A/N: This is a kind of small, shorter update. Mostly a bit of a bridge chapter and thought I'd take the opportunity to show some of the extended family of the Wyverns.Chapter 27: Omens and Family
Mom has insisted on working with me a little while each day in the self-defense department. My mother may well be past middle aged, heading toward a senior citizen, but you’d never know it, the way she wipes the floor with me. By the time we’re done, I’m starving and exhausted. As I grab a plate of mom’s goopy carbonara from the fridge, I took a seat at the table. Luna had gotten home from school about the same time. She was already at the table, working on her homework. She looked puzzled.
“What is it, sweetie? Problems with your homework? I’m sure your Granddad would be happy to help ya with it.”
“Oh, no, not a problem with this. It’s advanced trig and it’s pretty simple.” My daughter shrugged. I was a bit bemused. I’d been really good in school, but math had never been my strong suite. Luna, however, was in the accelerated classes and already taking courses that were getting close to college level.
“What’s the matter then, sweetheart? Everything ok?”
“Just had a weird dream last night,” she told me, looking down at her homework. “Not a nightmare or anything, just a weird dream.”
“Oh? What kind of dream?” I did my best to sound nonchalant. In this family, dreams were paid attention to. Luna was too smart for her own good more often than not, but we at least tried to keep too much of any lingering unpleasantness from her.
“Weird, like I said.” She was thoughtful as she set her pencil down, done with her homework already. “Something about a handsome prince. But then it got weird and I swear I saw Bridgeport again and what I think was a vampire, though he was also a prince.” She shrugged. “Like I said, weird.”
I had all I could do to give her a small grin. But my heart wasn’t in it. Why did Bridgeport keep coming back to haunt her? She was so little… I knew she had seen what I had, what happened to my father. And it still wouldn’t leave her. That, along with my father’s dream and with this new revelation that that- monster had had children… it worries me. But trying to guess the future is like trying to hold an entire river in your hand. As my father keeps reminding me, we can only be vigilant and act accordingly. It’s hard though, almost overwhelming at times.
A surefire way to soothe the worry is to spend time with my son. He’s still so small. Soon, he’ll grow up. But for now, he’s my little burrito.
After a bottle and a fresh change, I just love picking him up and holding him close. The distinct smell of baby powder soothes me. His little coos and giggles helps as well.
In other news, Mom and Dad have been spending a lot of time together lately. Mom’s birthday will be in a few days and I think she feels a little self-conscious. Dad’s the younger of the two, though not by much. But Mom worries a little that he won’t look at her the same way once she’s ‘old’. Dad thinks she’s being silly. And he tells her that at regular intervals. Most would think he’d be accommodating, pay her sweet compliments. But Dad knows my Mom better than that.
That, and he was always better at acting than talking. And he was always really good at talking, too.
Rather than have a family party like we normally did, Mom wanted to be alone, though Dad vetoed that. So she and he spent the evening of her birthday out on the deck, just talking.
Then it was time.
Mom was not happy with the gray hair. Not at all. She called me upstairs and she and I fixed that, with the help of a little Miss Clairol.
And as they got ready for bed, Dad proved to her that she was as beautiful to him as she had been the first day he saw her.
Like I’ve said before, being an empath is rather interesting in this house. I’ve gotten used to it by now. And it’s rather sweet. Though sometimes, a mute button would be helpful. Still, it makes me smile.
Today we had a rather abbreviated Snowflake Day with the extended family. Falkor and Faye came, of course. Falkor’s next in line to be the superintendent at the school. Faye is close to leading the entire police department. It would have gone to Dad, but he didn’t want it.
Can’t forget my cousins. Rickie and Katherine.
They have little ones of their own as well. Here’s a snap shot of our little ambassador Luna welcoming her second cousins. Donald and Abigail are Rickie’s. Katherine’s little ones are a bit young yet to be out in the snow. They stayed home with the babysitter which is why it was quite the abbreviated Snowflake Day celebration.
Hm… I think I’m feeling a bit old myself. Hard to believe that I have a daughter in elementary school and another one that will be a toddler soon enough. Definitely odd.
Draco greeted his brother warmly. “Good to see you, little brother.”
“It’s good to see you, too. Really good. We-uh… we were really worried about you. Faye and I would have come as soon as we heard, but we were told not to.”
“It’s good that you didn’t. It uh… it was touch and go there.”
“I know. Faye told me… all of it.”
Draco looked surprised for a moment.
“She did, did she?”
“Yes she did. If there’s anything we can do, you know where we live. I’m only a phone call away.”
“I know little brother. Thank you.”
Faye waited to until she could get Draco alone. “You got the email right?” she asked him quietly.
“I did. Thanks for letting me know. Has there been any other word?”
She shook her head in regret. “None. I’m not sure how hard the locals have been searching, but they’ve found no sign of their spawn, though there’s word that someone else has taken over Slayer’s empire, but we don’t have any information on who.”
Draco sighed. “I was afraid of that. Thanks Faye. Look, I told you before, I’ll be putting my papers in soon enough. Will you still keep me updated though?”
“Of course.”
Uncle Falkor and the rest of the family headed out early that evening. That night, it was time for my little boy to become a toddler. I carried him to the cake.
After leaning down to blow out the single candle, I set him down so the sparkles could surround him.
Then, before our eyes, my little boy became a toddler.
He’s such a looker, isn’t he? And he has a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Mom and Dad swear that he is much like I was… I think he gives me a run for my money, even.
*****
