She held up a hand. “Not no forever. No to whatever reckless thought just crossed your face. You are not a relative. You have no relationship with the children beyond today. You travel constantly. You live alone. Your public reputation is complicated. Your private reputation is worse.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m your attorney, not your admirer.”
“I could change my schedule.”
“That is not a parenting plan.”
“I have space.”
“A penthouse is not a home.”
That landed harder than I expected.
Elise saw it and lowered her voice. “Ryker, helping them is possible. But do not confuse rescue with attachment. Children need consistency. They need adults who show up after the dramatic moment is over.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
There it was again.
The same question.
This time I did not answer quickly.
Because the truth was, I knew how to acquire companies, intimidate rivals, read contracts, calculate risk. I knew how to survive betrayal. I knew how to turn weakness into reputation.
I did not know bedtime stories.
I did not know school forms.
I did not know what five-year-olds ate when no one was trying to impress anyone.
But I knew this.
“I want to learn,” I said.
Elise’s expression changed.
For the first time all night, she seemed afraid for me.
The next morning began with coffee gone cold and phone calls that led to more phone calls.
Maya updated Elise first, then me, because boundaries mattered.
The children had slept poorly but safely. Lily woke twice. Owen refused to let go of Captain long enough to brush his teeth until the foster mother promised the bear could sit on the sink and supervise.
That detail stayed with me all morning.
Captain supervising.
At eleven, I was allowed a brief supervised call.
Maya warned me first. “Keep it simple. Don’t ask about Claire. Don’t promise visits unless arranged. Don’t overwhelm them.”
“I understand.”
The video call connected.
Lily appeared first, hair brushed into two uneven pigtails. Owen leaned into frame beside her, Captain tucked under one arm.
Behind them was a yellow kitchen with drawings on the refrigerator.
“Hi,” I said.
Lily smiled shyly. “Hi, Mr. Steel.”
“Ryker is fine.”
Owen frowned. “Like biker?”
“With an R.”
“Rrryker,” he said, rolling the sound dramatically.
Lily giggled.
There it was again.
That tiny flash of childhood.
I held onto it.
“How was breakfast?” I asked.
“Pancakes,” Lily said.
“With blueberries,” Owen added. “But not inside. On top. Because inside is sneaky.”
“I’ll remember that.”
“Do you eat pancakes?” Lily asked.
“Not often.”
“Why?”
I had no answer that would make sense to a child.
“Maybe I forgot about them.”
