Nana pursed her lips. She hated being stopped from her drama, her stories, and most of all, her forecasting. But then her expression softened.
“I can see that you love him,” she said, looking at Bruce and then back at Laddin.
“I do,” Bruce said.
“And I do too,” Laddin echoed.
“And the baby? Even though he’s a magical child?” Her voice trailed away, and Laddin was appalled to realize she knew a great deal more than she was letting on.
“We adore ourson,” Laddin said.
Nana waited a dramatic moment. Her gaze was sharp, her mouth pursed. And then, with a happy clap, she giggled. “Then I’ll tell you that I saw Aaron has a long and very happy life. As long as you two surround him with love—”
“Nana!” Laddin cried. It was just like her to tell the baby’s fortune anyway, even though they didn’t want it.
“—then all six of you will live happily ever after.”
“Ma’am,” Bruce began, admonishment in his tone, but Laddin cut him off.
“Six, Nana? What do you mean six?”
“Didn’t I tell you?” She blinked wide and innocent eyes, as if she hadn’t planned this from the beginning. “Aaron won’t be your only magical child. There are three more in your future, and what an exciting future it will be!”
Laddin didn’t know how to respond to that. He was too busy looking at Bruce and wondering if the guy was about to turn tail and run.
But all Bruce did was grin. And then he leaned back against the stove. “Six, huh?” he asked. “Is at least one of them a girl?”
“Yes! And she flies!” Nana said while Laddin let out a low groan.
“Don’t encourage her.”
“I don’t think I can stop her,” Bruce argued.
Wasn’t that truth? Then Bruce held out his arm, and Laddin slipped easily into the space opened for him.
“You sure you want to hear this?” Laddin asked Bruce.
“Only if you do.” Then he looked at Nana. “And only if it’s good news and you swear to tell us and no one else. Especially not the kids.”
Nana pursed out her lips and then she lifted her chin. “Will you tell me the truth about how you came to be a fairy werewolf? How you saved Wisconsin and ended up with a magical child?”
Laddin and Bruce shared a look, the question and answer clear within a few breaths. Then, together, they nodded.
“Very well,” Laddin said. “It’s a deal, but I expect you to keep your word.”
“Of course,” Nana said. “I agree.” And then, to everyone’s shock, a tiny little butterfly floated up from the sleeve of her coat and danced away—the same thing that happened when a fairy made a promise.
Holy moly, Laddin realized with shock. Nana was a fairy. That was how she knew all this stuff. His grandmother was a fairy!
She must have seen the shock on his face and realized that he’d seen the butterfly and knew the significance of it. But all she did was sit down at the kitchen table and gesture at Laddin.
“Make me some tea, please. And then tell me everything! Your mother’s going to be at least an hour with that baby.”
She was probably right. They could hear his mother talking to Aaron through the baby monitor. She said all sorts of things, but Laddin had grown up enjoying those talks. It was one of the most cherished memories he had of his childhood, that hour he and Mama used to spend every night talking about everything before bed.
Which meant that they had time, and Nana knew it.
So Bruce heated up the lasagna, Laddin brewed the tea, and together they talked with Nana. They told her the truth, and she, in turn, told them her predictions, all of which eventually came true.
It turned out that having a fairy grandmother was especially useful when raising four magical children.
