“Mio angelo,you just realized that you have given us our only little girl in the coven, haven’t you?”
“Yes. How had I not realized that? Tulio is a vampire, but he’s also a boy. Frankie is also a vampire. But again, a boy. Oh no. Luci is the only girl.”I looked out at the others and tried to smile.
“Don’t worry,” Naldo said. “She’s going to have a house full of overly protective uncles.” There were chuckles from several others.
“That’s not…” I looked up at Marcello, who shook his head again and escorted me over to my chair, pulling it out for me. I carefully pulled it under me as I sat.
“I believe you hadn’t thought about that before now, have you?” Nicolo said as he leaned close.
“Uh, no. I don’t want her spoiled. Or sheltered too much.”
Nicolo nudged his head, and I looked back at Master Vincent, who seemed completely enamored with Luci. “I don’t think we’re going to have much of a choice when it comes to being overly protective.”
I chuckled. “You might be right. Is he always like that around babies?”
Nicolo shrugged. “I cannot say. I have never seen him around them.”
I glanced back to Master Vincent, who was now looking at Frankie while Marcello held him. I turned away, searching for Mazzi across the table from me but found Rio staring at me. I smiled at the doctor.
“How are you feeling since the checkup yesterday?” he asked.
I smiled because we’d just seen each other yesterday when he’d come by the room to check up on the twins and make sure they were growing as they should. “Not bad. Tired still. Frankie decided he didn’t want to sleep longer than forty minutes this afternoon.” I sighed. “It is what it is. I’m just hoping that he eventually gets on some schedule, and we can get longer stretches of sleep. Although three-hour naps are amazing anymore.”
Rio offered a smile. “I wish I had more suggestions for help.”
I shrugged. “It’s all right. It’s part of being parents to newborn twins. It could be worse,” I said. “Luci could not sleep as well.”
“You know,” Mazzi said from a few seats down. “Maybe try one of those heartbeat toys. They’re usually bears or something else cute.”
I knew my confusion showed on my face. Nicolo looked even more confused than I did. Then again, he didn’t have a beloved or children.
“Umm…what is this heartbeat bear you speak of. Does it have my heartbeat or something? Because it never fails that he’s out within a minute of me picking him up. But it’s not comfortable to sleep with him on my chest.”
“There are some that have generic heartbeat sounds in them. Like noise machines.” Mazzi shook his head. “I’ll come by with one after the meal. We’ll use your heartbeat and see if that keeps him sleeping longer.”
I was willing to try anything. And if anyone could make it work, it was Mazzi and his magical abilities. Or Rio.
Marcello sat down beside me, who was now without our son. Master Vincent had placed Luci with her brother and Tulio in the crib that was against the wall. I could see all three through the slats and smiled.
“They’re fine, but if you need to go look…” Marcello said.
“No. I’m okay. I know they’re safe and not far. I was just peeking.”
I didn’t have a chance to say much else because Master Vincent cleared his throat as he stood. “I know we aren’t normally overly formal here in the family, but I want to make a toast to the new parents, Marcello and Abel, and congratulate them on the arrival of their twins.”
“Yes,” someone called out down the table.
“Abel,” Master Vincent said, grabbing my attention. “I know I am not your favorite, and I understand why.”
My eyes widened, and I felt my entire face turn red. I glanced at Marcello covertly, and I was definitely going to say something to him later on once we were back in our rooms.
“It’s not every day that I have to resort to sending one of my men and his pregnant beloved halfway across the world to kidnap the beloved of my closest friend,” Master Vincent said.
I glared at Marcello, who only wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I wanted the chair to swallow me, and I was certain I was going to die from embarrassment.
“I don’t regret my choice for even a moment, and I would do it again tomorrow if it meant that we had the same outcome we do now. You might not know it, but you bring smiles to our coven, and we are all looking forward to getting to know you better.” Master Vincent raised his glass. “So, for brightening up our family, I say thank you, Abel, for taking a chance on us.”
That was it. I was never going to be able to show my face around again. There were welcomes and congratulations all around, and I could only bury my face in Marcello’s side.
