“I want Mommy,” Ella is saying with all the sour, defiant sulk I get all day. “She reads with me.”
“Mommy is tired. She’s resting. Can’t we read to you just tonight?”
Marcus’s negotiations attempts are met with outright disgust by the toddler.
“It’s the stupid baby’s fault. Mommy doesn’t do anything anymore because of the baby. Why do we need another one?”
“Your sister or brother is not stupid,” Veyn says softly. “One day, they will be your best friend. The person you can trust most in the world.”
“I don’t want a brother or a sister. I like Mommy loving only me.”
“She will always love you,” Marcus promises.
“How?” All the anger melts into a sadness that breaks my heart. “How can she love two babies?”
I step into the room and the conversation dies. Three faces turn to me, but I only look at the little face in the middle. The one that lights up at the sight of me.
“Mommy!” Neatly tucked blankets are tossed aside and she scrambles to the foot of the bed. “You came!”
I smile as I go to her and pull her into my arms. I squeeze her and bury my face into the sweet scent of her shampoo.
“Couldn’t miss bedtime,” I tell her.
“I told them.” She chirps, pulling back and waddling her way back to her spot. “Mommy’s here,” she tells the two.
“I guess we’re being dismissed,” Veyn grumbles, but leans in and kisses the top of her curls. “Love you, demon spawn.”
Ella giggles and captures his face between her tiny hands. She kisses his nose. She does the same to Marcus.
“Love you, Daddies.”
Marcus leans in and kisses her brow. “Love you, too, turnip.”
Both leave the bed and head for me.
Marcus gets me first. He takes my face between his hands and kisses me deeply.
“Coming back to bed?”
At my nod, he kisses me again and walks out.
Veyn hooks a whole arm around my middle and pulls me into his chest. There’s a hindrance between us, but it doesn’t stop him from kissing me like I’m his world.
“Hurry,” he murmurs against my mouth. “I need to hold you.”
With that, he, too, leaves.
Then it’s just me and my baby.
Epilogue 1.2
Lenora
“SorryI’mlate,”Itell her, moving to the spot Marcus evacuated. “I think I had too much sun today. Made me tired.”
Book in hand, she scoots closer until I have her tucked against my side. Her curls brushing my cheek.
“You’re tired all the time now.” Her small fingers pick at a bent corner of the book. “You don’t do all the things we used to.”
