Page 115 of The Flame Game

“When you found Avalanche, you wanted her for me.”

“Returning to being among the most important things in my life. And then Janet would have counted, too.”

“My point is, every time you’ve used your magic, it has been something truly and desperately important to you. Finding him wasn’t necessarily that important to you, but years of not knowing creates a sense of desperation. I’m willing to bet that fueled your magic more than your personal desire. Have you ever looked for anything truly trivial?”

I spent the rest of the drive thinking about that. When he pulled into our driveway, a cruiser waited for us. “No, I’ve never looked for anything truly trivial. Why are there cops in our driveway again? I swear, Sam, if someone tried to burn down our house again, I’m going to kick ass, take names, and need bail.”

“It’s a deterrent cruiser the Queens cops parked with a camera running to monitor. Don’t take your clothes off until we’re inside.”

“Why would I take my clothes off before we’re inside?”

“I’m that sexy, and I failed in my duties to provide to your every need two nights in a row. You’re thirsty for me.”

I was? I mean, when wasn’t I? I stared at him. “Do you need something, Sam?”

“Desperately. Please.”

I laughed. “The faster we get our pets and our shit inside, the sooner I take care of your special needs. Move it, Samuel Leviticus Quinn. I don’t have all night.”

Damn, he sure could move when motivated.

Epilogue: It was the little things in life.

Easter Morning.

I recruited the Devil to help me with my dirty work, tricked my mother-in-law into recruiting Sam to help with everything, gave the kids to The Grandfather Quinns, all bazillion of them spread over a ridiculous number of generations, and took Sunny, Rabies the Wonder Wolf, Blizzard, and Avalanche to retrieve Jeffrey Dowry so he could be reunited with his family.

Rabies the Wonder Wolf, cured of the disease that had almost killed him, suffered from severe separation anxiety and couldn’t handle life without Sam or I nearby. One day, he might adapt better, but of all the problems we could have with our latest rescue, we could handle separation anxiety.

Until then, we accommodated him, although I wouldn’t mind when he learned he could wait outside of the bathroom rather than on my feet.

Nothing made going to the bathroom more interesting or complicated than dealing with a ninety-five pound wolf firmly pressed to my legs the entire damned time. As far as I could tell, he feared the toilet might rise up and get me if he didn’t keep a close and careful eye on me.

In good news for my sanity, Rabies the Wonder Wolf loved car rides.

It was the little things in life.

The Devil heaved a sigh. “I can’t believe you’re making me do good deeds on Easter. I’m going to catch some disease if I do this. Face eternal shame. I might die.”

“Look, I can’t drive two vehicles at the same time, Lucy. You need to drive this so I can drive my present for Sam. You know, the one you helped me acquire?”

“Yes, I seem to recall striking a bargain with a naughty cindercorn so my wife wouldn’t be stolen from me, potentially permanently, as the caretaker of your gorgons, your gorgon-mice-rat doohickeys, and the rest of your menagerie. It’s bad enough you’ve recruited me to make sure your various doohickeys have the perfect Easter. I had to recruit the fucking assholes to make rodent-sized dishes, furniture, and everything they might need to be happy in their basement mansion. At least you were willing to accept quails as replacements for miniature turkeys.”

“Okay, I can accept I may have gotten slightly overenthusiastic over my varied Easter preparations.”

“We’re going to end up triggering an apocalypse in the Plaza, and you invited every single member of your family to help end the world.”

“Lucy, it’s dinner. You won’t die. Or face eternal shame. Your father might want a hug, but I’m not responsible for that. Just hug him and act happy.”

“Do you know who you’re talking to?”

“Yes. Uncle Lucy, who likes unicorns. Not just unicorns, cindercorns. And as you like cindercorns, and I’m precisely a hundred percent of the current breeding population of the entire species, you love me.” As I was driving, I couldn’t point at my stomach, which was already beginning to show evidence of the tiny terrors occupying my insides. “You particularly love the tiny terrors on the way. And naughty uncles don’t get invited to hold the babies right away, where nice uncles who dance to my tune get invited to the delivery and get to hold the babies.”

“You win.”

“I had this figured out, but thank you for reaffirming that.”

The Devil laughed, and we spent the rest of the drive to the hospital talking about how best to integrate Jeffrey with his family.