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Neri sighed, love glowing from her every pore. “If I was a bleeding heart when I was little, Ayla is ten times worse.” She leaned over and planted a kiss on our daughter’s cheek. “She wants to fix everyone, don’t you, moonbeam?”
“Moonbeam?” I asked quietly, my heart skipping a beat as I bled with too much affection. How was it possible that I loved this kid with every part of me when I barely even knew her? I would raze the world for her. I would do unthinkable things to keep her safe. I stood by what I said to Neri: I would always love her above everyone else, but Ayla...fuck, my damaged heart expanded so there was enough room to adore them both.
“Yep.” Ayla puffed up her chest. “Everyone calls me that.”
Never looking away from her depthless brown eyes, I whispered, “Ay’i seviyorum. Annen ve benim için çok özel.” (I happen to love the moon. It’s very special to your mum and me).
Her little nose wrinkled, mulling over her second language, understanding me and blowing me away with her quickfire intelligence.
She beamed. “That means I’m special too?”
“Beyond special.” I nodded. “And I have no doubt you’ll make a great doctor.”
“I better start saving.” Neri chuckled under her breath. “With her inheriting your IQ, she’ll be enrolling into medical school when she’s twelve.”
“My IQ?” I asked, smiling as Ayla investigated how the toes moved and the ankle mechanism worked on my prosthetic.
“Your father told me of your family trait. He finally gave me the name for the skill you have that makes math come so easy to you. She has the same gifts. She got into a heated debate with her day-care teacher that colours aren’t named after numbers just because she sees them in different shades.”
I winced. “She has synesthesia?”
Ayla interrupted. “I know that word. It’s when the rainbow comes, and numbers go all pretty.”
“Huh.” I studied the intelligent, inquisitive girl who’d somehow taken all of my good and some of my bad.
What other traits did she inherit?
It seemed there was a piece of Cem in both of us, even now.
The door to Neri’s bedroom suddenly swung wide from where it’d been pushed open by Ayla’s sneaking. Apparently, we’d forgotten to lock it after we’d returned from our shared shower and now had the entire household in Neri’s bedroom.
Sitting taller against the pillows, making sure the sheets covered my nakedness, I stiffened as Teddy stuck his head in.
He caught my eyes, then Neri’s. “Eh, I’m terribly sorry to interrupt, but I’m looking for moon—” His eyes fell on Ayla as she knocked her knuckles on my knee, learning what was flesh and what was carbon. “Ah, there you are, you little slippery eel. I told you to eat your orange and not to disturb your mother.”
Ayla stuck her tongue out at him. “But Daddy’s here.”
Teddy shot me a look. “You told her?” His eyes instantly filled with tears. “Oh God...that’s...wow.” Leaning out the door, he yelled, “Eddie, get your ass in here right now.”
Footfalls came running before a second man crowded into the doorway. “What? What is it?” His hazel eyes fell on me, a faint blush dusting his cheeks. “Morning, Aslan. Sorry to disturb.” He pinched Teddy in the side. “What the hell are you doing barging in here with these two love-birds? Jesus.”
“I was looking for Ayla.” He pointed at her still playing with my leg. “She’s the one who disturbed them. Not me. Then again, we heard the shower going mighty late last night, so I’m guessing they weren’t exactly catching up on beauty sleep.”
He winked.
Neri groaned.
My heart squeezed.
Teddy rested his head on Eddie’s shoulder. “Guess what? They told her. Ayla knows. How freaking awesome is this?” Standing straight, he suddenly clapped and announced, “We’re celebrating. Right now. Get up. Both of you. Champagne breakfast coming right up!”
“Oh God.” Neri laughed. “You’re insane. You made me vow that we’d save that bottle for when we finally break ground on Lunamare.”
“Seriously, Nee?” Teddy crossed his arms. “Who cares about that? You’d rather save a four-hundred-dollar bottle of champagne on a business venture that will probably never happen over the fact that your lover has come back from the dead?” He rolled his eyes dramatically. “And you call yourself a romantic. I take it back. You don’t believe in miracles. You’re just deluded.”
A pillow went flying as Neri tossed it at his face. “Careful. I could still cut you out of the company.”
“The penniless company.” Teddy waggled his eyebrows. “Come along. Less arguing, more drinking. Aslan...I want to hear everything.”
With a dip of his chin, Eddie murmured, “I apologise for my husband. He’s just a tad excited. We both are. We’ve never known someone to come back from the grave before.”
Teddy suddenly yanked Eddie out of the door and down the corridor, his voice trailing back. “Neri, go raid our wardrobe for your reincarnated man. He can’t wear that stuffy shirt and pants on a hot morning like this. Ayla, come help me make pancakes for your dad. Aslan, get dressed and come join us!”
