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Florian has no boundaries when it comes to his godchildren, and I couldn’t be more grateful or annoyed at the same time.
Catalina rolls her eyes. “I’m not doing any of this. I just got a new journal, and I need to write down some observations about my plants and take care of this.” She leans down and gently pats the pot. “So how about cookies and tea, and then we can do whatever we want?”
They all share a high five, ready to dart to do their individual tasks at hand, when they spot me, and squeal in delight. “Daddy!” They start running toward me, their feet slapping against the grass, and I have a second to put my untouched coffee on the nearby table and get out on the terrace before they smack into my legs, wrapping their hands all around me and giving me a group hug. “You’re here,” they say in unison, and my heart pangs inside my chest, my soul so full of love for these three creatures I sometimes think it might burst.
One of the reasons I can never be stern with them.
After Diego took away John and Grayson to do whatever he wanted with them, we decided to enjoy our lives and soak up the happiness every single day as we raised Braiden who slowly came out of his shell.
We all learned sign language, adjusted to his school schedule, and he made tons of friends while thriving among them. Even though doctors confirmed that no surgery would help him, our son didn’t seem to mind or feel excluded from anything. He found his love and joy in composing music and can spend hours in his studio playing the piano and living in his special world.
Whatever our son plans to accomplish in the future, we’ll support him and be there for him every step of the way.
Isla enrolled in the local university to study history, something she’d always been passionate about, and somehow, during that time, we got carried away and got pregnant. I still remember the fear and excitement I felt when she showed me the positive pregnancy test. However, it was nothing compared to the panic I experienced when the doctor announced we were expecting triplets, and girls at that.
The idea of something so pure and innocent coming from a hideous creature like me unsettled me, and I wondered if I could give them what they deserved. So my darkness wouldn’t swallow them too and somehow taint them, because all I wanted was love and happiness for my little angels.
The pregnancy was difficult, and they had to perform an early C-section in order to save Valentina, so after everything was said and done, we decided that four kids were enough for us.
My wife is too precious for me to risk her health and leave anything to chance.
“Daddy! How are you?” Catalina asks and exhales heavily. “I think I stained your white pants!”
“It’s all right, darling. I have a lot of pants.” She beams at me, hugging me even higher as if I ever give a shit about stains over having my girls close. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing,” they say in unison, and I grin.
Gloria and Catalina have some spectacular fights, but they never tattle on each other and get each other into trouble, covering all their bases. The triplets hang out together and are very protective of each other, never allowing anyone to hurt one without facing them all.
“We want to eat some cookies, Daddy. Do you want some?” Valentina motions with her head toward the house. “It’s chocolate chip.” She drops her voice to a barely audible whisper. “Antonio promised to ask the cook to bake extra just in case.”
Despite some health issues, my family butler is alive and well, although he doesn’t do much besides listen to the triplets talking or directing the staff what to do around here. The girls adore him, though, which doesn’t stop them from acting out. “Maybe a bit later.”
“Daddy?”
I run my fingers through Gloria’s hair. “Yes, darling?”
“Braiden is in the alcoves listening to nature.” I barely hold back a laugh at her confused expression because none of us hears sounds the way Braiden does. He has a talent and a gift. “Lampos is lying next to him.” She sighs. “He loves him more than us.” All the girls nod, and a collective sigh slips past their lips.
My leopard changed over the years. He grew older, his mobility was affected by it, and he lost almost all his teeth. While he still has some strength, he can’t do much with it so we are fine with the girls hanging around him. He never showed his temper around them or so much as growled in their presence. However, his bond with Braiden is on another level.
“But we love Braiden, so it’s okay,” Catalina reassures me, and it’s true. Their big brother is their favorite person, and sometimes that’s exhausting to him—not that he ever says it. We control the girls, though, because our son is an introvert and all the attention can be draining for him. “Let’s tell him about the cookies!”
“We love you, Daddy!” They dash toward the alcoves, leaving me behind.
Shaking my head, I follow them, when I notice a blonde girl wearing a white dress marching toward the alcoves, huffing and puffing as she carries a heavy notebook and a bag. “Isabella!”
She looks at me, and a smile flashes on her face, her father’s family’s signature green eyes lighting up in joy. “Hi, Uncle O!” She drops her bag on the ground and comes to me, hugging me. “How are you? I thought you were on a trip.”
A trip.
My marriage didn’t change me, which means I still hunt and kill those who deserve it. My monstrous nature feasts on their flesh and welcomes their pain because only then does it sustain him. I toned it down a little bit after the girls were born and usually pick a specific week to deal with them, keeping it away from my house so it never touches my kids.
“I came back early.” I pinch her nose, making her laugh. “And it’s Padrino Octavius and not Uncle O.”
“I can’t call you Padrino often. It’ll be weird in the future.” The determination lacing her tone is both funny and concerning.
She stops by so often, I don’t even bother asking why she’s here.
