Adele in Love "The woman in the crowd"

83|| play time

As they settled back into their playful energy, Archie suddenly jumped up from the couch with a gleam in his eye. "Alright, Isy, now it's your turn to be the bad guy!" he shouted, launching himself at her in an ambush.

Isy laughed, quickly reacting and catching Archie mid-jump. She gently tussled with him, making exaggerated struggling noises. "Oh no, you caught me!" she teased, rolling with him on the floor as he tried to pin her down.

But Adele was watching closely. There was something different about Isy's movements—something sharper, more calculated, even in this playful game. To the kids, it was all fun, but Adele noticed how effortlessly Isy could shift her body weight, the way her reflexes kicked in almost instinctively. Her past with the FBI, though still mostly a mystery to Adele, was evident in moments like these. The training, the experience—it was all there, just beneath the surface.

Archie laughed as Isy let him pin her for a moment, only to flip him over easily with a light twist of her wrist. "You've got to do better than that, champ!" she said, smirking as she pretended to escape.

Maddie quickly jumped in to help Archie, the two of them teaming up to try and subdue Isy. But no matter how much they tried, Isy always seemed one step ahead, deflecting their attacks with playful ease, her movements fluid and precise.

Adele leaned against the doorway, a small smile playing on her lips. She could see the joy in Isy's eyes, but also the subtle tension behind them—the restraint in her movements, the care she took to make sure she didn't overpower the kids. If you knew, like Adele did, about her past, you could see it. Every roll, every shift, every move was deliberate, as if a part of her was always ready for something more serious. It was a side of Isy that Adele now knew existed but still felt like a puzzle she couldn't fully piece together.

Eventually, Isy let Archie and Maddie triumph, collapsing onto the floor in mock defeat. "Alright, alright, you got me!" she laughed, holding her hands up. The kids cheered in victory, piling on top of her in a fit of giggles.

Adele watched from her spot, her heart full but her mind buzzing with thoughts. As the kids celebrated their win, she couldn't shake the realization that Isy, even in these lighthearted moments, was still carrying the weight of something much bigger. Something that Adele, no matter how hard she tried, couldn't fully understand.

As the laughter died down, and the kids caught their breath, Isy caught Adele's eye from across the room. There was a flicker of something unspoken between them—a brief, knowing look.

"Come on, let's do one more round!" Archie shouted, snapping Isy out of the moment.

She grinned, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Alright, but this time, I'm going to win."

The game continued, but Adele couldn't stop thinking about what she had just seen. Even though Isy was laughing and playing with the kids, part of her seemed to still be living in a different world—one full of secrets and experiences that Adele might never fully grasp. And yet, it only made her love and admire Isy more. Even with all that she carried, she still made time for moments like these, creating joy and laughter for those she loved.

As Isy expertly dodged another playful tackle from Archie, Adele couldn't help but think about how much strength it must take for her to balance it all.

Archie and Maddie huddled together after another unsuccessful attempt to "capture" Isy, their faces full of determination but clearly needing some backup. Archie turned to Adele, eyes wide with excitement and a hint of desperation.

"Mum, we need you!" he exclaimed, looking over at Adele. "She's too good. We can't get her by ourselves!"

Maddie nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, come help us! We need more firepower!"