“It got worse when I joined the CEB because the ones I was chasing had a better chance of succeeding trying to grab me. So, I changed it, and with my parents' help, I erased the connection. I didn’t cut them off, of course. I still love them, and I still see my family. I just wanted to be me… Just Severo Ambrose.”
Seri pushed up, looking at him. “The Voli name came with a lot of weight and expectations, didn’t it?”
“It did. And it felt like I could never step out of the shadows of it. No Dweller pun intended.” Severo gave him a tense, uncertain smile. And Seri hated that he had been the one to put that uncertainty there.
He leaned forward and pecked him softly on the lips. “I was shocked. I’m not mad… Concerned…not mad… Definitely, still concerned.”
“Dah-Dah!” Skya yelled angrily.
Seri giggled and leaned down to kiss the top of Skya’s head. “There is enough of me to go around, you little troublemaker.”
“Little rotten gummy bear,” Severo huffed. “I bribed you to share! I want my cookie back!”
“You did what?!” Seri jerked back, looking at the man.
Severo’s eyes avoided his. “Nothing?”
“You are the bigger troublemaker,” Seri said with a headshake.
“Maybe…” Severo chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “So…will you buy a house with me?”
“Fine, let’s buy a house, since you are filthy stinking rich. But just make sure to note that I did protest you spending so much money on me, if your parents do ask.”
“YAY! But how about instead of looking ourselves, we hire a realtor? Then all we will be looking at are listings that should mostly match what we want.”
“More money spent.”
“It’ll be worth it!”
“Whatever! If it saves me from having to doom-scroll on house listings, then why not?”
Severo snorted. “Yeah, no doom scrolling, please. But yes, to relying on me! Let me make this as easy and non-stressful as possible for you.”
“Life is stressful, Severo. I don’t think you can make my life stress free, no matter how hard you try.”
“Maybe not completely, no…but please, just know you can rely on me. I’m here for you. I love you, so let me help.”
“I love you, too.”
Severo pulled Seri to his side, kissing the top of his head. “Love you both so much.”
“BAH!” Skya said. The grumpy baby was still glaring.
“Well, I love you anyway,” Severo chimed happily, ignoring her sass. “Anyway, I was thinking. Maybe once things settle even more, when we find a house and all that...you could go back and get that doctorate you wanted?”
Seri blinked. His doctorate?
The thought had never occurred to him that he could go back. And honestly, Seri had assumed once he’d gotten free, all that was left for him was hiding.
“My doctorate?” Seri said slowly. “Can I do that now? Just pick up where I left off?”
Severo pulled away to look at him. “Well, you can’t pick up exactly where you left off.” The man held up Skya. “I’m pretty sure this little one won’t let you leave her for too long during the day. But you can go back to school. Take things slow. We’re Cryptids. Life is long for us, isn’t it? There is no rush. You could even wait until she is old enough to…”
Severo trailed off, blanching. The man hugged the little girl to his chest. She was glaring, but still cuddled into her Oh-Oh. “No…no. I don’t want to think about her being old enough to be out in this horrible world on her own without me.”
Yep, that was definitely an older Skya’s problem to deal with and not his,he thought with a snort.
His mind drifted back to the topic at hand. The main question in his mind being…did he still want his doctorate?
