Chapter 116 Daddy's Crane
Chapter 116 Daddy's Crane
Five minutes later, Owen came jogging down the grand wooden staircase, his hair still slightly damp and smelling of his expensive, woodsy body wash. Dressed in comfortable jeans and a casual henley, the billionaire CEO looked entirely ready for a day of toddler wrangling.
He dropped a quick kiss on Leona's lips, grabbed the handle of the massive, top-of-the-line double stroller, and the entire extended family officially rolled out.
The grand zoo trip was nothing short of a massive, joyful, chaotic paparazzi event. With Thomas, Diane, Claire, David, Tate, Maya, Ben, and Sarah all in tow, Olive and Hazel had an absolute dedicated entourage capturing every single second of the day. The family group chat—and the internet—was immediately flooded with pictures.
But there was one incredibly special detail in every single photo of the birthday girl.
Before they had even left the cabin, Olive had stubbornly insisted on her favorite accessory. Perched on her tiny nose, slightly crooked and completely oversized, were the exact same designer sunglasses she had picked out way back when. The very same ones she had worn to the courthouse before the judge had permanently, undeniably made her a Stark.
Behind those dark, crooked lenses, Olive took on the entire zoo with the fearless confidence of a girl who knew she had an army standing right behind her.
At the giraffe enclosure, Owen lifted her out of the stroller and hoisted her onto his shoulders. A towering giraffe stretched its long neck down, its massive purple tongue wrapping gently around the piece of lettuce Olive offered it. Hazel giggled wildly from Leona's arms, but Olive simply adjusted her oversized sunglasses and offered the massive animal a second piece of lettuce like it was completely normal.
When they made it to the big cat exhibit, the girls pressed their tiny hands against the thick safety glass, completely mesmerized. A massive male lion paced up to the glass, looked right at the family, and let out a deep, chest-rattling roar that echoed through the exhibit.
While some of the other kids jumped back, Olive didn't even flinch. She just stared the king of the jungle right down through her dark designer shades, her little hand gripping Owen's jeans.
The day became a blur of absolute, picture-perfect toddler joy.
They sat in the splash zone for the aquarium show, watching massive dolphins leap into the air. Olive clapped enthusiastically, water droplets spraying over her pigtails and her signature sunglasses.
They moved to the petting zoo, where both girls got to happily brush the miniature goats and feed the baby pigs. And to absolutely cap off the third birthday celebration, Owen and Leona walked side-by-side holding the reins as Olive and Hazel got to ride a pair of gentle, plodding ponies around the dirt track.
Every time Claire snapped a photo on her phone, or Thomas recorded a video on his tablet, the image was the same. A fierce, happy, unconditionally loved little girl in denim overalls, ruling her third birthday behind those iconic, crooked sunglasses.
They weren't just a fashion statement anymore. They were a beautiful, permanent reminder that Olive had picked Owen and Leona long before the law had made it official, and she was exactly where she was always meant to be.
The transition from the bright, bustling afternoon sun into the cool, glowing blue sanctuary of the massive underwater aquarium tunnel was absolutely magical.
Owen pushed the double stroller slowly through the curved glass walkway, allowing the girls to take it all in. Above them, the water was crystal clear, acting as a massive, living ceiling.
Olive had finally pushed her signature oversized sunglasses up onto her dark curls so she could see properly in the dim, aquatic light. Beside her, Hazel’s eyes were as wide as saucers.
"Wow," Olive breathed out, her little hands gripping the safety bar of the stroller as a school of brightly colored, neon-yellow fish darted right over their heads.
"Wow!" Hazel immediately echoed her big sister, kicking her little sneaker-clad feet in excitement.
They spent twenty minutes just in the tunnel, pointing up at the massive, slow-moving sea turtles and the sleek, intimidating sharks that glided effortlessly through the water. The sheer wonder radiating from the two toddlers had the entire "Stark
Army" captivated, with David and Tate practically jogging ahead to point out the biggest fish they could find for their nieces.
By the time they finally emerged back into the sunlight, it was well past time for a late lunch.
The family commandeered three pushed-together tables at a sprawling, shaded outdoor restaurant near the edge of the park. It offered a perfect breeze, cold drinks, and, most importantly, an unobstructed, sweeping view of the distant city skyline across the water.
As the waiters dropped off baskets of fries and cold lemonades, the adults sank gratefully into their chairs, happily exhausted from the miles of walking.
Olive, however, was still incredibly observant.
Even with Hazel in the picture, Olive was still the undisputed early bird of the Stark household. Every single morning, she and Owen still stood by those penthouse windows with their coffee and apple juice, looking out over the city while he explained the intricacies of Zenith's ongoing projects. She knew her father's empire.
Sitting in her high chair, munching on a French fry, Olive’s dark eyes scanned the distant, glittering skyline. Suddenly, she stopped chewing.
She dropped her fry, her little face lighting up with absolute, pure recognition. She aggressively tapped her sticky finger against the high chair tray to get her sister's attention, before pointing a tiny, determined finger straight out toward the horizon.
There, cutting through the clouds in the distance, was a massive, towering yellow construction crane perched atop a half-finished skyscraper.
"Look!" Olive gasped excitedly, leaning over as far as the straps would let her to look at her little sister. She pointed enthusiastically at the distant skyline. "Daddy's crane, Hazy!"
Owen, who was just taking a sip of his ice water, completely froze.
The entire table went quiet for a split second before a collective wave of absolute adoration washed over the family. Thomas beamed with pure grandfatherly pride, clapping Owen firmly on the shoulder, while Diane and Claire practically melted into their seats.
Hazel, bless her heart, had absolutely no idea what a crane was. But seeing her big sister so incredibly excited about it, Hazel immediately looked out toward the city, clapped her sticky little hands together, and babbled right back.
Leona reached under the table, resting her hand warmly on Owen’s thigh. She looked from her husband—who looked like he had just been handed the keys to the entire universe—to the tiny, brilliant three-year-old who knew his buildings by sight.
Owen leaned over, pressing a slow, infinitely proud kiss to Olive's curly head. "That's exactly right, sweet pea," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "That's Daddy's crane."