Page 35 of Artemis

He was asleep on his back, completely uncovered. His belly was poking out between his pajama top and pants. The moonlight shone over him, covering him like a blanket.

She put a hand over her heart and tiptoed in to pull the sheet and blanket up.

Alexander hummed in his sleep and rolled onto his side, reaching out for his stuffed teddy bear with eyes still firmly closed.

Artemis scooped the bear off the floor and put it within reach, amusement twitching her lips when Alexander found it and pulled it tightly against his small body.

“May you keep your loving nature,” Artemis mouthed the words and pressed a kiss to sleep-tousled hair. He smiled a little and squeezed his bear tighter.

Artemis left the room, closing the door behind her silently. Back in her bed, she fell into a deep sleep the instant her head touched her pillow.

* * *

She wokethe next morning to a warm little body climbing into her bed.

Alexander wormed his way under her arm and turned so his back was pressed against her front, hugging her hand. “Good morning,” she whispered into blond curls. “Happy birthday, little one.”

Alexander gave a happy wiggle. “I’m three!” he announced proudly. “One, two, three!” He held up fingers as he counted. “Three.”

“Very good, sweetheart.” She snuggled him close. “What do you want for breakfast?”

“I want to eat in the garden!”

Artemis chuckled. “I didn’t askwhere, I askedwhat.”

“Ohhhhh!” Alexander drew the sound out until Artemis tickled his ribs, making him shriek with laughter. When things calmed back down, he said, “Pancakes, please.”

“Pancakes! What? My son wants pancakes? I’m shocked. This is my shocked face,” Artemis deadpanned.

Alexander twisted in her arms to look at her face. “It looks like your regular face.”

“That’s my point.” She smiled down at him. “I know you love pancakes.”

“Can they please have blueberries in them?”

“Of course.” Artemis stretched lazily. “I guess we should get up, shouldn’t we?”

“Yes!” Alexander immediately bounced up onto his knees.

“You have entirely too much energy for this time of the morning,” Artemis complained.

Alexander jumped on the bed twice before falling onto his bum. “Luna says I have the right amount of energy for a kid.”

Artemis laughed. “She’s right, as usual.”

They got out of bed and toddled into the kitchen in their pajamas, mostly because Artemis didn’t want to bathe Alexander twice before they left for the party.

By the time the first batch of pancakes was cooking in the buttered frying pan, Alexander was covered in flour from head to toe.

“How did you manage this?” Artemis asked him with a shake of her head. “You look good enough to eat!” She made munching noises as she scooped him up in her arms, getting flour all over herself as well.

Alexander shrieked with laughter and wrapped his arms around her neck. “I don’t know.”

“Of course you don’t, my little monkey.”

“Mom?”

“Yes, darling?”

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