I shopped on one end of the car seat aisle and Serena browsed on the other end when it happened again. Reaching up, I felt one of the babies kick and barely audibly, I said, “Ouch.” And that’s when I heard someone say it.
Sorry Mommy.
I almost fell over.
Which would have been hilarious because I’d grown so round now, I would have just rolled down the aisle and knocked Serena to the ground.
Okay, this wasn’t the first time I had heard my unborn babies mindspeak. This time I had to admit they were doing it and it wasn’t just my imagination. I knew I had to tell Eden. I would start by telling Serena.
“I have to tell you something,” I started.
Serena turned around with a car carrier in her hands. “Last time you said that, I became an unwilling conspirator.” She said it with a smile on her face.
“I know. I might be doing that again.”
She put the car seat down. “Are you in trouble?”
“No, nothing like that. But, I need to tell you something before I burst.”
“Okay. So, tell.”
“You know how Christophe wants us because he thinks we can make super babies and all?”
“I do.”
“Well, turns out, he’s not wrong.”
“Jade, stop stalling.”
“Okay. Serena, the babies are talking to me.”
“You mean like you have strong maternal feelings?”
“Not exactly.”
Serena faced me and grabbed my shoulders. “You mean the babies are mindspeaking with you?”
Numbly, I nodded.
“Oh, my.”
“That’s it? That’s all you can say?”
“Jade, there are no words.”
“No words for what?” Prudence and Tabitha had wandered into our aisle, their arms laden with baby baths, monitors, bouncy seats and changing pads.
“Nothing.”
As soon as I said it, Serena gave me a look. I knew it meant she wanted me to come clean. I’d have to sometime soon anyway.
“Okay, not nothing. Something. But I’ll wait until we’re all together before I tell you. I should at least tell Sully first.”
Serena agreed. “Yes, you should. He deserves to know at least one thing about his babies before the rest of us.”
We left the store and headed home with our haul. We had a ton of new baby things and of course, they had chosen a pile of other things for the baby shower that they weren’t revealing to me. My mom bought doubles of some of the cutest outfits I had ever seen, saying she couldn’t resist, nor could she wait for the shower. She had to have them now. We sat together in the car on the way home and Tabitha and I watched her pull out outfit after outfit, like there’d never be an end. And yes, we squealed with delight. I couldn’t help it. Those clothes were so cute! Little did I know that would be the last time my life would feel so carefree. If I had known, I would have tried to enjoy it more.
Chapter Thirty
SERENA
I should have known, as soon as we got home, Eden would already have a sense that something big had occurred at the baby store and she didn’t disappoint. She was waiting for us in the kitchen with Sully and Logan. Sully looked like he had been consumed with worry the entire time we were gone. Relief flooded his face the moment he saw Jade. He rushed to her side.
“Jade! You’re safe!” He scooped her up in his arms, a major feat considering Jade’s growing belly. She allowed his display for all of ten seconds, then batted his hands away and demanded to be put down.
“Seriously, Sully? I was guarded by dogs and witches. Many dogs and many witches. Do you think anything was going to get near me?” She almost sounded insulted. I glanced at Sully to see how he was taking this dressing down. But, instead of looking beaten, he was wearing a bemused expression. I was impressed. This was certainly a changed, more mature Sully than the one I met over a year ago.
“No, Jade, I don’t. But as your husband and the father of those babies, they can’t talk, so I get to do the talking for them, and we’re just happy you’re all safe, right boys?” Sully chuckled at his own joke, waiting for everyone to join in with him. When Logan seemed to be the only one who did, he noticed and jabbed Sully in the side. The two of them quieted down pretty fast.
“Okay, Serena,” Logan began, “what gives?”
“Oh, man,” moaned Sully. “Is it bad?”
Jade rolled her eyes. “Come on, Sully. Not everything I tell you is a bad thing, is it?”
Sully started to answer and she stopped him. “Never mind. Forget I asked. Almost forgot who I was for a second there. Okay, here it is: Caleb and Callum can mindspeak.”
Everyone started talking at once.
“The babies are talking to you?”
“Oh my stars, Christophe was right!”
“You are having powerfully magic babies!”
“Can you read their minds?”
“They’re babies! How can they be having thoughts already?”
“You named the babies already?”
“What kind of names are Caleb and Callum?”
Of everything being yelled, that last thing uttered she heard loud and proud. Jade whirled around to find whomever questioned her choice of baby names. “They’re Irish! In case you’ve forgotten, my husband is of Irish descent! Sully is short for Sullivan! Montgomery Brandon Sullivan, the third!” With that, she stomped across the kitchen to join her horrified husband.
I clapped my hand over my mouth. In all this time, I had never heard Sully’s full name. Now I knew why. I shot a look over at Logan and found him practically stuffing his fist in his mouth so as not to burst out laughing. In an instant, I understood a lifelong boyhood secret had been revealed. Just as instantly, I understood Jade might be immune to the embarrassment she caused Sully, so wrapped up was she in the drama of her own indignation.
“Caleb and Callum are perfect names for our beautiful Irish boys!” she continued in a haughty voice, flouncing into her stunned husband’s lap. Gently, I tried to bring her back to the reality of the moment.
“Uh, Jade. I don’t think Sully was ready for everyone to learn his real name.”
That stopped her. “Oh.” I thought she might be being contrite about telling everyone Sully’s name. She wasn’t. “Oh,” she said again. “The babies are telling me something.”
We all clammed up, fast. Jade stared down at her belly intently, then nodded, stared some more then giggled. Finally, she looked up at Sully. Her face shone.
“Jade? Honey? What is it?”
Jade smiled up at her husband. “They like their names, Sully. And they’re actually arguing over who gets which one. I love them already!” She hugged her own belly and seemed shocked when she couldn’t get her arms around her body. “Oh, I am so huge!”
“More of you to love.” Sully’s arms went all the way around. So did Lily’s. Jade’s mom hugged her daughter hard.
“Jade, I think those are the most wonderful names. Perfectly fitting.”
Elizabeth came in just then from the flower shop. So did Skylar. Gypsy had called both of them so they wouldn’t be the only ones out of the loop. Elizabeth went right up to Jade and hugged her, too.
“Jade, I’m so sorry I missed your shopping day. And all the excitement it seems.”
“Don’t worry about it. You know there’s never a dull moment around here. You heard about the recent revelation, I suppose?”
“You mean about your boys mindspeaking before even being born? Yes, I sure did. Leave it to you, Jade, to have mindspeaking babies.”
“I know, right? How crazy is that?”
“Crazy,” agreed Elizabeth.
Logan found his way over to me. He just gave me a look and I laughed. That look on his face said it all. We were all a little crazy. Logan slipped his arm around my waist and his little gesture told me what he didn’t say out loud: Crazy or not, this wacky life appeared to be the only one he wanted.
I squeezed him to
let him know, I couldn’t agree more. I had more concern than ever. Jade having twins was one thing; her having babies that were using the mindspeaking ability from the womb only proved his point. We were capable of pro-creating amazingly powerful babies. Now, Christophe would stop at nothing to get his hands on us.
Chapter Thirty-one
SKYLAR
After all the drama with Jade, I slipped away and went to sit by myself in the back patio. I had a lot to think about. I wasn’t ready to admit it to anyone out loud yet, but Gypsy had started to become important to me. Growing up with Christophe, and even believing he was my father for all those years, had made it nearly impossible for me to be able to trust anyone, and the feelings I had for Gypsy were overwhelming me. I needed to step back and take stock.
When I had belonged to Christophe and his followers, they treated me mostly like an annoyance. They fed me when someone remembered to, and I found my own place to sleep at night, certainly not anything anyone would call a bed. Here, with Serena and Logan and their families, I had felt more love and acceptance than I had been shown in my whole life. With Gypsy, I had started to feel a different kind of love. I began to see myself with her the way I imagined Sully with Jade and Logan with Serena. I must have been deep in my thoughts, because I never heard Logan come up behind me.
“Skylar? Are you asleep, man? I’ve been calling you.”
“Sorry, Logan. I didn’t hear you.”
“Daydreaming about Gypsy, huh?” Logan pulled a lounge chair up beside mine and handed me a cold soda.
“Thanks. I could use this right about now.”
“Thought so. You looked a little shell-shocked back there.”
“Pretty perceptive of you. How’d you learn how to do that?”
Logan chuckled. “Man, Skylar, you’d be surprised how much I’ve picked up in the last year. Reading people is just one thing.”
“Well, things are getting kind of serious with Gypsy.”
“And that’s a bad thing? She’s a great girl.”
“No, she is. I’m into her. A lot. I think I’m falling for her, Logan.”
“Yeah, I could tell.”
“That obvious?”
Logan chuckled again. “You just look a lot like I did. On a ride you’re loving, but totally not in control of, and unsure where it’s going.”
“That’s it exactly! I’m a little freaked out, Logan.”
“Want some advice?”
“More than you know.”
“Sit back and enjoy the ride. These are some of the most amazing women in the world. That one of them might love you is even more amazing, man. Gypsy is beautiful and talented and kind. Is there something wrong with you? Don’t you see that she’s into you?” Logan leaned forward and clapped me on the shoulder. “Don’t sell yourself short, Skylar. You’re a catch, too. Even if you are a pain in the you-know-what.”
“Some brother-in-law you’re going to be.” Smiling, I clapped him back on his shoulders.
“Yeah, about that. I actually came out here to talk to you.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to jump all over you.”
Logan leaned in for a brief man-hug. “No worries. I’m here for you, you know that. Hope it helped.”
I felt a lot better, to tell the truth. “You know what? It did. Now, let me return the favor, if I can. What’s up with you?”
Logan looked nervous. I’d never seen him like this before. To me, he always seemed to have it all together. Normally, Logan always seemed so confident and sure about everything. I know he had been through so much in the last year with Serena and his family, but despite all that, he always had a handle on everything going on around him. He took the revelations about his being a warlock and his sister and mother being witches totally in stride, and instead of freaking out, he threw himself into his supernatural studies and became the best warlock he could. I couldn’t imagine what would make him nervous now. I waited for Logan to tell me.
“I want to ask Serena to marry me.”
“What?” I took a step back to look at my sister’s boyfriend.
“I said…”
“I heard you. I’m just….blown away.”
“Don’t try to talk me out of it.” Logan shook his head.
“No, I’m not. In fact, I think it’s a great idea!”
“You don’t think it’s bad timing because of my sister’s babies and Christophe lurking around again?”
“No way! The more things to keep these women occupied, the more they don’t think about that creep. I think Eden and Prudence and especially Raven keep their eye on that ball anyway. Let the girls have their fun. Man, do you know how crazy it would get around here with them planning a wedding?” I smacked my forehead.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. She hasn’t said yes yet.”
“Yeah, right. Like you think for one second she won’t say yes. She’s crazy about you, Logan. Do you have a ring?”
“Yep.” He stuck his hand in his pocket and came out with a little white box. He snapped it open. Inside it sat a diamond ring. I didn’t know much about jewelry, but this one sure sparkled! It had a round diamond in the middle and a bunch of little ones on either side. It looked real old fashioned, like an antique. I knew Serena would love it.
“That’s just her style, Logan. So, how’re you going to do it, anyway?”
“I’ve got a couple of ideas.” Logan stuffed the ring box back in his jeans and gave me a sly smile out of the corner of his mouth. Suddenly, I got the secret. He’d been arranging this for a while.
“Dude, you’ve been working on this, haven’t you?” And that small grin of his widened like that gigantic, hundred-watt sparkler and I realized he had more than a couple of ideas. He had a plan. “Oh. This is already arranged, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it is. So far, only Eden knows. I’m going to talk to Elizabeth and the girls in a little while. I’m going to tell my mom soon, too. I don’t want to steal any of Jade’s thunder, either, with the baby shower coming up. She’d kill me.”
“Yeah, that’s for sure.”
“Anyway, there’s another reason I wanted to talk to you. Would you be my best man?”
“Are you kidding? I would be honored.” I gave Logan another short hug. “But, what about Sully? Or Dave? You guys have been friends your whole lives. Shouldn’t it be one of them?”
“Don’t worry about that. They’ll understand. Dave has his life with Tamera now and Sully will be so busy with Jade. But, they’ll both be there, standing up for me. You’re like a brother to me, Skylar. Plus, you and I share something that Sully and Dave and I never can.”
I knew he meant the warlock powers. But, it didn’t matter. I only heard him call me a brother. “So, is there any planning to do, or do you have this thing all wrapped up?”
“No, I still have a couple of loose ends. That’s another reason I need to get the girls together.” He nodded at something over my shoulder. “Here they come now.”
I glanced behind me, and sure enough, coming toward us were Elizabeth, Tabitha, Gypsy, Jade, Echo and Aisling, Libby, Prudence, and Raven. They gathered around us, grabbing chairs and pulling them in close. Elizabeth took the lead.
“Okay, Logan, you’ve got us all here at once, what’s the big announcement? And why did you make Eden take Serena out to the flower shop?”
“I had to make sure she wasn’t around. Eden’s going to make sure to block her mind so she can’t figure this out, too. I’ll need her help. This is pretty big time. I’m going to ask Serena to marry me.”
The girl-noise deafened me. I had to hold my hands over my ears. Logan became buried in their hugs and kisses. I could hear his sister over almost all of their voices.
“Logan, I swear I could kill you! How could you keep this from me!”
Elizabeth wasn’t hard to hear either.
“Oh, Logan, this is the best news ever!”
Slowly, Logan extracted himself from the girls surrounding him and stepped back. “So, I t
ake it, everyone is okay with this?”
Prudence reached for Logan’s hand. “Logan, I think I speak for everyone when I say we are thrilled about this. Now, I’m sure we’re here for some reason. What can we do?”
With that, I sat back and watched with admiration while my future brother-in-law delegated assignments in his grand plan to ask Serena to marry him. As I listened, all I could think was, man, this guy was good.
Chapter Thirty-two
SERENA
After I got back from the flower shop with Eden, I had hoped to spend some time with Logan, but he and Skylar were just leaving as we pulled up.
“Hey, stranger. Where are you two off to?”
Logan leaned out his car window. His guardian dog Charlie shoved her nose out the window, too. I gave her a loving pat on the head. “Sully and I got a call from the sports store. The alarm is going off. We need to check it out. Catch you later?” He didn’t wait for an answer, just started backing out of the driveway. I waved and watched him drive off, disappointed, but a bit curious. I wondered who else might be home. Maybe my sister or aunt would be around.
I walked in the front door and they were in the hallway, putting their coats on, too. What could be going on around here?
“Are you guys leaving, too?”
“Yeah, just running to the store to get some things for dinner. We won’t be long.” They were gone before I had a chance to respond.
That left me standing alone in the hallway. Well, this house happened to be full of witches. There had to be someone else around. I wandered down toward the kitchen, looking for some signs of life. I was gratified to see Jade sitting at the kitchen table with her feet propped up on a chair, sipping an herbal tea.
“Hey, Jade. What’s going on?”
“Hey, Serena. Just trying to catch my breath before going upstairs. I am seriously wiped out.”
“Do you need help up?”
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