Mads, himself, had grown fond of jeans quite soon after their invention. Canvas pants before that. It’d been the bane of Marquis’s sensibilities, and Marquis had stocked his closet with all manner of suits that he rarely wore. Mads might have said he got pregnant just to no longer fit in the stuffy woolen things.
“I’ve grown fond of more casual clothing as time’s gone on. Rexford broke me of it, I suppose. He inherited your fashion sense.” Marquis gave a half smile as if he were waiting for Mads to wilt, but the admission made him puff with pride.
“Good.” His eyes stung as if he wanted to cry, but Mads held it back. He was stronger after everything, he promised himself.
Marquis extended an arm to guide Mads into standing, and wordlessly they headed out, making their way to Marquis’s car, where the car seat had been installed. They’d changed a lot since Mads recalled. They used to be a little backboard with a metal rail, or the baby sat snugly in someone’s arms.
“Is there a diaper bag or something?” Mads turned in place as Marquis snapped Caspian into place.
“In the trunk. I took care of everything so you wouldn’t have to lift a finger.” Marquis grinned, giving that beautiful smile over his shoulder.
“Food and water for the trip?” Mads lifted a brow.
“I have a cooler, and we’ll pick something up on the way. There’s a lovely deli down the road.” Marqus straightened up and walked Mads to the passenger seat, opening his door like the gentleman he’d always been.
Mads buckled himself in and patted his arm, his wand tucked in securely. The strap felt comforting there. “You’ve thought of everything. Sunscreen for the babe?”
Marquis paused. “I—”
“Check the diaper bag?” Mads glanced over his shoulder as Marquis popped the trunk and rummaged through.
“Aha! Midnite had one in there for us. Bless him.” Marquis grinned and waved the bottle where Mads could see it and stowed it away.
They left the garage, hit the road, and drove thirty minutes before Caspian’s cries interrupted their peaceful silence. Mads reached over into the back seat and patted the little one’s head, letting him grab a finger to hold on to.
“We’ll be at the deli in a few minutes. He’s probably peckish. There’s a bottle tucked beside him.” Marquis kept his eyes on the road as Mads fished his bottle out and let the little one tuck in with little puffs of soft breath and coos of happiness.
Marquis tapped on his phone once or twice, and some silly little nursery rhyme songs played, and all was well again. Things were infinitely easier in that regard. Back when Rex was a baby, he would sing to calm the little one, for the short time he’d been there, at least. But he recalled singing for a babe more than just that, too. Perhaps Justin. The thought sat in his gut, festering.It must have soured in the bond between them because Marquis reached over to hold his hand. “Penny for your thoughts?”
“I was robbed.” Mads tilted his hand and squeezed Marquis’s hand tightly.
“You were. Rexford was robbed, too. I spoke to him, you know.” Marquis rubbed his thumb over the side of Mads’s hand. “He was supportive. He thinks you deserve a chance to raise a child.”
“I would love that, but are we doing it for the right reason? Do you want another child? Will he be hurt? A child isn’t a pet you can just replace.” Mads rested a hand on his belly, fingertips brushing the braided webbing of the seat belt. The sleek fibers slid under his touch, a barrier between his senses and body.
“I would welcome another child. Rexford has taken his seed money and grown his own coven. I’m financially flush enough to support a few children into their fortunes, and I control the wand trade in the United States and parts of Canada. I do need to train a successor, and Rexford, while skilled, has no passion for it. The only wand he ever worked on seriously was Midnite’s.” Marquis drummed his fingers on the steering wheel.
“So, there’s legacy reasons on your part. Emotional reasons on my part. There’s Casper here who can take on the trade, so it’s not imperative you have children, so legacy isn’t as important as you feel.” Mads folded his hands in his lap, drawing them away from his belly, away from the memory of carrying a child.
They pulled into the parking lot of a wood-paneled building, and Marquis stopped the car. “Then let me put it this way.”
Mads glanced over as Marquis drew his hand to his lips. He kissed once and squeezed Mads’s fingers. “One was never the plan to begin with. I wanted two or three. I want a full home, a proper dinner table with our young, and someone to teach and tutor. I want to spend sleepless nights doting on a little one with your dark eyes, or even your silver hair.”
“Or Rex’s hair. Our mixed hair made a beautiful shade, like tarnished lead. Just gorgeous. Do people look at him and see the pennywitch in him, the shifter blood?” Mads glanced away, not wanting to meet Marquis’s eyes.
“Nobody has ever made a negative remark. Ever. As Rexford got older and his hair color solidified, my father was quite complimentary of his appearance. My blue eyes and yours made a gorgeous violet.” Marquis smiled, his grin full of pride, without a hint of disappointment.
“Truly?”
“He had many offers from other coven heads wanting him to date their progeny.” Marquis snorted. “It’s an uncommon color, mixing the lower class with high houses. Turns out, lower class makes sturdier mages.”
The smirk Marquis gave him made Mads’s belly flip in delight. “It feels so wrong… I feel like I had my chance and fucked it up so badly it wouldn’t be fair to Rex.”
“It’s not fair to Rexford, no.” Marquis sighed, saying Rex’s full name as stuffily as ever. Rex went by Rex, though, so Mads won on that front despite little Cas. “But not moving on is unfair to us and Rexford recognizes it. Besides, he lent us Caspian.”
“Lent?” Mads folded his hands in his lap and waited as Marquis exited the car and stepped around to open his door. Mads climbed out and aided in unhooking Caspian.
“Well, of course. There are plenty of other people willing to babysit. I wanted to take Caspian because you opened up for him so fast, and I wanted to see if you were receptive to a child. To see if it would truly do your heart any good.” Marquis beamed as Mads settled the little one on his hip.
