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By the time we pull ourselves together and return to the party, the first stars are blinking on in the sky and Blaire and Darcy are nearly finished beating Amy and Casey at cornhole.
“There you are.” Darcy arches an amused brow my way as we cross the grass, hand in hand. “We thought perhaps you’d gotten lost.”
“Lost in Pervert-ville,” Blaire says with a disapproving sniff. “Aren’t new parents supposed to be too tired for that kind of thing?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Annie says breezily as I settle the baby into the travel crib with her toys and favorite blanket. “We were just feeding and changing Aurora. And now we’re ready to beat you at your own game. I’ve been tossing diapers into the garbage can across the room for several weeks now, dear sister. Prepare to be knocked out of the winners bracket.”
Blaire thrusts a bean bag into the air with a growl. “Finally! Some passion for the game. Let’s do this, people.”
Half an hour later, Blaire and Darcy declare their victory, but only by a few points. Annie and I definitely held our own, a feat that earns us several high fives and a “good job, guys!” from Amy before she toddles off to slither down her new pint-sized slide again and again. Sally and Becca stand nearby, cheering her on as she attempts to get in one-hundred slides before bedtime, while Casey whips up a bourbon and spiced cider autumn cocktail for her friends from the bar.
“I saved one for you,” she says, stopping beside Annie to deliver a gently sweating glass rimmed with cinnamon and sugar.
“Oh, thank you,” Annie says, taking a tiny sip and moaning her appreciation. “Incredible, as always.”
“Thanks. I’m pretty excited about this one. And all the other seasonal drinks we’re launching at the bar this week.” She pulls in a deep breath and exhales with a happy sigh. “I’ve missed autumn in New England. It’s just the best, isn’t it? It makes you feel…hopeful. And excited. Like something big is about to happen.”
Annie’s brow furrows as her tongue slips out to lick her lips. “It does. And this is truly delicious but…for some reason my body isn’t wanting alcohol right now. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Casey says, reclaiming the glass. “I know you’re not a big drinker and your hormones are probably still all out of whack. It makes a big difference with your tolerance and your taste for alcohol. That’s how I first realized I was pregnant with Amy, almost immediately, beer started smelling so awful, the last thing I wanted to do was put it in my body. If you’ll keep an eye on Amy, I’ll dump this inside and get you a virgin drink.”
“Of course,” Annie says. “Thanks so much, love, and happy birthday. I’m so glad we get to celebrate with you this year.”
Casey leans down, giving her a peck on the cheek. “Thanks. Me, too. Be back in a few.”
Annie and I wander over to Amy’s playground in the corner of the yard, watching our niece and a few of her daycare friends play while Blaire rocks Aurora in the swing on the porch, enjoying a moment with the baby in between bouts of cornhole. Music drifts from the stereo Sally brought from the salon and a few of Casey’s friends from the bar are dancing under the nearly full moon while Darcy and Colin chat in the shadows under the treehouse.
But their expressions are relaxed, making it clear there have been no further developments in the case to discover who stole the Blackmore mansion plans. After nearly a year, it seems likely whatever mischief was in motion has been abandoned, but they remain vigilant, just as I remain vigilant when it comes to Sophie.
The spider’s thread has never glowed again in her presence, but Jolene has yet to return to Nightfall. It could be that the silk lost its magic when its creator lost her life in whatever battle went down last winter.
Just in case, I never leave Aurora alone with Sophie, though Annie is convinced the charm’s flare was a false alarm. She trusts her twin, but she respects my desire to exercise an abundance of caution when it comes to our daughter. She is the light of both our lives and the only child we’ll ever be blessed with.
Not that we’d love her any less if she were one of a dozen, but the miraculous nature of her conception has made us even more vigilant than typical new parents.
And I swear, that is the exact thought drifting through my mind when Annie turns to me with a furrowed brow and says, “I think I’m… I know this will sound crazy, but…I think I’m pregnant.”
My brows shoot up as she hurries on, “I know it’s supposed to be impossible, and there’s no logical way I would be able to know this soon, even if it were possible, but I swear I can feel things changing inside of me.” Her hand comes to hover over her mid-section. “I think Kitty was right. I think maybe we should have been careful.”
I’m about to remind her that vampire biology is against us, and a second pregnancy is indeed impossible, when Blaire appears beside us, Aurora in her arms. “Um, guys. Kitty just gave me this.” She holds up a torn piece of paper between two fingers, her eyes wide. “Maybe I wasn’t supposed to read it, but I did because I’m nosy. And as I was reading, something I hadn’t thought about sort of…clicked into place.”
“What clicked into place?” Annie takes the paper and passes it over to me.
“As I was catching up on our family history, I kept reading about these special Wonderfully witches. They don’t tend to be very good at spells, but they have a powerful natural gift for um…” She swallows and continues with a nervous laugh, “Well, for manifesting their heart’s desire. One of them ended up marrying a prince. Another became a famous concert pianist. And now I’m wondering if maybe it wasn’t Baron’s restraint that made Aurora’s birth possible. Maybe it was you, Annie. And maybe you guys should take precautions moving forward, just in case? Like Kitty said.”
“What did she say?” Annie’s fingers flutter at my sleeve before tangling in the fabric.
I unfold the paper and read the note aloud—You have to listen to me, Annie, and be careful! Heart’s desire magic is some of the strongest magic there is! Even stronger than charms and potions and all of Blaire’s spells! I glance up at my wife, concerned by the mixture of shock and nausea on her face.
I take her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Are you all right?”
She bobs her head lightly. “Um, yes. I am. I’m…good. Very good, I think.” She chews her bottom lip as her gaze searches mine. “I mean, if we are pregnant again, it should be fine, right? Yes, it’s a little soon, but as long as I eat well, stay in good health, and get plenty of rest, our next little one should fair as well as her sister. Don’t you think? And then we’ll just be careful from now on, you know…give ourselves a little time between baby two and baby three.” Her breath rushes out. “Goddess, baby three! It might be real. We might really be able to have a big, beautiful family, Baron!”
I blink, then blink again, prompting Annie to ask, “Oh no, are you freaked out? Worried? Angry? Because I promise I had no idea this was possible, Baron. I swear to you.”
“Why would I be angry?” I ask, my voice thick with emotion. “I’m not angry. I’m overwhelmed, but in the best way. I never imagined I’d be lucky enough to have one child. To have two or more would be…” I shake my head as my throat squeezes even tighter. “I’m not sure I know what to do with that many blessings.”
Annie steps closer, her eyes shining into mine. “Me, either, but I bet we can figure it out. Together."
