There are things in life that you'd never have expected to witness, even in your wildest dreams. Like, for example, a patriarch in a child form sleeping on an older patriarch's lap, his small legs wrapped around his waist, his upper body resting against his chest.
I blink, but the sight unfolding before me is still the same. In the time I took to buy myself a coffee and some tea for James, Jonathan had fallen asleep, his head now leaning on Jordan's shoulder. And if I'm not mistaken, that's drool on my husband's shoulder.
But it's not like Jordan seems to care.
No, not at all even.
He's holding onto Jonathan naturally, as if he were Elois or Ellena. There's no awkwardness whatsoever.
…Well, I feel awkward.
James, too, for what it's worth. The poor guy doesn't seem to know where to place himself, and he's definitely avoiding looking at them despite also sitting on the bench, not even an inch beside the two. He's pretending to be watching over the kids, who are playing in the indoor playground.
Thank God, there aren't many children today; it reduces the chance of meeting a Karen. Maybe the kids' mood won't get damped this time.
"—An Ice Cappuccino?" Jordan asks with a teasing voice, bringing me down to earth. "Are you sure that's a good idea when the temperature is freezing?"
"…It's warm enough in the shopping mall."
I clear my throat and walk over to James to give him his black tea. He thanks me with a nod and brings the steaming cup to his lips. Guess vampires don't get burned easily—or not. The grimace he pulls speaks of a thousand words.
"Anyway, are we done with the shopping?" I click my tongue, gesturing at the dozen bags at Jordan's feet. "I think we have more than enough clothing."
"Hm, just one more store."
One more store, huh? How many times has he said that already? I can't tell. I didn't count. Maybe I should have, just so I could throw the number in his face.
"Won't you spare Jonathan?" I sigh, pushing a lone bag on the bench toward the edge so that I can sit beside my husband. "He's dead tired. Maybe it would be better to return home for now, hm?"
I mean, Jonathan tends to sleep most hours of the day—and the night. He's unable to stay awake for long, and I'm surprised he even managed to follow the kids' pace all morning, 'cause Elois and Ellena sure were excited to choose his clothing. Mine too. And James's. The only clothes they hadn't insisted on choosing were their father's. But then again, Jordan followed along, too.
Long story short, the children got us matching outfits. They even begged me to buy one for Eve and Lucy.
It was a tiring morning.
"Don't worry, it's fine." Jordan offers me a smile, and I feel exhaustion bloom a bit more in my chest. "I don't mind carrying Jonathan around. He's feather-like."
Dude, that's not the point! A kid should sleep in a bed, not in his father's arms! Wait. Something seems wrong in that sentence… Well, erm, whatever. Let's pretend I haven't noticed. That sounds like a plan.
"Dad, Dad!" Ellena calls as I just put the straw in my mouth to enjoy my Cappuccino. "Come play with us!"
"…Why don't you ask your uncle instead?" I mercilessly throw James under the bus. I've bought him a tea, so we're even. Yes, I bought it with my husband's money, but who cares? Jordan gave me a credit card to spend money, not to keep it. "I have to discuss where to go next with your father."
Stars sparkle in the girl's eyes as she snaps her head toward James, who has no other choice but to accept his fate. Now that he has caught her attention, and Elois's, he can't escape, and he knows it.
I wave him goodbye as he grudgingly stands up to join the kids on the playground, a discreet sigh leaving his lips. They've turned slightly red, by the way. The tea was hotter than expected.
"So?" Jordan chuckles, hoisting Jonathan a little higher so his head could rest more comfortably on his shoulder. The vampire patriarch is like a noodle, unable to stand on his own in his sleep, and my husband has to hold onto him so he doesn't fall headfirst on the floor. "Where would you like to go next?"
"I don't know." I smile coldly, thinking I'd rather go home. But that, I don't say it. "You tell me."
"Then," a mischievous light brightens his hazel eyes, "how about looking for a gift for my brother-in-law?"
I choke on my Cappuccino, and Jordan gently pats my back with his free hand, unable to contain a laugh. Yeah, sure, laugh all you want. Gosh, that hurts. My poor windpipe.
"You invited him to spend some time with you during the festival, didn't you?"
What the…? How did he know? Did he read over my shoulder or something? And to my accusatory gaze, he arches an eyebrow, an innocent look on his face. He adds for good measure, "Just a hunch."
"Well," I cough, massaging my painful throat, "yeah, I did. We haven't celebrated the New Year together in ages, so I thought that, maybe, for good old times' sake… Anyway, he said he'd try to free up his schedule. No guarantee, though."
Why do I feel embarrassed?
"That's great to hear," Jordan hums. "I'd like to meet him, but I can't exactly greet him empty-handed, so I was thinking of buying him something, just a simple, nice gift."
Sorry, what? Meet who? Greet who?
Give a gift to whom?
You've got to be shitting—
"You don't want to…?"
Fuck, I think that's the first time I've heard uncertainty in my husband's voice, and I don't like what it does to my bowels. It's also the first time he's trying the puppy eyes technique with me. Please, Jordan, don't pick up your kids' bad habits!
"…Why do you even want to meet him in the first place?" The question burns my tongue, and I avert my eyes, staring at my Cappuccino instead. That thing is less distracting than Jordan's face.
"He seems important to you."
That's all he says, and I grow silent.
I've been avoiding Bryan for years until fate, forced by Ellena's tiny hands, allowed us to meet again. I'm not even sure I have the right to say he's important to me, not when I've ignored his existence for so long. I didn't dare to interact with him, not after what happened to his legs. It's still hard to face him, but text messages somehow make it easier to keep in touch. It's easier to talk when I don't see his face.
"Don't be too harsh on yourself."
Jordan speaks as if he knows what's going through my head. Or is my face betraying me? Hard to say. I can't seem to control my facial expression well today.
"I was estranged from one of my brothers for a few centuries because of some petty disputes, and Eve even gave Elias the middle finger for a thousand years in her rebellious phase." Erm, what? "Siblings are like that. We grow distant at times, but our bonds are hard to break."
A silence, then he clarifies, "Well, when there's a bond to begin with. I doubt you have any with Danick."
…Could you please not remind me that I'm related to that ass? Thank you.
"From what I've seen, Bryan is trying to rebuild the bridge between you, isn't he?" To that, I can only nod. He was the one to burn it to the ground just so we could start on new foundations. "I think presenting him to your family would be a good start to solidify your relationship."
My family…?
I freeze at the word.
James is playing with the kids in the indoor playground, Jonathan is sleeping on Jordan's lap, and I'm discussing our next step of the day with my husband. Yes, it looks just like a family outing.
"Take the time to think about it."
The strength to respond evades me, so again, I nod.
"But just in case," Jordan chuckles, his voice so warm I feel my inside tickle, "let's buy something for your brother."
…No is not an option today, is it? Dang it. Looks like the kids hadn't inherited their stubbornness from the neighbor. I should have known.