Page 4 of Still Singing To My Heart

“Oh!” I laughed. “You know we will.”

“We didn’t want to assume you’d just be free babysitting,” Syre said.

“We’re here to visit and help,” I said.

“We know. We just --- We don’t want to be those parents. We love her to death. We love all of them to death,” Syre glanced at Blithe and Cord’s sleeping kittens.

“We’re just tired,” Duke laughed.

“Go on then,” Jonah waved them off. “Sleep. We’re here and she’ll be fine.”

“Our milk is in the blue. The pink is Cord’s,” Syre said as Duke wrapped an arm around him and started to lead him out of the living room. “They’ve crossed before, but we try not to because we don’t know if they have the right stuff for each other and---”

“We have it,” I grinned. “Really, rest. Take all the naps you can squeeze in.”

Before long, Blithe and Cord took their kittens off for a nap too. With the baby cuddled up in my arms we went for a walk. When I first visited Heartville, everyone thought I might be a little pissed off that Bobby and Liam lived in my parents’ home. I wasn’t. Mostly because after my crazy stalker attacked in the middle of the night, Fred crashed through the roof to save Jonah. Only that meant a large portion of the house was remade. It wasn’t the same house my parents had lived in. It wasn’t the same house I’d loved and grown up in. Besides, I was just happy that a happy family lived there. I’d never know for sure, but I figured my parents would like that better than the house sitting empty. Still, my feet carried me to their backyard. It was the last place I’d seen my parents alive after all. I waved to Liam through his kitchen window and stretched out on the grass with Jonah beside me and Baby Duchess on my chest. This was how I visited my parents now. Lee had met our carrier in the afterlife and assured me our parents moved on, but some very Earthside part of my brain couldn’t wrap itself around that fact. So, I still had to visit them. Besides, all traditions surrounding the dead were really about the living. Once a soul moved on, I figured they didn’t care much about if they were honored or not. Sure, they still cared about their loved ones, but I hoped they were beyond worrying about the rest of it. I hoped my parents were reborn and had found each other all over again by now. If they hadn’t, I still hoped they were happy. I needed them to be happy as much as I needed my kids to be happy.

“I wonder if they met in the afterlife,” Jonah said, rolling onto his side to face me. “My parents and yours that is.”

“I bet they did,” I grinned up at him. “I bet they at least met in passing. They have to have some connection of their own, right? They’re practically family.”

“Not even practically, mate. If they were all alive now, they’d be here too,” Jonah said and kissed my forehead.

We both fell silent, comfortably into our own thoughts and Baby Duchess dozed off as babies are like to do. Jonah nuzzled his chin onto my shoulder and whisper-sang to the sleeping baby. It was the song he wrote about Baby Joy coming into the world. My eyes stung with tears as he sang. Even after all these years it was like he sang straight to my heartstrings. I turned my face and kissed his forehead. Soon, we’d have another baby. I knew that soft, tender expression taking over his faced as he sang to our grandkid. I was ready for another one too. Lee wouldn’t be thrilled about it. He was starting to joke that the kids outnumbered us, but we were a happy family.

Chapter Four

Jonah

After dinner, Duke and I sent the babies, the omegas, and Blithe into the living room while we cleaned up. It was probably one of the few times we’d have to talk alone.

“How are you really holding up?” I asked him as we cleared the table.

“I’m good, actually. Like really good. Better than I thought I’d be.”

“And about Fred?” I asked the question about the elephant who wasn’t in the room.

“He’s an asshat,” Duke shrugged. “I’ve had to make peace with that again. It’s not like I’m not happy. Sure, I’d love him to magically change and become a granddad, but he’s not going to do that until one of his and Lotus’s kids have kids and I’m okay with that. It’s not fair to Duchess, but it wasn’t fair to me either. Only, I turned out okay. I turned out happy and she will too. I know Dad’s worried about me. Tell him not to, even if he won’t listen.”

“I have. Well, I have NOT told him not to worry about you. I told him not to worry about Fred,” I said, putting another plate in the sink.

“I have you guys and the pack and now Syre’s parents too. I have enough. I’m happy,” Duke said and as usual his scent smelled like he was telling the truth. “I really am. I didn’t think I’d ever be this happy.”

“I’m happy for you, kiddo. That’s all we ever wanted for you – to be happy. Baby Duchess is just an added perk.”

“There is one thing that would make me happier and no it has nothing to do with Fred Moonscale,” Duke laughed, turning on the sink.

“What’s that?” I asked, wiping down the table and the counters.

“If you and Dad would move up here. I know, I know. Uncle Lee will never move and Dad doesn’t want to leave him, but you guys could still do your jobs up here. I know that would leave Joy without you too, but I don’t know. I miss you guys.”

“We miss you too,” I smiled at him.

“We could set up a recording studio and Heartville is still small enough recording artists wouldn’t be badgered here.”

“You can do that,” I grinned. “Hell, I’ll have to talk to the guys but you could probably even do it under our umbrella.”

“Joy could come too,” Duke bounced on his heels as he washed the dishes, ever the fidgeter. “I’d open her a new lounge if she wanted.”

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