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“No, I don’t want to drink anything. I’m here because Kendrick misses his grandpa,” Kamila says. She doesn’t sound cold or indifferent. She suppresses whatever bothers her, radiating royal tones. “You can hold him if you want to. Felicita and I haven’t been sleeping well because he’s anxious all the time.”
We’re in Ivy’s living room, and Ivy’s in her kitchen, being a good little host. I approach my daughter-in-law, and she hands me my grandson. He arches his back, getting comfortable in my embrace. The look he gives me when we settle on the couch leaves me speechless. I haven’t seen him in days, and he’s already changed a lot again. His hair has grown even longer, the tiny curls shining through.
Kendrick’s eyes are still pitch black, and he weighs even more than he did last time.
“I missed you, young king,” I tell him, and he coos in response. “Have you been a bad baby, keeping your mom up all night? I told you we don’t do that. You let mommy rest, okay?”
He stares at me for a moment, and then he bursts into one of his giggles.
Kamila sighs, and even if I’d prefer my full attention to be on my grandson, I glance at her. She sits down next to me, her eyes on her lap. “I’m not supposed to be here.”
“Where are you supposed to be?” I ask, and Kendrick settles on my chest. I feel every move he makes, his tiny breaths of life. Kamila instructs Ivy to turn on the A/C at the right temperature for the baby, and she does. Then, Ivy joins us officially, decorating the coffee table with cookies, a water bottle, and tumblers if Kamila changes her mind about the no drinks.
I scoot over, making space for Ivy next to me. She takes her place, and her eyes study Kendrick.
“We made a pact,” Kamila blurts out. “I can’t… I need to tell you.”
“Spit it out,” I say. Kendrick’s attention shifts toward Ivy. She sits away from us like she’s scared, and Kendrick senses it. He tugs at me to reach Ivy. I let him play, seeing that he’s amused and chuckling his ears off.
“The men said we should fire you,” Kamila reveals. She sinks into her seat. The queen we know her to be evaporates. “I didn’t agree at first, but then they convinced me. Alex has been in a horrible mood lately, even having won the championship ring… He thinks it’s his fault that you’re burned out. He’s worried about you. We all are. We want what’s best for you. If that means that you must stay away, so be it.”
“You took away my choice,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck. “You staged the fight.”
She swallows. “You have to ask them. I-I don’t want to believe that they meant what they said… Felicita asked me about it, and I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to involve her in the plan. She hates lying to you.”
“Good thinking on your part,” I comment. Kendrick’s little finger is wrapped around Ivy’s. I can see how nervous Ivy is. She can’t hide her panting from me. Heat emanates from her, and I bet her heart is racing. She’s nervous, and she doesn’t know how to behave around a baby.
“I’m here because I know that it’s your day off tomorrow, Ivy.” At the mention of her name, Ivy’s head snaps in our direction. “I want you both to come to dinner—for real this time. We shouldn’t be apart, and I know how much you hate missing out on the kids. We just must figure out what to do with work. The guards have scheduled their new formations. Måns and Fylox have taken charge, following your instructions religiously. We need a permanent solution. One that will benefit you.”
“Not us all?” I ask.
“You’re our priority now,” Kamila says gently. “What you said... I want you to know that I’m forever grateful for everything that you do. I never had a man like you in my life, Jordan. I’m not used to having a strong father figure that takes care of things. I’m familiar with abusers. I guess I’ve turned into an abuser now, taking away precious time of your life.”
“You’re not an abuser,” I assure her. “You take what I give you. It’s my fault for not knowing what my limits are. We’ll work on that.”
Kendrick almost climbs off my lap on his own before I pick him back up and place him where he should be. He keeps wrestling me, his tiny arms pointing at Ivy.
Her doe eyes are frightened. This isn’t just my grandchild. It’s a royal baby, and she must be careful. I hand Kendrick over to Ivy, who accepts him, wrapping both of her arms around him. She secures him like he’s about to jump off the sofa and into some kind of madness. She’s scared that she’ll drop him, but they’re sitting, and the chances of an accident happening while I’m close by are slim.
Kendrick settles into Ivy’s embrace with a sigh. He stops moving around, peering up at me with his inquisitive eyes.
“So, it’s serious?” Kamila asks, gazing at Kendrick on Ivy’s lap. “You haven’t bitten each other’s heads off while you’ve been living together?”
“He’s quite the calm retiree,” Ivy comments. She tickles Kendrick’s knee, and he chuckles in response. Meanwhile, I try to process the fact that my thirty-something-year-old girlfriend referred to me as a retiree.
“You should see your face right now,” Kamila comments, grinning like a fool. I roll my eyes at the women in the room. My daughter-in-law clears her throat. “I also wanted to apologize to Ivy.”
“What for?” I ask. I notice the sudden tension in Ivy’s shoulders.
“I came to your office, and I offended you. Obviously, I wasn’t aware that Jordan wasn’t playing about you. I expected that he would come running home after a day of being outside, but he stuck with you, and he’s here now… He seems more relaxed and… Happy,” Kamila says to Ivy, her features softening.
“I accept your apology,” Ivy says, her voice choked with something beyond my comprehension.
“I was a bitch. I do that quite often, being a bitch and all,” Kamila admits, exhaling sharply. She blushes. “I should’ve never questioned Jordan’s intentions with you.”
“What did you tell her?” I ask Kamila.
Her timid response is unlike the queen’s standards. “I said you’d never want to own her.”
