Chasing Pan: Tales from Neverland (Dark Fairy Tales Book 3)
Page 21
Her arms immediately shot out in the age-old sign of wanting to be held. And so, despite the fact that she smelled like a dead Kraken, I picked her up.
“What is your mother feeding you?” I blew raspberries in the chubby folds of her neck.
Her response was instantaneous. A riot of infectious giggles erupted from her, and I felt like I had just figured out world peace and solved world hunger in one shot.
I carried her over to the changing table, and with bravery and no small amount of gagging, changed her diaper. This was a testament to my commitment. The first time we faced off at the changing table she had squirted poo, the moment I was switching diapers. I had no idea that baby feces could be projectile.
“Is she hungry?” I heard Ebony sleepily call out from our bed.
“She’s chewing on her fist,” not sure how else to answer. The little monster couldn’t talk back, and I hadn’t figured out how to speak slobber yet.
“Would you get her pacifier? I think it’s in her crib.”
The Cage.
I wasn’t overly fond of this contraption. It seemed to me like we were putting our daughter into prison every night. I had nightmares that she would trade those wooden slats for iron bars someday.
Did all fathers go through this? Did they feel as if there very lives are torn asunder by midnight feedings and baby powder?
I scooped her up as she batted at my face with her saliva coated hand. This didn’t even bother me anymore. To think that the first time I had gone to a business meeting in New York with baby throw up down my back, unbeknownst to me, I dry heaved for thirty minutes.
“How is my favorite ladybug?” Ebony crooned as I handed her the offspring. I watched in awe as my gorgeous wife offered her breast to our infant.
Every time, every damn time, I had a tightening in my throat. I still had a hard time believing that this truly was my family. Ebony looked up at me in question.
“Is everything alright?”
I smiled down at them and then carefully joined them on the berth.
“Perfect,” I replied. “We should reach Neverland by morning.”
Ebony’s eyes glittered with excitement. “I can’t wait to see everyone. I wonder if Tinkerbell has had her baby yet?”
I shrugged, “It is their second one, maybe round two goes a little smoother? You just pop them out and keep going.”
Her shoulders shook with amusement, “Thank you, Dr. Peter, for those words of wisdom.”
I knew she was mocking me, “I do read those pussy parenting books you give me.”
Ebony barked out a laugh, “Only when I take everything else out of the bathroom, and you are stuck with no other alternative.”
“Our daughter is of much higher intelligence than the babies in those stupid books.”
The moment I said it, the baby unlatched from Ebony’s breast and smiled. It would have been perfect if she hadn’t proceeded to scrunch her face and poo immediately after.
I had to back away for a moment. Her diapers were like a nuclear weapon. When I saw that Ebony was starting to rise, I shook my head and took the baby from her arms to go back to the changing table.
“Peter?” Ebony called out.
“Hmm?” I answered, not wanting to take my eyes off our daughter for a moment.
“I know that fatherhood hasn’t been a walk in the park.”
I frowned and finished changing the diaper before returning to the bed with the creature in tow.
“What are you talking about?”
Her eyes were kind, “I know you have had to make a lot of adjustments, and I appreciate just how far you have come. You no longer require plastic gloves to clean up vomit. I haven’t seen you boil the pacifier for weeks. And as far as I know, you haven’t been calling her ‘creature’ or the other favorite ‘monster.’”
I gasped in mock outrage, “As if I would call my, Katie cat such terrible things!”
Katie giggled kicking her arms and legs in the air. Okay, so I still called her creature and monster occasionally. I knew she wouldn’t rat me out. First off, Katie has a pretty good gig here, and second, she can’t talk.
But I didn’t call our daughter creature because she was a terrible thing. Our little girl is the most beautiful little creature imaginable. I still marvel that Ebony and I were able to make something together that is so precious and utterly perfect.
In that same respect, not all monsters are bad, and this little monster loved terrorizing her father with the stinkiest smells, stickiest hands, and wettest kisses imaginable. I loved every moment of it.
“Eb, I have never been happier in my entire life. You and Katie are my world. I didn’t think I could love anyone as much as I love you, and now this little monster is in our lives, and my heart is so full it could burst.”
Ebony sighed, “I am so glad you feel that way.”
I nodded, “You know I do!”
“I just hope that you have a little room for one more person in that heart of yours.”
I smiled, “I have all the room we need.”
Silence.
Wait a minute.
Did she say what I think she said?
I gathered my girls into my arms with the largest smile a man could have.
“Are you sure?” I asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Ebony nodded, “In the spring I think.”
Placing my forehead on her own, I took a deep breath, loving the feel of my family around me and knowing that we had many adventures still to come.
“I love you, Ebony.”
“I love you too, Peter.”
Katie gurgled as she sucked on her toes, eyes intently on mine.
I gazed back, just as attentively at Katie, “I love you too, monster and your demon brother or sister.”
“Peter!”
Katie and I laughed as the pillow crashing down on my head.
| Chasing Pan / S. Cinders
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Did you love Chasing Pan - Tales from Neverland? Then you should read Witch Queens - Tales From Oz by S. Cinders!
The Witch Queens:
Dark new series that reimagines the Oz saga...
EAST: The four daughters of the King were each given land to prove themselves worthy of being selected as the heir to the entire kingdom. When munchkins start turning up dead, Indy- Queen of the East, knows that she has to do something drastic. Swallowing her pride, Indy approaches the only man for the job. He is one badass, sexed up, tattooed, six-ft-four piece of man meat that they call Scarecrow.
NORTH: Sent to rule over the Lion-shifters, Mombi- Queen of the North, knows that she will never truly be accepted as one of their own. What is worse, Jake- the Lion King, is missing, and rumor is that he left because of her. The pride is now under Dorothy's control.
SOUTH: Prince Gregory has been sneaking into the Emerald City and pretending to be the ‘great and powerful Oz.’ His real intention is to be near Glinda- Queen of the South, whom he has loved since he was a child. But true love doesn’t seem to follow the yellow brick road. Will these two ever have a chance when her sisters hate everything about him?
WEST: Elphaba- Queen of the West, has had just enough of Steele’s lies and games. The immortal broke her heart once, and it won’t happen again. His name might be Steele, but he’s nothing but a heartless Tin Man. And she is one queen that won’t be melting at his feet.
The new girl, Dorothy, must die. Don't be fooled by her pigtails and sparkly stolen shoes. She's a killer, who has been wreaking havoc in the land of Oz. The four Witch Queens must come together to defeat Dorothy once and for all and discover where each of their destinies lies.
Read more at S. Cinders’s site.
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sp; Also by S. Cinders
Dark Fairy Tales
Mated - to the Big Bad Wolves: Tales From Little Red
Witch Queens - Tales From Oz
Chasing Pan - Tales from Neverland
Dirty Bird Series
Maddie & Cece
Elizabeth & Bex
Sophie & Margo
Dirty Bird Series Box Set 1-6
Rakes vs. Wallflowers
Finally, Phillip
Dancing With Daniel
Better With Benjamin
Finding Frances
Sinfully Samuel
Melt Me Miles
Sisters Before Misters
Sisters Before Misters
Standalone
Mr. Wayland, and Other Mistakes I've Made
Hunter & Holt
Applebottom Magic
Blowing Kisses
Barefoot & Pregnant
Watch for more at S. Cinders’s site.
About the Author
S. Cinders began writing romance novels as a teenager. Instead of paying attention in class, she was busy scribbling out scenes in spiral notebooks to entertain her friends.
A lifetime later, or one marriage, three children and eleven different moves across the country. S. Cinders decided to try her hand at writing again.
She currently has over twenty titles and is a best selling author on the Radish App.
For a free book go to www.scinders.com!
Read more at S. Cinders’s site.