Misty paused for a few moments, then shrugged. “Well, if he or she can fly, that might come in handy with my MS. Maybe I can teach the baby to fly where I want him to go instead of worrying about my unsteadiness.”
Gabe leaned back and laughed. “Always looking on the bright side. I love that about you, Misty.” Quietly, he added, “I love a lot of things about you.”
They gazed at each other. He could tell he’d surprised her. Hell, he’d surprised himself. His parents smiled at each other. He hadn’t said, “I love you.” And he wouldn’t just tell her what she wanted to hear. He hoped everybody would understand that and not force the issue.
After a respectful pause, Antonio cleared his throat. “That brings up an important point. We’re not supposed to shift in front of humans. Ever. It’s a general rule of paranormal beings that they never display their powers to unsuspecting mortals, and that rule is hard and fast.”
“Well, except for spouses,” Gabriella was quick to add.
“Paranormal beings?” Misty repeated with a shaky voice. “Are there more than just phoenixes?”
Gabe, Antonio, and Gabriella all took turns glancing at each other. At last, Antonio spoke. “We’re not at liberty to say, Misty. At least not at this point. I could see if you married into our family, there might be a little more information we could give you—”
“In other words, yes,” she said.
Antonio chuckled. “You’ve always been a smart kid. The only reason that’s not a problem is your ability to respect people’s boundaries. Just accept that you’re perfectly safe. Paranormal beings have some very good reasons for staying under the radar.”
Misty bit her lip. “Are you afraid of scientists trying to experiment on you? Maybe the government finding secrets they can use in war?”
“Yes. That’s a major threat,” Antonio said. “Believe me, nobody wants that.”
“Well, that’s a lot to take in,” Gabriella said. “I’m glad you’re staying with us. If you ever have any questions, anything at all, you can come to me.”
“I have one question right now.”
“Go ahead.”
“Well, since everyone in the family has these powers or whatever, except for you, why do they obey you?”
Antonio laughed. “Apparently, it hasn’t escaped Misty’s notice that my little spitfire of a wife rules the roost. Pun intended.”
Gabriella smiled. “I have to be honest, dear. They don’t always listen to me—but if they want a big piece of tiramisu instead of the first little one that crumbles on its way out of the dish, they behave.”
Misty gaped at her. “Really? You control them with food?”
The men laughed.
“I was just being silly. No, darling, our boys are taught to respect their elders from the cradle. And there’s no mistaking who rules this family. It’s Antonio.”
Gabe smiled. “Dad lays down the law, and then we complain to Mom.”
“Does it help?” Misty asked.
“Sometimes she gets him to lighten up. Be reasonable.”
“Hey, I’m always reasonable,” Antonio protested.
“And if I can’t get him to listen, he gets the crappy piece of cake,” Gabriella joked.
Antonio wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek. “Her cooking is worth behaving myself for.”
“Do you like to cook, dear?” Gabriella asked.
“I—I never really learned how. I mean, I can put together something simple without poisoning anyone, but that’s about it.”
Gabe groaned.
“Maybe while you’re here, you can learn to cook,” Antonio offered. “You couldn’t find a better school than the Fierro kitchen. Not even in Paris or Rome. Even Gabe has learned a thing or two.”
