Page 41 of Jack of All Trades

He got up, stretched, and started to get off the bed, but Maltin stopped him. “You were smiling in your sleep. Are you…better?”

Remembering his vow before he’d napped, he smiled at Maltin. Maltin’s brows were drawn harshly, and his worry evident. “Yes. Much. I’m happy, Maltin. Maybe the happiest I’ve ever been.”

“Thank goodness. I…thought maybe, finding out about the…about having children, that it might have been too much.”

“Promise me, Maltin, you won’t ever put expectations on our kids. I don’t ever want them to feel like we’re disappointed in them.”

“Well, dear, you have to know, I’ll expect them to do well in school and be good and productive people.”

“Yes, yes, besides that! Like, we’d never expect them to be rich and fancy, or have powers they might not have, or…you know.”

“I know. You’re wonderful for worrying about that, but it’s unnecessary. I just want them to be happy and healthy like I want for you.”

“Then feed me!”

As they walked down the stairs together, Maltin confessed, “I did make that appointment. Tomorrow, we’ll go, and if the doctor says it’s okay, I thought we might as well travel to see the Pengroves.”

A knot formed in his stomach. and he felt like vomiting. “See them. God, Maltin, they’ll be so happy to learn I’m not theirs. That’s going to hurt, no matter what I might think.”

At the bottom of the stairs, he was suddenly in Maltin’s arms, and he felt Maltin’s love emanating from him. “Jack, you have me, you have Rodney and my mother and the rest of my insane family now. No matter what!”

“I like that. I like that a lot, Maltin.”

“Good. Let’s feed you.”

The spread was huge. Chinese takeout, pizza, and burritos. Rodney was pouring the drinks, including some virgin ones for Jack.

They had a good time that evening, keeping the talk of shifters and family out of it. Jack relaxed more than he thought he could.

When it was time to retire that night, Maltin handed his uncle a pillow and blanket and pointed to the couch. “It’s comfortable,” he said.

“You must be out of your mind, Malty! I don’t lay my pretty head where others sit their behinds!”

Jack watched in awe as Rodney started twirling his pointer finger around in a circle as his hand stretched before him. “Expandere!”

As Maltin and Jack watched out of the big windows, the wall grew outward, the two windows bricking over to blind them to the rest. Yes, the windows disappeared, but the sound of brick scraping against brick was loud, causing Jack to cover his ears with his hands.

Then, when the scraping stopped, a door appeared out of nowhere in the center of where the windows had been. “There. A nice suite for me while I’m here, complete with private privy.”

Maltin laughed while shaking his head. “The couch is good for most, Rodney.”

“I’m far from most, Malty.”

Jack stepped toward the door, then asked Rodney, “May I see?”

“Of course, dear boy! Take a gander at my immeasurable prowess when it comes to magic. Well, when it comes to anything, really.”

“Dear gods and goddesses,” Maltin groaned.

Jack opened the door, and he blinked at what he saw. If he hadn’t been around witchcraft most of his life, he’d have never believed his eyes.

It was glorious. The room had expanded inside much bigger than it could have outside, but that was magic—the impossible becoming possible.

A bed was in the center of the far wall, which was currently lined with stained glass windows.

The floors were shining walnut, and traditional antique furnishings were like antique silver, a king-sized bed with tufted champagne silk material framed in ornate swirling frosted silver and gold-brushed oak. The headboard was nearly six feet tall,the footboard half the size, leaving a nice back for the tufted bench at the bottom of the bed.

The huge dressers and nightstands matched perfectly, painted gold in place of the tufts of the bed and every piece of furniture had beautiful claw feet.

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