Page 75 of Felonies are Forever

“Family.”

I nod, leaning my head back into his chest, as Anna leads Dimitri into the living room, chattering on a million miles an hour about what she’s found out, how things are never going to be the same again. I don’t care about any of that.

“Family, forever and a day.” I reply to Maxim, feeling the first flutter of movement deep in my belly and knowing eternity will never be long enough.

FIFTEEN

Maxim

Three YearsLater

“Avery!”Seleme yells from the dining room. “I told you, if you are going to play with fire, you need to ask Mommy or Daddy first.”

“Awe, mom, not fair! The candles need to be lit, I’m a helper girl.” I can hear the smile in her singsong voice, and it makes me smile in turn.

“No, I’m the helper. Not girl.” Raymond’s voice echoes out from the same direction, as I wipe my hands on the towel and make my way from the kitchen to the dining room.

The scene would be surreal for most, but in our household it’s just another day.

“Tell them, Dad.” Seleme smiles at me, nodding to where both our little ones are levitating around the massive chandelier, lighting the candles with their fingertips.

“Kids. Listen to your mother, now.” I do my best to use my stern voice but truth is I’m a pushover for all three of them. And they know it. “It’s not safe.”

“What’s not safe?” Raymond squishes up his face in true confusion. “I could fly before I could walk and fire doesn’t hurt us.”

“Yes, but it can hurt the house,” Seleme retorts, slowly lifting off from her feet to go airborne, moving to each child in turn, taking their hand and bringing them back to the floor while they pout and poke fire at each other. “Stop.” Seleme touches them both on their heads and they look up. “If you don’t behave, you can’t play with the new puppies.”

“Awwwww.” They whine simultaneously.

“Well, that’s the choice,” I add.

A few months ago, we completed our ‘normal’ family by adding two strays from the local shelter. Before we could get them to the vet and have them fixed, they decided they liked each other. A lot. And now we have six more in the mix.

Avery comes over and stands in front of me, bottom lip pushed out with her most distressed face.

“Papa.” She looks up at me with Seleme’s blue eyes, my dark hair hanging down over her shoulders. “The puppies will miss me.”

“They’ll miss me too.” Raymond shouts, coming up to my side and pulling my hand. “They like me best.”

“No they don’t!” Avery pokes her tongue out at her brother, whose blonde hair and dark eyes are a perfect contrast to her own.

He also stands four inches taller than her, growing at an exponential rate compared to most human children.

Seleme shrugs at me with a smile. “I’m going to make their lunch. Good luck.” She sashays out of the dining room into the kitchen, wearing a sleek black lace gown that reminds me ofsomething Morticia Addams would have worn, but she looks a thousand times sexier.

Her blonde hair has grown down nearly to her ass, and the curves she developed during her short pregnancy have remained and still drive me to the point of madness every day.

The kids throw defiant glares toward each other as I take each of their little hands and crouch down.

“You know…” I look at one, then the other, pulling them in front of me so they are standing shoulder to shoulder. “Grandma and Grandpa are coming to visit tonight.”

They both light up like a sunrise.

“They are going to love the puppies!”

“I want Grandma to teach me how to make biscuits and gravy. Mommy doesn’t know how. Not like Grandma.” Raymond lowers his voice, looking over his shoulder to the kitchen. “Mommy tries, but it’s not the same.”

I chuckle. “She does try and you’re a good sport because when she makes them for you, you eat them like a trooper.”

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