Evelyn, in the end, chose to have her locked up and visits her every month. Now that she is getting so far along, though, she probably won’t see her until after the baby is born. He is a mystery; Amara says it feels like he has dark and light magic, a mixture of both. None of us know what that means, but we will do what is necessary when the time comes. It seems the male gene tends to have a darker, more sinister side to their magic.
Grabbing my daughter’s birthday cake, I walk outside towards her cheeky angelic face, my entire family gathering around as we all start singing to her. She claps her hands excitedly, wriggling in her seat as I place it on the table, making sure to cup my hands around the flames, so they don’t blow out on her.
“Dadda, Dadda, up,” she says, holding her arms out for Orion to pick her up.
We thought it would be confusing for her to have three dads and only one mom, but I honestly don’t think she notices she is different from other kids. I watch as she blows out her candles. My mother helps start cutting the cake while I wrap my arms around Evelyn’s growing belly as she sits on Ryland’s lap.
Rubbing her belly, I can feel him moving around and hear his little heart thumping within her. Evelyn looks up at me with a smile on her glowing face. I kiss her softly and her hands find their way into my hair, deepening the kiss.
“Get a room!” Amara screams over at us, and I pull back, chuckling.
“You wait until you find your mate; you won’t be able to keep your hands off them either,” I tell her, and she shakes her head.
“Nope, don’t need one; I am content with my player ways,” she says.
“I can’t wait till you find your mate. I hope it’s a man too,” I tell her, and she looks appalled, disgusted even, as she scrunches up her face.
“Eww, don’t even say that! No cock is coming near these lips,” she says, making kissy faces like Evelyn.
I growl at her, and Evelyn chuckles. I know she would never, but my sister does fancy her, and she only does it to piss me off. “Huh, Evie? I reckon I could show you a better time than my brother,” she says, sending her a wink.
“I don’t doubt that for a second,” Evelyn says, making me huff.
“Got yourself a little competition there, brother,” Amara retorts, and Ryland growls at Amara.
At the same time, Orion, who is used to our bickering, rolls his eyes as he passes Amara to, well, Amara.
“Hey there, my princess. Aunty got something for you,” she says, walking off to the table with the presents.
“You know she is only playing,” Evelyn tells Ryland and me.
“She isn’t playing; she likes you, has always liked you, but I know she would never act on it,” I tell her, and I watch Evelyn’s brows furrow in confusion. She appears to be blind to Amara’s affection, thinking she is just mucking around. She doesn’t truly understand Amara isn’t just mucking around. I sigh and shake my head.
My grandfather comes over to me. “Will you be back at work tomorrow?” he asks, looking up at me.
“Yes, Orion is coming with me. Is the council meeting still going ahead?” My grandfather nods; he is head of the newly reformed council. I am now on the board with Orion, much to my shock, and I actually enjoy it.
I never thought I would see the day when I enjoyed community events and management. Ryland works with my fathers and Amara. The business is booming, and Evelyn, when she can, works at the cafe she now owns with my mother, seeing as she has been waitressing and managing that café she worked at. She wanted something to do, so we helped her open her cafe. She has a few employees that work there now that she can no longer work every day, but she still loves it.
“Make sure you are early tomorrow, then. Bianca wants to show you around the new council chambers we built,” he tells me, and I nod. He pats me on the back, going back to my grandmother.
“You’re going back tomorrow?” Evelyn asks, looking up at me. Her sadness hits me through the bond. Her emotions are all over the place with this pregnancy; she is more clingy and doesn’t like being on her own. I think she is scared after the last time, scared of being by herself when the baby comes.
“You can come to work with me, love,” Ryland says, kissing the side of her mouth. She sighs, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her face into his neck, inhaling his scent.
Her bloodlust hits me as she suddenly moves at an alarming speed, jumping off his lap. I blink to find her now sitting on the steps, away from everyone, trying to control herself. Her marking Ryland was a nightmare, we literally had to pry her off him. A shiver runs down my spine at the memory; she almost killed him, and to this day she still apologizes over it.
“She can feed in front of us; none of us care,” my mother says, and Ryland chuckles, making my mother and fathers look at him.
“Believe me, you don’t want to see that, Ma,” Ryland tells her, and she squeezes her eyebrows together.
My father understands instantly but it takes a moment for mom and once she understands too, she gasps. “Oh right, yes, definitely don’t need to see those parts of my sons and daughter,” she blurts when she realizes Evelyn wouldn’t just feed on him. “Some things are best behind closed doors, away from my ears, thank you,” mom says, and my father chuckles as Amara sings out.
“You should take your own advice, mom! Some things your daughter doesn’t like to hear, too.”
“You shush! Why are you even listening?” my mother snaps at her.
“Bit hard not to when you’re screaming their names,” Amara retorts; my mother growls and Amara takes off, laughing as my mother hunts her down.
“Wouldn’t be a family get-together if Amara didn’t piss at least one person off with that witty mouth of hers,” my father says.
“Like mother, like daughter,” says Orion walking over with Amara in his arms. She reaches for me, and I take her from him, kissing her chubby cheek as she plays with the toy Amara got her.
“Pop-pop,” she says, showing them her robotic dog.
My father, Theo, brushes her dark curls behind her ear as she shows them her toy. She looks like Evelyn, and is gentle like Evelyn. She is the sweetest little girl and is loved by everyone.
“I’m going to start the grill,” Ryland says and kisses our daughter’s head.
My grandfather follows him. “I will help. Caroline, dear, can you help Evelyn get the table set?” he calls out, looking for her.
“Already on it,” my grandmother sings out, and I can see Evelyn, my mother, and her through the window grabbing all the food they have prepared to bring out to the table.
This is life. Everything falls into place, and I couldn’t be happier with the way everything turned out as I watch my family laugh and taunt each other as everyone is having fun. This is what it is to be part of a family; this is happiness.
This is pure bliss.