Chapter 271

As time passes our friends start to filter out until it’s finally just the core family here – my family, Jesse’s family, and the new addition of my mates and Ben and Daphne. Our parents dig into the more complicated questions now, asking us about the details of getting me into the Academy and keeping me alive there, and we all happily fill them in on the delicious details.

As we do, mom pulls Luca aside for a moment, fussing over him and patching up his black eye and his busted lip. When he comes back I can tell by his smile that Luca’s likewise under mom’s spell now, and that he no longer has any ridiculous ideas about mom having a favorite between my two mates.

Mom curls up at dad’s side on the couch, where he moved after his last refill, probably so that she would come and sit with him. They’re ridiculously attached to each other, even after all these years. And even if I know that I should be grossed out by how affectionate my parents are…well, honestly I just think it’s kind of sweet.

The youngest Sinclair kids, of course, ignore everything, but I watch with real pleasure as they continue to dash around the room even as the hour grows late. Jackson watches them with fascinated curiosity, clearly wondering where the hell they get the energy. But eventually they settle down too.

It’s only when the clock strikes midnight, and I’m sitting in dad’s armchair with two of Jesse’s siblings passed out in my lap – Bella sleeping blissfully, her head pillowed against my shoulder, and little Chase actually in puppy form stretched out over my leg, his head hanging off my knee – when Cora gasps and starts. noveldrama

“Oh my god,” she says, looking up at the clock. “Is it seriously that late?”

“No, you’re imagining it,” Roger murmurs into his glass of whiskey, clearly enjoying himself too much to want to go. “Have another drink, love, it’s barely five o’clock –“

“Noooo,” she says, instantly getting up from her spot curled in Roger’s lap and tugging him up with her. “We are getting these children home, because if we don’t they’ll never get up tomorrow –“

“Just stay here!” my mom says, as she always does, sitting up from her place curled at Dad’s side. But Cora just rolls her eyes, because she never takes mom up on her offers to stay in the palace, preferring to be in her own home. “Or, at least leave the children!”

“No, stop trying to steal my kids, Ella,” Cora sighs, clapping her hands and rousing Bella and Chase from their spots on my lap. Her other four – Jesse included – moan, knowing what that sound means. Chase shifts back into his little boy body so that he, too, can join in on the group moan.

“Your mom’s right!” Roger says, hauling himself to his feet and giving a sharp whistle. “Line up, minions! Time for role call!”

“What…” Jackson murmurs, glancing between me and Rafe, “what’s happening?”

“They have too many kids,” Rafe sighs, not bothering to whisper. “So, in order not to lose them, Roger makes them line up in size order and march in a line, like ducklings.”

“Plus, they hate it,” Roger says, grinning over at Jackson, Luca, and Rafe. “And I take great joy in embarrassing my children. Why else have them? We had five more because torturing Jesse was so much fun.”

Each of Cora and Roger’s youngest five kids moan and drag their feet, but line up they do, and I laugh to see them all standing there slump-shouldered, clearly tired but not wanting to go. It’s been an amazing night, after all.

“It used to be worse,” Jesse murmurs, catching Luca’s eye and communicating with his expression the true horror of his childhood. “They used to make us do a little goodnight song and dance, before I realized it was child abuse and started refusing to do it.”

Luca bursts into laughter and so do I, remembering how cute it used to be. God, I’d been so jealous and had begged them to let me in on it, but Roger insisted it was a sibling-only thing. I’d cried for weeks.

“Please,” Luca begs, grinning at Jesse. “Please do the song for me, just once – I’ll never tell a soul.”

Jesse’s about to counter, to refuse to the ends of him, but Uncle Roger interrupts.

“A-hem,” Roger says with deliberate emphasis, turning towards Jesse and gesturing towards the empty spot at the front of the line. “And where is my eldest, my pride, my heir and my joy?”

Jesse squeaks and sits up straight, pressing a hand to his chest. “Dad, I am a grown up now. You cannot expect me to line up with the ducklings, I –“