"What time is it?"I ask.
"Too early.Go back to sleep."
"The kids will be up soon."
"Let them.We earned a lazy morning."
As if on cue, small footsteps pound down the hallway.Our door bursts open, and Lily barrels in, still in her princess pajamas.
"You're married!You're still married!"
Hades groans, but he's smiling."Yeah, little one.Still married.Marriage doesn't expire overnight."
She climbs onto the bed, wedging herself between us."Can we have pancakes?"
"Sure.Give us ten minutes to wake up."
"Five minutes!"
"Ten."
"Seven!"
"Deal."
She bounces off the bed and runs back out, presumably to tell her siblings that pancakes are happening.
Hades looks at me, eyebrow raised."Seven minutes.Think we can manage?"
"We’d better.She'll hold us to it."
We get up and get dressed.Hades in jeans and a t-shirt, me in leggings and one of his old shirts.
In the kitchen, chaos reigns.Mason's trying to find the pancake mix.Emma's setting the table.The boys are arguing about something.Sophie has Lily distracted with coloring.
Our family.
Hades and I move through them easily in a rhythm we've developed over months.He handles the cooking while I manage crowd control.Within twenty minutes, everyone's seated with food in front of them.
"So," Mason says between bites."You're officially our parents now, right?"
"Officially," Hades confirms.
"Cool."He tries to play it casual, but I see the relief in his eyes.The security.
"Does this mean we can call you Mom and Dad?"Lily asks quietly.
My heart squeezes."If you want to.Or Aunt and Uncle.Whatever feels right to you."
"Mom," Sophie declares immediately."And Dad."
The older kids exchange glances.Then Emma nods."Yeah.Mom and Dad."
I look at Hades, seeing my own emotions reflected in his face.We're not just guardians anymore.We're parents.Really, truly parents.
"Then Mom and Dad it is," I say, my voice thick.
The meal continues, conversation flowing easily.Plans for the day, arguments about chores, Jake trying to negotiate for more video game time.
