He turns his head back to me. “They nap?”My mouth spreads into a grin. “At four? Kind of a lot.”“Oh god,” he groans, putting his head again in his hands. “I don’t – I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m trying to do it all right – I just…have no idea what’s going on…”“You sound just right for a new da
Dad starts to get up to answer the door when mom comes flying out of her room, waving a hand at dad. Cora follows soon after, pulling the door shut and nodding to Roger and Jacks to let them know that their daughters are asleep.I turn my head to stare between Roger and Jackson, a little baffled, su
“No, Ariel,” Jackson says, laughing a little and putting a hand on my knee. “What do you think in like, a larger sense. Do you…want to live here?”I sit up straight in a bit of surprise. “I…do live here,” I say quietly, not getting it. “This is my home.”“I mean permanently,” Jackson says, turning m
“This has nothing to do with whether or not we’re grateful for what Jackson did for this family and this nation,” my father says, staring at me, cold.“With all the resources this family has,” I snarl, “with everything that we have imagined for our people – vastly different futures, equality between
“Thanks!” Midnight says, quite pleased, plopping down in front of me with a glass of orange soda. Jesse lays on his side next to both of us, quite calm and casual. “Miss Ella has been very nice and gives me whatever I ask for, and also brings me stuff up too. She brings me lots of clothes.”“Mom lov
Midnight stares between Jesse and I with a frown. “What?” she asks. “What’s surprising about this?”“You’d really come and take care of Marigold?” I whisper, shocked and a little thrilled. I mean, I never even thought about hiring a nanny – but then again, I haven’t thought about much of anything at
I smile at her, charmed again. “I don’t know. Maybe I should have asked before I flipped out, hmm?”“Probably,” she says with a shrug, taking another long sip of her drink as she carefully considers me. “Do you want a puppy, Ariel? Because if it’s your mate’s puppy, it’s going to be around and stuff
When Jesse, Mark, and I arrive back in the living room, I give my father a steady nod of acknowledgement before I move immediately for Jacks.He reaches for me with one arm, the other stretched out next to Marigold, holding a handful of beads up for her and Seraphina as they sit on the couch, string