Page 87 of Unexpectedly In Love

“Where is mom?” I ask, I hadn’t seen her in months.

“Well, she was in Sweden. I think she will be home next month?” Rosemary replies.

“Is Kai sleeping?” I ask. I have been laying here on the bed for the last four hours.

“Ms. Callaway is with the children,” Sage replies.

“Who are we? Sage has a new nanny and Ani is a first lady of the mafia,” Cassia snickers.

I reach for the locs that are resting over Cassia’s shoulder and I yank them hard. Out of reflex she slaps my hand away hard. “Oh, Ani. That hurts.”

“I am not a mafia nothing heifer,” I scream.

“Um, guys,” Sage interjects.

“You could have fooled me. Don’t yank my hair! Mafia lady.” Cassia shouts, she sits up and takes a pillow and taps me on my bottom with it.

“Oh, um, guys,” Sage whispers in the background, from the corner of my eyes I see her stand.

“Shut up, Cassia. I had a grueling day. Go rock your pussy on some rose quartz or something.” I was getting agitated.

Cassia gasped and raised the pillow to hit me again only to hear Sage shout, “My fucking water just broke, help.”

Cassia and I stop mid-sentence with the pillow still held up in the air.

Rosemary calmly rolls off the bed and makes it to Sage side. When Sage cries out Cassia and I spring into action all hell breaks loose. My niece is coming!

ANISE

Soleil Ginger Sullivan came into the world screaming, announcing the world that she was here. I cried and hugged Cassia and Rosemary. Mommy and daughter are doing fine and Zac is just beaming.

My mom is cooing on the phone via FaceTime. We all take turns looking at the most beautiful baby in the world.

I excused myself from the room and headed to the hall. Taking my phone. “Siri, call Eryx.”

The phone rings four times and then he answers, “Yeah.”

I pull the phone from my ear to make sure I dialed the right number. “Babe?”

“Yes, Anise,” Eryx grumbles. No psykhí mou, no words that I couldn’t understand. Maybe the day upset him, which is understandable.

“Sage had her baby. Soleil is just so beautiful. She got Sage’s beautiful dark complexion and her eyes are like her father’s.”

He sighs like the conversation was a bore. “Yeah, Zac sent me a pic.”

“I will be leaving to come home in a bit?—”

“Don’t,” he says flatly.

“Excuse me?” My heart skips a beat.

“Don’t come home as yet just for your safety. Cid will be guarding you all. I have to go.”

Was it for my safety, or is he pulling away from me? No, it’s my safety.

“I love you,” I state with a smile on my face, hoping that will pacify whatever doubt he may be having.

“Yeah, I got to go.” He doesn’t give me a chance to reply, he hangs up.

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