“Yeah, I know,” I murmured in agreement.
“Besides, you don’t even know if youarepregnant yet,” Theo pointed out. His voice turned quiet and serious. “If you’re not pregnant, we can always stop trying.”
“No,” I said quickly. “I don’t think I want that.”
He smiled. “Well, then, there’s your answer. I’m pretty sure you know what you want even if you don’tknowit.” As he said that, he emphasized the wordknowwith a gentle poke in the head. “Just tell your brain to calm down for once.”
I tried to hold back a smile at how silly he was being, but I failed. “Trust me, I’m trying.”
Theo sat upright and I joined him, dusting the dirt off myself. He suddenly seemed lost in thought and unusually quiet as he stared up at the peaches hanging in the trees.
“Sucks that I can’t eat them anymore,” Theo mumbled. “That’s something I really miss about being human. Eating normal food.”
“I’m sorry.”
I frowned and took his hand. He lazily traced circles on the back of my hand with his thumb.
Theo shrugged. “It’s not your fault, obviously. It’s not anyone’s fault but Margaret’s.”
I nearly shuddered at the mention of her name. Even though I’d only known her for a single night--the one in which she abducted me--the house seemed so much different after her passing. More peaceful and calm. No longer did tension hang thickly in the air.
“She wasn’t able to have children,” Theo continued somberly. “Obviously, being a vampire and all made it impossible. I don’t know if she ever did in her human lifetime, either. Maybe that explained why she could’ve been so cruel and evil towards Lark when she was born.”
I frowned at the memory and quickly pushed it out of my mind. That was something I’d be happy to forget for the rest of my life.
“But…” Theo paused, fiddling with his fingers as he delved deeper into his memory. “I guess that’s part of the reason she chose to turn me.”
Theo had never spoken to me before about his turning. I scooted closer to him, wanting to be a source of comfort. He leaned on me.
“It was only fifteen years ago,” Theo began. “That’s not a very long time for a vampire.”
“Pierce and Adriel are much older than that, right?” I asked.
He nodded and smiled slightly. “Adriel’s ancient, at least a few centuries old. I can’t even imagine what that’s like yet.” His smile fell. “Anyway, I guess that’s why I still get nostalgic about being human. It hasn’t been too long for me. I still miss the way simple things like fruit taste. I miss sleeping normally, instead of going into a weird trance. I miss not being so hyper aware of things all the time, like your heartbeat, and noises outside. Stuff like that.”
“It sounds difficult,” I said.
Theo shook his head. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to start a pity party about myself.”
“No, not at all. I’m listening, if you still want to talk.”
Theo and I sat in silence for a moment before he continued.
“I was a few years younger than you are now, when it happened,” he murmured. “I was out with some friends at one of those pick-your-own farms. At the time, I thought it was kinda dumb. Why go out when I could just buy them at the grocery store, y’know?” Theo wore a grim smile. “Now I realize how stupid I was being. I should’ve just enjoyed the moment. Instead, I got into an argument with my friends and went off on my own, sulking and being a brat. But I got lost in the woods surrounding the farm and couldn’t find my way back.”
“Oh no.”
“You can probably guess what happened next,” he mumbled. “I was out so long that it became dark out. I was stumbling around, totally lost and freaked out of my mind. That’s when Margaret found me. I was the perfect prey for her. Alone, and apparently the right age she was looking for.”
I winced. Theo was only a vampire now because Margaret wanted a son his age. It wasn’t fair to him.
Theo picked up a pebble from the tree’s roots and fussed with it. “The turning was so painful that it knocked me out for a long time, plus I had to constantly be fed blood, so… I wasn’t fully conscious for weeks. When I came to, I realized everyone from my old life just assumed I was dead. But Margaret doted on me, and told me I had a new family, with her and Adriel and Pierce.” He frowned, staring at the pebble, then he tossed it aside. “Anyways, that’s it. I know it’s not the most interesting story or anything. I just figured you should know.”
“You didn't have to tell me,” I said, feeling guilty.
He flashed me a small smile. “No, I wanted to. Since you told me a secret, I thought it was fair I shared mine, too.”
“Telling you I’m anxious to have a baby isn’t exactly a huge secret.”
