254. Kids

254. Kids
Lia
It’s safe to say that I felt like a shitty mom. How the fuck had I forgotten to give my kids a third birthday party?
To be fair, around the time of their birthday, we had found ourselves trapped in another world. Not exactly a minor scheduling conflict. We had spent what felt like weeks trying to claw our way back to our reality, even though barely a day passed here. Still, time had stretched, warped, and drained us—and when we finally got home, it was like we’d been spat out of a dream and slammed into chaos.
Then, situation after situation kept piling up. The marks. Solen. The screaming. The glowing. Every damn moment added to the weight we were already carrying. Rain brought it up one afternoon, offhandedly mentioning the missing party while we were cleaning spell residue off the living room walls.
I had gone pale. Like ghost-pale.
He just stared at me. “You forgot, didn’t you?”
“Shut up,” I whispered, already spiraling. “Oh my god. I forgot.”
So that was it. That was the final straw. I swore to myself we were throwing them the best damn birthday party the supernatural world had ever seen. I didn’t care if it was late—we were going to do it right.
We invited a few families from the neighborhood, even though I knew deep down the twins weren’t going to play much with the other kids. They had trouble with others. Not because they were mean or shy, but because they were strange.
Their version of hide and seek involved turning invisible. Their tantrums could rattle walls. And once, during story time, Gemma had casually predicted the neighbor’s breakup.
Did I want to admit that out loud?
Of course not. But it was the truth.
Still, none of that mattered. Not today.
Today, there will be cupcakes. Balloons. A bouncy castle is enchanted to float slightly off the ground. Music. Presents. Laughter.
Because no matter how strange they were…
They were mine.
And they deserved to feel loved. To feel celebrated.
Even if it came a few months later.
“I can’t believe we never gave them a third birthday party,” I muttered, adjusting the crooked paper crown on the cupcake stand.
Rain flopped onto the couch beside me, arms full of glittery streamers. “Okay, technically, they turned three during the great forest fire incident slash shadow beast thing, so we get like a fifty percent parenting pass.”
“That’s not a real thing.”
“It should be. Emergency-induced birthday amnesty.”
I gave him a look. “We didn’t even get them a cake, Rain.”
He winced. “Yeah, that part still stings. I did offer them emergency granola bars.”
“They were two.”
“They were grateful! Gemma said Thank you. Or… snarled in a thankful tone. Same difference.”
I sighed, stepping back to look at the decorations. “They deserve better.”
“And they’re going to get it.” He stood, holding up two party hats with wide-eyed cartoon wolves. “Operation Twin Birthday Do-Over is a go. We’ve gotten glitter. We’ve got balloons. We’ve got cupcakes with tiny edible moons. This is going to be so wholesome.”
“You remembered the edible moons?”
“Please. I may be chaotic, but I’m not heartless.” He paused, then added, “Also, I may have taste-tested six of them to make sure they weren’t cursed.”
“Rain.”
He grinned. “You’re welcome.”
I laughed, finally letting myself relax a little. “Thanks for helping with this. Really.”
He leaned in, voice dropping. “They’re our kids, Lia. No matter how weird the world gets, we’re going to give them joy where we can.”
My chest warmed. “You’re being sweet right now. Should I be worried?”
“Nah.” He grabbed the Bluetooth speaker. “Just wait until you hear the birthday playlist. It slaps. Emotionally and literally. Track three has drums.”
“Rain—”
“Too late. Pressing play.”
I was nervous about how this was going to go. It was a party at the last minute, and the twins weren’t even in a situation where they could be physically apart. Sighing, I decided to push through any anxiety about it.
Rowan and Gemma would enjoy having cake, ice cream, and then presents. Even children as odd as they would enjoy these things. Of that much I was sure!
Rain and I looked at each other, sharing a smile.
Everything was going to be all right.
But there was a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Something was going to go wrong today. How did I know that? I don’t know, but I swear something strange was going to happen.

Something strange did happen.
It took place after the party had gone off without any problems. The kids had a great time, enjoying the gifts and hanging out with the neighborhood kids. I had worried that they might not click with anyone, that their oddness might push the other kids away. But I was wrong. They were great at playing with the others. For a few magical hours, they were just kids.
I had worried for nothing. Everything went perfectly.
Until it didn’t.
It started with a quiet.
One moment, the backyard was filled with laughter and music. Next, I noticed the twins weren’t in the middle of the cake-eating contest anymore. I scanned the area. Nothing. Then I saw them. Tiny figures, wandering toward the edge of the forest that bordered our neighborhood.
“Rowan, Gemma. What are you doing?”
Panic hit me like a punch to the chest. I took off running, heart pounding.
As I got closer, I saw it. The light. Strange and pulsing, hovering just beyond the trees like a torn stitch in the world. A rift. Not the same as before. This one was darker, more jagged around the edges. Like something had forced it open from the inside out.
I grabbed the twins, wrapping them in my arms as I shouted for my mates. Jesse, Matt, Rain. They appeared within seconds, drawn by the urgency in my voice. All of us stood there, staring at the flickering wound in space, watching as it pulsed like a living thing.
The twins didn’t fight us. They just blinked, like they had woken from a dream.
“We don’t want to go in,” Gemma whispered, her voice trembling.
I kissed the top of her head, holding her close. “Don’t worry, kiddo, you don’t have to.”
Rowan pressed his cheek against my chest. “But… it called us. It knows our names.”
Jesse stiffened beside me. “It?”
Rain narrowed their eyes at the rift. “Do we think this is Solen again?”
Matt let out a low growl, already stepping in front of us like a living shield. “I don’t care if it’s Solen or Satan himself. We're not letting it take them.”
I brought the kids back inside, wanting them to get some rest. Imagine that a day that had started so great turned into something so terrible. It was beyond my comprehension, making me wonder if it was even possible for my twins to have a normal day.
All I wanted was one fucking day. One mother fucking day for my twins who meant the world to me. They were amazing kids who had been through so much and were so powerful. It was scary to imagine this was the case, but it was true.
As they said, with power came great responsibility. I know it was a Spider-Man quote, but it did apply to my twins. They had a lot of power, which thrust this responsibility onto their shoulders.
At least I was an adult, but the kids were just that: kids.