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“It’s fine,” I say quickly. I don’t want to upset her. She’s happily engaged to Baxter so that’s a conversation for a different day. “We just want you to be happy. Don’t we?”
“Yeah.”
“Of course.”
“Absolutely.”
“I am,” she says. “Always will be, if I have all of you by my side.”
“Just put your rings back on,” Thorn grumbles.
“I will,” Raven promises, holding out her hand for them. Baxter slides them across the table and she quickly places them back in their rightful place.
I glance down at the envelope on the table. Maybe I shouldn’t say anything. Now’s not the right time to rock the boat, but I feel the contents burning a hole through the envelope, urging me to say something.
“Does anyone have anything else to talk about?” I ask.
“Actually yes. I want to talk about Nix,” Raven says.
“Okay.”
“Well, thanks to Thorn she's started calling you all daddy something or other.” Thorn laughs.
“Sugar daddy,” Ace says happily. Rebel sniggers. “What?”
“Mate, that means something completely different to what you think it does.”
“Don’t care.”
“Oh trust me, you will when you get arrested.”
Baxter leans over and quickly explains to Ace what it means. His smile falls and is replaced with a look of horror and revulsion. He punches Thorn in the arm.
“Baraba! Kurac! Podlo...pizda!” he curses and everyone around the table laughs.
“Well, aside from that, I’m worried Nix is getting confused,” Raven continues. “And I don’t really like the idea of one of you being labelled as fun while another is serious or strict or something. It’s not fair on any of you or Nix.”
“I’m okay, I’m fun dad,” Thorn brags.
“And I’m not?” I snap. I hate the stupid nicknames, though of course I’ll take any ‘dad’ title Nix wants to give me – if it comes from her and not Thorn and his damn pranks.
“I need to know that I can rely on you all to parent Nix fairly and properly. I don’t want any threats of ‘wait til your mum gets home’ if she needs discipline. I need you all to fulfil all roles. Be her friend and playmate, her confidante, her safe space. But also set boundaries, uphold rules, lead by example. I feel like there’s room enough for all of you to have a balanced relationship with Nix.”
“I agree,” Baxter says quietly.
“Yeah, me too,” I add, playing with the envelope on the table before me.
“You want to open it, don’t you?” Raven asks nodding at it.
“I think it’s time. It doesn’t change anything but—”
“But if Nix is starting to ask questions, we shouldn’t lie.”
“Yeah.”
“I really hope you guys believe me now when I say there’s no way in hell that Nix could be Baxter’s…”
“Of course we do! I’m so sorry about before—” she cuts me off with a raised palm.
