“Yeah,” he said. “I’d love to see that happen. How do you feel after doing magic? Did Leah say how the boys reacted to it?”
I peered back at Elias, who watched us with my sandwich in his hand. I signaled for him to join us. When he handed me the sandwich, I took such a large bite that I almost ate the entire square he’d cut the first piece into. He settled on the floor between my legs, and I smiled when he leaned his head against one of my legs.
“Leah believes the boys love it when I do magic,” I said. “Both heartbeats strengthened to the point she could hear them clearly without the machine. After we finished, she said their hearts were the strongest they’d ever been.”
Elias turned on his knees, and when he pressed his head to my stomach, I held the plate and sandwich above him. He listened for a few seconds before he kissed my swollen belly twice.
“They do sound stronger,” he said. “Why don’t you listen, Brent?”
Brenton smiled, and I loved that Elias wanted to share this memory with him. When Brenton pressed his head to my stomach, Elias mouthed the words, “I love you,” which made my own heart beat stronger.
“Leah wants to monitor the boys while I do magic a few more times before she clears me to help heal Respandora,” I said. “I’m excited to see what Alastor, the shifter mages, and I can do with it.”
“It’ll be good for it to be back in mage hands,” Elias said. “Maybe we can build a second home there.”
“Really?” I asked, and there went the tears again.
“Not if you’re going to cry about it.”
I pulled his hair when he resettled on the floor.
“I want the boys’ middle names to be Eiran,” I said. “Before you get all testosterone-packed about me wanting their second names after another male, hear me out.”
“I’m trying to subdue the testosterone.” Elias peered up at me in amusement.
I kissed his temple, the heaviness in my chest lifting. “I want the boys to have their second name after him because without him, the boys wouldn’t have an uncle.” Brenton pressed his leg against mine, so I wound my hand around his arm again. “And because Eiran told me that he’s always painted as the villain when death isn’t supposed to be a punishment. I don’t want the boys to fear death the way that I do. I want them to see it as, maybe not a gift but the next adventure. I know there’s an afterlife, and I know we’ll all be reunited there one day. It’s natural that we’re going to miss those we’ve lost, but what greater adventure is there than knowing we’ll all be together again? Imagine, someday, I’ll get to annoy both of you for eternity.”
“I think the afterlife you’re speaking of is calledEnfierna,” Brenton said, shuddering.
Enfierna as in hell. “Jerk.”
“Although you want to name them after a male who isn’t their father, Eiran would be a good second name,” Elias said.
This time, when he looked up, I pressed my lips to his for a quick kiss. When I sat up, I touched the back of my shoulder where my tattoo started to tingle.
“I think Eiran approves,” I said.
“I would hope so or that would’ve been awkward.” Suddenly his mouth opened, and he stared at his palm where he had the tattoo Eiran had gifted him of the sun. “Okay, that was creepy.” He fisted his hand and chuckled. “Joking, not creepy at all.” He buried his hand under his thigh. “Can you tell him to stop?”
“Maybe stop talking,” I suggested.
On a nod, he pressed his lips together.
“What about their first names?” Elias asked.
“We could name one Elias but then he would think he’s the favorite,” I said.
“So we’ll have Elias and Eli.” His dimples popped out with his smirk.
“You said their hearts strengthened when you did magic,” Brenton said. “What if you choose a name that has a heavy magic meaning?”
Excited, I did a little hop that made Elias jerk forward. “Sorry.” I patted his head, and he leaned his head back to the side of my leg. “Does the library have a baby name book?”
“A baby name book?” Brenton asked. “What’s that?”
“A book with names and their meaning,” I said.
Elias shook his head.
