged glances, eager to meet the twins. "You can't keep the kids waiting," Mark said with a grin. "Let's finish this later."
"Yeah, let's see those kids!" Emma chimed in, practically bouncing in her seat.
My father stood, proclaiming, "Meeting adjourned! Let's go meet the newest members of the family!"
As we made our way through the office halls, my siblings playfully nudged me forward. "Come on, Ryan! We want to see them!" Rachel exclaimed, her eyes wide with anticipation.
I chuckled nervously. "You know, I haven't exactly prepped them for a family reunion."
Mark waved his hand dismissively. "They'll love us! Just be yourself."
Reaching my office, I opened the door to find the twins sitting on my couch, looking around curiously. Their faces lit up when they saw me. "Dad!" they exclaimed in unison, and my heart swelled with happiness.
"Hey, kids!" I said, kneeling to their level. "I didn't expect you to be here today."
Lily's eyes sparkled. "We wanted to see where you work!"
Jake chimed in, "And we wanted to meet your family!"
I turned to see my siblings standing at the doorway, their expressions a mixture of joy and awe. "These are your aunts and uncles!" I introduced, gesturing toward each of them.
"Hi!" Emma said, stepping forward with an enthusiastic smile. "I'm your Aunt Emma!"
"I'm Uncle Mark!" he declared, ruffling Jake's hair, which made him giggle.
Rachel beamed, crouching down to their level. "And I'm Aunt Rachel. We've heard so much about you!"
The twins exchanged curious glances. "You're all our family?" Lily asked, her voice filled with wonder.
"Absolutely!" Mark replied, his eyes twinkling with excitement. "And we're so glad to finally meet you."
I watched as my siblings enveloped the twins in warm embraces, a rush of gratitude sweeping over me. .
"Now, what do you want to do?" I asked, eager to make this day special for them.
"Can we see more of the office?" Jake asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Of course! Let's show you around!" I said, glancing back at my siblings, who were equally enthusiastic.
As we stepped out of my office, I led the way through the bright, open space of the company. "This is where we have meetings," I explained, gesturing toward a large conference room.
"And over there is the design team's area. They create all the marketing materials."
Lily's eyes widened as she looked around. "Wow! This place is huge!"
Mark knelt beside her, his excitement infectious. "Wait until you see the break room! They have the best snacks."
We continued our tour, stopping by various departments, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. The twins soaked it all in, asking questions and laughing with my siblings.
I watched as Rachel showed them how to use the coffee machine—though I was careful to remind her that they were still a bit young for that.
After the tour, we made our way to the break room, where Mark filled bowls with snacks for the twins. "This is the best part of the office!" he declared, handing them a bowl of popcorn..
Just then, Mia peeked her head in, smiling warmly. "I'm so glad to see you all together! If you need anything, just let me know."
"Thanks, Mia!" I said, grateful for her support.
As the twins continued to munch on their popcorn, my father walked in, catching sight of us. His eyes lit up at the sight of the kids, and he immediately approached with a warm smile.
"Ryan! And who are these little ones?" he asked, his voice booming with joy.
I stepped aside, allowing the twins to step forward. "Dad, this is Lily and Jake—my kids."
The twins looked up at him, eyes wide with curiosity. "Hi!" they said in unison.
My father crouched down to their level, a big grin on his face. "Well, hello there! I'm your grandfather. It's so nice to finally meet you!"
Lily, always the curious one, tilted her head. "What's a grandfather?"
He chuckled, clearly amused. "A grandfather is someone who loves you and wants to spoil you just a little bit. I'm here to make sure you have fun."
Jake's eyes lit up. "Can you take us to get ice cream?"
"Absolutely!" my father replied without hesitation. "Ice cream sounds like a perfect plan. What flavors do you like?"
"Chocolate!" Jake exclaimed.
"Strawberry for me!" Lily added, bouncing on her heels.
"Then it's settled. We'll have a grand ice cream adventure after this!" he declared, standing up and looking at me with a wink. "What do you think, Ryan? Can we take the kids out for a treat?"
I felt a surge of gratitude for my father's enthusiasm. "Of course, Dad. Just make sure to be back in time for their bedtime."
"Don't worry," he said with a wave. "I'll make sure they're home safe and sound. We'll have a great time."
As he turned his attention back to the twins, I noticed how effortlessly he connected with them. "So, what do you like to do? Any favorite games or activities?" he asked, genuinely interested.
"We love drawing!" Lily said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "And we like to build things."
"Building things? Like what?" he prompted.
"Like forts! We made a huge one last week!" Jake chimed in, proud of their creation.
"Forts, huh? That sounds like a lot of fun. Maybe we can build a fort together sometime. I know a thing or two about building," he replied, a twinkle in his eye.
"Really?" Lily asked, her interest piqued.
"Absolutely! I used to build all sorts of things with your dad when he was your age. We could even have a contest!" he suggested.
"Can we?" Jake asked, bouncing with excitement.
"Definitely. But first, ice cream!" My father clapped his hands together. "Now, what about you, Ryan? Are you joining us?"
I smiled, feeling a warmth spread through me. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. Let's make it a family outing."
Once we arrived at the ice cream shop, the twins rushed inside, their little hands clasped together. My siblings followed closely, chatting with them about the flavors.
"Lily! Jake!" Mark called out, waving them over. "Ready for some ice cream?"
"Yeah!" the twins shouted in unison, their faces lighting up.
"Let's go to that new place! I heard they have every flavor you can think of," Emma chimed in, her excitement palpable.
"Chocolate!" Jake exclaimed, eyes wide with anticipation.
"And strawberry for me!" Lily added, bouncing on her toes.
"Alright, what's everyone getting?" Rachel asked, kneeling next to the twins at the counter.
"I want chocolate with sprinkles!" Jake said, practically bouncing.
"I want strawberries with whipped cream!" Lily echoed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Mark placed the order with a grin. "I'll have the same as Jake—can't go wrong with chocolate, right?"
Emma added, "And I'll get a scoop of cookie dough—best choice ever!"
As we settled at a large outdoor table, the twins couldn't stop smiling. They dug into their ice cream, laughter filling the air.
"Can we come here every week?" Jake asked, looking up at me with hopeful eyes.
"I wish we could, but I have a lot of work. I'll do my best to make time for you two," I replied, smiling.
My father chimed in, "How about we plan a family outing once a month? Ice cream or something else fun!"
"Can we have a movie night too?" Lily added, her eyes wide.
"Of course! We can have movie marathons," I said, feeling grateful for my father's support.