+25 BONUS
CHAPTER NINETY–EIGHT
LIANA’S POV
The Family Day event was already in full swing when we got into the main hall. There were colorful banners everywhere, tables with snacks and drinks, and an excited buzz in the air as kids ran around in little groups, dragging their parents along. Ryan was bouncing on his feet beside us, practically vibrating with excitement.
The school had set up different fun games, Mom and Kid three–legged races, Dad and Kid balloon–popping relays
and a full Family Obstacle Course that had everyone hyped from the start.
First up was the Dad and Kid balloon–popping race. Ryan grabbed Killian’s hand and pulled him to the starting line so fast that Killian almost tripped, laughing as he tried to keep up. I watched them from the sidelines with a huge smile on my face, my heart so full just seeing the two of them like that, like they’d been doing this forever.
When the whistle blew, Killian lifted Ryan onto his back like it was nothing, and Ryan clung on tight, giggling as Killian ran across the line, bouncing with each balloon they stomped. It was chaos, and a lot of the dads were losing their breath halfway, but not Killian. He was focused, determined, and having the time of his life. By the time they hit the finish line, Ryan’s laughter was echoing through the hall, and they popped their last balloon just seconds before the next team.
They won.
Ryan screamed so loud I think the whole school heard him. “WE WON! MOMMY, WE WON!”
He ran straight to me, breathless and red–cheeked, as Killian followed behind with a proud grin on his face.
“Did you see us? Daddy was like a superhero!” Ryan exclaimed, jumping into my arms.
“I saw, baby! You both did amazing. I’m so proud of you.”
Killian bent slightly and kissed my temple. “Round one. Complete.”
Next up was the Mom and Kid game. I wasn’t even sure what it was until I saw other moms lining up with flour bowls, blindfolds, and little plastic spoons.
Flour bowl spoon race.
Killian laughed when he saw me panicking a little. “Good luck, baby. This one’s on you.”
I rolled my eyes at him while Ryan grabbed my hand and said, “Come on, Mommy! We can win this!”
I honestly wasn’t sure how we even got as far as we did. I was blindfolded, scooping flour with a spoon into a tiny
cup while Ryan directed me, and his little voice kept yelling, “A little to the left, no Mommy—left, that’s right– no, wait, your other left!” I couldn’t stop laughing the whole time.
We came in second place.
Ryan wasn’t even disappointed. “That’s still good, right, Daddy?” he asked as we walked back.
Killian scooped him up again and nodded. “Second place is amazing. But you know what we need now?”
“The family game!” Ryan shouted, already bouncing in his arms.
The Family Obstacle Course was insane, crawling under nets, running through hoops, doing a balance beam together. But we were ready. We had to be. Ryan was too excited to let us back out.
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Killian went first, then me, then Ryan, and we made it through the entire course without a single fall. We cheered each other on like we were at the Olympics. And when it got to the final flag capture, a huge inflatable slide, Killian carried Ryan up while I chased after them, all three of us tumbling down together into the foam pit, laughing and out of breath.
We won again.
Ryan jumped up, waving his little arms like he just won a million dollars. “WE WON AGAIN!”
When the announcer called our names and handed us a golden medal, Ryan grabbed it with both hands, beaming so hard his cheeks puffed out. He looked up at me, then at Killian, and whispered, “I’ve never been this happy, ever.”
Killian wrapped an arm around both of us, holding us close, and whispered by
“Me neither, buddy.”
After the family day event, Killian kept his promise and took us out to the amusement park. Ryan was literally bouncing in the backseat the whole ride there, like he’d been given a lifetime supply of sugar and joy. The second we got out of the car, he took off running towards the entrance, shouting, “We’re here! We’re finally here!”
He didn’t even wait to get his ticket scanned before he started listing everything he wanted to do. “Merry–go- round! The pirate ship! Bumper cars! Daddy, can we go on the roller coaster? Mommy, can we ride the big wheel? Please? Please? And I wanna do horse riding! And the spinning teacups! And the haunted house too! Oh! And the mini train!”
Killian laughed and lifted him up like he weighed nothing, tossing him playfully in the air before catching him. ” Easy there, buddy. One ride at a time. We’ve got all day, alright?”
We ended up riding everything Ryan pointed at. The carousel, the teacups, the pirate ship. Killian held him tightly during the rollercoaster because Ryan was a little too small to go alone, and the way Ryan screamed and laughed the whole ride made my heart feel full. We even rode the Ferris wheel as a family, and Ryan insisted on sitting between us like he was the glue that kept us stuck together. Honestly, he was.
Later, we got to the indoor ice skating area for kids, and Ryan immediately ran inside, excited to try it out. He wasn’t alone, dozens of other kids were there too, sliding around on the artificial ice, laughing and falling and trying again. It wasn’t real ice, just a cool, safe room designed for young kids to have fun without getting hurt. There were even colorful lights dancing on the walls and soft music playing.
While Ryan played inside, Killian took my hand and pulled me towards the outdoor ice skating area that was meant for adults. “Let’s go have some fun too,” he said with a grin.
It had been so long since I laughed like that. I didn’t even remember how terrible I was at skating until I nearly slipped three times in the first minute. Killian kept holding me, balancing me while we moved slowly, giggling like teenagers sneaking out to play. He kept teasing me, saying, “You’re worse than Ryan,” and I kept hitting his shoulder playfully, almost falling again.
“You’re supposed to help me, not laugh at me,” I pouted, clinging to him.
“I’m doing both. Multi–tasking,” he whispered, then leaned in and kissed me so softly that I forgot how cold it was. His lips were warm, his arms around me firm, and everything just felt so right. So peaceful. So perfect. It was one of those moments you want to bottle up forever.
We could still see Ryan through the glass, skating happily with other kids, his smile wide and his cheeks red from excitement. It all felt like a dream, just too good to be true.
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And maybe it was.
Because suddenly, the music inside stopped. One minute we were laughing, skating slowly, watching Ryan through the glass… and the next, there was this blaring sound, an ear–piercing alarm that made my entire body stiffen. Red lights started flashing, loud and angry, and the next thing we saw were kids bursting out of the cold room, crying, screaming, stumbling over one another in panic.
“Fire! There’s fire!” some of them yelled. Others just kept running, calling for their moms and dads, their little faces twisted in fear.
My stomach dropped.
I didn’t even wait, I tore the skates off my feet and ran barefoot toward the entrance of the kids‘ skating room, my heart hammering so loud I couldn’t hear anything else.
“Ryan!” I screamed, already choking on the rising panic in my chest. “Ryan, where are you!?”
Killian was right beside me, shoving through the crowd. “Move! Get out of the way!” he barked, his voice hoarse, shaking. “Ryan!”
Kids kept coming out, some with staff, some alone, faces soaked with tears, but none of them were Ryan. None.
“Where is he!?” I cried, grabbing one of the instructors. “Where the hell is my son!?”
“I–I don’t know-” she stammered, trying to calm the others while glancing back inside.
Kids kept flooding out, sobbing and screaming, but still… no Ryan.
“I was watching him!” Killian snapped, spinning in circles as if trying to make sense of what was happening. “He was just there. I saw him skating! I swear I fucking saw him-”
“Then where is he!?” I screamed back, my throat raw, vision blurred from tears. “WHERE IS HE!?”
I couldn’t breathe.
“RYAN!” I screamed louder, louder than I ever had in my life, my voice cracking like glass. “BABY, PLEASE! MOMMY’S HERE!”
Killian’s hands were in his hair, his entire body was tense and twitching like he was two seconds away from losing control.
Because the crowd was clearing now, the room nearly empty, instructors doing headcounts, alarms still wailing in our ears, and still no sign of Ryan.
“False alarm! Everyone, it’s okay! Someone must have accidentally triggered the alarm, it’s a false alarm! Please remain calm!” one of the staffs said.
Parents started to breathe again. Some hugged their crying kids. Others just stood in shock. The chaos was slowly dying down.
But not for us.
Because even with the panic fading, even with the staff trying to reassure everyone that there was no fire…
There was still no sign of Ryan…
And that was when the fear truly set in.
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That was when I realized something was wrong.
Really, really wrong…
