As Adin's innocent request lingered in the air, the atmosphere inside the guest room shifted noticeably. Amelia straightened from where she had been carefully examining her ankle, her motherly instincts instantly snapping into full alert.
"Hold up right there," she cut in, giving Adin her sharpest be careful what you wish for look. Her voice carried that particular blend of patience and warning every parent masters over time. "Sweetheart, we cannot just invite ourselves into other people's beds. That is not how it works."
"But Uncle Alan is not just anybody," Adin whined, his face transforming into the exact puppy dog expression he had been perfecting since toddlerhood. His eyes widened, his lips pursed, and his entire little body radiated exaggerated innocence. "Come on, please. Pretty please with sugar on top."
