“Ah,” the three sisters echoed. “That just means you’re truly considered family, hon,” Malyah added.
“What about Da’von?” Malyah asked, grinning. “Just left him and saved yourself, huh?”
Brianna smiled. “Imani said something along the lines of, ‘Every woman for themselves.’ Oh, and Joaquin made the mistake of walking up and asking about the smoker,” Brianna added. “Just as Imani helped me make my escape. I didn’t have time to warn him.”
“Oop.” Malyah jumped up. “I’d better go rescue him.”
She hurried off as Lu’ana and Nami laughed.
“How you doing, sugar?” Nami asked Brianna, mindful of Lu’ana sitting right there.
“This has been a lot of fun. Thank you for including us. And Carl and Mateo and Tamsin, of course. It’s been a welcomed change having a large family. And I think today has been really good for Tamsin. She needs family surrounding her, even adopted family.”
“That poor girl,” Lu’ana said, glancing across the backyard to where Tamsin currently sat on the grass in the shade while Bebe, Dania, and several of the other smaller kids played with and around her.
Overwhelmed by the larger gathering, Tamsin had apparently opted to appoint herself as a watcher of the kids in the yard, which might actually be the best thing for her right now, in Nami’s opinion.
“What kind of monster turns on their daughter like that?” Lu’ana asked as she watched them interacting. “Tamsin is such a sweetheart. It’s horrible what she’s suffered.”
The “clueless human” version of the story was that Tamsin’s father, enraged when she came out to him as gay and married to Maisie after getting pregnant—by IVF with Maisie’s twin brother, Rupert—attacked Maisie and Rupert and killed them and was now on the run. So Tamsin was staying in the States with them because she was now the daughter-in-law of a dear family friend, and they wanted to protect her until her father was apprehended.
Close enough to the truth for everyone to remember it. Just leaving out the shifter aspects.
It didn’t hurt that Bebe loved her Auntie Tam. Tamsin babysat the little girl nearly every weekday. Everyone knew it was good for Tamsin, to keep her busy. And it was good for Bebe more than Lu’ana and Reggie knew, because Tamsin was working with Bebe to teach her how to shift, or figure out if she even could.
That was still up in the air.
Nami only hoped Bebe didn’t pick a day like today to finally test those new skills, if it turned out she even could shift.
Actually, Nami was convinced Bebe was just very attuned to her loved ones and imitating them in the only ways she could. That she would turn out not to be a shifter at all.
At least, that was her desperate hope.
Because the last complication she needed in her life with her own baby on the way was another shifter child in the family to worry about, especially one who was parented by two clueless humans.
Lu’ana leaned in. “I think Imani’s adopting her,” Lu’ana whispered.
“Who?” Nami asked. “Tamsin?”
They watched as Imani walked out to where Tamsin now sat on a large beach blanket in the shade, bringing her a cold bottle of water and a plate of food. While they couldn’t hear the exchange, they could tell the older woman was lovingly scolding Tamsin to eat more. Tamsin finally smiled, nodding. Apparently satisfied, Imani returned to the house.
“Yeah,” Lu’ana said. “I’m certainly not complaining about that. Gives Imani another baby to focus on besides trying to squeeze one out of me and Reggie.” She nudged Malyah’s foot with hers. “Watch out, or I’ll sic her on you.”
Malyah snorted. “Naw, we’re good, sis. Joaquin and I want to wait a while.” Malyah caught Nami’s gaze with a“don’t just sit there, help me”look, and Nami smiled.
“Well, I hadn’t planned on having one at all,” Nami said, “but Mother Nature has a way of making fools out of all of us.”
I just hope one of those ways isn’t Bebe being a shifter.
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
CARL
“Sorry we haven’t beenable to spend much time getting to know you better,” Carl said to Reggie. “Life’s just been so hectic lately with Tamsin and her baby due so soon and everything.”
“We understand,” Reggie said, looking around and lowering his voice. “One of the reasons we’re holding off for a while on having another one, too. Life’s hectic right now, especially with Bebe at the age she is.” He glanced down at Lu’ana, as if to seek her confirmation, but Carl recognized that look on her face—she wasn’t totally on board with that plan. “And I’m sure once Tamsin has her baby that she’ll need a break from babysitting for us,” Reggie added.
“Yeah,” Lu’ana finally said. “As y’all well know, Bebe’s a handful. Maybe once she starts school we can talk about another one.” She laughed. “Or maybe Da’von and Brianna will make us aunties and uncles first and Imani can focus on them.”
