Chapter 418

"They're beautiful," Rosie whispers, her voice reverent as she sorts through the pages of Daphne's designs.

"I can make you one too," Daphne says, peeling her eyes from Jesse and leaning forward to smile at the girl before her, just on the cusp of her teenage years.

Rosie squeaks with pleasure and hope, her hands flying up to clasp against her chest. "Really!?"

"Yes, of course!" Daphne replies, laughing.

"What about me!?" Bella gasps, not wanting to be left out.

"You too, Bella," Daphne replies, laughing a little and focusing on the younger girl at her side. Bella grins up at her, well pleased.

"But not Seraphina," Rose murmurs, looking back down at the drawings. "She'll just get cake all over it."

"It's true, isn't it, Fifs," Jesse says quite seriously, looking down at the baby of the family, who is at most four. The baby grins up at her favorite sibling. "I don't know why we dress you at all, considering your fabric-to-food ratio."

Seraphina giggles, and smacks Jesse lazily on the chest, turning her head away towards the TV where Rose's dance game is still running. "So, your mom's asleep?" Daphne asks quietly, a little dismayed.

"Yeah, but don't worry," Jesse says, reaching out around Seraphina and deftly scooping the designs back into the portfolio before deftly closing it. Rosie immediately runs back to her game, starting it over, and Bella leans against Daphne's side, nuzzling close. "I can give it to her. With as little chocolate sauce on it as possible."

"But not none?" Daphne asks, a grin starting.

"Never none," Jesse replies, shaking his head and laughing lightly as he lifts his eyes to meet Daphne's. "Not in this house."

The two take a moment, staring at each other and smiling, before Daphne sighs and looks around. "Man, it's really nice here. So...cozy and busy. I almost wish I'd stayed here, instead of the palace."

"You've only been here for five minutes. It's very charming for five minutes. And then someone bites you." He gives Chase another playful kick, sending the boy toppling over and laughing again.

Daphne laughs, turning her eyes back to Jesse. "No one's going to bite me here. I've promised them dresses."

"Don't be too sure of that," Jesse murmurs, resting his head back against the couch, his eyes dropping a little to Daphne's neck.

And Daphne, despite herself, drops her gaze to the floor, a faint blush marking her cheeks.

"Do you know," Jesse says after a long quiet moment, his voice shifting now to speak out to all the children, demanding their attention. "I bet that Aunt Ella didn't even feed Daphne before she left this morning."

The children all gasp dramatically as one, pretending to be scandalized, immediately in on the game.

"Bad auntie!" Chase declares.

"Inhospitable!” Caleb calls from the chair, showing off his vocabulary as he drops his phone and gives up the ruse of being too cool to play.

"Oh Daphne, you poor thing," Rose murmurs, pressing a sincere hand to her heart.

Daphne bursts into laugher, looking around at all of them in shock, not getting it yet.

“We have to fix this," Jesse says, nodding sagely and holding up one hand in the air. All the children go tense, and Daphne looks around at all of them, fascinated and baffled. "Best to-go breakfast gets...ten minutes later to bedtime tonight!"

The children gasp, delighted at the prize.

"In three...!" Jesse calls, holding up three fingers and starting to count them down. "Two...!"

But he never gets to one, because Chase shrieks and leaps for the kitchen and then the rest of them are off after him, shouting, calling him a cheater, pushing and shoving each other aside to get through the kitchen door first.

Daphne bursts with laugher as she spins to watch them go, truly delighted. Jesse, beside her, laughs too.

"Bribery," he sighs, and she turns back to him. "The only efficient way to get them to leave you the hell alone for a second."

"Oh, come on, Jess," Daphne says on a sigh, leaning her head against the edge of the couch and gazing at him, just a bit. "It's very clear that you don't want to be away from them, not for a single minute."

"I wouldn't be so sure," he murmurs, studying her face quietly. "Maybe just for one minute alone with our honored early-morning guest."

Jesse lifts a hand then in the space between them. But then hesitates and quickly lowers it, tucking it tight beneath his leg like he wants to keep it from escaping. Daphne lifts her own hand, brushing the loose strand of hair out of her face, tucking it back behind her ear.

"Home today?" he asks quietly. "To see mom?"

"Mmhmm," she replies, giving a smile. "I'm excited. It will be good to see her."

"I'm sorry," Jesse murmurs, frowning a touch, "that it looks like we stole you away for most of your winter break, now that we all have to go back to the Academy early."

"I wouldn't give up a minute of it," Daphne replies, grinning, meaning it. "It's been wonderful."noveldrama

"I'm tempted to beg you to stay, you know," Jesse murmurs. He slowly looses a long breath. "Even if it's unfair to your mother...I'd keep you, if I could."