Page 10 of Endless
Rori shifted into my side and curled her legs up until she was a small ball. If she was getting comfortable for a nap, I’d be stuck here and have zero complaints about it. The others warned me our kids would want to spend a lot less time with us as they got older. I already couldn’t believe how fast the last five years had flown by, so I was more than happy to cherish these moments with them.
“Falling asleep on me, Ror-meister?” I set aside the sketchbook and shifted to a more comfortable position while trying not to disturb her.
“No…” Her eyelids batted open, green eyes focusing on my arm around her. One small hand reached out, skimming over my years upon years of scar tissue. “You got so many owies, Daddy.”
I tensed, and my heart started to race. I knew the kids would notice and ask questions at some point, but still felt completely unprepared for this moment. How much, if anything, should I tell her? Especially at this age?
“It’s okay. They don’t hurt anymore, sweetheart. They’re really old.” I tapped a finger to her nose. “Much older than you.”
“But you gota lot. Like seventy-million.” She followed the map of crisscrossing lines up my arm with her fingers, taking in how extensive they were. “I know! I’ll kiss them better.”
I just sat back, stunned, as my daughter placed messy kisses all over my arm, something she must have picked up from her mother. Mari kissed the kids’ band-aids whenever they got a cut or scrape, then declared them all better before wrapping them up in a hug. Her doing that seemed to soothe and comfort them more than the actual treatment of the wound. And now my daughter was doing it to me.
“All better!” Rori wrapped her arms around my neck and smacked a kiss on my cheekbone. “You’re okay now, Daddy.”
Okaywas the understatement of the year. I was a completely different person since she’d come into my life. Sure, my arm was now covered in drool, but fuck if I was ever going to wipe it off. I hugged my sweet, beautiful daughter and forced words out through the emotion tightening my throat.
“Thank you, sweetheart. I’m so,somuch better now.”
The clickof the front door unlocking roused me from sleep. My attention was split between Rori, dead asleep on my chest, and Mari entering the house.
“Hi guys—oh!” She lowered her voice to a whisper as I brought a finger to my lips. “Hi. How did you get her to fall asleep?”
“Playing tag at school,” I whispered back. We shared a quick kiss before Mari went to change out of her work clothes while I carefully lifted up from the couch, carrying Rori to her room to finish her nap. Mari was nibbling one of Rori’s ignored animal crackers when I returned. “How was work?” I pulled her close by the waist for a proper kiss.
“Good.” She raised on tiptoes and leaned the length of her body on me through our kiss. “Two more confirmed pregnancies with twins! I’m telling you, there’s some fertility mojo in the air.”
Freyja hopped down from her sleeping spot right then, greeting Mari with a meow and a rub around her ankles.
“Yes, is this your doing?” Mari picked up the cat and flipped her belly up. “Anything you’d like to tell me?”
Freyja stared back blankly, pupils wide. We still talked to the animals and searched for the hints of that ancient wisdom in their eyes. They never spoke again after we left New Ireland, but that didn’t mean we weren’t being heard.
Mari set Freyja down once the cat started squirming in protest. “How was your day, love?” Her arms went around my waist, pressing herself flush against me again.
“Good. Had a surprise walk-in from an old prison acquaintance. He’s in town temporarily, and I’ll be working on him while he’s here. He’s safe, no trouble,” I added at her tense expression.
“Ah well, that’s good. Was it nice to catch up with him?”
“Yes, actually. He’s doing some underground, not entirely legal work in Blakeworth.” Mari didn’t like fighting. She hated the Fight Nights we had back in Sheol, so I left that detail out.
She laughed softly, putting away Rori’s discarded snack. “Good for him, as long as he doesn’t get caught.”
“I don’t think he will.” I went to help her wipe crumbs from the kitchen table. “Where’s Daren?”
“I dropped him off at the pool with Gunner.” Mari tossed a smirk at me over her shoulder. “That boy will not live to adulthood fearing water like I did. Did Rori’s teacher give you any grief?”
“Not today,” I answered distractedly. Her comment about Daren dredged up some worries I’d been mulling over about our son but hadn’t had a chance to voice yet. “Lover, do you think Daren’s okay?”
Mari paused in tidying up the kitchen, her brows furrowing together. “What do you mean?”
“He’s…a little different, isn’t he? Just in general.”
Her expression turned thoughtful as she wandered closer to me. “He’s quiet, a little shy. I haven’t noticed anything wrong with him. Or do you mean something else?”
“No, it’s like what you’re saying. He doesn’t have a lot of friends. He prefers doing things by himself, instead of playing with other kids. He doesn’t get…excited about things like Rori does. I just wonder why he isolates himself like that.”
“Shadow.” Mari’s head tilted as she looked at me, a smile growing on her face. “You know what I’m hearing?”
