What a silly cat.
Fox sighed, shaking his head. “Don’t do that ever again,” he scowled Emma. “What if I was holding Genesis?”
Emma started meowing as if she was explaining her reason and action, with a side ofI’m sorrythrown in for good measure. She buried her head into his elbow more and wouldn’t calm down. Honestly, Fox found it adorable.
Why do I feel like this has happened before?
Fox huffed, rolling his eyes. “All right, enough, you silly cat. I’m no longer angry with you.” He brushed her soft fur, calming her down. “Just don’t do that again.”
Instantly, Emma stopped meowing. She raised her head and stretched her body, rubbing and purring as she rubbed the top of her head on his chin. Fox couldn’t resist her cuteness and scratched her under her chin.
“Why do I feel like I just got played by a cat?”
“Because, son, you were.” Barret chuckled as he walked over to Fox, resting a hand on his shoulder. “You’ll find Emma’s not an ordinary cat.” He picked up Genesis’s carrier and started walking down the hall. “Let’s show you to your temporary room.”
“Wait! What do you mean she’s not an ordinary cat?” Fox looked at the Scottish fold in his arms as a thought came to him. “Is she a shifter?” He followed after Barret asking his questions.
“Not a shifter, but magical,” Aria said beside him. “She found her way into the town just as the magic was getting stronger. Just like the people, she became connected to the town and later found her way to this family.”
Oh, that explains a-fucking-lot…not.Fox thought.
Aria chuckled. “Emma is quite magical. If you listen closely, you can even hear her speak.”
Get the fuck out of here! A talking cat, now that’s way too damn much.
Fox groaned,sitting up in bed, then pushed the covers the second he heard Genesis’s crying.
He was exhausted.
He’d been home with the Hannigans for roughly two weeks and was trying to do everything on his own. Even though he knew Aria and Barret were willing to do everything for him, Fox felt Genesis was his responsibility. He’d spent less time getting to know the family, keeping them at arm's length and using caring for Genesis as a buffer.
The guest suite was more extensive than his old apartment in Louisiana, with two bedrooms and an ensuite bathroom, a separate entrance, a bookcase with an electric fireplace in the center that separated the bedroom and sitting room area. There was also a view of the beautiful garden he was certain Aria took care of personally. The room was painted in Wickham gray with dark brown furniture and timeless cream accents sprinkled around the suite.
This kid has a set of lungs on her.
“Okay, baby girl. D…I’m coming.” Fox ignored his little slip of the tongue. He wasn’t comfortable referring to himself as Genesis’s father since he wasn’t the one to carry her for the entire nine months.
Moving over to Genesis’s bassinet, he reached down and picked her up, satisfied when she stopped crying. Cuddling her to his chest, he went through the task of changing her, then resettled himself back in bed with mounds of pillows behind him. Genesis whined in his arms, and he knew exactly what she wanted. Never in his life did Fox think he’d give birth to a baby one day and then breastfeed said child.
My life has truly changed.
He hissed when Genesis latched onto his nipple. Unaware of his discomfort, his baby girl only cared about happily enjoying her meal. Leaning down, he kissed her brows, humming softly as her sweet scent hit him.
Waking up to a new life he knew nothing about had some drawbacks but holding Genesis in his arms made up for it. Fox marveled at how good Genesis was as a newborn. He was starting to pick up on the differences in her cries, like when she was hungry or just wanted to be held.
Fox couldn’t understand why people complained about taking care of newborn babies when all they did was eat, sleep, and poop. Fox was certain he had everything under control. He was once a cop for crying out loud and had a better handle on things.
Sure, he was tired from getting up more than once in the middle of the night, and so what if he got puked on a couple of times throughout the day from not burping Genesis properly? He was still learning and would make some mistakes, but to him, everything was smooth sailing.
Genesis was his perfect angel.
I got this.
I can’t do this.
Fox blinked a couple of times, trying not to let his tears fall. He was exhausted and was badly in need of a shower. It was as if Genesis had a tracking device implanted on him for the past couple of days and nights. Each time he tried to leave the room or put her down for a nap, she’d wake up in seconds crying—begging to be held in his arms while she slept.
However, for the past two hours, Fox had been pacing his suite, trying to soothe a crying baby. No matter what he did, nothing worked—leaving Fox a little baffled. He’d thought he and Genesis had a good routine going where she’d wake up, and he’d change, feed, and burp her, and then she’d go back to sleep like a good baby.
