218. THEY ARE COMING
218. THEY ARE COMING
KADE
"I never taught you how to be happy."
My throat tightened.
"You couldn't."
"No. I could have tried. I never learnt that myself. I don't know how to teach you that. This life—the life we chose really doesn't teach you how to be happy."
Neither of us looked away.
"I watched you tonight."
He nodded toward the stairs.
"You checked that nursery six times."
"Seven." I corrected automatically.
Kai smiled.
"Seven."
"You've packed four hospital bags. I've been watching you these past months."
His voice softened.
"I never noticed you."
The confession hung between us.
"I thought giving you purpose was enough. I thought making you an Enforcer would protect you. I thought strength would replace everything I wasn't giving you."
His jaw tightened.
"I was wrong."
For a long moment, neither of us spoke.
Then I quietly asked,
"Do you regret finding me?"
Kai turned so quickly it almost startled me.
"No."
The answer came instantly.
"Never."
"If I regret anything..."
His eyes glistened beneath the porch light.
"...it's every year before that."
Silence.
Then—
"So."
He cleared his throat.
"I don't know how to be your father anymore."
A small smile.
"I think I lost that chance."
His eyes drifted toward the nursery once more.
"But..."
"I'd like the chance to be their grandfather."
The words were so simple.
Yet somehow. They carried twenty years inside them.
I looked toward the bedroom upstairs.
Seline was probably asleep again. Storm was definitely occupying my side of the bed. The twins were probably kicking each other already.
Home.
"I don't know how to be someone's son," I admitted quietly.
Kai smiled. "I know. And that wasn't your fault. You were never treated like mine."
Another silence.
Then I pushed myself away from the pillar.
"Seline makes too much breakfast every morning."
He frowned.
"What?"
"Come tomorrow," I told him.
The front door opened before either of us moved.
I didn't need to turn around to know who it was.
Only one person in this world could somehow look annoyed, sleepy and beautiful at the same time.
"There you are."
Seline stood barefoot on the porch, one hand pressed against the underside of her stomach, the other rubbing at one sleepy eye. Her hair had escaped whatever braid she had attempted before bed, falling over one shoulder in complete disarray.
"I woke up."
She frowned.
"My pillow was gone."
Kai looked at me.
"I am the pillow," I muttered.
"I noticed."
She walked towards us with the slow, careful steps she had adopted over the last month, not because she was weak but because carrying two tiny human beings had completely shifted her centre of gravity.
The moment she reached me, she didn't say another word.
She simply leaned into my side.
Naturally, as though she belonged there.
She did.
My arm found her waist automatically.
"What are you both doing out here?" she asked, resting her head against my shoulder.
"Talking," I replied.
"About?"
I looked at Kai.
Kai looked at me.
Neither of us answered.
Her eyes narrowed.
"You were discussing feelings." She guessed.
"No." Both of us answered at the same time.
She gasped dramatically. "You definitely were discussing feelings."
"We weren't."
"You both look emotionally constipated."
Kai let out a laugh before he could stop himself.
Seline immediately pointed at him.
"See? He laughed. You made Goldie laugh."
Kai sighed. "I really wish you would stop calling me that."
She smiled sweetly. "No."
"Goldie?" I asked, confused. "I didn't know you gave him a nickname."
Kai snickered, "Your husband is jealous."
The hell I am!
Yes, I am!
"And my hair isn't even gold." He told her.
Seline ignored me. "It has golden streaks."
"It doesn't."
"It does."
"It doesn't."
She looked at me.
"It does."
I nodded once. "It does. But he doesn't need a nickname."
Kai looked betrayed. "I raised you."
"You did."
"And you're siding with your wife."
"Always."
Seline looked ridiculously pleased with herself.
"See, Goldie? Your son will never take your side."
Kai shook his head.
"I've made a terrible mistake in becoming friends with you."
She grinned.
"It's too late now."
"It really is."
Silence settled over us again.
Not awkward.
Comfortable.
The kind of silence families shared.
Kai pushed himself to his feet.
"I should head back."
Seline immediately reached out and hugged him.
Not formally.
Just...
Hugged him.
Kai froze for exactly two seconds before awkwardly patting her shoulder.
"You'll call me when it starts."
He wasn't asking.
He was ordering.
"I will."
"You won't."
He looked at me instead.
"You will."
"I will."
Satisfied, Kai nodded once.
He started walking toward his car before stopping halfway.
Without turning around, he quietly said, "Take care of each other."
"We always do," Seline answered before I could.
Kai climbed into his car.
A moment later, the headlights disappeared beyond the gates.
Seline watched until they were completely gone. "I like him."
"I noticed."
"He is less scary now."
"He isn't."
"He is."
"He simply likes you."
She smiled.
"I know."
I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and guided her back toward the house.
"Come on. You need sleep."
"So do you."
"I'll sleep after you."
"You always say that."
"Because it's true."
We climbed the first step.
Then the second.
Halfway to the front door...
Seline suddenly stopped walking.
I felt her entire body go rigid beside me.
"Wildling?"
She didn't answer.
Instead, she slowly looked down.
"So..."
Her voice sounded strangely calm.
"...don't panic."
I was already panicking. "What happened?"
She blinked once.
Then looked between her feet.
"I think..."
Another blink.
"...I peed."
I frowned.
"You think?"
"I don't know."
She looked genuinely confused.
"I wasn't trying to."
My gaze followed hers.
A clear stream spread across the stone beneath her feet.
It wasn't stopping.
My heartbeat stopped.
No.
Not stopped.
Exploded.
"Seline."
She looked up at me.
Still impossibly calm.
"Kade..."
"I don't think that's pee." My brain immediately rejected the statement.
"No."
"It can't be."
"We still have three weeks." She reminded herself more.
"I know."
"The doctor said twins can come early."
"I know."
"Kade."
"I packed four hospital bags."
"Yes."
"I forgot the fifth."
She stared at me.
"What fifth?"
"I don't know yet!"
She blinked.
Then—
Completely out of nowhere—
She started laughing.
Actually laughing.
"I'm serious!"
"So am I."
She laughed harder.
"Kade."
"The babies."
A pause.
"They're coming."
"I know!"
"No."
She grabbed my face with both hands.
"They're coming."
Right now.
The smile vanished from my face.
I looked down again.
Then back at her.
Then toward the house.
Then toward the gate.
Then back at her.
Storm barked.
Lights flicked on upstairs.
Somewhere inside the house, Hana shouted, "Why is Storm barking?"
Seline squeezed my cheeks.
"Breathe."
"I am breathing."
"You aren't."
"I forgot how."
Another warm trickle ran down her legs. She looked at it.
"I definitely didn't pee." She said. Her fingers tightened around mine so suddenly that the bones in my hand protested.
For the first time in years...
I, Kade Marcellous—
Don of the Outfit.
The man people called the Shadow.
The man who had walked through wars without flinching.
Completely...
Utterly...
Panicked.